In the Sept. 20 issue of Delta Farm Press a report by Whitney Haigwood notes that growers in the Midsouth won’t be able to yield their way out of loss. I think that comment is worthy enough to highlight, several times, that American farmers are in a tough place at the moment.

While that may not be news to everyone - and it’s not like we haven’t heard that refrain before - it’s certainly frustrating to sit on the farm and wonder what the people you send to congress are doing about things like high inflation, national food security, and the desperate need for a farm bill.

Those we talk to often like Congressmen Boozman, Crawford, Hyde-Smith and many more who represent our farm communities, tell us we need to move on this current farm bill. And yet, here we sit, waiting for movement on the current farm bill.

In the meantime, seed, fertilizer, fuel and equipment costs are robbing us of any chance of improving our operations through the potential profits that all farms rely on and need to remain in business.

At that point all the talk of potential growth, innovation and even basic upkeep flies out the window.

I was just recently part of a discussion about possibly recognizing a producer for their excellent effort, not knowing if that person would be in business the following season. That’s not a good discussion to have.

Related:Still waiting: Farm bill shows no end

When a lifeline – the new farm bill – keeps getting pushed back time and time again, or not even pushed back, but neglected and left to languish, it’s no wonder those in the field get frustrated and distressed.

On top of that, from a strictly conservative (not in the political sense) viewpoint, it’s also disappointing that farmers in America need a lifeline, from of all things, the government.

In my perfect world, farmers would be able to sell their crops for enough of a profit to make improvements in their operation and enjoy the benefits of their labor. The middlemen would not be the ones making all the profits and the end user would be able to afford the resource. Utopia? We all know that is a pipe dream.

I laughed when I asked AI what the perfect farm bill would include. It said it would be, “a Farm Bill that reflects the reality on the ground. We need a bill that understands the pressures farmers are under and offers real, tangible solutions. This isn’t just about economics; it’s about preserving a way of life that feeds the nation.”

While true, it doesn’t reflect the meat of what our farmers need on the ground, in their operations – a positive income flow.

We need to be active in keeping our leaders on task for our farms. Commodity groups are there, doing what they can, to push the needs of the farm.  Get on the horn, ask them how you can help.

See more on this subject here.