With some areas of Door and Kewaunee counties receiving nearly five inches of rain early Tuesday morning, many local farmers face water-filled fields that can damage their future harvest.  Rich Olson of Olson Family Farm in southern Door County says the fields were already wet and are only more saturated with pooling water that can kill off any newly planted crops from the spring.

Olson says his rain gauge measured 3.8 inches of rain on Tuesday morning and estimates that ponding water in the fields could damage five to ten percent of crops. Some farmers use tiling in the fields to help remove excessive water but cannot keep up with drainage when the rains come as fast and furious as they did. Olson adds that warmer temperatures, dry conditions, and westerly winds are needed now for farmers to be optimistic about successful harvests.