This drought is an equal opportunity disaster — affecting all kinds of crop and livestock producers. 

Last month we introduced you to Ken Lenox. Mr. Lenox is a commercial cattle rancher in Rolla, Mo. We called him back to see if the weather’s improved.

“Since we talked last, we had 0.6 of an inch, which brings us up to a grand total — I added it up — to 4.5 inches since March,” he says. 

He says farmers all over Missouri are resorting to tapping wells they haven’t used in decades.  

“Our main problem is water right now. That’s what’s gotten a lot worse in the last 30 days is water for the cattle to drink,” he says. “The ponds are going dry, one right after the other. We’re opening up old wells that haven’t been used in 30-40 years.”

Lenox says he can get through the year if the drought continues, but he worries about the future. 

“In the 1950s, we had three of these years in a row. That’s got me worried almost as much as what’s going on this year.”