Louisiana Farm Bureau: The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture

The President’s Column
A weekly feature provided by your Parish Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau President's Column for the week of 12/14/09

(Note to Editors: This will be the last Farm Bureau President’s Column until the week of Jan. 18, 2010. Thank you
for running our column over the past year.)

It’s the holiday season and many of us, including farmers, have a lot to be thankful for.

Being reminded to be thankful this time of year is almost a cliché. You hear it everywhere; on TV, in newspaper
columns like this one, from friends and family. And while it’s easy to take for granted our good fortune as
Americans, it never hurts to be reminded of it from time to time.

Those who make their living off the land know you need a lot of faith, good fortune and sometimes just plain blind
luck to make it as a farmer. There are fewer of us than ever before and even fewer of us stepping up to take over
when father or grandfather retires.

There are four basic industries that drive the U.S. economy. They are, in this order, energy, manufacturing, retail
and agriculture. The first three are done in climate-controlled conditions. The last is a business that has the one
risk the other three will never know; the weather.

Over the last two growing seasons Mother Nature has handed Louisiana farmers more than $1.2 billion in
losses. Yep, more than a billion dollars in lost crop production, quality and market price. Not too many
businesses could stay in business with those kinds of losses year in, year out.

But farming has, does and will continue to exist across Louisiana and the nation. Why are some struggling
small businesses so quick to throw up their hands and quit when things get tough, yet farmers continue to farm?
I’m no economist, but I think it’s because farmers understand the road ahead of them when they decide to carry
on their profession.

Perhaps many small business owners, upon first opening their doors, have visions of becoming the next retail or
industrial conglomerate. There’s nothing wrong with having big dreams. But the reality is, most new businesses
fail in the first three years. Those that do survive eventually become family-run operations that provide a good
living for the family, but never become something you’re likely to read about in Forbes Magazine.

Farming too is a small business. The difference is most small businesses don’t borrow $1 million in January
with an agreement to pay it back in December. And farmers, perhaps more than anyone else, know the risks
associated with their profession; the biggest being Mother Nature. Even the best businessperson has no control
over her. But rain or shine, Detroit will make cars, Microsoft will make software, Dell will make computers and
Wal-Mart will sell you the best products China has to offer.

Mother Nature is the greatest threat to farmers. Too much rain and crop die. Too little rain and crops die. Yet year
in, year out, farmers still get up at the crack of dawn everyday to grow food and fiber for you and me.

So what’s all this got to do with Christmas? Despite all the risks, just about every farmer and rancher I know is
thankful for the ability to do what they do; to farm in a country that depends so heavily on what they provide and to
do it in the most independent fashion. It’s those ideals and principles that built this country and they still survive
today.

Farming is a tough profession, no doubt. But I can tell you many a farmer and rancher, with the harvest now
complete, is sitting back and taking in the year that was. It wasn’t a good one, but as the old saying goes, there’s
always next year.

And the one thing we can all count on in 2010 is that Louisiana farmers will be back again, doing what they do
best, in the best country in the world. There are no stronger-sounding words in the English language than
“American farmer.” Just has a nice, sound, solid ring to it, doesn’t it? I’m thankful for them. I hope you are too.

Happy holidays.