FRANKFORT, Ky. — The recent rain across the state was certainly a welcome sight to farmers, especially large grain producers on the verge of losing their crops. But small-scale farmers have suffered just as much, needing the rain to guarantee late summer and fall produce will be available to their customers.

While they have more flexibility on their side, the drought conditions, coupled with record heat, has created problems for the smaller producers.

Joe Cleary of Cleary Hill Farm, located in Ander-son County, sells his produce at the Frankfort and Lexington farmers’ markets. Even though many of his products are grown in a greenhouse, the weather has still affected his operation.

“The heat has started to hurt the greenhouse. The tomatoes are not getting to the size they should be and still, at roughly at 90 degrees and above, the flower buds on beans, peppers and tomatoes die,” he said. “Even though you have, in a greenhouse, a controlled environment, you’re still going to have the same problems with some things as you would outside, unless you have evaporated coolers to keep it cool.”

Cleary has six acres of produce outside the greenhouse, so watering has become a vital and expensive procedure to keep his vegetables growing. “Unfortunately, I use city water so my water bill has been $1,000 or better by now,” he said. “With the severe heat, the leaves are still crumbling.”

Cleary said he has spoken with other market vendors who are unsure how much longer they can continue.

Larry Ayres of Ayres Family Orchard in Owenton grows apple, peach and plum trees, along with blackberries. He said even with an irrigation system the heat was unbearable, especially for his blackberry crop.

“The blackberries don’t like temperatures about 90 degrees, so when it got so hot, even the red berries turned black and started baking and drying up on the vines and leaking juice even before they became ripe,” he said. “I think our blackberry harvest has probably been cut at least in half, and that is with me trying to water them.”

Ironically, the demand for his locally grown goods has been steady this year, Ayres said; good news if the weather had been better, for an ever-increasing number of producers selling at the markets and the growing customer base that uses them as a key food supply.

According to information from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Commonwealth has more than 150 markets and well in excess of 2,000 vendors. The Kentucky Assoc. of Farmers’ Markets reports those markets generate $7.5 million for vendors.

Jeff Dabbelt, executive director of the Lexington Farmers’ Market, said the dry and hot conditions created more labor problems and costs to small producers and even with the recent rains, more is needed. The first crop of field corn came in, but the second one probably won’t and the next is in question.

“I think we are still looking at a couple more weeks of wondering and hoping, and that will be a little more indicative of our success with summer and fall crops,” he said. “It’s scary to think what might happen if we don’t get the rain.”

Dabbelt added even crops that normally like the hot, dry conditions are reportedly short in supply or turning out to be bad, including squash and peppers. And it was a promising beginning to the year; an early spring gave producers a head start in their planting.

“Asparagus, strawberries and the greens were really strong and really shaping up,” Dabbelt said. “But part of the market is the diversity and the breadth of offering we have. At least if we are going to suffer, we have enough of an offering that our customers may or may not know. There might be shortages and it might be difficult across the board, but we should hopefully be able to maintain that offering.”

He hopes customers keep in mind that the market needs them now more than ever. ‘We’ve got a long season always and just the one day at a time is very helpful to us,” he said.

The first widespread rains of the summer came last weekend but still, the amount of precipitation falling over the state is spotty at best. According to data from the Kentucky Mesonet weather site, Simpson County, in the extreme southern part of the state, received just over 2.5 inches of rain as of July 14. In neighboring Allen County, more than five inches of precipitation was recorded.

In Fayette County, near the center of the state, 2.62 inches was recorded even though parts of the county received more and most of that came within a three-day period. Surrounding counties received similar amounts.

Right now farmers will take what they can get but, overall, the state is still dry with a normally hot August possibly still to come. Cleary said if adequate rain comes he could get another crop of beans out, but in all the years he’s been in farming – more than 30 – he has never seen conditions as bad as they were during the hottest, driest period of this month.