Drought conditions dried out grass pasture early in the fall, forcing farmers to begin feeding hay to cattle earlier in the year. The drought also hit hay fields hard, and producers cut nearly half as much as they have in previous years.

This fall, farmer Denny Pankrantz paid nearly $4,000 for hay to keep his cattle fed through winter -- the first time he has had to do that in 24 years of farming.

Source: KOTV