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Moreauville LA | I am 48, been in this all my life, through school, college, 1.5 yrs with continental grain then 2 yrs in equipment industry (Deere).
Live on the same spot that my family started out on in the late 1800's. Dad passed in 2002 and I've been on my own since. 2 kids, one 28yr old step daughter in advanced nursing south of Denver CO and a son high school senior.
Perhaps this comes with age, but I have yet to see or feel a time in Ag when so many things are wrong. Often, there's the unexpected development that comes along and all is well. I dont see it..
We are entering into the generation of 100% here and now as parents. They have never known life without a cell phone, internet or living without instantaneous communication. We have become accustomed as well. We know what it is to wait to receive or wait on a call, a letter in the mail. Nothing comes as a surprise nowadays.
This here and now is also NOT going to accept farming or its baggage in any way. They won't understand the mud, dust, smell or delay in daily life and those that have never experiences those inconveniences think it all comes from the back of the supermarket.
Our infrastructure was fairly equal 30 years ago. Interstates were somewhat new, there were 100 million fewer people and rural communities had a rural feel to them. Most people worked and the welfare state wasn't as plentiful. TOO many of the rural counties/parishes are becoming top heavy with non-workers, non-taxpayers and infrastructure and services is failing and the call for more and more property taxes since there are too few paying and too many collecting. This is regardless of in rural Illinois or rural Louisiana.
Exxon Mobil is the largest industry in Baton Rouge. The city has cut off any and all tax incentives. Exxon probably doesn't know how much it spends at those facilites, but it is incredible. The city wants to tax them into oblivion as well. What does that do for future expansion?
It is sad when one spot on every commercial break on TV is riddled with one car accident away from being rich. Even the interactive traffic maps have the lawyer ads on them. Truly sad.
The praise and loyalty that is given to professional sports teams and their composition of thugs and low moral athletes is horrible. Where are our standards?
When I was sent to college in 1988, it was the thing to do. Still is for some. I am convinced that for most independent thinking people, that have a boatload of common sense, a little technical training can make a living on their own and be equally or more successful. My son is not going to college He will have some schooling, but he is a free thinker and wont fit in or be taught the liberal teachings for 2 years before he get to the coursework he is there to receive. BTDT.
There also should be no second place winners. No everyone deserves a trophy. Go home, do better next time. Getting pissed over how the kids ball team lost is silly. Grow up.
Walk up to the counter, get off your phone. In public, I could care less about how many investments you have or aunt Sally's doctor visit, hand up the phone.
Kids finishing school should learn how to change a tire, wire a switch, fix a waterline, learn how to call a business and speak clearly and concise about why they're calling and say their name.
I can see the german, belgian, italian and other immigrants that settled in the south and began farming in the 1900's have solid operations, accumulations and a good name for themselves. Does anyone think the same could come out of the border jumpers? Why is there no outrage from the current welfare community? Sure, the democratic vote is being secured by the illegals (eventually), but there are only so many dollars to go around. Something is going to get cut. It wont be driven by the leadership we now have or what is creeping in. They want to secure the vote: That is the one and only goal.
On the Ag side, you can fight the Deere's CNH, Caterpillar's all you want. Eventually, you have to go to them. Reliance on inferior import components, irrepairable technology, forceful integration of proprietary software, where does it end and sooner or later, it wont be profitable. I understand without advances, they will fail, but there are too many inequities in the global ag equipment industry. The grain companies are crooks at their best. Failing infrastructure as well, unrealistic grading scales, unfair deduction schedules when conditions are bad and overly advantageous to their favor.
The Mississippi river is a disaster in the making. The river floor is rising, levels get higher that ever before because of such and the environmentalists fight them at every turn. The locks are shot and the levees are old, as are the grain elevators and dock facilities.
Personally I feel we are 6 months away from no longer being a supplier to the chinese. It started with the grain sorghum market 2 yrs ago, and soybeans are following the identical trend. We can't grow corn on every acre. I think there will be an enormous CRP/WRP push in the next 4-5 years. Some ground is just going out of production. Why not? When land is worth more to shoot a deer or a duck than productive farmland. So take bad ground, get 3K to put it in trees, then sell it to a doctor or lawyer for 6K?
At least we can still drive from coast to coast with no checkpoints, carry a gun just about anywhere and speak just one language in the process. I am afraid that will change soon.
Just my thoughts................
Edited by Survivor 1/19/2019 17:04
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My opinion on the state of Agriculture going into the 2020's
