Southern Indiana farmers say recent unpredictable weather threatens crops

HARRISON COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- The heat and rain have farmers worried about their crops.

In Harrison County, people in the agricultural community say the unpredictable weather may impact their bottom line and that could mean higher prices for produce.

Weeks ago, some farmers hoped for rain. Now, it might be too much.

Henry Ruthford, the Branch Manager at Premier AG in Corydon, said soggy grounds make it difficult to fertilize and get rid of weeds to keep the crops healthy

His team does the crop maintenance for farmers across the area, which mostly consist of soybeans and corn.

"We have got behind because of the rain," Ruthford said. "South of the river we have not had as much rain as we've had north."

Ruthford says some crops are going to struggle because the grounds are wet and damp. That means farmers may not produce what they anticipated by the time it is time to harvest in the fall.

Jackson Metz has been farming since he was a young child. Only some of the soybeans only some showed signs of stress. Metz says soybean crops are more resilient than others.

"We are doing a lot better with beans," he said. "We can plant them muddy (but it's) not ideal."

A few miles away some Harrison County cornfields tell a different story. Standing water from the heavy rains already has a noticeable impact on the corn crops.

"You'll be able to tell this fall when you pull an ear off a plant and start to look at it," Ruthford said. "On TV it's a nice straight ear of corn. Not always the case in the field. Some (crops) will be good because the weather has been hit or miss. Others won't be good at all."

The quality of the produce will dictate how people in the farm community go into the next season and it could also mean higher prices costs for farmers and shoppers.

"They can't afford to get 50-bushel beans they need to get 70-bushel beans I mean yield equals money," Metz said.

Ariel Camm-Wilson with Purdue Extension says there are resources out there for farmers.

"There's a lot of stress on famers not knowing if they are going to have the yields they need," she said. "Purdue Extension does have a farm stress team."

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