Collard green crops coming up short for many Wake growers after abundant rainfall

That's due largely to the legend that the meal can bring prosperity in the new year.

But an abundance of rainfall in North Carolina has led to a shortage of the treasured greens.

On a farm named The Collard Patch in Rolesville, Hal Gurley navigates around on his golf cart.

Among the sandy, soggy furrows that once sprouted with big, floppy greens, there is an alarming absence of collards.

"All we have here (now) is an empty field," Gurley said. "I wish I had plenty of collards out here to sell to the public, but they all got gone early."

Hurricanes Florence and Michael soaked much of North Carolina, adding to an already elevated rainfall for central North Carolina.

Gurley figures he lost up to 30 percent of his collard crop because of too much moisture.

In most years, the Collard Patch is abloom with business into February. But this year, the farm has to turn down requests.

"I have been inundated with phone calls," Gurley says. "It just hurts my feelings bad to tell them that I don't have what they need."

Because many Southerners, seasoned by tradition, need collards on New Year's Day -- not just for good luck, but for good eats.

"I have customers that have been coming for years and they expect me to grow 'em," said David Pope, who grows collard greens.

The greens haven't grown as big this season on Pope's farm.

"Collards don't like a lot of rain," Pope says. "Maybe an inch a week."

Had it not been for all the rains and the snowfall, the collards on Pope's farm would look much greener. Instead, many of the leaves are yellow and brown, colors typically associated with drought conditions.

Experts say too much moisture, not drought, is what eats away at the plants.

Said Pope: "Some of them actually drown."

The farmers that WRAL News spoke to say they haven't charged more green from their customers.

But vendors at the State Farmers Market have reported one pound bundles that previously cost $1.50 are now fetching up to $2 in November. 

It's not all a total washout for local growers.

"I'm still selling some," Pope said. "Sold some about 20 minutes ago."

Pope and Gurley say they both had collards steaming on their own stoves to ring in the new year.

ound bundles of collards -- that usually go for a dollar-and-a-half -- were fetching up to two dollars.