That’s the blog.  

Not really, but it could be. 

This is really starting to feel like a broken record. The latest drought monitor from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln tells the tale (remember, the darker the color, the worse the drought).

That is a whole lot of dry in the Southern Plains, especially in Kansas and Oklahoma. Hopefully it’s going to get a little better; there is, according to NOAA, a better than average chance over the next 6-10 days for at least some precipitation in the region, but I’m not holding out hope for any kind of “drought buster” making its way through the Southern Plains (although one can always hope).

With what seems like an ever-extending drought now settled in on the region, I think its important that we start sharing more of the stories of the farmer, ranchers and rural communities affected by this weather trend. That’s why this week we are launching our “voices from the drought” video series. Over the next few weeks, we are going to try and post a few videos from a handful of folks in the region that have felt first-hand the impact of this drought on their farming and ranching operations.

For our first video we caught up with Laura Gay Burdick, a rancher in Palo Pinto County Texas and the chair of her local Soil and Water Conservation District Board. She visited with us about the conditions in her community and what she has been dealing with trying to cope with the drought.

Here’s hoping that we see some rain soon and can cut the video series short!