LINCOLN- Exceptional drought has reached farms in northeast Nebraska, making it and southwest Nebraska some of the hardest-hit ground in the country in terms of drought.

Drought, which has fried crops and pastures and fueled wildfires, is part of a rough year for Nebraska agriculture.

While not everyone has suffered equally, weather-related disasters across the state have proved challenging for farmers and ranchers.

Spring wildfires. A June frost/freeze. Successive hailstorms. Hurricane-strength winds. Unrelenting heat. Weeks and weeks with virtually no rain. All have conspired to set back or decimate crops. Storms have caused extensive damage to irrigation equipment.

“There is always some of that across Nebraska — it just seems like this year has been more widespread,” said Steve Wellman, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. “In some areas, the drought conditions are as bad as people can remember.”

Southeast Nebraska farmer Vern Jantzen says this year shows how climate change is injecting greater uncertainty into farming, a life famously known for a roll of the dice each spring.

“It’s impacting the weather, and when the weather changes, we have to figure out what to do,” he said. “It’s getting harder and harder each year because of the unpredictability.”

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