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Stearns: Work together for the benefit of farming

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Voice of Our Readers

To the Editor:
Maybe it’s just me, but I think farmers are all kicking each other while they’re down.
The family of a close personal friend of mine is struggling to keep their dairy afloat, and loan payments are sucking up their savings.
According to Minnesota Public Radio, the same thing is happening to farmers across Minnesota. Many farms face the same problems in Iowa, and I would imagine elsewhere as well.
Row crops are at a record low price, and that leads to excessive livestock production, which also lowers price. When it comes to pigs, there are more than the current market can handle, and I am unable to comment on the world of beef cattle.
Crop yields are set to break records for another year, and I wonder: how do farmers expect to compensate for the low prices of their products? By tiling their land this fall so they can raise even more crops next year?
Or if the dollar loses value we can always rake in the benefits of increased exports to foreign markets I suppose.
I don’t know the answers, but think people need to work together to find a way to farm their land that benefits themselves and their families instead of companies like Monsanto and Tyson Foods.
Joseph Stearns
Luverne

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