Market Farming

["Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>]

Those numbers are generally reflective of farms throughout the cash grain 
belt. The price for grain has gone through the roof due to, among other 
things, demand for grain for biofuels, and shortage of production in other 
regions of the globe. So corn, soybeans and wheat are at historic high 
values. But, input costs are rising rapidly too. If grain prices do not stay 
high, farm incomes may plummet. This will not be a fun roller coaster for 
anyone in the long term. My wife bought flour yesterday that has risen 60% 
in price in less than a month. The world is changing rapidly. Hang on, be 
smart!

Bill Shoemaker, Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
University of Illinois - St Charles Horticulture Research Center
www.nres.uiuc.edu/faculty/directory/shoemaker_wh.html



> On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:32:21 -0500, you wrote:
>
> > A U of M study came out this week stating that the Median Minnesota farm 
> > income rose from $23,368 in 2001 to $105,431 last year (in 2006 it was 
> > $60k).  This is something like a a 75%increase in one year.
>
> > Dairies net income in our state have nearly doubled.  These are pretty 
> > incredible increases
>
> The averages could well reflect lots of small farms going out of business
> and/or being swallowed up by big corporate farms.
>
> You'd need to know the number of farms going into the averages each of the
> years to be sure what it represents.
>
> Pat
> -- Northern Pennsylvania
> http://www.entire-of-itself.blogspot.com/
> 'Every one of us can do something to protect and care for our planet.
> We should live in such a way that makes a future possible.'
> - Thich Nhat Hanh
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