South Dakota growers know something about excess moisture, with parts of the state getting hammered by rain just last week, after a season that saw planting delays from heavy rains last spring. 

Wednesday, two members of the state’s congressional delegation, both Democrats, introduced bills in Congress to allow planting of a secondary crop after prevented planting without losing benefits from crop insurance.

The bills, introduced by Senator Tim Johnson and Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, would allow livestock producers to grow a secondary crop to feed their own animals if they missed the final planting date for a first crop.

Johnson said the value of the feed would count as part of total farm revenue for any disaster payment program, which might lower the federal government’s cost of disaster aid.

Johnson  told reporters that he introduced the bill so that it will be considered as part of the 2012 Farm Bill when Congress starts working on it next year.

His website has more details.