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It might be too late for some crops, but farmers say Thursday's rain could save one of the worst crop years ever. For soybean farmers like Tim Boring, the rain could not come at a better time.

"This is a god sent," said John Diehl, the President of D.F. Seeds, INC. at a field day conference for Soybean farmers held in Webberville Thursday.

"This is going to be important for Michigan's economy, the national economy and for what people's food prices are going to be at home," said Tim Boring, a farmer in Stockbridge who also works for the Soybean checkoff.

Soybeans need water most at germination and at a stage called "pod-fill." Pod-fill is right happening now and that's why farmers are especially glad to see the rain.

"Soybeans tend to to be more dependent on August conditions to get a good crop," said Boring, "We've been pretty lucky here on this farm, that we've caught some timely rains."

If the farmers get a good crop, it will put more money in their pockets and potentially yours by helping keep prices from rising. That's good news because soybeans are Michigan's second largest grain crop. You might be surprised to know that you eat and use soybeans far more than you realize.

"You're eating soybeans," said Diehl. "If you eat chicken, beef or pork, your eating soybeans."

"A lot of soybeans go into animal feeds, cattle, hogs, poultry, and so it's important really in terms of a large scale perspective, of making sure that we have crops to feed those animals that's going to affect our food prices," said Boring.

Soybeans are used for all kind of things from feed for animals to ink for newspapers. Soybeans are also used in oils, cereals and numerous other products.

"This is important for Michigan's economy," said Boring. "You know with the tough economic conditions that we've faced over the last year two, agriculture has been a bright spot in all that, and we are probably coming through the doubt a little bit better than a lot of other states."

"Rather than getting demoted, today we are getting promoted because of the rain," said George Zmitko, a soybean farmer at the field day conference. "We're getting more money."

Some farmers say this rain could mean a much larger crop than expected.

Soybean farmers aren't the only ones pleased with the rain. Hay farmers and even some corn farmers say their crops could turn out much better than they expected thanks to the rain.