In 2013, about two million full-size pickup trucks were sold in the U.S., and though it has not been verified, I will go out on a limb and say that every farm in the U.S. has a pickup truck. Pickup trucks have long been associated with the farm, the ranch and the job site.

Adapting to changing weather conditions is nothing new for farmers. Cycles of wetness, dryness, heat and cold have long been facts of everyday life. Some days it’s too wet to plow, other times soil moisture content ruins crop yields. The questions now, though, turn to whether weather changes are just a phase or a cycle, or part of something bigger and more permanent – known as climate change.

“In my day, we didn’t even have electricity on the farm.” That sentiment used to be only heard from a grandparent at the supper table. Given the nature of our nation’s failing electrical grid, today you’re more likely to hear, “Just yesterday, we didn’t have electricity on the farm.”

Diversifying our transportation fuels beyond just petroleum to use homegrown energy sources gets a lot of attention about this time in Washington, and this year is no different.

Some things never change. The land, the clock, calendar and weather forecasts have always been the major influences in everyday farming.

One thing that has changed dramatically on the farm is the tractor. Today’s tractors and the engines that power them have evolved dramatically from the late 1800s, when mechanized traction equipment (powered by steam then gasoline) first arrived on the farm.

Whether you are milking 100 cows or 1,000, the cost of energy inputs into a dairy farm – fuel and electricity – has a big impact on the bottom line. According to the USDA, energy costs consistently ranks second only to feed costs.

Some things never change. The land, the clock, calendar and weather forecasts have always been the major influences in everyday farming.

Some things never change. The land, the clock, calendar and weather forecasts have always been the major influences in everyday farming.