::: Ask the Mahoning Valley Farmer :::

Answers From Your Friendly Farmer

Question: Status of farmers and farming in Northeast Ohio?
I am the regional representative for the Ohio Treasurer of State, Kevin L. Boyce. I have spoken with many farmers and producers during my trips to the county fairs. My question to you is three-fold:

1. What is the current state for Mahoning Valley farming (or Ohio farming)
2. What do you believe will happen in the next 3 -5 years?
3. What needs to happen in order to stabilize or increase Ohio-based farms? I know answers to these questions would comprise an essay but if you can point me in the right direction that would be extremely helpful. The Treasurer is interested in continued support of this State’s number one industry through fact finding and talking with real farmers.

Mahoning Valley Farmer Answer:
Because of the current world economy, farm goods are not used at the same rate as they were two years ago. Developing countries are not consuming as much meat and milk. With the slowdown of manufacturing, fuel consumption is down because less ethanol and biodiesel is being used. This in turn has driven the prices paid to the farmer down while still leaving most production costs relatively high.

The current state of most farms in the Mahoning Valley is slowly improving, but low prices for milk and meat, along with high commodity input prices, are having a general negative effect on profitability. Exceptions are in corn and soybeans, which have recovered some from last year's lows.

What will happen in the next 3-5 years depends on many factors. One thing that will have a big impact on all farms was the passage of issue 2. Passage of this bill helps keep the rules governing farm practices based on science and economics. This is in direct contrast to the passage of emotionally-based laws like those in California which put farmers there at an economic disadvantage.

The recovering economy will help to improve grain prices somewhat. But the rules governing speculators in the futures markets should be enforced. In the past, regulators have looked the other way when mutual funds and big banks bought commodities on the futures market.

In December 2009, 128 countries met in Denmark to set targets to reduce global warming. This will cost billions of dollars to developed countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia, European nations, and others. Developing countries like China, India, and Brazil will be given money to help them adapt to the new rules.

Climate change groups want farmers to sequester carbon (CO2) to cut down on green house gas. To help reduce CO2, they want to plant trees to soak up the carbon. This all sounds good, but plants need carbon dioxide to grow. The USDA now wants farmers to plant 20 million acres in trees. America is already losing 2 acres of farm land every minute. With the world population expected to grow over 2.5 billion people by 2050, where will the food come from?

As an Ohio farmer, I do see a bigger demand in the future for grains both as food for human consumption and as oil replacements. This will be a help to our grain farmers.

One thing that I see helping small farms is the continuing push for people to know where their food comes from. There are more local markets springing up in Northeast Ohio.

The dairy market is always an up and down process. When prices are good, farmers add more cows, which creates an over-production in milk. Having your own specialty market like chesses, yogurt, ice cream, or something of that nature, helps producers control their income.

Knowing your costs and being efficient is the most important thing for any business to survive. Overspending after a great year can put you into a high debt load, causing you to fail. Most businesses that file for bankruptcy do so within five years of having their best year.

Opportunities are always there if you are able to see them and act on them.

Your Friendly Farmer RETURN TO TOP

Have your own question?
Email your query to a Mahoning Valley Farmer at AskFarmer@MahoningValleyAgriGuide.com.
Ask a Mahoning Valley Farmer provides facts on agricultural subjects.

Site Index :: Terms of Use :: Privacy

Page updated 24 June 2010

Website by Charlotte Agustin