A Matter of Perspective

Submitted Jan 1, 2011

A few days prior to Christmas, an acquaintance of mine was sharing the story of his daughter “dreaming of a white Christmas” when she was young. His family operates a sizable feedyard in southwest Kansas, and he told his daughter to be careful with her wishes. Prophetically, Christmas Eve brought a blizzard, so the whole family was out “cleaning bunks” on Christmas morning. Needless to say, the young lady has since thought twice before dreaming of a white Christmas.

In similar fashion, I had hoped for a good, soaking rain most of the fall. The small bit of wheat and cool season grasses in our area needed it badly. But after December 1, my perpective changed, and I prefer dry conditions until about March 1. Other readers might disagree, I am certain.

Differing perspectives are part of human nature, and they are exacerbated in production agriculture due in large part to our dependence on factors such as weather and markets. The story is told of the new minister who was approached by a group of farmers after his first Sunday service. Their request was simple: “When we ask for rain, you need to use your ‘influence’ and help make it rain.”

He replied with this promise, “I’ll be glad to do my part…as long everyone can agree exactly which day you want it.”

These variations in perspective are especially evidenced in the marketing of agricultural products. Corn farmers are excited about $7 per bushel corn, livestock producers are distraught. Cow-calf producers grin at the thought of $2 per pound calves, feeders try to pencil the risk with such costs. But I believe that all readers of Grass and Grain can agree upon one thing: Increased, sustainable demand for agricultural products is a necessity for all farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. In fact, it’s the one thing that will inject the necessary wealth into our struggling rural communities.

I suppose the internal friction between buyers and sellers, growers and processors, and big and little producers will remain. However, I think it behooves us to find common ground to truly grow our business. From my perspective, this common focus is the end consumer of our products. When we focus on their needs and desires, we discover products for which they will pay more money. When we find what they will pay more for, we allow the market to send production signals for those commodities that will best fit consumers' needs.

When uninhibited market signals are received by farmers and ranchers, it then becomes their choice whether to produce for that demand. From my perspective, tactical decisions such as types of seed to plant, products to use and marketing methods should be left up to individual producers. And…