That important ingredient needed for the crops that agriculturists across the southeast have been watching and waiting for has finally made an appearance, and that has created some happy farmers.

"It's a multi million dollar rain, and other than being a little bit late, it couldn't have been better timed. A lot of farmers are breathing a bit of a sigh of relief, knowing that Mother Nature can deliver again, because it's been a very dry spring for us," said Edgar Hammermeister, a producer in the Alameda area.

Now that the moisture is here, however, how much is too much? Hammermeister noted that they had received over two inches in his region, and that would do the trick for now.

"There was certainly room for it in the soil. The crop is going to be sucking up on that hard. A two inch rain will be good for a little while. Of course it always depends on the temperatures and how much wind. We can lose a lot of moisture back to the atmosphere with windy, warm conditions."

Looking ahead, he observed what he and those like him are expecting and facing in the weeks to come.

"The crops are going to be 'giddy up and go'. It'll be a real challenge to try and get the spraying operations finished. We've been having a struggle fighting the wind, trying to apply in conditions that the product is hitting the target, and being mindful of the environment."

"Now, with this moisture the crops are going to have a real shot. They'll be growing very aggressively, and that's going to be foremost in the farmer's mind now. They'll be trying to get the crop care products on before the weeds get too large to control or too much damage can occur," Hammermeister added.

"They'll be whistling as they're walking to the sprayers now, because a lot of stress has been taken off the crop, and they know that we're back into having a good opportunity with this rain."

He also stressed the importance of motorists watching out for a lot of equipment on the roads, and to be respectful of them, and urged his farming compatriots to do the same.

"Take the extra minute to look around and be safe while we're pushing the hours hard, trying to get the crop looked after before it goes out of stage."