It's been one year since a hail storm ripped through the Gallatin Valley, destroying an estimated $50 million worth of crops.

On August 1, 2013, golf-ball sized hail destroyed miles of crops in the Gallatin Valley. Manhattan ag producer Matt Flikkema told us it was the worst storm he'd ever seen.

"A lot of growers here, their entire crop was wiped out and didn't harvest anything," said Flikkema. "This field where we're standing was actually pulverized into the ground, hardly anything left."

Despite the devastating loss, most producers managed to get by and this year local farmers are banking on a bountiful harvest.

"Hail storms are a part of life here and so most people do carry crop insurance and that's how we get through," Flikkema said.

While potatoes had some protection under ground, wheat, barley, corn and pea crops didn't fair so well. Fortunately, this year, Flikkema said these crops are actually in better shape than they were last year before the storm.

"The moisture we had in June and early July has really helped. Even the dryland crops are looking awesome," Flikkema said.

That's good news for the small communities of Manhattan, Amsterdam, Churchill and beyond as it's more than just the farmers who will benefit from a good harvest.

"Farmers and ranchers when they do well, typically will spend money locally, new equipment, just up and down Main Street," said Flikkema. "There's more money flowing around and it just helps the entire community's economy."

Flikkema told us he expects to start harvesting in a little more than a week.

Source - http://www.kbzk.com/