News Photos by Michael Gonzalez Raspberry Field: Plant-life and soil dry up around a raspberry field at AJ’s Berry Farm in Lachine on Monday.

ALPENA — Michigan tends to go through a cycle of dry spells, rainy seasons and calm windy days during the spring and summer. Right now, Northeast Michigan – and nearly the entire state – has experienced a particularly dry end to the spring and dry start to summer.

Since the beginning of May, Alpena continues to have crucially low rainfall with the highest amount happening on May 7 with a total of 0.41 inches. Sparse rain showers occurred throughout the month with an average of about 0.2 inches of rain.

The lack of rain has intensified because of the higher temperatures Alpena has experienced recently, creating a dry season. Wildfires are rising and farmers are irrigating their crops earlier than usual to compensate for the lack of rainfall.

AJ MacArthur, the owner of AJ’s Berry Farm in Lachine, said his newer crops of raspberries are drier than usual. This made him start irrigation three weeks earlier.

His strawberries were projected for harvest around June 20. Because of the three to four days of 90-degree weather, harvest time will be smaller and delayed, he said.

“We’re hoping that [the strawberries] will harvest before the Fourth of July,” MacArthur said. “For some reason, people around here associate berries with summer and after the holiday, demand drops.”

MacArthur said a usual harvest time is five weeks – six if it’s a really good year. With how hot and dry the weather has been, he predicts there will only be four weeks available.

Strawberry and raspberry crops need about one to two inches of water per week. The strawberry irrigation systems provide 0.1 inches of water per hour, so they typically run for about 10 or more hours. With a lack of rainfall, MacArthur has used more water from his irrigation water supply, bringing the small pond down by three to four feet.

“It rained this morning, so I decided not to irrigate the raspberries today,” MacArthur said. “It wasn’t much, so I think that I’ll have to water them over the weekend again.”

As fields of plant life dry up, fires are more likely to burn through the new tinder.

Jennifer Hansen, forest fire supervisor of the Atlanta DNR unit, said people need to stay cautious of any fires around them.

“There are more fires that are happening this year than the last few years,” Hansen said. “The incredibly dry weather Michigan is seeing has been unusual. I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire career.”

Hansen said that under the law, small campfires are permitted, but they need to be paid attention to at all times until the flame dies. She also recommends keeping a water source and shovel around to suppress the fire. Due to the dry weather, officials are not permitting any open fires, which pertain to fires that burn yard debris and any brush.

Hansen also said any people responsible for wildfires will be held responsible by the law. This means perpetrators will be fined with a citation and if the fire spreads they may also get billed for any suppression costs.

“Fires spread quicker than people really think,” Hansen said. “Be sure to be careful of any fire source. This includes welding, fires, or anything with a spark – because one spark could start a fire.”