Lee hasn't seen any rain since early August. Luckily the drought showed up late this year when the crops are better equipped to handle it. The lack of rain is resulting in some very small bean sizes so far and it is pulling down yields from what he projected earlier in the growing season. The term “BB” beans is becoming a very common among farmers in South Dakota this year. Yield variability depends on how well the plants are able to hold on through this drought. Lee says it's easy to see the potential of 30- to 40-bushel swings in a pass, especially if the field has hills.