It's been a long, hot dry summer, especially difficult for area agriculture producers.

The Director of Ag Services for Vulcan County Kelly Malmberg says harvest is in full swing for some, unprecedented for how early it started.

"As everybody expected the rains came too late this year so pretty poor crops, yields are way down. Some silver linings, the crops are pretty thin so I'm hearing on the cereals, the bushel weights on wheat are weighing up but a really low yield," 

There were some pockets that received some timely rains, just west of Vulcan and near the corner store but he says generally it's going to be a pretty poor harvest.

Harvest is going to be quick and fairly effortless according to Malmberg, but it is nerve-wracking to see combines in the fields when it's 37 or 38 degrees out, but so far there haven't been any fires or other incidents to deal with.

"Most producers are going to be relying on crop insurance this year and coverage rates look pretty good; commodity prices are fairly healthy so hopefully guys can survive through this year.

Feed prices are pretty crazy and cattle producers, they seem to find a way to get through, but I know guys are buying feed and trying to get feed sourced for the winter.... winter's going to be tough and the grain guys, just hope they can hang on another year and see something better coming in the future."

Malmberg says he worries about the mental health of producers who have worked so hard but find it harder and harder to make a living.

"It's not cheap to farm and it's pretty disheartening when some of these crops, wheat's going anywhere from five bushels an acre to 15 to 20, it's not going to cover the bills so hopefully things turn around."

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