What’s Happening on the Farm?
Crops – Continue to grow the best they can do. While other parts of the country is boasting record yields, we are not. Due to excessive rains this spring, we have lost close to 100 acres of crops. Even after trying to replant only to succumb to another drenching rain. Yes, we have certain fields that look good, but a lot of areas do not. Harvest will tell us exactly how bad (or how good) the crops really were.
Hogs – We just finished loading out on the home farm and new pigs are arriving today. The hog industry is going through a tough time. Locally, we are losing sow farms. The sow farm we were shareholders in sold out and the facilities were given back to the bank. This whole process has not been easy on any of us and not the way we ever thought it would turn out this way. After farming for over 45 years, we have never given any assets back to the bank. Mentally it has been exhausting.
Expenses are crazy high and hog prices low. Not a fun time to raise pigs.
Speaking of mental health . . .
Mental Health
Mental health for agriculture is important all the time, but none more than now. Within the last couple of months, we had a farmer who committed suicide. Such a tragedy. I highly advise reading this Substack about Mental Health.
Be Aware
Kamala Harris is proposing a federal ban on corporate price gouging In the food and grocery industries. But, unfortunately, these types of regulations never worked in the past and will not work now. Why?
It is very difficult to define “price gouging.” It is hard to disentangle legitimate cost-drive increases in retail food prices from those driven by market power.
Granted, it sounds attractive and will bring in some voters, but one must dig deeper into the issue and make an educated voting decision.County Fair Season
County Fair Time
We are in the midst of our county fair. One family tradition we have is working the pork chop stand. Everyone has a role—from adults grilling the pork to kids getting beverages out of the cooler.
Enjoy what summer is left!
