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Friday, Aug 24, 2012 6:30 AM UTC

Farmers grappling with Irene even a year later

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Topics: From the Wires,

Farmers grappling with Irene even a year laterDoug Turner stands along the rebuilt river bank of the Mad River at his farm on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012 in Waitsfield, Vt. Devastating floods wrought by Hurricane Irene a year ago inundated farm fields in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, wiping out a season's worth of work and setting up fears that the land would be unworkable this year. Since then, a warm spring followed by cold snaps then a blazing, dry summer have added to grower's woes.(AP Photo/Toby Talbot)(Credit: AP)

WAITSFIELD, Vt. (AP) — A year after Hurricane Irene tore through farms from North Carolina to Vermont, some farmers are still grappling with the aftermath.

An early spring followed by cold snaps, a dry summer and an expected spike in feed costs from the drought in the Midwest have added to some farmers’ woes.

But officials say growers are optimistic about the season.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture paid farmers nearly $80 million for insurance claims covering storm-damaged farmland in nine Northeast states.

Sandie Prokop of Crossbrook Farm in New York’s Schoharie (skoh-HEHR’-ee) Valley lost feed corn, soybeans, hay and several acres of cropland that became filled with rocks.

Vermont dairy farmer Doug Turner is concerned about how he’ll pay to finish rebuilding riverbanks to prevent water from inundating his fields in Waitsfield again.

George M. Walsh

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

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