NW Illinois News

Beyond the immediate losses in terms of damage to homes and businesses caused by August storms that devastated the region, Ogle County farmers are now also expecting long term consequences in the form of crop losses.

Though the season had started well with summer weather that promised a good yield this year, the Aug. 10 wind storm that blew through the area with 100 mph winds may have destroyed hopes for a strong harvest, according to the Ogle County News. Farmers will have to wait until after the harvest before they will know just how bad the situation is.

“If it went down and snapped, it’s done,” Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said. “If it just got laid over, it will start to straighten itself out. The guys who have any downed corn will have a trying harvest.”

There will still be added work even if the blown-over corn can be saved though, Kern said, noting harvesting wind-damaged crops is a long and tedious process. Additionally, even blown-over corn that is still alive may not mature correctly, and the crops are left vulnerable to problems such as mold. Adding to the difficulty of assessing damage, while no entire fields appear to have been blown over, damage was widespread and occurred in pockets throughout local fields.

“These late storms in the growing season, we had a great crop out there,” Kern said. “You’re looking forward to it, and then you lose 25-30 or 50% of it. It’s tough. Hopefully they have crop insurance. Most usually do.”

Polo farmer Brian Duncan, who grows crops in the hard-hit Forreston area, said even things such as hills and geographical features will play a part in what is harvestable.

“It’s all over the board,” Duncan said. “Some took it worse than others. We feel fortunate that as hard as it blew, what we have is still standing as well as it is.”