When I as driving our corn combine a couple of weeks ago, I could not help but marvel at how straight and strong the corn stood -- like trees just daring the wind to bring it down. Ithasn't always been like that. Thirty years ago, the corn bore damaged stalks were difficult for the combine header to scoop up. The yield suffered because of root worm infestation. The grass and weeds could be a problem even tough we used herbicides.

But this…

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I didn't plan it this way. My priority would have been to be on the farm harvesting corn...but, NO, I was invited to speak at a Development Conference in Cameroon, West Africa. I would prefer to be driving the combine, but the chance to see first hand a part ofthe world that isn't in the news every night and interact with their people -- well, of course, I went.

Here is my report.

Cameroon has a population of 16 million people, more or…

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As we contemplate writing the next farm bill, here are some considerations you may want to think about.

The number one fact of life is that farm bills are not written in a vacuum. They are subject to all the pressures and influences of the day. The farm economy condition hangs over the whole process like a huge blanket. Farmers and Members of Congress may try to be totally objective, but that's not reality.

The price of corn, of wheat, of…

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