by Tim Luther, a fifth generation Summit County farmer
Optimistic – hopeful and confident about the future
Farmer – a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials
Those two words to me go together like peas and carrots. The farmer is the most optimistic person on the face of the Earth. Every year, season, month, week, day and minute can make or break anyone in the Ag field. Weather, high inputs or as we have seen and dealt with, the overall health and well-being of the world as a whole due to COVID, has effected the farmers in some way. Year to year our famers are fading out due to age, lack of interest or bankruptcy.
This season we seem to be facing higher than normal fuel, fertilizer and herbicide costs. One main reason for this is due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, which are key suppliers of fertilizer to the U.S., as well as other countries. With higher costs of inputs, you will see, if you have not already, higher costs at your local store or farmers’ markets. Doing some research, the 2022 projected cost per acre to raise corn in our state was $1,064.00 per acre and soybeans at $785.00 per acre. And that folks is just for ONE acre. Can you imagine if the average farmer was doing 500 acres of corn and 500 acres of soybeans? Just thinking about it gives me chest pains.
On a brighter note, it is Summit County Fair season!!! A time for the local community and young future farmers to get together and show off their accomplishments and talents for the public to see and enjoy corn dogs, gyros, elephant ears and all the other goodies that go with it. We will be at the Summit County Farm Bureau Antiques Museum from July 26 through July 31st. Be sure to stop by and participate in the museum scavenger hunt, vote for the Farm Dog of the Year AND the Farm Cat of the Year and see what our Farm Bureau has to offer!!!
We would like to congratulate our 2022 Robert H. Eckart Memorial Academic Scholarship recipients; Tristan Bard of Richfield and Laurel Rotunno of Hudson. Hopefully, these young minds will become a big influence in the Ag field. If anyone is interested in applying for one of our scholarships, check out the complete information on our website, www.summitcountyfarmbureau.org.
Lastly, when you are out and about, be sure to BUY LOCAL and support your local farmers (a full list of the local farm markets can be found on our website). If you run into the local farmer, ask how he is doing and maybe give a simple gesture of a handshake or a “keep up the good work” – it just might make his day a little better and brighter.