 Ag News Now. Agriculture Today. Friday marked one week from the start of a multi-day rain event and subsequent heavy flooding in parts of the Midwest. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the area covering parts of South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota is small geographically. But very important to agriculture. With a significant production area of corn and soybeans impacted. And in those hardest hit areas, we do expect to lose the crops.