Commentary: With the Midwest mired in drought, here’s how Congress can help farmers cope

Farmers like me have always lived at the whim of Mother Nature. Agriculture is a risky business, and too much extreme weather — heat, frost, floods, severe storms, high winds and hail — can make or break a crop.

In recent years, we’ve been battling increasing challenges, and this season, although it’s only halfway over, has been especially tough. Farmers across the Midwest, the biggest producing region for U.S. agriculture, are gripped by the worst drought in more than