Never doubt your value as an American farmer.

As we continue to move through a very turbulent farm economy these days, I am constantly reminded of how the issues we now face on the farm compare to what has been described as the “farm crisis” of the 1980s.

I experienced those times and remember them well. Interest rates were skyrocketing, land values were plummeting, and many farm families faced the dilemma of trying to maintain or sell their farms.

For many, they chose the latter. It certainly was not a great time to be in agriculture, but we managed to get past that later in the decade as land values rebounded, commodity prices improved, and helpful federal policy assisted the agricultural economy in bringing us out of a time we’d just as soon forget.

Having survived those tough years on the farm doesn’t make the situation many families face now in their ag operations any easier. Many of these folks weren’t around during that time, and so this time period has become their own farm crisis.

While there are similarities in the two eras, there are many differences. Interest rates are lower, but not where we would like to see them. Inputs are tremendously higher, making the cost of putting a crop in the ground more expensive. But land values are higher, too, which helps ag lenders needing collateral for loans.

However, the one thing, perhaps the main thing that is the same, is the stress farm families are under to keep their operations sustainable for themselves and the next generation. Farm life is inherently difficult just from the sheer amount of work that goes into growing crops and raising livestock. It’s a tough job.

But for those of us in it, there is no other way of life we want. I think a true farmer has an instinct about them that keeps them connected to the land, to their resources, to a way of life they would not trade, no matter how difficult it becomes.

For those of you out there who are looking to Farm Bureau to help lead the way through this difficult time from an advocacy standpoint, we hear you. We’ve lived it and are going through the same ag economy woes.

There is not a day that goes by that we are not working with our leaders in government and in the agricultural industry to keep moving forward in our efforts to keep our farms in business and our rural communities supported.

Our desire to stay on the farm hasn’t wavered, even on the toughest of days, and I know now, as I did so many years ago, if we keep our faith, keep working hard, and keep our voices heard, we will come through this time and be better for it.

Farming is as much about trusting the Lord, respecting our natural resources, and continuing to recognize the importance of what we do as it is planting a crop and tending our livestock.

I would ask that you keep that faith, continue to care for your land, and never doubt your value as an American farmer.

Eddie Melton, President
Kentucky Farm Bureau