LANSING, Mich. (WOWO) — Michigan farmers are heading into a critical harvest season after a dry summer put pressure on crops and squeezed already-tight farm budgets. For farmers like Clinton County grower Zach Wagner, the results of the next several weeks could determine the financial outlook for the year ahead. “Farmers are optimistic, because we only get, there’s a cash crop where I only get paid once a year,” Wagner said. The dry conditions were particularly difficult for corn according to WILX. Wagner said July was especially dry, hitting corn during an important period of development. He expects his corn yield to come in below average. Recent rainfall came too late to reverse the damage to the corn crop, but Wagner said the additional moisture could still benefit his soybeans. Now, farmers are watching the weather closely as harvest approaches. A late-season stretch of warm, dry weather could help crops dry naturally in the field. Without enough warmth and dry weather, farmers could face additional costs to mechanically dry harvested crops. Those expenses could further reduce already-tight profit margins. The challenges facing farmers also extend beyond the fields. Theresa Sisung of the Michigan Farm Bureau said farmers are dealing with pressure from multiple directions, while consumers may eventually feel some of the effects through the broader food supply chain. Sisung said farmers receive less than 12 cents of every dollar consumers spend on food. While consumers generally do not purchase raw corn and soybeans directly from farmers, those crops are important components of numerous products, including livestock feed and cooking oils. Transportation costs are another concern. Sisung said higher fuel prices can increase the cost of moving agricultural products from farms through processing facilities and eventually to grocery stores. “Because of those increases in fuel prices, you may start to see that trickle down to consumers because there are a lot of transportation movements from the farm to the grocery store,” Sisung said. For farmers, however, the immediate concern is getting the crops out of the fields and determining how much of the year’s investment will be returned. Corn that was damaged by the dry July conditions may produce less than expected, while soybeans could still benefit from the rain that arrived later in the growing season. That leaves farmers watching temperatures, rainfall and field conditions closely. A warm, dry finish to the growing season could make harvesting easier and help reduce drying costs. For growers who depend on a single annual cash crop to generate much of their income, the outcome of the harvest could have consequences well beyond the end of the growing season. Michigan farmers are now hoping the weather cooperates as they begin the push to bring this year’s crops in from the fields. The post Dry Summer Puts Pressure on Michigan Farmers as Harvest Gets Underway appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less