Duane Braesch's cornfields are prime evidence of how unforgiving the elements have been for him and so many others across the Midwest this summer. To demonstrate the hardship, the 79-year-old Nebraska farmer let The Associated Press show the world what he's weathered during the worst U.S. drought in decades.

Using a camera powered by solar panels and mounted on a pole on a mound overlooking Braesch's cornfield near Omaha, AP photographer Nati Harnik chronicled the wilting effects of extreme heat over August and much of September that turned Braesch's crop from a vibrant emerald to a sickly yellow.