Where is the rain? This is the question being posed by many producers.

The fact is that in some areas of Butler and Beaver counties, rain has been almost non-existent since June. Crop production has suffered and wildlife damage appears more prevalent than normal due to the dry weather.

Rain is greatly needed, but as far as crop production, the damage is done. Although hay and pasture could recover to still generate production, row crops and vegetables would not benefit much — it would be too little, too late.

The crops in northern Butler County are superb; producers in the northern townships may not realize how dry it is in other townships.

In my opinion, the driest areas are south of Route 422. However, the most severe areas are south of Brownsdale and Dinnerbell roads, continuing to northern Allegheny County. There are some cornfields where the stalks are about 4 feet tall with no ears and completely brown.

In general, the dry weather has probably reduced hay production 35 percent, field corn production 40 percent and soybean production 35 percent in the townships south of Route 422. But when the harvest is all done this year, county average yields will not be too far from the norm due to excellent production in northern Butler County.

Some producers will find that hard to believe, but rainfall patterns are very much localized — sometimes raining hard one place and only one mile away the sun is out.

For the areas that did receive timely rain this year, it was almost like irrigation, raining every second or third day, and the crops are the proof.

Biggest boar

From the Aug. 28 edition of the Omaha World-Herald: 800-pound porker noses tradition back into place.

Years ago, he was the unquestioned king of fairgrounds' attractions. "Where's the biggest boar?" used to be the most-asked question at the Nebraska State Fair. This year, a supersize swine is grunting his way back into the limelight. "Teddy Bear," an 800-pound pile of pork chops, has claimed the purple ribbon in the fair's "biggest pig" contest. Teddy has ears the size of baseball mitts and a back as big as a horse. He grunted somewhere south of the bass clef when his owner scratched behind his ears in a special pen at the 4-H Sheep and Swine Barn. Teddy compares to market hogs, which weigh about 280 pounds, and boars that commonly weigh 400 to 500 pounds.

A little aggie humor

A New York family bought a ranch out West where they intended to raise cattle. Friends came to visit and asked if the ranch had a name.

"Well," said the would-be cattleman, "I wanted to call it the Bar-J, my wife favored the Suzy-Q, one son liked the Flying-W, and the other son wanted the Lazy-Y. So, we're calling it the Bar-J-Suzy-Q-Flying-W-Lazy-Y."

"But, where are all your cattle?"

"So far, none have survived the branding."

Luke Fritz is executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.