Hurricane Irene Takes A Toll On Maryland Crops - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

MARYLAND - Nothing could escape the wrath of Hurricane Irene.

While thousands of homeowners are picking up the pieces, many farmers on the shore are counting their blessings.

"I kinda think we skated through compared to what Isabel was by a long shot," said Paul Jackson, owner of Emily's Produce in Cambridge.

He said Isabel left their crops drowning in 3 feet of water. Irene just saturated the ground, but still created a flood of problems. Now, a lot of farmers will have to hand-pick their harvest.

"Now your carrying it instead of loading it right in the truck or on a wagon , a lot of places I cant even get to," said Jackson.

The places he could get to is where he found most of the damage. He says the excess water split some tomatoes and ruined cantaloupes.

Farmers harvesting corn were hit the hardest. The wind gusts completely knocked over several corn stalks, damaging about 20 percent of its crop.

Brent Malone, owner of How Sweet It Is in Eden, says he dodged the bullet. Their pumpkin harvest was unscathed, but Irene may cause some headaches down the line.

"It is going to postpone being able to plant our kale and turnip greens because its too wet to get on the land right now," said Malone.

Officials say the state's apple and peach producers could see significant losses as well.