Severe weather is a major concern for farmers who aren’t quite through the fall harvest.
Donald Ernzen, 89, has lived in Leavenworth County all his life.
The longtime farmer knows he’s always at the mercy of Mother Nature. He worries strong winds and hail could jeopardize those crops still in the ground.
“A hail storm could ruin our bean crop that nobody has harvested yet,” Ernzen said. “They are just getting ready, and we’re harvesting corn right now.”
He used to rely on his weather vane. Now, he’s got something much more precise. It’s called DTN.
“It is hooked to the satellite and the monitor is hooked up to show us right in our area,” he said, pointing out the temperatures on the screen in his office.
Along with his years of experience, the technology helps to keep him safe and minimize his risk of losing crops or cattle.
“We just hope it goes overhead and misses us,” he said.
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Lexi Sutter can be reached at lexi.sutter@kshb.com.
