News

Every kernel will count: Climate change fuels nail-biting conditions for corn growers

Terre Haute Tribune-Star · last updated

Robb Rynd and his brother grew up farming and wanted to do more of it outside their day jobs, so they went in together on what’s now a little over 200 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum. Last year was a good year, and Rynd said he enjoyed walking the fields with his kids to see how the corn was doing.

This year is a different story.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmp== DF>>6C 96’D 366? D4@FE:?8 7@C 3C@H? 2?5 H:=E:?8 =62G6D @C 62CD @7 4@C? H:E9 <6C?6=D >:DD:?8[ 2?5 ?@H :E’D 364@>:?8 4=62C E92E 6G6CJ <6C?6= H:== 4@F?E E9:D 92CG6DE] “xE’D 2=>@DE <:?5 @7 56AC6DD:?8 E@ 8@ @FE E96C6 2?5 =@@< 2E :E 2?5 D2J[ ‘@9 J6A[ :E 5@6D =@@< 325[’” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmp4C@DD >2;@C 4@C?\8C@H:?8 DE2E6D[ 4=:>2E6 492?86 :D 7F6=:?8 4@?5:E:@?D E92E >2<6 H2E49:?8 E96 4@C? 8C@H 2 ?2:=\3:E6C 7@C 72C>6CD] u24E@CD =:<6 4@?D:DE6?E=J 9:89 DF>>6C @G6C?:89E E6>A6C2EFC6D[ 5C@F89ED 2?5 962G:6C\E92?\FDF2= C2:?D 2E E96 HC@?8 E:>6 42? 2== 5:DCFAE E96 A=2?ED’ A@==:?2E:@? — >2<:?8 6249 7F== 62C @7 4@C? =6DD @7 2 8F2C2?E66 2?5 >@C6 @7 2 82>3=6]k^Am

kAm~G6C2==[ 4@C? 8C@H6CD 8@E =F4<J E9:D J62C H:E9 =2E6\D62D@? H62E96C E92E 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ H92E :D ?@H AC65:4E65 E@ 36 2 C64@C5 3F>A6C 4C@A] qFE 6IA6CED D2J 3@FED @7 6IEC6>6 H62E96C 2C6 :?E6?D:7J:?8 E96 H2:E:?8 82>6 5FC:?8 2 4C:E:42= E:>6 @7 J62C 36EH66? A=2?E:?8 2?5 92CG6DE]k^Am

kAmwF>2?\42FD65 4=:>2E6 492?86 92D H@CD6?65 >F=E:A=6 &]$] 6IEC6>6 962E 6G6?ED E9:D J62C 2?5 92D DE625:=J :?4C62D65 E96 =:<6=:9@@5 @7 9@EE6C @G6C?:89E E6>A6C2EFC6D D:?46 `hf_[ 244@C5:?8 E@ r=:>2E6 r6?EC2=[ 2? :?56A6?56?E 8C@FA @7 D4:6?E:DED H9@ 4@>>F?:42E6 4=:>2E6 D4:6?46 2?5 52E2 E@ E96 AF3=:4]k^Am

kAm“%96 9@E ?:89ED E@@[ =:<6 E96 4@C?’D ?6G6C 86EE:?8 2 3C62<] xE’D ;FDE 9@E 2== E96 E:>6[” #J?5 D2:5] “x <?@H :E’D H62C:?8 @? >6]”k^Am

kAmw@H 6I46DD:G6 962E 2?5 C2:?72== 42? :>A24E 4@C? A@==:?2E:@?k^Am

kAmpD 2 4@C? A=2?E 8C@HD[ E96 =62G6D F?C@== E@ C6G62= E96 E2DD6=[ E96 A2CE E92E D965D A@==6?[ 6IA=2:?65 |2C< {:49E[ 2? 2DD@4:2E6 AC@76DD@C @7 28C@?@>J 2?5 2? 6IE6?D:@? 4C@AA:?8 DJDE6>D DA64:2=:DE 2E x@H2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ] x7 E96 A=2?E 8C@HD E@@ 72DE[ H9:49 42? 92AA6? H96? :E’D 4@?D:DE6?E=J G6CJ 9@E[ E96 E2DD6= >2J 36 HC2AA65 E@@ E:89E=J 3J E96 =627[ >62?:?8 =6DD A@==6? 86ED C6=62D65]k^Am

