Is this another 2009?

[Animal]

Everyone around here is going around in a funk, alot like we did at last years harvest time. I do not think anyone wants to say it out loud, but I am sure we are all thinking along the same lines. Is this going to be another year like last year with inflated fuel cost on top of the rest of our problems? The weather forecast is for a major winter storm coming Saturday, and more rain next Wednesday this is starting to get way past funny! I saw on the evening news that those poor souls around Fargo are bracing for some flooding, my heart goes out to them.

 

[larry@stinescorner]

animal, where are you from? Ihope that forecast is wrong and spring comes soon I wish the best of luck to you.

 

[JMS/.MN]

It floods every year in the Valley. It"s only March- at least here we don"t expect to get into the field for a long time. Worrying about stuff you can"t control can drive a person nuts. Just more time to get equipment ready, so you can roll when necessary.

 

[old]

Well I figure with all the gov. screw up and cut backs and the weather we might need to go back to the old way of life. Store it up back it up and have your guns ready because it sure is not getting better fast. Gov cutting funds to the low income and old people but still giving raises to the congress etc. Talked to my mom who is older then most and hear they are talking about cutting meals on wheels and to me that is just plain wrong. Why not cut the pay of all in office by say 75% and help the little guy instead of keeping on screw the ones that make this nation what it is

 

[rrlund]

I don't know. Seems like here in mid Michigan,we're a little ahead weatherwise. I put the duals on and hauled manure on the oat ground yesterday. Frost is gone,another week the way it's been,I could be planting,and it's still March. Yea,weatherguesser says rain and snow this weekend,but 7 years ago we had a week long ice storm the first week of April.
I'm more concerned that it could turn off dry concidering how little snow we had all winter.
As far as fuel prices,they'll be up and down. Fund traders will bid it up and down to take profits. That's just the way it is.

 

[paul]

Was a long bitter cold winter. We've had very rapid snowmelt the past 2 weeks, sucks if you are flood prone, my land goes under water every spring but the buildings ae fine. So, early melt is good for me. What's bad is heavy april rains & late snowmelt....

Think what has me down is - whats coming down the govt & industry pipeline. Cap & trade, manure regulations, wetland regulations, Tier 4 engine regulations, DOT regulations of farm equipment, GMO agreements, sales & real estate taxes....

Seems like we are in for a worse future for ourselves in this country. I'm not making this political, doesn't matter which party is in power (I have my preference but...) seems either one doesn't matter, things are getting worse. We sren't improving this country any more. We're going backwards.

Too much time to think about that stuff when the fields are water puddles. Once I get in the field I can worry about day to day stuff & not contemplate the world so much.

--->Paul

 

[kyhayman]

I think its the same here for all the issues you mentioned, plus all the area specific stuff. The economy certainly isnt helping. Here at least the doom and gloom is apparant. Horse numbers are down and prices are down, cattle numbers are down, dairy has been hammered for over a year. Wet year, lots of hay carry over, prices down.... It just keeps going. All the tobacco growers that I know of save one had big cuts to their contracts, and some were cut completely out.

I had two great years in 07 and 08 in spite of the high fuel and fertilizer costs. A drought is good for the hay business. This past year was tough, I worked harder than I ever have and when it was all said and done still didng make any real money. Barns are still a third full of inventory.

 

[Erik Ks farmer]

It seems to me that our problem is that there are less and less farmers everyday. Very few people understand the day in and day out operation of farming. The anxiety of high inputs, government paper work, crop insurance, muddy feedlots, sick calves and spreading fertilizer into the night ahead of a spring snow. However, they still like to sit down to the table to eat cheap food while they watch the horses out the window eating hay that they feel we are getting rich off of. But hey, if it was easy they'd be doing it too.

 

[stan jefferies]

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