The amount of moisture in the soil is in dire straits.
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So when the rain started falling as farmers gathered in The Levee for the first Slow Food Earth Market for March they had a spring in their step.
And the smiles kept on coming throughout the Thursday morning market as the rain kept falling.
The wet weather did keep some shoppers away, but that didn't dampen farmer's spirits.
"We need it, its ironic after 228 millimetres of rain, but we need a lot more rain yet," Oakhampton vegetable farmer Austin Breiner said.
"It's going to take a long time, and a lot of rain, to put our soil moisture where it needs to be.
"What we've had is a good start, but we are definitely looking for more."
The rain is set to continue with more predicted falls until mid next week.
There is a 70 per cent chance of rain on Friday with 5 to 15 millimetres expected to fall. One to 3mm is expected on Saturday and 1 to 6mm on Sunday.
The rain will stick around on Monday with 2 to 6mm.
Mr Breiner said every drop helped and steady rain had a better chance at soaking into the soil than heavy rain, which was more inclined to run off.
"We'll take whatever we can get. It's still dust when you dig down so we've got a long way to go yet," he said.
Ironically, the market was swapped from the afternoon to the morning to help farmers, their produce - and shoppers, escape the hot and humid temperatures.