DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. — Virginia farmers are facing what some are calling the worst drought in decades, with dry conditions dating back to late 2025 threatening crops, driving up costs and pushing some operations to the financial edge.
At Double B Farms in Dinwiddie County, 81-year-old Billy Bain — a well-known Virginia farmer who has testified before Congress six times on behalf of agriculture — is in his 58th year of planting crops. He says this drought stands apart from anything he has seen before.
"In my opinion, it's the worst ever. We always use 1980 as a benchmark for a terrible drought," Bain said.
The dry conditions have halted planting operations entirely at points this spring.
"We had to stop planting because it's so dry," Bain said.
Bain's grandson, Aaron Hale, said the conditions are unlike anything he has experienced.
"I haven't witnessed it this dry in April, ever," Hale said.
WATCH: Extreme drought expands to more parts of Virginia
Soybeans planted April 1 have barely emerged from the ground.
"I planted these beans April First and the ones that came up, they have not gotten any bigger. No rain," Hale said.
An entire soybean field will need to be replanted, according to Bain.
"This field we're in right now is going to have to be replanted," Bain said. "It looks like maybe one or two percent have come up. You've got a plant here and you skip 18 inches and here you got 3 and in that period, we should have had 20 plants and we only have four."
The farm's 1,000 acres of corn are faring no better. Hale said the soil has nothing to offer young seeds.
"Looking to see if there's some moisture. There's a little bit in this ground, cause it's had some deep tillage this year, but I mean it's not enough to make a seed come up. It's just powder dry. Nothing to it," Hale said.
Some corn fields also sustained frost damage, compounding the drought's toll.
Hay crops planted to support the farm's cattle have come in at roughly a third of their expected yield.
"Well the dry weather shortened it. We should have had our first cutting of hay in the barn but it's out there. The growth a third of what it should be," Bain said.
Crews spent much of Thursday morning working on equipment to plant peanuts, but that crop faces the same challenge as the others without meaningful rainfall.
Irrigation is an option, but not a cheap one. Pumping water from ponds requires electricity or diesel fuel, adding to an already strained budget.
"It's very costly per day especially when you are looking at diesel fuel prices at four dollars for off road, over five dollars on road so just another cost when you have dry weather," Bain said.
The drought is hitting farmers at a particularly difficult time, with high input costs and low commodity prices already squeezing margins. Bain said the combination is taking a serious toll across the state.
"If you look at the State Drought Monitor, the whole state is pretty much in trouble," Bain said.
Both Bain and Hale said they will need to replant some crops for a second time. But without significant rainfall soon, they say they will not be financially able to replant for a third time.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
602-Inspired Eblast
Subject: A Virginia farming legend says this is the worst drought he has ever seen
Good morning! Virginia farmers are facing what some are calling the worst drought in decades, with dry conditions dating back to late 2025 threatening crops and pushing some operations to the financial edge.
At Double B Farms in Dinwiddie County, 81-year-old Billy Bain — in his 58th year of planting crops — says this drought is worse than the devastating dry spell of 1980. His grandson Aaron Hale agrees, saying he has never seen April this dry.
With soybeans failing to emerge, corn fields powder dry and hay crops coming in at a third of their expected yield, the two say they may not be financially able to replant a third time if the rain does not come soon.
Click here to see the full picture of what Virginia farmers are up against this spring.
Headline / Teases
Option 1 Headline: Virginia farmer with 58 years of experience says this drought is the worst he has ever seen Tease: An 81-year-old Dinwiddie County farmer who has testified before Congress six times says this spring's drought is worse than 1980. Find out what is at stake for his farm and others across Virginia if the rain does not come soon.
Option 2 Headline: 'Powder dry': Virginia farmers say drought is pushing them to the financial edge Tease: Soybeans are failing to emerge, corn fields are bone dry and hay crops are coming in at a third of their expected yield. See how one Dinwiddie County farm is fighting to survive one of the worst droughts in Virginia history.
Option 3 Headline: Virginia farmers may not be able to afford a third replanting if drought continues Tease: Double B Farms in Dinwiddie County has already had to stop planting this spring. Hear from an 81-year-old farming legend and his grandson about how much longer they can hold on without meaningful rain.
Required Digital Deliverables
Headline Virginia farmers say 2026 drought is the worst in decades as crops fail and costs mount across the state
Short Headline Virginia farmers say 2026 drought is the worst they have ever seen
Sub Headline An 81-year-old Dinwiddie County farmer in his 58th year of planting says the drought is worse than 1980, with soybeans, corn and hay crops all failing to emerge.
Meta Description Virginia farmers say the 2026 drought is the worst in decades, with dry conditions since late 2025 threatening crops and pushing operations to the financial edge.
Trending Keywords Virginia drought, Dinwiddie County, Double B Farms, Billy Bain, Virginia farmers, drought 2026, crop failure, State Drought Monitor
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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
