NORA SPRINGS, IA -The weather is finally shaping up, and that's got local farmers out in the fields. The rain from the previous months is still creating problems for them.
Wet corn is the problem and farmers dryers are full and working overtime trying to dry out the harvest. That has many farmers turning to elevators to get the job done.
David Bartel has farmed his whole life, but this year is proving a little more frustrating then others. He says the summer could have used a lot more heat.
Bartel says, "it's been another challenging year..the weather's really thrown us a lot of curve balls."
The weather is a common concern among farmers every year, and this year it's creating a delay in harvest, and now that there's finally sun, they're running into more problems they haven't seen in years.
"You got to wait for the fields to dry up, and now it's really getting wet and it's that time of the year when it's hard to dry, so you're doing whatever you can whenever you can"
That includes looking elsewhere to keep the crop dry. Now, even elevators are backed up with more business than usual.
Richard Weiner from Cartersville Elevator in Nora Springs says, "it's taken a lot of time to get to get out of the fields and dryers are not keeping up because the corn is wetter than usual so i'm helping em' out; they're bringing it to me when they can't use their own dryers."
Even elevators are feeling the stress now...there are many that close in the afternoon because their bins are already full for the day.
Weiner says, "the dryers can't keep up...and when their dryers can't keep up and my dryers can't keep up we have line ups at the elevators and we're all nervous."
For now, farmers are can only hope that the dry weather is here to stay for a few days.
Bartel adds, "my hope is to get done this year before the snow falls thats about the main thing, and then we'll worry about money issues after it's all said and done."
Bartel says harvest is usually done by the middle of October, and if they don't get things done before the winter weather hits it could mean farmers will be behind in the spring.
Bartel also tells us at this time last year he was almost done in the field. He was putting things away, and now his motto is to keep the combine going.
