Many often wonder what farmers do in the winter months as there is no crop to be grown. Our friends with livestock have a 24-7-365 day a year responsibility to care for and protect their animals. No matter the weather, those raising animals are out making sure everyone is safe and sound. Many crop farmers work on equipment and building projects that have been neglected through the year, as well as focus on markets and marketing for the upcoming year.
All of us also try to make more time for the joys of life like friends and family, travel and recreation, all of which oftentimes take a back seat during the busy growing season. There is another VERY important season that starts when harvest ends; planning season. Planning is a continuous process in the ag industry because market dynamics literally change every day. However, when colder weather sets in many growers look back through their year and evaluate what went well and in what areas can or should they make changes.
Benjamin Franklin is known to have said if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. No better statement could be true for farmers and farm families across the United States. Throughout the planning processs, many farmers also make time for education. Many of us have come to refer to this time as meeting season. If a farmer had the time they could literally be at an educational event every week from Christmas through March! Many workshops and presentations focus around three key areas: commodity markets, agronomic challenges and changes, both production and environmental, and finally, financial stability and profitability.
Commodity markets are an ever-changing matrix of supply and demand, weather and profitability. Many businesses today tout their global presence, and production agriculture is a prime example. This time of year, our soybean markets pay close attention to rain events in Argentina and Brazil because those countries' yield levels have a tremendous effect on the global price of soybeans and soymeal, as well as other animal protein sources. Dry milk exports from New Zealand have an impact on fluid milk demand, and therefore price here in the U.S. China, Canada, Mexico and Japan accounted for over $88 billion of U.S. ag product exports in 2016. Even small changes in consumer demand in those countries can have a huge impact on Midwest grain markets. All this information is accessed faster and more readily than ever before and can have a great impact on farms here in the Midwest.
In agriculture, we deal with one major, unpredictable force; mother nature. Oftentimes farmers learn lessons from mother nature on the fly. We like to predict as much as possible, but mother nature is good at throwing curve balls. I have attended a half-dozen seminars or meetings this winter revolving around topics from soil conservation to cover crop benefits and management to seed planting rates and herbicide options. Throughout Wisconsin there are several of these events each week from the local level up through whole-state conferences like the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Grower Convention. Farmers and agronomists rely on research to get through these challenges our land grant college system is a tremendous asset in our corner. Meetings like the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association conference, Wisconsin Corn Soy Expo and the Commodity Classic are wonderful opportunities for farmers to network with one another and help develop strategies to be better stewards of the land, as well as protect our crops from Mother Nature's wrath.
Financial stability and profitability also ebb and flow like Mother Nature. There are good times and bad, and sometimes you must simply weather the storm. Nearly all agriculture markets are in varying states of weathering the storm. Milk and grain prices are showing some recent signs of life, but many farmers are operating at or below their breakeven point. I know there have been long meetings with lenders and sleepless nights wondering what to do and how to do it to keep the farming dream alive. Like a strong thunderstorm, this too shall pass. Farmers are focused on producing ag products as efficiently as possible, and that comes down to knowing what products and practices are making the best return on investment for an operation. Many are turning to technology to help analyze those things, as well as relying on strong partnerships within the industry to make the best decisions.
All the education and planning events farmers attend revolve around a few basic principles: grow our products better, be safer, produce economical meat/milk/grain, continue to be better stewards of land and beast, and do all those things in a sustainable way, so future generations of farmers and consumers can be happy and healthy. Attending these events takes time away from daily tasks and it's often more work to be gone than to stay home. I give tremendous kudos to those willing to dedicate that time and strive to improve their operation and the ag community.
How can you help our farm markets? It's simple-drink milk, eat bread and cheese, use ethanol, buy soy containing products, and purchase all the finished goods that begin as our home-grown ag products produced right here in the U.S of A!
Thank you for reading along today and for supporting our local farmers and ag community!
