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Some Michigan crops getting too much rain, others not enough

Posted at 7:47 PM, Jun 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-24 19:47:36-04

MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — Sporadic rain patterns in recent weeks are making Michigan a tale of two states where agriculture is concerned.

The Michigan Farm Bureau says heavy rainfall may ruin crops in central Michigan fields where growers were worried about drought earlier this spring.

More than a foot of rain has fallen within a week in parts of Isabella and Midland counties. The Thumb area of eastern Michigan also has been hit hard.

Farm Bureau field crop specialist Kate Thiel says many producers will have to make tough choices in coming days about whether to replant. Some crops are naturally hearty, such as sugar beets and corn. Others such as dry beans and soybeans are more vulnerable to excessive rain.

Thiel says many growers elsewhere in the state are still praying for rain.