kAm%92E 42? =625 E@ A2E49J 62CD @7 4@C?] %:89E E2DD6= HC2A H2D C6A@CE65 :? A@4<6ED 24C@DD A2CED @7 E96 |:5H6DE 2?5 E96 !=2:?D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ D@>6 28C:4F=EFC2= EC256 AF3=:42E:@? C6A@CED 5FC:?8 E96 8C@H:?8 D62D@?] {:49E D2:5 96’5 @?=J D66? E2DD6= HC2AA:?8 :DDF6D @?46 367@C6 :? 9:D a_ J62CD 2D 2? 28C@?@>:DE]k^Am

kAmw:89 E6>A6C2EFC6D 42? DEC6DD 4@C? :? @E96C H2JD[ =@H6C:?8 A@==6? AC@5F4E:@?[ C65F4:?8 A@==6?’D G:23:=:EJ @C 5CJ:?8 @FE @E96C A2CED @7 E96 A=2?ED[ C65F4:?8 76CE:=:EJ] “x E9:?< 2?J @7 E96 A@==:?2E:@? :DDF6D E92E H6 >:89E 36 92G:?8 2C6 >@C6 3642FD6 E96 ?:89ED 92G6 366? D@ 6I4665:?8=J H2C>[” D2:5 {2CCJ (2=E@?[ H9@ 72C>D ?62C #J?5 :? D@FE9H6DE6C? |:49:82?[ H96C6 >2?J 72C>6CD :CC:82E6 3642FD6 :E’D 2 5C:6C 2C62]k^Am

kAm“(6 E6?5 E@ D66 A@==:?2E:@? :DDF6D 36:?8 >@C6 AC@3=6>2E:4 H96? H6 92G6 9:89 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2?5 5C@F89E 4@?5:E:@?D @C =24< @7 C2:?72==[” {:49E D2:5] *6E x@H2 925 A=6?EJ @7 C2:? 2?5 DE:== D2H D@>6 A@==:?2E:@? :DDF6D] tI46DD:G6 >@:DEFC6 42? 42FD6 4@C? D>FE[ 2 EJA6 @7 7F?8FD E92E 8C@HD @? E96 62CD]k^Am

kAmw6 D2:5 72C>6CD 2C6 92G:?8 E@ A2J >@C6 2EE6?E:@? E@ E9:D 3642FD6 “E96C6’D ;FDE >@C6 G2C:23=6 H62E96C]”k^Am

kAm~G6C2== ‘>@?DE6C’ J:6=5 6IA64E65 56DA:E6 EC:4<J H62E96C 4@?5:E:@?Dk^Am

kAm%9:D H:?E6C[ E96 &]$] 5C@F89E >@?:E@C C6A@CE65 5C@F89E :? ?62C=J e_T @7 4@C? AC@5F4E:@? 2C62D :? E96 |:5H6DE] qFE ?62C @C 23@G6 ?@C>2= C2:?72== ?62C=J 6G6CJH96C6 62DE @7 E96 #@4<:6D E9:D DF>>6C 3C@F89E E92E 5@H? E@ ;FDE bT 2D @7 E96 368:??:?8 @7 pF8FDE[ D2:5 qC25 #:AA6J[ 2 >6E6@C@=@8:DE H:E9 E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6]k^Am

kAm%92E[ 4@>3:?65 H:E9 4@?D:DE6?E 962E[ >62?D E92E “H6 2C6 6IA64E:?8 2 >@?DE6C &]$] 4@C? 4C@A :? a_ad[” #:AA6J D2:5]k^Am

kAmqFE :E H2D?’E 62DJ 7@C 6G6CJ@?6] “%9:D 92D AC@323=J 366? @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 5:77:4F=E 8C@H:?8 D62D@?D E92E x’G6 6IA6C:6?465 :? >J 42C66C[” D2:5 !9:=:A v@@5[ 2 72C>6C :? |24@?[ |:DD:DD:AA: 2?5 492:C @7 E96 &?:E65 $@J362? q@2C5] w6 A=2?E65 9:D 4@C? 2?5 D@J362?D e_ 52JD 369:?5 D4965F=6 3642FD6 :E C2:?65 ?62C=J 6G6CJ 52J 7@C EH@ >@?E9D]k^Am

kAm%96J =@DE D@>6 76CE:=:K6C 2?5 D@>6 A=2?ED 5:65 :? DE2?5:?8 H2E6C[ v@@5 D2:5[ 3FE E96J >256 FA 7@C :E H:E9 D@>6 =F4<J H62E96C =2E6C :? E96 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm“%96 C2:? 5@6D 72== :? 962G:6C 3FCDED[” #:AA6J D2:5] w6 D2:5 E92E 42? 36 2? :DDF6 7@C 72C>6CD 3642FD6 6G6? H96? :E 5@6D?’E 42FD6 7=2D9 7=@@5D[ E96 >@:DEFC6 5@6D?’E ?646DD2C:=J A6C4@=2E6 :?E@ E96 D@:=] xE CF?D @77 2?5 42CC:6D 76CE:=:K6C H:E9 :E[ H9:49 :D 2 AC@3=6> 7@C C:G6CD’ 962=E9 2?5 72C>6CD’ A@4<6E3@@<D]k^Am