- Ben Huber is the agronomy department manager at Insight FS and the president of Green County Farm Bureau. His column appears monthly on Saturdays in the Monroe Times. He can be reaced at bhuber@insightfs.com.
All of us also try to make more time for the joys of life like friends and family, travel and recreation, all of which oftentimes take a back seat during the busy growing season. There is another VERY important season that starts when harvest ends; planning season. Planning is a continuous process in the ag industry because market dynamics literally change every day. However, when colder weather sets in many growers look back through their year and evaluate what went well and in what areas can or should they make changes.
Benjamin Franklin is known to have said if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. No better statement could be true for farmers and farm families across the United States. Throughout the planning processs, many farmers also make time for education. Many of us have come to refer to this time as meeting season. If a farmer had the time they could literally be at an educational event every week from Christmas through March! Many workshops and presentations focus around three key areas: commodity markets, agronomic challenges and changes, both production and environmental, and finally, financial stability and profitability.
Commodity markets are an ever-changing matrix of supply and demand, weather and profitability. Many businesses today tout their global presence, and production agriculture is a prime example. This time of year, our soybean markets pay close attention to rain events in Argentina and Brazil because those countries' yield levels have a tremendous effect on the global price of soybeans and soymeal, as well as other animal protein sources. Dry milk exports from New Zealand have an impact on fluid milk demand, and therefore price here in the U.S. China, Canada, Mexico and Japan accounted for over $88 billion of U.S. ag product exports in 2016. Even small changes in consumer demand in those countries can have a huge impact on Midwest grain markets. All this information is accessed faster and more readily than ever before and can have a great impact on farms here in the Midwest.
In agriculture, we deal with one major, unpredictable force; mother nature. Oftentimes farmers learn lessons from mother nature on the fly. We like to predict as much as possible, but mother nature is good at throwing curve balls. I have attended a half-dozen seminars or meetings this winter revolving around topics from soil conservation to cover crop benefits and management to seed planting rates and herbicide options. Throughout Wisconsin there are several of these events each week from the local level up through whole-state conferences like the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Grower Convention. Farmers and agronomists rely on research to get through these challenges our land grant college system is a tremendous asset in our corner. Meetings like the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association conference, Wisconsin Corn Soy Expo and the Commodity Classic are wonderful opportunities for farmers to network with one another and help develop strategies to be better stewards of the land, as well as protect our crops from Mother Nature's wrath.
Financial stability and profitability also ebb and flow like Mother Nature. There are good times and bad, and sometimes you must simply weather the storm. Nearly all agriculture markets are in varying states of weathering the storm. Milk and grain prices are showing some recent signs of life, but many farmers are operating at or below their breakeven point. I know there have been long meetings with lenders and sleepless nights wondering what to do and how to do it to keep the farming dream alive. Like a strong thunderstorm, this too shall pass. Farmers are focused on producing ag products as efficiently as possible, and that comes down to knowing what products and practices are making the best return on investment for an operation. Many are turning to technology to help analyze those things, as well as relying on strong partnerships within the industry to make the best decisions.
All the education and planning events farmers attend revolve around a few basic principles: grow our products better, be safer, produce economical meat/milk/grain, continue to be better stewards of land and beast, and do all those things in a sustainable way, so future generations of farmers and consumers can be happy and healthy. Attending these events takes time away from daily tasks and it's often more work to be gone than to stay home. I give tremendous kudos to those willing to dedicate that time and strive to improve their operation and the ag community.
How can you help our farm markets? It's simple-drink milk, eat bread and cheese, use ethanol, buy soy containing products, and purchase all the finished goods that begin as our home-grown ag products produced right here in the U.S of A!
Thank you for reading along today and for supporting our local farmers and ag community!
- Ben Huber is the agronomy department manager at Insight FS and the president of Green County Farm Bureau. His column appears monthly on Saturdays in the Monroe Times. He can be reaced at bhuber@insightfs.com.
