An aerial view of Colorado shows the effects of drought through the contrast of green, irrigated fields and the yellow dry land crops like wheat. (Courtesy Creative Commons/ USDA)

Corn and soybean crops have been withering in the dry, hot conditions, along with pastureland for cattle. Some farmers have the protection of crop insurance but many food growers and cattle ranchers are vulnerable to lower yields, higher feed costs and diminshed herds.

The House has been delaying a vote on a five-year $957 billion farm bill but planned to vote on a short-term drought relief bill Thursday. Conservative groups like Heritage Action have urged Republican members of the House to vote against the "unnecessary" spending, according to the Hill.

Democratic Minnesota Representative Tim Walz compared the short-term bill to "patching a roof when it's raining."

Farmers and ranchers wouldn't “need the ad hoc disaster relief assistance if you just pass a farm bill that deals with these issues,” Walz told Businessweek.

Even if the livestock disaster assistance does pass the House, the bill will not be taken up by the Senate, which is trying to apply pressure to pass the farm bill.

Read the full story at Businessweek or the Associated Press.

Follow Neon Tommy's coverage of the extreme drought here.

Reach Executive Producer Dawn Megli here.