With the short crop and volatile prices, end users are fussing with each other about their needs for corn. And the livestock industry has raised its ire with the ethanol industry about tax credits and other benefits. While all of that may soon be moot because of the current deficit reduction discussions, the question remains if there is enough corn to go around for feed and feedstocks to satisfy the demand. There may still be need for more rationing.

If the definition of farm financial stress is the inability to meet debt service payments, including principal and interest, is there a chance you will be financially stressed in your operation in coming years, if you aren’t already? Farm debt is building at a rapid rate, and that is raising questions about the potential for farm operations to face financial stress in the future.

You might want to buckle your seat belt. The folks who are the customers of agriculture and who pay the freight for maintaining farm programs have spoken. And what they say may not necessarily be sweet music to the ears of Cornbelt agriculture. Do you remember back in grade school when a new stick of chalk hit the blackboard and produced that awful piercing noise? That may be more indicative of public opinion. If you could shift the funding in the USDA budget, where would your priorities be? Farm programs? Research? Food assistance programs? Conservation? Rural development?