It has been a long and hard wait, but this past week, Dallas County farmers have finally had something to celebrate, said Alphonso Elliott, Dallas County Extension Agent for Tuskegee University.

According to the Selma Water Works, from Wednesday of last week to Tuesday of this week, 1.25 inches of rain fell in Selma.

Elliott said the rain also hit rural Dallas County, increasing produce production throughout the area, something which he said has left smiles on the faces of local farmers.

“It has definitely been a good thing for all the farmers in our area,” Elliott said. “The amount of produce that has been produced this past week has been a lot higher than the usual.”

Elliott said several farmers in Dallas County, along with farmers from Perry and Chilton Counties, have been sporting their latest produce at a Farmer’s Market, which recently opened for business at Bloch Park.

He noted that the amount of fruit and vegetables sold at the market this past week increased tremendously, adding that market sales for peas, tomatoes, okra, squash, cantaloupe, blackberries and various other items hit higher levels than in previous weeks.

“I just hope it continues to go this well,” Elliott said.

Elliott said the market is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, opening at 6:30 a.m. and closing usually around 10:30 or 11 a.m., depending on how much produce farmers have left to sell. The market, he added, will be closing Oct. 31.

Despite rainfall being higher than usual this past week in the Central Alabama area, Chris Bailey, meteorologist for WAKA television news, said there would probably be only occasional rainfall in the next few days.

“It will probably be spotty at best,” Bailey said, adding that Dallas County would probably experience a few more thunderstorms this week.

Bailey noted that in the short term, Central Alabama had received normal amounts of rain for this time of year, but that in the long term, the area is still averaging 12 to 15 inches below normal levels.

“Considering that we have been in a drought for quite a while, we can definitely use all the rain we can get,” Bailey said.

Local resident Malcolm Jordan, who occasionally does some gardening near his house on Elm Street, also said more rain would be a welcome addition.

“I think we could all definitely use more of it,” said Jordan. “And I’m sure the farmers feel the same way.”