Greensboro farm welcomes drought relief, rain revives crops and soil

Rain finally gave Rudd Farm enough moisture to get sweet corn in the ground and recharge rows of strawberries and vegetables, but the relief came after weeks of strain that had left the Guilford County farm watching both soil and pond levels closely.

Matt Rudd said the downpour could not have come soon enough for the fourth-generation farm, which started as a tobacco operation in the early 1900s and later diversified into strawberries in 2000. The moisture helped hydrate about 18 acres of strawberries and seven acres of vegetables, including crops that had been harder to plant because the ground had turned so dry. With the rain, Rudd said the farm could go a few days, or maybe a week, without irrigation depending on the heat.

The rainfall mattered because the farm had been losing ground on water before it ever reached the fields. Rudd Farm uses two ponds for watering, and evaporation had already pulled the top 20 inches off one pond. In April, the farm was losing about an inch of water per day without rain, and a pipe that normally stayed underwater had become visible. The latest rain did more than wet the topsoil: it gave the family a chance to keep planting instead of simply trying to slow the damage.

That distinction matters for Guilford County agriculture. Drought.gov said 100% of people in Guilford County were affected by drought, with the county ranking as the 9th driest March on record and 15th driest year-to-date through January, February and March 2026. The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council updated its drought advisory on May 5 and urged water users in D3 and D4 conditions to follow water-shortage response plans and prepare for possible rationing. State climate experts also said April 2026 was one of North Carolina’s warmest Aprils on record, and that limited rainfall and summer-like heat intensified drought across the state.

For Rudd Farm, the economic stakes run straight through strawberries, vegetables and sweet corn. The farm’s harvest feeds local markets and helps support a seasonal farm business that has become a Guilford County landmark near Greensboro and Hicone Road. Greensboro officials said the city’s water supply remained stable, with local lakes holding about 9 billion gallons combined, but farm water and municipal water do not move in lockstep. On this farm, the rain bought time, yet the season still depends on whether more moisture falls in the slow, soaking kind that rebuilds soil and protects revenue.