FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ill. (WSIL) -- Farmers in the region are finally seeing rain after months of dry conditions. Officials, however, caution that while the rain is a relief, it is not a complete solution to the challenges faced by farmers.

Leon McClerren, a farmer in Franklin County, said the biggest benefit of the rain right now is the reduced fire danger in Southern Illinois. The rainfall, although welcome, comes after irreversible damage has already been done.

"We would normally see this whole field maturing evenly," McClerren says. "So we are going to be impacted on the timing of harvest because we're going to have plants like these versus plants like these right here that are still very green."

McClerren added that the rain has helped later-planted crops.

"It helps determination of f

See Full Page