Dunn County farmers face the loss of some of their crops after as much as 7 inches of rain that fell across the region Monday left many farm fields looking more like ponds and lakes.The deluge knocked down some of the oats, wheat, soybeans, corn and hay growing in fields, and farmers need a spell of relatively dry weather to rescue portions of those crops, Dunn County agricultural agent Katie Wantoch said.“When the oats are flattened, it becomes very challenging to harvest,” Wantoch said.The almost 5 inches of rain that fell Monday at Ken and Pam Finder’s farm near Knapp along Wilson Creek left their farm fields looking like lakes.“The hay field is a mess,” Pam Finder said.The water flow from the deluge was powerful enough to carry hay bales from a neighbor’s property to the Finders’ farm and to knock down fences.The water “tears them [the fences] right out,” Pam Finder said. “Pulls posts out of the ground.”The Finders’ farm wasn’t the only one damaged by heavy rains that dropped as much as 7 inches of rain across parts of western Wisconsin Monday. Dunn County was among the areas hardest hit by the downpour.Farms owned by the Finders and others already had received plenty of rain this spring and summer.“We have already seen yellowing of corn because it has too much water,” Pam Finder said.Tim Jackson, who owns a farm one mile south of Knapp, said his farm fields are riddled with ponds and puddles left in the wake of Monday’s storm. Excess water can damage crops, preventing them from receiving the nitrogen and oxygen they need to grow.“The areas that were knocked over with flood water, that’s just going to be kind of a loss,” said Jackson, who said his corn and soybean crops suffered damage.Farmers closer to Eau Claire received about 2 inches of rain and said that they appreciated the rainfall.“Our crops are far enough along and have good root development, so I think we are probably lucky,” said Lee Jensen, who owns Five Star Dairy near Elk Mound.Though Jensen has some puddles like Jackson and Finder, his crops will not suffer the same amount.“It got kind of to the point where we needed some rain again,” Jensen said. “The little bit of damage it maybe did, I think the rain is beneficial.”No matter where their farms are located, farmers interviewed Tuesday said they hope for a warm, sunny July to boost crop growth.“Hopefully it won’t rain for a little while,” Jensen said.

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