A version of the following article appeared in the May 13, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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Worsening drought conditions have delayed crop planting across the region, which could increase produce prices; seeds are ‘just sitting in powder’
Fat Boy Produce has sold fruits and vegetables at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market since 1993. (Photo: Lindsey Banks/The Charlotte Ledger)
by Lindsey Banks
At the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market last week, farmer Gene Moore explained the balancing act farmers across North Carolina are now facing as drought conditions deepen heading into the summer.
“A little dry is good; a lot dry is bad,” Moore said. “You can’t plant if you don’t have enough moisture for it to come up.”
After every small rain shower, produce farmers rush to get seeds into the ground before the moisture disappears, he said. Sometimes, they only have a single day to plant before the soil dries out again.
For growers across the region, that powder-dry soil has become one of the clearest signs of the worsening drought. Some farmers are delaying crops entirely. Others are relying on irrigation ponds and wells that are already showing signs of strain. Produce vendors say wholesale prices are climbing, especially for water-intensive crops, like watermelon, corn, green beans and peaches. Those higher costs could eventually be passed to consumers.
As Charlotte prepares for mandatory water restrictions Friday for the first time since the 2007-2008 drought, farmers, climatologists and produce vendors say the ripple effects of the unusually dry spring are already beginning to sprout.
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