Comment on Heat and hail frustrate farmers

For many northern Linn County farmers, relief from a hot, dry early June turned out to be no relief at all.For them, the much-needed rain the evening of June 15 came with hail stones that damaged or destroyed crops on more than 5,000 acres.“I’ve been farming since 1964, and that’s the worst hail I’ve ever had,” said Stephen Martin, who farms with his son, Albert, at several Linn County locations.Martin said a second storm last Monday evening also brought leaf-shredding hail to his home farm between Waubeek and Whittier.“I haven’t looked at the crops yet, but the lawn is covered with leaves.