Rain welcome, but hurts farmers

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Some orchards along Cleveland Avenue near Road 23 are flooded due to recent and current rainfall.

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When Central Valley farmers talk about water, they welcome the rain any time they can get it. However, when Madera County was soaked with a record amount of rain this week, maybe it wasn’t the best time to get it. 

Not that farmers are complaining. Now, they are worried about their crops, especially the almond crops, which is the No. 1 agriculture producing crop in the County. 

“The timing is off,” said Jay Mahil, Creekside Farming President and Madera County Farm Bureau Board member. “As a farmer, we want rain, but we want it when we want it. It’s a crucial time for almond blooms. It’s been an odd year. Bloom was a little early. We had some good weather last week and bee flight hours. It may be a pretty good crop, but the rain rolled in. With the rain we have, growers have to work to protect the flowers that did get pollenated and keeping that crop on the tree and protect it the next few weeks.”