Businesses that rely on rain hope it arrives soon - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Despite the rain in Central Indiana Thursday night, there is still growing concern about water usage in Indianapolis, which is nearing an all-time high.

The rain that moved through does nothing to end the drought, which is especially bad in the southwest part of the state.

Indianapolis and most of Central Indiana is in a moderate drought.

Dorothy Collier, who lives on the city's west side, knows it all too well. Collier has been watering her flowers and vegetable garden every day and her grass every other day.

"The front is our pride and joy," she said. "When it's green it's pretty, but now it's just burnt up."

Citizens Water reports that water usage has been climbing steadily the past week and is just shy of breaking the record set in 2007.

Collier knows exactly what that means for her. "I would imagine with all the watering it's going to be expensive," she said.

Keeping things green and growing is harder yet for farmers. "It's about as bad as it gets," says Mark Hostetler, the farm manager at Traders Point Creamery in Zionsville.

Hostetler noted the 32 dairy cows which provide milk for cheese and other products are grass fed, but the grass in the pastures isn't growing, even with irrigation.  He said the cows aren't getting the proper nutrition and are producing less milk.

"The quality of the milk remains the same," he said. "It's the volume that's majorly affected by the drought, so we're seeing a 35 to 45% decrease in production volume." 

Terry Knudson, who owns Viking Lamb, sells lamb meat at farmers markets, including the one held Thursdays at 38th and Meridian. Knudson said he's now spending a $160 a day on hay, but so far hasn't passed on that cost to customers.

"No, that's hard to do," said Knudson. "Because it's not rained for a month, you can't change prices that fast.  The margins are tighter now. I just hope it starts to rain."

A few minutes later, the clouds moved in and the wind picked up. "Hang on to your tents!" yelled the market manager.

One vendor, holding on tightly, looked at the sky and said, "no (the storm) is going that way. We're not going to get rain here.'

It did rain a few miles away, at least briefly.

Benny Whipken, who had a vegetable stand at the market, wasn't very optimistic.

"The rain won't help, the damage has been done," he said.

Whipken has farmed since 1947. "This is one of the worst years really on heat and the yield on truck crops," he said.

Whipken pointed to the yellow squash and said that was the last of it for now. It's the same for his cucumbers and eggplant.

"That 95-degree weather got the best of them," he said, noting "there will be short supplies at different times."

Asked whether customers can expect to pay more for produce he said, "it'll basically maintain the high prices that started earlier this season."

But, like everyone else, he was still keeping an eye to the sky... and hoping.