GRAVES COUNTY, Ky.--- A local farmer is afraid to feed her cows the very grain she's growing, because it's poisonous and potentially deadly. 
It's a phenomenon happening across our area and you the consumer could end up paying the price.
Take the nitrogen naturally in the ground, add in fertilizer, normally that makes healthy corn but if it doesn't rain the nitrogen can reach toxic levels, that could kill the cows. This wont affect humans but the ripple effects probably will.
Joyce Rose of Empire Dairy knows all of her dairy cows by name and said happy cows give better milk, so she tries to keep them as content as possible.

"Its not your typical farm," Rose told us.

While the cows may not worry about where their next meal will come from, Rose does.
In a year where the pasture is all dried up and hay is in short supply, Rose is counting on
her corn crops for grain, but that may not happen, either.

"Nitrogen is one of those nutrients it's like food for the plant," Rose said.

With no rain, the nitrogen can build up to toxic levels, that's why she's taking some sample stalks to a lab for testing.

"Before I feed any of my animals I want to make sure I understand the risks and what to do," Rose said.

U.K. Extension Agent Doug Wilson said feed is in short supply, meaning feed prices could go up.

"If she cant afford to buy the feed, she's got to sell the cows," Wilson said.

He fears other farmers could do the same, which could send dairy prices skyrocketing.
Rose won't have to sell any cows just yet, but admits this is the worst year she's seen.

"We're going to have to start looking for feed from out of state, shipping it in," Rose said.

Hopefully some of the corn will be salvageable, the lab will determine
how much of the stalks Rose can use.
 
Wilson said if corn has toxins in it, it likely won't be suitable for ethanol either.  So Rose may have to throw some of it away, or it could be turned into mulch, and she likely won't get money out of that.

Wilson said in many cases, farmers from other states will send in hay for free, to provide area farmers much needed relief.