Farmers grappling with Irene even a year later

WAITSFIELD, Vt. (AP) — A year after Hurricane Irene swept away topsoil and crops and replaced them with rocks and contaminants, farmers from North Carolina to Vermont are rebounding but still grappling with the aftermath — on top of an early spring followed by cold snaps, a dry summer and an anticipated spike in feed costs caused by the Midwestern drought.

By: The Associated Press, The Dickinson Press