Anna King
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
When submerged in floodwaters loaded with sediments, they can get clogged or ruined.
That could cost thousands of dollars per acre to replace or fix, berry experts say.
Dairy cattle, too, are having a tough time.
Many have been moved to higher ground, and the only feed mill in Whatcom County for dairies is flooded out.
This is NPR News in Washington.
It's estimated more than 1,000 acres of blueberries and raspberries are underwater in Skagit and Whatcom counties.
Others might be uprooted by floodwaters.
And then there's the drip tape.
Most blueberries are irrigated with drip tape or tube.
When submerged in floodwaters loaded with sediments, they can get clogged or ruined.
That could cost thousands of dollars per acre to replace or fix, berry experts say.
Dairy cattle, too, are having a tough time.
Many have been moved to higher ground, and the only feed mill in Whatcom County for dairies is flooded out.
Jason Vander Kooi near Mount Vernon, Washington, said flooding is the number one fear for farmers in his area.
Vander Kooi's farm is still dry, but some of his neighbors had to move their herds.
Milk cows can get stressed out when their milking times change, he says.
Vanderkooy's farm is in the same area where tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate their homes.