Over the past two years, the Mississippi River’s water level has been experiencing a drop in water levels as last summer’s long stretches of hot temperatures has caused barges to limit how much they can carry.

Although this may seem far from Hinsdale South, prices are going to go up in local supermarkets and in the cafeteria. 

Last summer’s drought hit the Midwest farming communities particularly hard. The Midwest grows the majority of corn and soy, but only half if this year’s harvest was sellable. Our local farmers were already struggling, and the Mississippi River drought is only going to make it worse for them. 

So far, the barge cost has gone up 77% above the three year average. Low water levels are also limiting barges from carrying the loads they were designed to hold, so less product is being shipped at a slower and more expensive rate. 

Low quantity causes scarcity, and as a consequence, as we all have been experiencing since the Covid-19 pandemic, leads to inflation. Prices of bread, vegetables, and other farm grown products will inflate even more because of the rising costs in transportation that the Mississippi River drought has brought.

Climate change has made the weather unpredictable, so it is unclear when this drought will end. Right now, the farmers can only pray for a rainy spring and a good harvest year.