CHARLESTOWN, IN (WDRB) -- The irony in this section of Indiana, is that the "pop up" rain showers and lightning were a welcomed site. It's too bad Mother Nature's gift didn't arrive here more often and weeks earlier.
If it had, it might have saved this corn crop. At least... it might have. Terry Vissing doesn't think so. And neither do state agriculture officials in Indiana, who warned Wednesday that this year's drought could last into the fall.
"When you see these upper leaves that are already brown it's over with," said Vissing, a New Washington farmer who grows corn and soybeans. "(The heat) just fried this corn. It went from one of the best crops we ever had to being one of the worst crops we ever raised."
Terry Vissing says his year's crop is a lost cause. Even though the stalks are tall, they're producing tiny ears of corn that won't be worth harvesting.
Six weeks ago Vissing said his crop was okay and saw real potential. Then the Ohio Valley was hit with extremely hot temperatures, which destroyed the plants. Meaning this year's feed corn will be virtually non-existent, and will likely cause food prices for beef, pork and poultry to go up."
"We're going to be widespread corn shortages across the whole nation," said Vissing. "Unfortunately, it will hit us pretty hard in the pocketbook this year."
Terry says he's resilient. He just hopes next year's crops will be too.
