The Daily Republic Mitchell, S.D. July 18, 2017 The roads are dusty, cattle are overheating and the corn stalks are starving for a drink. Welcome to South Dakota summer 2017. Breaking news: It’s hot and dry, folks. And it’s really a drag.
While it’s not considered to be the worst drought South Dakota has seen on record thus far, this summer is really taking a toll on our most important industry: Agriculture.
Farmers and ranchers wake up each morning and check the forecast to the same song.
Monday, hot and dry. Tuesday, hot and dry. Wednesday, you guessed it. Most people realize the importance the agriculture industry is to the economic wellbeing of South Dakota, but this year’s drought is magnifying exactly how critical that engine really is. But more importantly, this dry period is weighing hard on the spirits of farmers and ranchers.
No rain means little to no hay crop. No rain means extra work to keep cows and calves cool and healthy. And no rain means no grain produced from the ground.
The harvest season is an immense amount of work, but it’s the season that farmers work for. It’s their paycheck. It’s collecting the grain that feeds the world. This year, sadly, farmers are not looking forward to harvest compared to recent years when yields have been rather bountiful.
As we continue to pray for rain each Sunday in church, we continue thinking about the farmers who are battling through this drought each day.
It’s the difficult years like now that we appreciate South Dakota’s agriculture industry more than ever.
It’s a full-time, all-the-time job. And even if this year finishes tough, farmers will drive back into the fields next year, plant their seeds and start over.
To the farmers and ranchers working through this heat with little signs of hope, thank you.
Thank you for everything.
Leaders play vital role in American agriculture
Fort Dodge Messenger Fort Dodge, Iowa July 14, 2017
Leaders play a vital role in agriculture. Their vision and energy help keep a vital industry thriving.
From the earliest days, the emergence of successful farms and related industries in the American Midwest depended on the hard work and vision of people who played leadership roles in these vital enterprises. That was true when pioneers first cultivated the vast prairies, and it is increasingly true in the much-changed agricultural world of the 21st century.
The agricultural workplace encompasses a wide assortment of occupations.
In present-day America, farms are part of the story, but so too are a wide array of other businesses that are part of the rural economy. Even the farms themselves have become much larger and more multifaceted entities than was the case decades ago.
Throughout the contemporary agricultural world, there are talented leaders who have the organizational skills necessary to make this important sector of our economy thrive.
American agriculture without skilled leaders would be unthinkable. They play critical roles that are vital if this sector of the Hawkeye State’s economy is to remain the pacesetter for the planet. |
