Farmers continue to be hit with hard times as a result of trade talks with other countries at the federal level, in addition to other variables out of their hands.

Home State Bank Ag Lender Bob Allen says the two major factors that farmers don’t have control over are the markets and the weather. He talks about how the market operates in the farming industry.

“We produce a product and we don’t really have control over what the markets say our product is worth. And you think about other businesses where they can control their margins, and if their expenses go up they can raise the prices for their product and we can’t do that in farming. So that creates a challenge.”

Another challenge is the price per acre to plant corn and soybeans has gone up over time. Allen says about 15 years ago, the price per acre for corn was between $350-400, and now it’s close to $750 per acre. As for soybeans, the price per acre 15 years ago was about $250 and now it’s about $550 per acre.

Allen believes that no matter how tough farming has been economically, the quality of the products hasn’t been sacrificed.

“They produce such a high quality product in our crops, which I think as consumers sometimes we take for granted, having-in the whole grand scheme of things-a cheap source of food and protein. We all feel comfortable in the safety of that food as we eat it too.”

Allen praises Greene County farmers in particular as being among the best producers, especially in tough economic times. He adds that farmers are really good about managing their finances and are willing to be creative, courageous and consistent in what they do.