NEAR CORRECTIONVILLE, IA -
Crops are burning, lawns are all but dead, even though the heat's leveled off here in Siouxland the drought's sticking around.
As the dry spell continues, corn and soybean farmers aren't the only ones begging for rain, nearly every part of the agriculture industry is hurting.
Brian Sadler raises nearly 200 head of cattle near Correctionville, but this year dry weather is making that job harder and more expensive.
"Up until the middle of June we were in pretty good shape," said Sadler.
It's a matter of munchies.
When you walk through a pasture you're strolling through food, for cows anyway.
With a lack of rain this year that food's not looking - or tasting - very good.
"It's getting brown, basically," said Sadler. "And it's hard and they don't like it."
Less food to go around means more work for Brian.
He's making these calves say goodbye to mom sooner than usual.
"A month to six weeks early," said Sadler. "We'll take them off the cow and put the cows back on the pasture again, which should hopefully extend the pasture enough until we get into the crops."
Those calves will be eating corn and grain, an expensive diet, but with pastures dying and hay prices high ranchers like Brian don't have many other choices to keep their herds strong through harvest.
Brian's also thinning his herd to save money. He says he'll be taking some of his older cows - and a few that aren't pregnant - to market soon.
