The story

Rob Sellard's young wheat field is a stark reminder that no matter how bad the economy, farmers are always at nature's mercy.

"The fact is we don't have any moisture right now, and when we hit some warm days this wheat will deteriorate very rapidly," Sellard told CNN during a visit in March, pointing to places where the green wheat was starting to die from lack of rain.

"Without moisture this wheat is going to continue to die," he said.

Add in the high costs of planting last fall -- the spike in oil prices drove up the price of petroleum-based fertilizers, fuel and chemicals -- and the chances of making a profit this year look bleak.

"Four or five years ago, we were buying $350 to $400 a ton fertilizer. This wheat crop here, when we fertilized last August or September, fertilizer was $1,100," Sellard says. Read full article »

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