WeaveFarmer - 2/28/2024 07:17

We are losing export markets to low-cost producers.   Due to high land costs and gov't policies, our commodities are expensive and we are conceding the world market to low cost producers.

We are losing exports as the nations of the world kind of re-sort their post-cold war relationships.. .

Corn acres and technology to produce corn (seeds, chemicals, fertilizer and equipment) has been ramped up over 15 years and crowded out other crops acres/options.....

Soybeans have been pretty good as well.

I think Carbon is the new thing us farmers can grow (store) for value. Market is figuring itself out. But, ethanol had investment money and a lobby. Investors could profit by adding value to corn.

Storing carbon has a lot of value,   has no real value and is a taxpayer funded boondoggle.  It is also the only hope there is for the farm economy to stay steady since we've decided to concede the export markets.  and in theory farmers can store a lot of it and still grow decent crops.

But farmers won't do it unless there is a profit.

New renewable diesel soybean plant near Alta / Storm Lake is private investor money. Not ADM or Dreyfus or ABCD company ....They will want to get paid and lobby government accordingly.

Land prices do not reflect current corn / soybean prices and their values.

I think row crop farming is going to have to profit in the carbon arena.

I know the land price thread has a lot of interesting and varied comments.

I know family members who bought some ground at $3200 an acre, and bought some similar ground for $1750 10 years later. Land doesn't always go up, or even hold it's value.

What I don't know is if today's farmgound prices are a opportunity that will payback in 5 years or 25 years or even 50 years.