2020 Fall Farm Outlook

2020 Logan County Farm Outlook LINCOLN DAILY NEWS October 28, 2020 PAGE 23 O ver the many generations of farming history in Logan County many things have changed. Agricultural advancements in everything from seed varieties to technology to harvesting and storage equipment have advanced with the times. Throughout this process of evolution, there has remained one constant – the need for and means of transporting grain from the field to the bin or the elevator, to a terminal and finally to a processor. Trucking is a key part of the agricultural industry and yet there are times when it appears to be a dying industry with fewer trucks available and less manpower with the proper qualifications to get behind the wheel of a big rig. While the industry is shrinking in regard to trucks and drivers, the need is still growing as modern advances produce more bushels and more loads to haul from higher yielding fields. According to a report published in 2016 by the United States Department of Agriculture, trucking accounts for “61 percent of the total modes of transportation in domestic movement of grains.” This includes delivery from elevators to processors and also what the UDSA terms as “gathering” tonnage – the amount of grain hauled from the field to the elevator or storage bins by local farmers. Heartland Community College Director of Continuing Education Outreach & Professional Development, Angie Coughlin, agrees that the availability of truck drivers is shrinking. She noted recently that, “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics CDL Drivers: Important key in Ag industry CONTINUE X File Photo