The Scottish poet Robert Burns once wrote that “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I’m guessing there are a lot of farmers feeling that quote this year. No matter how much you plan, how much you invest, how much you prepare for the worst as farmers usually do, sometimes the weather has other plans. Burns, although a great poet, was an unsuccessful farmer. I’m absolutely sure the inspiration behind his quote is because of his experience in farming. In Missouri and many other states, we are experiencing a drought. Don’t be fooled by the recent rains. We are still in a drought. The rains were nice, for those of us that were lucky to be hit by some hit-or-miss showers, but we are far behind where we need to be for good growth production. Basically, it’s too little, too late. Everyday I meet with producers at my clinic and the first thing out of their mouths is something concerning the drought and the effects on their farms and livestock, and I feel for them. They are in a rough situation. Many counties in Missouri, especially the northern counties, are classified as abnormally dry or experiencing moderate drought conditions. Droughts are just a part of life, something a farmer is prepared for, but this is an unusual situation. We’re not just talking about a drought. We’re talking about a drought compounded with problems flying in from every angle. Droughts reduce the amount of forage available for grazing. Simple enough - then producers turn to hay. Sure, that’s simple enough too if we hadn’t had a try fall last year leading to less hay production. Even if a farmer had stored extra hay or has access to hay now, it’s probably in low supply since this spring was unusually cold, causing farmers to feed hay for a longer amount of time while we all waited patiently for spring to arrive. On top of all that, it’s been so warm that ponds are drying up, and compounded with the tariffs looming over agricultural products, there’s a lot of uncertainty putting strain on the ag industry. It’s a perfect storm….without the literal storm that we’d gladly take right about now. Now producers are left with a few options, and none of them are good ones:
Although it’s too late for rain to make a huge difference in any of this now, it would be helpful all the same. Droughts have a major impact on the ag economy, including a veterinary practice, and the impact might last for years. It takes a producer time to build up a herd, and it’s a major investment. Basically, we’re all hoping and praying for some slack for our farmers and producers. At this point, I’m reminded that we have to let go and let God.
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Jessica Stroupe, DVM
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August 2017
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