Farmers Keep Eye to the Sky as Fall Harvest Arrives

ST. AUGUSTA -- Experts say rain showers are good for brilliant fall colors, but farmers are saying enough is enough. A late start to the planting season and cool, wet weather has many corn and soybean crops lagging behind schedule.

Tom Janski is a family farmer who has about 4,000 acres in the Kimball, Clearwater and St. Augusta area. About 70% of that is corn and soybeans.

Janski says his crops are about two weeks behind and there's some fear of an early cold and snow event in mid-October.

If the crops don't get time to dry out naturally, Janski and other farmers will be forced to pay to have the grains artificially dried.  He says the moisture content, as it sits now, would have him paying double what he paid last year to dry his crops.

That, coupled with already low prices has farmers hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

The wet weather could create more complications.  Janski says with about five-and-a-half inches of rain in the last week or so, he's concerned about compacting the soil when they run their equipment this fall. That could lead to a difficult planting season next spring.

Janski says it's not time to hit the panic button yet, but if a cold snap comes early that could change.  In the meantime, Janski says they're hoping "Mother Nature" brings some warm sunshine to the forecast.