Getting Through Hard Times On The Family Farm
WES HENTGES
TIPTON, MO.
It’s a good year on the farm when the weather cooperates with the crops, the prices are up, and the animals stay healthy. Then come difficult years. Prices drop, a wet spring delays planting, hail ruins a standing crop, and the young stock gets sick. When bad things happen on the farm, it’s not easy to think positively about the future. Positive thinking, however, could pull your farm through a bad season.
Here are four things to think about during hard times on the farm:
Prices fluctuate. They go down and up. Persevere in your work, take out an extra loan if you need to, but don’t forget that people need what you sell. There is a market out there for what you do, therefore the prices will not remain static.
The farm belongs to you. Take pride in what you own! Non-farmers might not be affected by the same hardships, but they also don’t have a farm they can pass on to the next generation.
There is a season for everything. There will be times to cut back on expenses, and times to buy new equipment. There will be times for astronomic vet bills and times when the stock seem divinely blessed. Variety adds spice to life.
Farming is what you do. This is your calling. Don’t give up when the times are hard. Keep working, and you will get through the tough patch.
Don’t let broken down equipment or a poor market cause your farm to fail. Keep the future firmly in mind. This world needs farmers, and that’s a fact. Believe it and keep working, rain or shine.
For more helpful information on preparing for the future of your family farm, contact AgriLegacy. ∆
WES HENGES: AgriLegacy, “Keeping the Farm in the Family”, www.agrilegacy.com