Market Farming

["Wiediger, Alison" <awiediger AT Hart.k12.ky.us>]

We had never had a deer problem until this past summer.  When the drought
hit, to save our market vegetables, we irrigated.  The irrigated plots were
the only thing green within miles, and the deer cleaned the crops up.  Even
our fall tomatoes, both plants and fruit.  They would eat the fruit just as
it got a blush - we had NO fall vegetable crop.  The worst part is that they
have learned we have food here.  This winter, it is not unusual to see 12
deer grazing our winter rye cover crop each evening.  Our guess is that the
spring crops will suffer too - and if we have another drought, as predicted,
we may feed deer all summer. We can get tags to "harvest" them for crop
damage - but we can eat only so much venison! Deer fencing the whole place
would never pay for itself.  What we hope for is a non-drought summer so
they learn different eating habits.

Paul and Alison Wiediger
Au Naturel Farm
Smiths Grove, KY

> ----------
> From:         Leigh Hauter[SMTP:lh AT pressroom.com]
> 
> I agree with Allen.  The commonly mentioned deer deterrents work more or
> less during the summer when there is plenty out there to eat.  I lost over
> $5000 worth of vegetables after September 15th last year to deer.  Early
> spring is also a time of concern.
> 
> An interesting fact about deer.  In the 1950's, around here, if someone
> reported a deer siting, the local newspaper would send out a photographer
> to get the rare picture.   This last year, it was rare for me to see less
> than 4 deer as I drove in our mile long driveway in the evening.
> 
>