Production Blog

DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- This week my facebook messages have been overflowing with friends posting why they are thankful. I believe in gratitude and acknowledging the good things in our lives.

So on this day following Thanksgiving, I am thankful for an agriculture that provided me with a wonderful meal, despite the most severe and extensive drought in at least 25 years. I know it was more expensive to put that meal on the table. If USDA ERS estimates are correct, the earliest impacts of the drought are being felt in beef, pork, poultry and dairy. The full effects of the increase in corn prices for packaged and processed foods such as cereal, corn flour and such are estimated to take 10-12 months to move through to retail food prices.

While the increases predicted in historical averages of food prices of 3% to 4% concern me, I'm more worried about where we go from here. A Kansas DTN subscriber recently wrote that central Midwest farmers only think they have experienced a drought. I get that there are segments of the country that deal with drought more often than the I-states. Perhaps our continuing drought here in the heartland is a signal that we need to better heed the lessons learned in those parts of the country that deal with drier weather patterns.

Yesterday, we got a spit of rain just as the pumpkin pie was being served for dessert. It ended up feeling a lot like getting a scant teaspoon of whipped cream when we are used to a big fat dollop. While we are thankful for every drop, an area of the country that once considered itself nearly bulletproof is now facing a third year of seriously dry conditions.

My challenge in the coming months is to write articles to provide agronomic support to growers experiencing a variety of crop concerns. As I plan for the next year, I'm hoping readers here will contribute thoughts and suggestions.

My father taught me that when uncertainty arises, it's probably time to review the basics. Topics such as practicing crop rotation and preparing a diversified herbicide program to avoid dependence on glyphosate seem so simple, but quickly get complicated when we mix in market signals.

I'm thankful for this forum and my hope is you'll write to tell me what you want more of -- even if it is simply a wish for more rain.

Pamela Smith can be reached at pamela.smith@telventdtn.com

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