Although early season rains provide an optimum environment for crops, a wet harvest can end up causing farmers a few headaches.
It's one of the wettest fall seasons on record, and while some farmers have already started harvesting, others are holding out, hoping the current sunny and windy conditions will help dry things up.
One farmer in Kingsley, Iowa, Charles Pridie, says, "You can't get around with machinery as good because it's so muddy right now. Besides, it makes everything wetter, so you've got to dry it more. More expense, more time."
Since crops don't keep very well at such high moistures, many farmers are forced to dry their yield once its gathered from the fields.
General Manager at Farmers Co-Op in Kingsley, Iowa, Chris Pedersen, says, "We in turn have to dump it, run it through a dryer. From the dryer it goes into other storage, then from the storage, we either take it to market or put it into some longer-term storage."
Farmers can do the drying themselves or invest in a Co-op's help, but either way, it'll cost 'em.
Pedersen says, "The economics of this is really quite severe. If you're talking where you've got nearly $100 an acre in drying costs, a lot of times, the profit isn't that much."
...Making it hard on farmers and their families when crops are responsible for a good chunk of their income. But, of course, despite swampy fields, some farmers say they've got no choice but to remain positive.
Pridie says, "We'll get through it. We always have and always will."
Some farmers are reporting their moisture content is currently close to 30%. Experts say an ideal range is right at about 14-15%.