Hurricane Isaac gives local soybeans a second chance

JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. - The same storm that caused so much destruction in the South is giving crops in the Midwest a second chance. The remnants of Hurricane Isaac are what farmers call a "million dollar rain."

South of Olathe, farmer Tom Boehm's soybean plants are filling up with pods. Much of his fields sat empty until less than two weeks ago when Isaac brought six inches of rain to Johnson County.

"You get the four to six inches, it's amazing how they can just perk up overnight," Boehm said.

Before that rain, the plants received just an inch of precipitation all summer.

Kansas State University Extension agent Rick Miller said soybeans all over Johnson County are looking much better with a second chance at a salvageable harvest. He said occasional moderate rainfall and cooler temperatures will help as well.

"That also means there's still a potential for things to go wrong out here as well," Miller said.

He said frost is the biggest danger, but Boehm remains optimistic.

"I think the beans have at least half a hope of half a crop," he said.

Miller said soybeans planted earlier in the season are out of time.

Despite Isaac's rain, the overall condition of soybeans across Kansas and Missouri remains bleak.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture's latest observations, around 40 percent of beans in both states are rated "very poor."