Weeks of summer heat and lack of consistent rainfall have led Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle to declare a drought emergency.
Farmers say corn in northeastern Wisconsin is curling and turning brown after 105-degree heat last weekend and that the summer hay crop will only be about 30 percent the usual yield. However, rainfall has been close to normal in some southern portions of the state.
Doyle requested drought assistance Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help the state's $51 billion agricultural economy, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The governor's executive order allows state officials to expedite permits to divert water for crop irrigation.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation estimates 60 to 80 percent of the state's farmland is experiencing drought and the situation will worsen if another week passes without significant rainfall, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.