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Nebraska farmer welcomes cooler weather

Clouds, some rain and daytime highs in the 80’s this week have given western Corn Belt farmers—and their crops—a welcome break from the extremely hot and dry conditions they’ve been experiencing.

Doug Pardee, who runs a cow-calf and grain operation near Sterling, Nebraska says the cooler conditions are coming at the right time for their corn crop.

“We have quite a bit of pollination going on,” says Pardee. “The biggest concern is the amount of heat and the temperatures at night. Cooler night temperatures would help immensely.”

Pardee says their pastures are still in pretty good shape.

“We had good moisture from the end of March through April and May,” he says. “So we’ve had some really good luck with our pasture conditions with management strategies and such.”

Pardee says they received .40 of an inch of rain on Wednesday. Other parts of eastern Nebraska received one to two inches—even more, in some locations.

AUDIO: Doug Pardee