(The Center Square) — After a “high-impact” drought in the late summer and fall of 2023 that resulted in several wildfires and another drought this summer, this year’s harvest has yielded some disappointing results for Virginia’s largest private industry.

Though tropical storms are usually discussed in terms of negative impact, Tropical Storm Debby actually brought much-needed precipitation to some places in the commonwealth – but not soon enough for some crops. June was very dry in Virginia and the driest on record for many areas of the state, according to Mike Wallace, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.