Southwest and south central Kentucky fell into a moderate drought this harvest season. Brown, crunchy stalks of corn line Fresh Start Farms in LaRue County as a result.

Historic rainfall delayed planting. The drought forced Ryan Bivens into an early harvest. It's his 24th—one of the worst.

"Maybe it's not as enjoyable as it was that first day," he mused, steering his 35-foot wide combine through a field of soybeans.

He calls his fields a loss. The difference in yield, Bivens calculates, will cost him $1.5 million this year.

Although the corn stalks grow the same height, the cobs tell another story. From the dry crop, the cobs are half the size of those that grow in low-lying land that retains moisture. The kernels are smaller too, making it more difficult to make a bushel.

Credit: Ia

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