Observations by Joe Tobin, May 30, 2019
Food! Food! Food! How could we possibly live without it? Perish the thought that food shelves at Walmart or Publix could ever go empty. Imagine what life in Solivita would be without goodies to munch on while minutes are read, or bingo numbers called? So in these times of changing weather patterns that determine the life or death of crops, there are three important issues that can make or break farmers who help to put food on our tables.
As a starter, farmers fall into a number of categories: crop farming (grains, flowers, vegetables, cotton); land, sea and hothouse; animals (dairy, horse, cattle, chicken, fish); large, medium and small acreage; organic and non-organic; multinational, national and local; full- and part-time; and private and corporate. This column focuses on mid- and small grain, vegetable and dairy farmers (cattle ranches also share some of the problems as well).
Cost. The average farmer admits to being land rich and cash poor – a centuries old description of the average life of a farmer. He does not get paid a weekly salary but depends on the gross income he generally receives once or twice a year from his crops.
With few exceptions farmers need bank loans to pay for fertilizer, seed, feed, equipment, insurance and labor. Farmers are also competing with foreign nations for pricing. For example, it is cheaper for large corporations to buy oranges and tomatoes from Mexico than from Florida. The nature of capitalism is to keep costs down for corporate profit.
Applying for loans is becoming more difficult because of stricter banking requirements. Bankruptcies and farm auctions are on the rise. Some farmers still make do with old equipment or depend on neighbors for assistance. The rising number of suicides has prompted two mid-west senators to include a sizable amount of money for counseling in their proposed farm bill.
Weather. Changing weather patterns have a definite impact on farmers. If we think about it, how depressing must it be for the farmer who has borrowed money to plant and nurture his crops and then watch them rot in the fields because of excessive drought or flooding. He certainly must wonder how he/she can hold on to his farm, feed his family and repay his loans – a challenge nobody would want to face.
Labor. Many small farms are operated on a husband-wife basis. Some include family members as well. Not every child who grew up on a farm wants to return to farming when they leave home for college or another full-time job. The average age of farmers is in the late 50s. Getting help is not easy since most Americans shun the work because it demands “work.” Hiring foreigners is not as easy as it once was because the number of work permits issued are limited because of political decisions.
Our best hope is for mother nature, banks and the government will super-kindly treat those dedicated men and women who keep the farms brimming with grains and veggies to keep our bodies healthy and well fed.
