Stories and Perspectives from the Farm

Pigs, Crops, Income Taxes, Year End Financials, and a NEW YEAR

Farm Updates

Christmas has passed, and the New Year is only a few days away. Many, including mine, spend time with family during this Christmas season. It truly is a special time of year and one I cherish. But . . . there are many who don’t spend time with their families for a variety of reasons.

I feel for them, and my heart is with them.

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Pigs

For the most part, our pigs have been healthy. A pig farm near us (about 1/2 mile away) no longer has pigs in their barns. At least right now. I hate to say this, but I think that is why our pigs have been healthy. Fewer pigs means fewer viruses traveling through the air. We do our very best to follow biosecurity measures, but until a pig stops breathing, you can stop the viruses that travel through the air.

There is no doubt the pig industry is changing. We are seeing larger farmers get larger. Margins are weak, which is why larger farms are adding pigs. You need more pigs to make the same income.

Do I think this will change? No.

We have some government leaders who advocate for small and medium farms. But how do you make this work and still be able to put food on your table? I have a different mindset, as I am just used to how we raise and market our pigs.

Unfortunately, the trend of becoming larger will likely continue. However, I also believe you will see an increase in the number of smaller farms that sell directly to consumers. But will it make much of an impact? Well, time will tell.

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Weather

So far, so good. We had one snow event, where we received about 3 inches of snow. Yesterday, our temperature was 51 degrees. I'm not kidding. 51 in Minnesota in December. But the local forecast is telling us it will go downhill from here. We always say, “We will pay for the good weather.” We said that last year many times, and it never happened. But can we actually think we can go two years like that?

Doubt it.

At least some locals are enjoying ice fishing. For people outside the upper Midwest, a picture like this kind of freaks them out.

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New (new to us) Tractor

Yes, we purchased a tractor to replace our big tractor. It’s newer and has fewer hours on it. It arrived this past Thursday. We bought it privately from a farmer in Iowa. The tractor will make some of the fieldwork easier. We will be selling our tractor this is being replaced at a later time.

Taxes, Financial Reports, Accountants

For the next few weeks/months, I will spend quite a bit of time in my office. It’s time to review 2024 and make plans for 2025.

On the crop end, 2024 was disappointing. Too much rain during the first part of the growing season and then a drought in August/September. Yields were down significantly. It was the year of opposites. The low ground, where we typically have the best yields, was worse than the hills, where yields on hills are normally down.

And add in low commodity prices. So it’s the double whammy.

But in the end, we are thankful for what we have. Not every year will be a bin buster, and we have had some good years recently. In the end, God will take care of us.

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New President

20+ days for a new presidency. From my perspective, it will be interesting. No doubt there will be plenty of meltdowns. But as a farmer, I know you must live within your means—something the government has not been doing. I am not pointing fingers, but it is time to reel in the excessive spending.

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A New Year

There is something about ringing in the new year that raises questions, such as, will this year be better than last year? What kinds of changes will we see?

One thing that will change for us is, God willing, a new granddaughter is expected to be born very soon. We are so excited!

I also do not believe in resolutions. I have some goals in mind. I have made some changes in how I plan to spend my time this year compared to last year. These were difficult changes, but I felt I had other personal callings.

Yes, I will continue to write about agriculture. I love to write! Writing gives me a sense of peace.

One thing I know is I want to keep learning.

Learning about many things. People talk about having a word of the year and I have chosen “Curiosity” as my word of the year. Do you have a word for 2025? If so, please comment below!

I wish you all a Happy New Year! And see you next year!

Wanda