By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

This year’s drought, coupled with a late frost, has been merciless on wheat crops across the county and the state.

Driving through the county, it’s easy to see wheat is in trouble this year.

Alan Hett, who grows wheat on his fourth-generation farm and will plant a second crop of soybeans, is going to let his wheat continue to grow until harvest, but some area farmers are tearing up their crops.

“It’s very short,” Hett said. “Some of it, the tips of the head are stunted from being so dry. The top two or three kernels got frosted. It’s about a third of the height as what it normally gets.”

Hett said some of his wheat was about knee high.

“There just won’t be as many trips to the bin,” he said.

Yield potential is not there, he said.

He hopes for the best with this year’s second crop.

“Every day we get through is one day closer to the rain,” Hett said.

This will be a busy year for crop insurance, Marion crop insurance agent Jeff Cady said.

Cady’s customers have been contacting him about their situations.

“A lot of farmers are tearing their wheat up because of its poor quality,” he said.

Depending on what sort of policy they have, they could take a partial payment now or wait until after harvest for a larger payment, he said.

“There’s some really short stuff out there,” he said.