Looking Ahead

As the year draws to the close, it is time to reflect on the past and look to the future.  This will be the last newly written blog of the year.  After Christmas, I will review the past year in my blog.

Right now I  have a few things on  my mind for next year.  Regulation is one of them.  In looking at what is going on in Lake Erie Area and Chesapeake Bay we need to figure out if agriculture can be proactive and avoid kneejerk regulation like Ohio has enacted. 

Probably in the nearer future, producers are going to need to figure out how they are going to make it through lower prices for grain.  I will probably take a look at some of those things. 

The wild card in agriculture is always the weather.  If we get timely rains, we can get by with lower than average rainfall.  It is always interesting to look at long range forecasts, but it is hard to put much stock in them.  Rather than trying to guess at the weather, we need to plan on how we can maximize production and minimize inputs.  Basic economics of farming.