A recent visit to Harnett County turned up a lot of farm activity, from harvesting tobacco and irrigating crops to spraying peanuts. As is often the case in the middle of summer, some fields looked better than others and some crops were much further along.
Regional agronomist Don Nicholson said rain has been the biggest factor, and summer showers can be notoriously fickle — drenching one area, while another seems to miss every opportunity for rain.
Following are some photos from the fields of Harnett County.
A tobacco harvester moves through a row, collecting lower stalk leaves. A tobacco field in Harnett County.
A tobacco field in Harnett County.
Workers load tobacco in a bin to cure in a bulk barn.
A worker drives the tobacco harvester through the field
A full tobacco bin is moved to the curing barn.
High temperatures and dry conditions have forced some farmers to irrigate thier crops to keep them alive.
A cotton field in Harnett County.
A sorghum crop.