Getting about three inches of rain in the last week has raised some cautious optimism in local farmers and ranchers.

"I think they're going to cut a crop, which is a good feeling," said Elizabeth Woods, who farms near Joplin with her husband, Greg.

Richard Jackson, who has a cattle and grain operation near Rudyard, agreed.

"(The rain) was really good for agriculture. I would say, give us another three weeks and we'll need something on top again. This won't get us through for a real good year, but it goes a long ways toward it," he said.

The National Weather Service reported 3.49 inches of r...