Crop yields down due to drought

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Farmers are working hard to get their corn and soybeans out of the fields and delivered to local elevators.

The trucks are weighed and the crops are emptied into the storage elevators.

But, this years yields appear to be falling far short of last year's bumper crops.

Bruce Norton of Gum Farms tells us, "We're down quite a bit from last year. It's been because of the rain. The main thing we needed was the rain and we didn't get it."

For farmers, grain is like money in the bin. The question is, how much money is it?

"They say farmers are making all kinds of money, but they ain't seen the other end. This equipment ain't cheap," said Norton.

The latest crop report shows this year’s crops may be off as much as 30 percent from last year. Soil types are having an effect on yield reports, but overall, it looks like this will be a disappointing year for farmers. Still, there's nothing like the optimism of a farmer.

"You take what you can get. It's like going to Vegas, you throw the dice every year," says Norton with a grin.