Crops, pets, gardens and lawns are all threatened by a band of severe drought, which includes portions of Otter Tail County, although areas to the south and east are suffering more severely. If the drought or low rainfall holds on, people will need to assess how much watering they can or want to do and make choices on what gets watered. Eighty-two percent of the state is now rated abnormally dry, while 35 percent is in moderate drought and 24 percent is in severe drought, according to the...

Prices are strong for feed crops such as alfalfa and silage corn. Silage corn continues to be cut for dairy feed. Harvest of mid season peaches, plums and nectarines is in full swing. Deciduous tree fruit, nuts and grapes: Table grape harvest is gradually gaining momentum. Almond tree limbs are being propped to support this year's heavy crop. The domestic market is slow, with occasional air shipments going to Korea. Livestock and poultry: Some ranchers are feeding hay, as rangeland feed...

Maybe they won t realize their taxpayer subsidies to grow ethanol corn instead of feed corn are also driving the price of their daily bread through the roof. As a result of the beautiful US Government subsidies to produce bio-ethanol fuels, and the new legislative mandate, the US refinery industry is investing big time in building new special ethanol distilleries, similar to oil refineries, except they produce ethanol fuel. As a result of the beautiful US Government subsidies to produce...

Many corn farmers are benefiting from the ethanol boom, but the cost of items like feed corn and consumables like milk, beef and breakfast cereal are being driven higher. Sugar-beet farmers are finding it difficult to grow more crop, as extra acres that open up are going into lucrative corn. A staple feed for cows, corn has more than doubled in price the past couple of years, raising feed costs and lowering the price that feedlots will pay per animal. Although corn is gobbling up...

If a county loses 35 percent or more of any crop due to drought, it may be eligible for a federal drought disaster declaration, making farmers in that county eligible for low-interest federal loans. Although corn and soybean prices are high, many southern Delaware farmers won't make a profit because they will have smaller crops to sell. Minner has to wait for the results of the Farm Service Agency assessment, due next week, before she can approach the federal government with her request....