This and That

July 8, 2021

Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the National Corn Growers Association, CropLife America, and Renewable Fuels Association. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.

And now for today’s commentary –
The cost of living keeps going up. Food costs 5% more, but what about fuel? I was on the farm
in Illinois this past weekend. We rented a car in Chicago and had to pay well over $4 per gallon.
It’s not quite that expensive in Washington, DC. In the farm country, it cost $3.25 per gallon. It
is likely to keep going up. OPEC, made up of big oil-producing nations, in a surprise move just
decided not to increase production. Energy costs on our farms have already exploded. There is
more to come.

We had beautiful weather to celebrate the 4th of July on the farm. At this point, corn and soybeans look very good. We have all heard that corn should be knee-high by the 4th of July. Our corn stands taller than the top of my head. We saw a lot of family and friends. I feel so comfortable and safe back home in small-town rural America. Watch TV and read about the big cities with an explosive surge in crime. Violence spiked last weekend – the 4th of July. Look at Oakland, California. Homicides up by 90%. Carjackings by 88%. This happened after they cut their police budget by $18 million.

George Floyd was killed by police a little over 1 year ago – the rallying cry of left-wing
Democrats was “Defund the Police.” Thirteen big cities have cut their police budgets. Some
police officers fear for their lives if they attempt to apprehend suspects. We have cops deciding
to retire or quit. It is hard to attract new recruits. Fortunately, President Biden and some other
Democrats have concluded that cutting our police force is a bad idea. It’s a little late, but now we
have a chance to restore law and order.

Just a few notes about “climate change.” I read this in the Farm Journal. “Climate change isn’t all bad. In fact, it’s good for corn and soybean growers in the Midwest and Canada. More water and a longer growing season translate into more bushels of grain.” Over the last 50 years, rainfall has increased by 51/2 inches per year, and temperatures up only 1-degree Fahrenheit. Maybe we can live with this.

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