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Article: Corn farmers' hopes are dashed by the flood
- Article from:
- AP Online
- Article date:
- June 25, 2008
- Author:
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This year's corn crop was Bill Talsma's lottery ticket _ a potentially record-setting haul worth millions.
Then came the flood.
The raging rivers and streams destroyed nearly a quarter of the crop Talsma and his brother were growing on about 75 percent of their 9,000 acres in Iowa, and drenching rains damaged the rest. Had all his corn come in, Talsma could have seen a profit of as much as $6 million.
Now, he will be lucky to bring home a fraction of that.
"I was counting on this being one of my best years ever, but now it's one that you just want to get behind you," the 50-year-old Talsma said.
Across the Corn Belt states of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, ...