Dry spells followed by heavy rain put crops in jeopardy for Southwestern Ontario farmers

Farmers in southwestern Ontario are seeing lighter yields and damaged crops as they head into harvest season thanks to a mix of record-setting dry months followed by recent heavy rainfall and flooding.

The weather has been incredibly challenging, said Peter Johnson, an agronomist and host of Wheat Pete's Word — a podcast that discusses issues affecting farmers.

"Unfortunately, sometimes Mother Nature isn't all that motherly," said Johnson.

The weather was too dry for wheat to properly develop in the London, Ont., area in June, a situation farmers in the region also faced last year.