The recent heat wave and low precipitation rate have caused some problems for local farmers, and if these conditions continue, crop yields could suffer as a result.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Kerry Schwindenhammer said most of the local region is experiencing less than half of its normal rainfall, with some areas getting less than 3 inches of precipitation since June 1."This month has just been really dry," Schwindenhammer said.With this year's incredibly erratic weather, including fluctuating and unseasonal temperatures, the growing season is suffering. A drought is currently affecting the east coast from Maine to Pennsylvania, with incredibly low rainfall for the second year in a row. This alone could be problematic, but paired with the recent high temperatures, it is particularly devastating for local businesses such as Borger's Farm in Kunkletown."The corn is pollinating now, and the heat is drying everything up. It's a bad time for this," owner Jeff Borger said. "We needed the heat earlier in the spring, (but) didn't get it," he says. "Now we have the heat, but no moisture. With corn pollinating, you need the moisture.""I would say it's hurt some of the yield already," Borger said.Some farms, like Gould's Produce in Brodheadsville and Heckman's Orchard in Effort, use irrigation systems to ensure the safety of the crops."We have a lot of irrigation systems in, and they're doing good," Jamie Gould said. "We'll add water to most of the stuff we grow, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and cucumbers."Gould's corn, which is not irrigated, has experienced a few small problems throughout the current season."Some of it's small, dried up, but most of it looks good," he says.Next year's sweet corn crop at Gould's will be irrigated."You have to (irrigate), to control for some variables like the weather," Gould said.Lynn Heckman, co-owner of Heckman's, agrees. "Right now, un-irrigated corn is not very happy with the heat and no water," he said. "It's starting to curl up, starting to show effects."While the high heat may be less detrimental to his crops, Gould says that one of his biggest concerns is the orchards. He said that the current weather patterns have caused an increase in pests. Certain species of mites tend to feed upon the tree leaves, resulting in a loss of leaf tissue. This can cause detrimental effects to fruit buds."The mites basically suck the energy out of the trees, and you get smaller fruit," Gould says.While Gould's utilizes pest control spray, it is only used when mites are present, not as a preventive measure.We don't spray unless we have to," Gould says.So far, Heckman's has not suffered from mite problems, but if current conditions continue or worsen, it could become an issue for fall crops."It's not affecting the fruit trees yet, it'd have to be prolonged, but it could happen if this continues," Heckman said. "What happened in the past is the fruit sizes were smaller, so less yield overall."Current precipitation conditions may last throughout the summer, possibly even into October. While this could result in a smaller harvest for local farms, irrigation methods and pest control will likely prevent any major problems.Besides, as Heckman said when it comes to smaller fruit, "Some people say it tastes better, with more of a natural flavor, less water."