Mother Nature at bat

What do agriculture, baseball and Mother Nature have in common? Any farmer or rancher will tell you, without hesitation, that in the competitive industry that is agriculture, Mother Nature always bats cleanup, and nine times out of 10, she bats for the opposition – she’ll make or break you every time. So far, 2011 is shaping up to be a tough crop year for our farmers and ranchers. It seems anything that wasn’t frozen by late blizzards or swept downstream in floodwaters is either too wet to plant or inaccessible because of a new lake covering the road. It’s an unfortunate reality that somewhere in the U.S., this very minute, a farmer or rancher is battling the elements – and as most agricultural producers know all too well … you win some and you lose some. So what happens when you lose?...more