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2016 Logan County Fall Farm Outlook Magazine
Lincoln Daily News
Oct. 27, 2016
37
Ritter predicted that as low profits of the traditional
farm continue, at the end of this season there would be
10 percent fewer farmers. With that, land costs would
drop.
To stay afloat, farmers may want to look at
alternatives.
There are a number of opportunities, particularly for
young farmers wanting to break into farming if they
are willing to participate in sustainable practices.
Choices and support range in special training, writing
a business plan, financial backing, assistance setting
up marketing and extended support.
PrairiErth Farm owned by Dave Bishop of rural
Atlanta, is best known for organic foods, specifically
vegetables, but also beef, pork and poultry. However,
the garden style portion of the farm is only a
percentage of all the farm produces. The farm also
raises conventional crops such as corn and soybeans
following sustainable agriculture guidelines which add
value at market.
Bishop’s aim is to make wise use of the land to grow
premium crops and foods at a profit and to get others
to join him in these practices that offer quality of life
value.
Bishop said that first the system used to establish
sustainable farming needs to be a plan that can be used
not just for the immediate season, but for the future.
In other words, it needs to be a long-term plan that
requires little adaption to work year-after-year.
Secondly, Bishop said that to be successful, a program
has to be profitable. In contrast to conventional
farming practices, Bishop said one key is to control the
output, to not over-produce, because larger supplies
will create lower prices. He said the goal is to avoid
what is going on today in conventional farming where
supplies are larger than the demand. Prices fall to
make the abundant supply more marketable.
Barbara Barcal of All Star Trading works with organic
producers to market their products. She is follows
markets for imports and exports of organic and non-
GMO grains, and pricing for organically grown
products.
Barcal said demand is growing for organic products.
The majority of those products are being imported
from foreign countries.
She said demand for organic chicken and eggs are
on a steady rise. To produce these products, these
birds need to be fed organic grains. She said corn, to
her understanding was a major component of poultry
feeds.
She noted that in 2012, she paid $16.25 per bushel for
organic corn. (point of reference, at the elevator cash
corn on October 9th, 2012 was selling at $7.29-$7.39)
Barcal said she noted to many producers that year, that
the extremely high price for corn could not continue
because livestock producers could not afford to pay
that kind of price.
She was right about this prediction. Organic corn
mid-September this year was at $8.00 per bushel,
which is still a premium compared to the cash price
for conventionally grown corn at $3.00 - $3.09/bushel.
Barcal said even though this is less than 50 percent of
the 2012 price, producers are pleased with this price,
and they are making money.
So, what are the concerns? Imports.
Barcal said in 2012 there were no imports of organic
corn. Since then, looking just at Romanian imports of
corn, the U.S. demand has increased significantly:
- In 2013, 918 bushels at $15.25/bu.
- In 2014, 29,000 metric tons at $10.21/bu.
- In 2015, 14,800 metric tons at $8.69/bu.
- To June of 2016, more than 55,928 metric tons, a
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