My grandfather at the age of eight started working on the farm. Then my father, uncle, and cousin when they got to the age of fourteen. Farming has been in our family for multiple generations and eventually, the family business was started in 1983. I've been going to the farm since I was a little girl and still do to this day. I feel as if I know a pretty good deal about the grain farming industry, but I wanted to go to the experts to get a better perspective on their job day in and day out.
Most people think that farmers crops go towards feeding livestock animals, but farmers are actually feeding people as well. The farming industry is a world market and farmers are responsible for feeding the world. Today the average farmer feeds about 155 people. Food would be very scarce if we didn't have farmers. The grain they harvest isn't just used for food. Corn, soybeans, and wheat are in our clothes, art supplies, on the chair you're sitting on, literally everything.
If you don't know what grain farmers do, here is the gist of it. They plant their genetically modified crops in the spring, then harvest them in the fall. After that, they sell the grain to grain elevators. Then they start the process all over again. Yes, I said genetically modified. Every seed out there is a GMO. If farmers were still planting the same seeds they did when farming started, the world would starve.
The biggest threat to farmers is mother nature. After their crop is planted in the spring, they have 9/10 of 1% of control. The rest is up to mother nature. Those aren't good odds at all. On top of that, they have to worry about insects and spraying their crops. This puts a lot of stress onto the farmer. They have to worry about the crops, mother nature, if they're going to get their money back, etc. The mental aspect can really weigh in.
Speaking of getting their money back, money plays a huge role in farming. Farmers have to worry about buying seeds, chemicals, operating equipment, etc. They have to go into debt before they make a profit. This means they spend all of their money every year, in hopes that they'll get more back in return. They are the deepest in debt after the planting season and are the only industry that buys retail and sells wholesale. The input products that they buy go up in price every year and they have no control over that. For instance, to by a tractor in 1974 would cost you roughly $30,000. Now it would cost you anywhere from $300,000-$500,000.
On top of all of that, they also have to worry about the government. Agriculture is under the commodity market and if you know a farmer, you know that he/she checks the market just about daily. The government gives out subsidies but also false reports to benefit them and the consumer. Pretty much if the mother is happy with the prices at the grocery store, then everybody else is happy too. It's all about budgets.
Let's also talk about the hours a farmer puts in. A farmers busiest seasons are the spring and fall, during planting and harvest. During this time, they are putting in 16 hour days, working from sun up, to sundown around the clock for a month to two months straight unless mother nature interrupts them. During the summer and winter months, they work on getting the grain out of their bins and hauling it to grain elevators. They clean up equipment from planting and harvest and complete a lot of paperwork for the work they've put in.
Now the farmer has to take all of this, the threats, the money aspect, the government, and turn it into a business in order to continue farming and to feed their family. When I asked my father what his advice was for making a successful farming business or what was a key factor he does every year to be successful, his answer was, "Pick the right soil and varieties of seed, optimum planting timing and choosing the right technology. Every farmer is different and you have to figure out what works successfully for your business."
Next time you see a farmer, thank him/her for feeding you, your family, and the world. Farming isn't a walk in the park contrary to popular belief.
