GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — A dry, hot summer is cooking North Carolina’s corn crop. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says our corn is in the worst shape nationwide. About 30 percent of the state’s corn is in poor to very poor shape.

Guilford County farmer Chris Bowman knows all about the tough season.

“That was a concern we had to begin with. It was cold and wet, and I planted some and worried it was not going to come up,” Bowman said.

A cold and dreary March and April delayed most of the planting until May. Then as soon as the corn began to grow, a hot and dry June shut down a number of corn plants. But at Bowman’s farm, July and August were good months.

“We were in a fortunate position. We got rain when the corn needed it and we got a good crop this year.”

Bowman says he’s now harvesting a top five crop. The corn will be used to feed his cattle during the winter. But farmers that weren’t lucky enough to get any rain will have to make a tough decision that could affect beef prices.

“Some of the people I’ve talked to might start selling animals earlier and I think that will hold the market. I don’t expect it to go up any.”

Farmers that lost or had a very poor corn crop could be paying more for feed and hay.