Reading back through the past few pages, I just want to say I appreciate the kind words and concern from everyone. It is a trying year for farmers, and sometimes when you see people on the news, you really wonder if the public actually understands what is going on because the ones reporting the news really don't seem to have a clue. I should know by now to expect better than the general public from this group though.
As of right now, corn is sitting at a record high price. There are people out there that will say farmers are getting rich at the expense of consumers. I can assure you that isn't the case. Seed this year was higher than ever, as was fertilizer and rent prices for farm land are borderline obscene. Even with record high corn prices, guys around here are talking about how they're looking to grow different crops or go without fertilizer next year just to stay afloat. I think we can count on the fact that the staples of many Disdads diets (beef and bacon) are going to get expensive in the coming year. Trust me, those farmers who raise the cattle and pigs aren't going to be getting rich either.
As a friend of mine who raises hogs said the other day said, he might as well just stand next to the truck and toss a $20 bill on each one as they load them up.
The hard part is that I seem to be stuck with the same problems both on the farm and here at work. My other job is at a grain elevator, and our profit is driven by how many bushels we can put through our facility each year. Last year we were down a couple million bushels below normal due to the dry weather, and the drought last year pales in comparison to this one. I don't feel like my job is in jeopardy, but as a company, we cant stand too many years of this in a row before something is going to have to give.
Anyway, sorry for the lengthy post, but I just wanted to say that I do appreciate the words of support and kindness from all of you. I stress about my crops at home and I stress about everyone else's while I'm sitting at work, so it is always great to be able to pop in here for a nice diversion.
Thanks.
... I need to clear the air... please note that George is an Auburn fan.
