2017 Fall Farm Outlook

Page 44 Oct. 25, 2017 2017 Logan County Fall Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Low grain prices and stress on the family farm F armers often till the land with passion, yet farming is a highly stressful occupation which is becoming ever more stressful as farms become larger and the number of farmers gets smaller. Individual farmers are going against the grain. Here is an oft-repeated scenario: An Illinois grain farmer has been facing declining grain prices for several years, while his farming costs--seeds, equipment, fuel, fertilizer, transportation, interest on debt, and taxes- -all steadily creep upward. When the unpredictable weather cycles are added in, the stress levels can become overwhelming. The whole family feels the stress and relationships suffer. The farmer begins to consider selling out, but the debt load may make it unlikely that a sale will provide any significant cash pool for a new venture. Some might say, “But I don’t know if I can hold out much longer.” In the midst of this uncertainty the news comes that foreign markets so important to the American agricultural industry are being increasingly challenged by other producers. Brazil, for example is now said to control one-half of the world soy bean market. Continued ►► By Angela Reiners