It’s raining this morning in parts of North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. The rain is needed badly after days of blistering heat. Farmers and ranchers across the region say their crops and pastures already have gone downhill. Several producers have told me that their hopes of a bumper crop are gone, and that they realistically can hope for no more than an average crop.

Unfortunately, today’s rain appears to be generally light — about half an inch or less so far.  That helps, but not much and only temporarily. A widespread soaking rain is needed quickly, especially for corn and soybeans.

Farming can be a lot of fun when the weather and prices cooperate. In times like this, when crops go thirsty, farming is no fun at all.

Quick update: Friday’s rain in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota was finished by the afternoon. Precipitation totals ranged from two-tenths of an inch to about an inch in 10 towns monitored by the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network. In eight of those 10 towns, between four-tenths and seven-tenths of an inch fell.