US farmers struggle with drought
<p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="drought">drought</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="forcing">forcing</span> <span word="farmers">farmers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="decisions">decisions</span>. <span word="Damage">Damage</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="soybeans">soybeans</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="severe">severe</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hardest">hardest</span>-<span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="areas">areas</span>.</p><p><span word="Alan">Alan</span> <span word="Bowers">Bowers</span> <span word="Junior">Junior</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="farmer">farmer</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Illinois">Illinois</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Midwest">Midwest</span>.</p><p><span word="ALAN">ALAN</span> <span word="BOWERS">BOWERS</span> <span word="JR">JR</span>.: "<span word="You">You</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="morning">morning</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="might">might</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="thirteen">thirteen</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="paycheck">paycheck</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="soybean">soybean</span> <span word="crop">crop</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="paycheck">paycheck</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="farm">farm</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="dry">dry</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stalks">stalks</span> <span word="break">break</span> <span word="apart">apart</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="touching">touching</span> <span word="them">them</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="maize">maize</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="unusable">unusable</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="July">July</span>, <span word="Alan">Alan</span> <span word="Bowers">Bowers</span> <span word="decided">decided</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cut">cut</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="crop">crop</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="avoid">avoid</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="total">total</span> <span word="loss">loss</span>.</p><p><span word="ALAN">ALAN</span> <span word="BOWERS">BOWERS</span> <span word="JR">JR</span>.: "<span word="We">We</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="silage">silage</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="animals">animals</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cows">cows</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="wait">wait</span> <span word="till">till</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="completely">completely</span> <span word="dried">dried</span> <span word="up">up</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="won">won</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="suitable">suitable</span> <span word="feed">feed</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="animals">animals</span>."</p><p><span word="Alan">Alan</span> <span word="Bowers">Bowers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="wife">wife</span>, <span word="Lori">Lori</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="hoping">hoping</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="insurance">insurance</span> <span word="settlement">settlement</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="bills">bills</span> <span word="until">until</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="year">year</span>.</p><p><span word="LORI">LORI</span> <span word="BOWERS">BOWERS</span>: "<span word="People">People</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="realize">realize</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="us">us</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="tough">tough</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="together">together</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="husband">husband</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wife">wife</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="family">family</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="it">it</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Bowers">Bowers</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="lose">lose</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="soybeans">soybeans</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="record">record</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="temperatures">temperatures</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lack">lack</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="rain">rain</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worst">worst</span> <span word="drought">drought</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="century">century</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="Alan">Alan</span> <span word="Bowers">Bowers</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="this">this</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="farm">farm</span> <span word="itself">itself</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="survive">survive</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="farm">farm</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="generations">generations</span>.</p>
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