 Success Can Really Bite
As the long hot days of August roll on, we were reminded through a few news stories and conversations over the weekend that farming isn't exactly a profession for wusses.
Last week, the USDA released a new estimate of what this year's U.S. corn crop harvest likely will look like - and indeed, the crop looks to be one of the largest ever. Most non-farmers might look at that and think, 'Great! A Bumper crop is a good thing, right?'
In terms of sheer productivity, yes. A bumper crop in any year proves America's farmers can once again navigate the challenges of Mother Nature, international agribusiness, our gridlocked Congress, and other unforeseen events to deliver a successful harvest. That said, it's not exactly like any of those challenges that farmers face are easy or stable. Even the best farmer can rarely account fully for unintended consequences, the kinds of things that often bite them in the behind.
One look at the complicated monster that is the corn market gives outsiders a perfect view of how success in growing food doesn't always mean success in the pockets of farmers...
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