A Different Take on the Weather

Like many people in this area I am anxiously watching the radar this morning, wondering when the thunder storms will move in. I suspect my reason for radar watching is different from my non-ag friends. We have been haying all week and are hoping to bale the 30 acres we have mowed down before it gets wet.

I would also suspect that unlike most of my friends I welcome the rain. This rain is forecast for the 4th of July and many are worried about it ruining their celebrations. Don't get me wrong, we have plans to watch the festivities and fireworks, but even still I welcome the rain. To those of us in agriculture it is a matter of our annual income.

Farmers and ranchers understand that a rain during the summer is a rare thing and often determines our success or failure for a whole year. A well-timed rain in July and August can greatly increase the yields for our corn and soybeans and often the increase in yield means the difference between profit and loss. That profit is the income that we live on for the upcoming year.

Often it is also the only way many of us will stop working to take in the festivities. I can remember as a kid hoping for rain so Dad could go with us to watch the fireworks. In agriculture, it doesn't matter if it is a holiday or not, the work has to be done. We rest when it rains.

So, while I understand why the weatherman may talk about a disappointing 4th with all the rain, I beg to disagree. While I will be disappointed if the fireworks are rained out, that disappointment will be greatly tempered by the realization that an inch of rain in early July can make or break our year. So here is to hoping it rains on our crop fields and somehow misses all the celebrations out there.