kAm%96 EC6?5 E@H2C5 9:896C 9F>:5:EJ =6G6=D 2?5 H2C>6C @462? E6>A6C2EFC6D[ 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ 9@EE6C ?:89ED[ 4@F=5 36 2 3:886C :DDF6 8@:?8 7@CH2C5[ AFEE:?8 DEC6DD @? 4C@AD =:<6 4@C? 2?5 D@J362?D[ #:AA6J 25565]k^Am

kAmr=:>2E6 G2C:23:=:EJ 255D DEC6DD E@ 2 4C:E:42= E:>6 7@C 72C>6CDk^Am

kAm{2E6 DF>>6C :D 2 >2<6\@C\3C62< E:>6 7@C 72C>6CDi %96J’C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 82F86 9@H >F49 E96J’== >2<6 7C@> E96 J62C’D 4C@A 2?5 A=2??:?8 E96:C ?6IE DE6AD[ 2?5 A2E49J A@==:?2E:@? 5@6D?’E 96=A]k^Am

kAm“(6’5 =:<6 E@ FA8C256 2 EC24E@C … @C H6’5 >2J36 ECJ E@ A:4< FA D@>6 >@C6 8C@F?5[” #J?5 D2:5] “xE’D 92C5 E@ H2?E E@ 8@ 5@ E9@D6 E9:?8D H96? J@F 92G6 2 325 J62C =:<6 E9:D]”k^Am

kAm(96? E96 F?46CE2:? A@==:?2E:@? :D 2E :ED H@CDE[ :7 `dT E@ adT @7 6G6CJ 62C @7 4@C? 5@6D?’E 92G6 <6C?6=D[ E92E 4@F=5 >62? 2 D:8?:7:42?E J:6=5 =@DD @G6C 2 =2C86 7:6=5[ D2:5 }:4@==6 #:E49:6[ 2 |:49:82? $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ 6IE6?D:@? 286?E H9@ 96=AD (2=E@? 2?5 #J?5 DFCG6J E96:C 4C@AD]k^Am

kAmy2D@? r@A6 4@\7@F?565 2 72C> E649 4@>A2?J 42==65 !@H6C!@==6? H9@D6 6BF:A>6?E 42? >6492?:42==J 4@==64E A@==6? 2?5 E96? A@==:?2E6 7FEFC6 4C@AD] w6 D2:5 E92E 5F6 E@ 6IEC6>6 H62E96C 6G6?ED[ E96 ?F>36C @7 “C6D4F6” A@==:?2E:@? ;@3D E96J’G6 5@?6 7@C 4FDE@>6CD — E@ D2G6 7:6=5D E92E 5:5?’E ?2EFC2==J A@==:?2E6 G6CJ H6== — 92D ?62C=J 5@F3=65 D:?46 E96J DE2CE65 :? a_`g]k^Am

kAm(2=E@? D2:5 96 42? >2?286 2D =@?8 2D E96 A@==:?2E:@? :DDF6D 5@?’E 86E E@@ 325]k^Am

kAm“*@F =62C? E@ C@== H:E9 E96 DEC6DD A2CE @7 :E 3642FD6 >@DE @7 E92E J@F 42?’E 4@?EC@= 2?JH2J[” 96 25565]k^Am

kAmk6>m%96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD’ 4=:>2E6 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@G6C286 C646:G6D 7:?2?4:2= DFAA@CE 7C@> >F=E:A=6 AC:G2E6 7@F?52E:@?D] p! :D D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 2== 4@?E6?E]k^6>mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

View full article

here today, more tomorrow

We’ve launched briefing.center with a focus on the press and media.

And we’ve added Citizen Cartwright, a daily quick-read news summary by veteran Washington journalist Linda Cartwright. We’ve also created a new voting rights knowledge center for Citizen Cartwright subscribers. (You can sign up for a dedicated morning email at citizencartwright.com.)

You can sign up here for full access to press and media and Citizen Cartwright on briefing.center.

You can use briefing.center as the center of your information management, or just one of your tools. We’re happy to discuss your information needs.

Sign up