Guest Blog

It's no secret that the past year has been devastating for our entire industry. As farms continue to sell out, those of us left standing can't help but wonder when we will be next.

Folks are worried, scared and flat out pissed off at the current state of our industry. Many are in survival mode, while others are just hanging on a little bit longer in hopes that cull cow prices will go up so they can sell the herd.

You may not need to force your kids to eat their vegetables – the backlash against veganism is here. With the rise in popularity of vegan, plant-based diets, people are discovering that plant-based diets are not healthier.

I stood in the bright August sunshine, looking into a pole barn filled with crop farmers as they listened to a no-till guru tout the benefits of cover crops and soil health.

Ten years ago, I made the three-hour trek to State College, Pennsylvania, to begin my college career. I was pretty sure I was armed with everything I’d need: photos of my family and friends, appropriately sized sheets, a little dry-erase board and a shower caddy. I was completely prepared, or so I thought.

I am writing today with a slighter different tone and feel than posts of the past. We are finishing off one of our more challenging summers here on our farm – a “lost summer” in the words of my brother and farm partner. Let me provide some background to bring us to Sept. 1, 2018, and the feeling of a lost summer.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was first published in the Delmarva Farmer.

Breaking out of our “silos” or “dairy bubbles” is a topic I’ve written about before. It’s crucial to explore other things than just what we do on a day-to-day basis on our farms.