Panic news over crop prices not helpful

By Cathryn, Corn Commentary

In the war over whose crystal ball sees how the drought will impact the average American, experts send volleys to and fro. Citing their own models, they argue until in a rabid fervor defending their ability to play pretend the best.

In the immortal words of Kevin Bacon, “Remain calm. All is well.”

No matter how carefully constructed the estimate, only time will tell how severely the hot, dry conditions inundating so much of the country will impact the crop and the farmers working to grow it. The situation can shift as quickly as the weather and no expert knows for certain what precisely will happen until the crop is in the bins.

Panic-inducing stories prognosticating food price spikes conjure the image of Dickensian orphans begging for just a bit more. Stories on rising prices may unnecessarily raise blood pressure, but they raise ratings too.

Instead of looking to a dubious doctorate who hasn’t descended from his ivory tower in decades, why not ask the people on the ground, growing food for our families? They take pride in what they do and understand why these stories can be alarming. They have families to feed too.

Recently, CommonGround Kentucky volunteer opened her farm for a conversation on food prices. Take a listen. Now, through programs such as this, consumers have access to the people growing food for our country. The insight that this family farmer and mother shares may make taking Mr. Bacon’s advice a bit easier — and who doesn’t love bacon?


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