 | During the fall of 2007 farmers in central and southern Minnesota, northwest Iowa and southeast South Dakota experienced a prolonged wet spell spanning the end of the growing season and through the normal drying season. Eventually the crops dried and were harvested before significant snow arrived. But during September and October, many ditches and pastures were green with new growth. In this particular field along highway 46, the ground was saturated and covered with an inch or so of standing water. The crop was winter wheat, I believe, but definitely not rice, and so had yellowed.
Over much of this area, the mid to late sections of the growing season were quite dry. In a twist, some farmers in South Dakota had better moisture conditions during the growing season than their neighbors in Iowa. Hearing that hilltops in Iowa were thin, some South Dakota farmers were only mildly sympathetic; "What's to complain about, that's normal here every year."
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