In Iowa, we are certainly no strangers to what Mother Nature can do. In the three years I have been here, I have seen flooding, drought, derechos, baseball-sized hail, tornadoes, and more.
During this time of year, the eyes of farmers and the markets are on the forecasts. This year it is being observed even more closely as carryout from last year?s crop does not give us much wiggle room on what we need to produce this year. We need to have near-perfect crops to hit USDA?s projections. However, Mother Nature is not making it easy, once again.
Ryan Martin is an ag journalist, meteorologist, and grain marketer. He has a unique perspective on the perfect storm, no pun intended, that is occurring where these three areas are coming together. He says that the weather across the country is influencing this year?s production.
The corn belt is looking to become hotter and drier in the coming days and weeks. That is not good news for those who need moisture.
That dryness is stretching all the way to the plains states to our south.
However, when you get into the deep south, they are forecasted to get more rain. Something they have been dealing with all year. They are wishing it would dry out.
The Western United States has probably taken the worst of this huge drought. Martin says that they have not seen much relief, nor does he expect them to see it anytime soon.
We can all hope that Mother Nature changes her ways, soon, before it is too late for some American producers.
