Drought hitting many farmers in western Iowa

While the fears of drought were washed away for many Iowa farmers with ample summer rains, there are still others in trouble as crops move toward maturation. Iowa State University Extension Specialist Joel DeYoung says portions of Cherokee, Plymouth, O’Brien, Sioux and Woodbury Counties are facing a bleak harvest.DeYoung says this is the time of year when moisture demand is at its peak and many of those areas don’t have enough.DeYoung says the last significant rainfall in many areas came over a year ago.DeYoung has been meeting with farmers in the stricken areas to talk about their options. He says many anticipated the problem and have crop insurance.DeYoung says those farmers who didn’t purchase crop insurance may find themselves in a real financial bind.