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River Elevators * Country • Elevators
Farmer-owned and operated P.O. P .O. Box Box 1796 1796 • Greenville, Greenville, MS MS 38702 38702 P:: 662.332.0987 P 662.332.0987 | F: F: 662.332.0999 662.332.0999
www.fgtcoop.com www ww ww.ffgtcoop.com
Uneasy future
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Agricultural Outlook
Coronavirus having impact everywhere
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tÉí=ïÉ~íÜÉê=ÑçêÅÉÇ=ëçãÉ=Ñ~êãÉêë=íç=éä~åí=Åçííçå=ä~íÉê=íÜ~å=íÜÉó=çêÇáå~êáäó=ïçìäÇ=çê=éä~åí=çíÜÉê=Åêçéë=áåëíÉ~ÇI=ë~óë=~ÖêáÅìäíìê~ä=ÉÅçåçãáëí=_êá~å=jáääëK f there were shots or pills for low prices and supply-chain breakdowns, those in the agricultural industry would be lining up for big-time doses. But of course there’s no such thing, so those in the industry are dealing with what’s going on now while looking ahead to how they hope the future will be shaped. Staplcotn CEO Hank Reichle said he’s not expecting business as usual for a while, maybe never. “Demand for nearly every ag product has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus and the government-mandated lockdowns,” Reichle wrote in an email. “Forced lockdowns have taken place on nearly every corner of the earth; there are really few exceptions. Whether it’s the closure of schools, restaurants, or apparel retailers — the normal channels in which ag products are purchased or consumed have been disrupted, causing demand destruction. This has caused an imbalance in supply and demand that has driven down prices for agricultural products.” He continued, “Business will restart, and in time we will beat the virus. But after we restart the economy, we have to wonder, ‘What is the new normal?’ We don’t know, but early indications are that the economic recovery is unlikely to be a classic ‘Vshaped’ recovery as consumers face both health concerns and financial constraints.” On a graph, a V-shaped recovery is characterized by a sharp fall immediately fol-
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“Business will restart, and in time we will beat the virus. But after we restart the economy, we have to wonder, ‘’What is the new normal?’ ’’ Hank Reichle
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lowed by a steep rebound. Reichle is speculating a slower recovery, perhaps with a different shape. “With a portion of the global consumer base hit hard financially, and simultaneously living in a health crisis with ‘social distancing’ being the best way to combat the virus, we are unlikely to see robust demand environment for a while. Ag prices are likely to be weaker for at least the next year as we deal with the pandemic and its disruptions throughout supply chains.” Danny Walker, the CEO of Heartland Catfish, along with John Coleman, Express Grain’s president, and Brian Mills, an agricultural economist at the Delta Research and Extension Station in Stoneville, have had similar but not exact-
ly the same thoughts. Here’s the situation with the row-crop markets, Mills said: “For all crops, we are pretty much looking at low prices.” He provided a set of U.S. Department of Agriculture projections of average prices for this crop year: $3.20 a bushel for corn, 57 cents a pound for cotton, $5 per bushel for rice and $8.20 a bushel for soybeans. He noted that farmers earned an average of 59 cents per pound for cotton last year, which is low, but dry weather during the harvest season helped them pick a good-sized crop, improving revenues. That could happen again, but production is not off to a strong start because of wet weather, which has forced some farmers to either plant later than what is optimal or change course to plant another crop — cotton, for example, in a field that originally had been intended for corn. Coleman talked about this, noting that “last year, prices were low, probably due to the trade wars,” and said, “I think you will see more beans and cotton this year, probably.” He mentioned the country’s trade agreements with China finalized in January and China’s recent purchase of more than 1.1 million tons of American soybeans. China has agreed to buy $36.5 billion in U.S. agricultural products this year. That’s an upside, Mills said, but it depends on whether China does what it has said it will do: “If China really starts importing a lot, you might really see an increase in prices.”
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A price increase for soybeans is not particularly an advantage for Express Grain. Its big project, a biodiesel plant, became fully operational in late winter, just in time for fuel prices to get slammed by a global oil glut and falling demand from the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. Corn and ethanol prices are connected, and biodiesel made from soybeans follows the price of ethanol, which has been disrupted. However, “we like to see high prices in beans so that way the farmer will grow the soybeans,” Coleman said. Normally, “if bean prices are high, then our prices are going to be high, too.” Express Grain sells livestock feed intended for poultry, swine and catfish producers, and these were adversely affected when restaurants had to close because of the virus. “They were putting their chickens on a maintenance diet,” Coleman said. But “we didn’t see a slowdown in the swine industry in the purchase of meal.” He continued, “I think the country is opening back up, and as the restaurants reopen, I think we will see demand for meat products improve.” Walker said Heartland Catfish’s sales dropped 30% to 40% because of the pandemic, although its grocery store revenues increased by 10% to 20%. But, sales to restaurants dropped to zero. This affected production — but, he said, “slowly it has increased to where we are running at about 80%.”
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a~ååó=t~äâÉêI=`bl=çÑ=eÉ~êíä~åÇ=`~íÑáëÜI=ë~óë=ÖäçÄ~ä=ÇÉã~åÇ=Ü~ë=åçí=~ÑÑÉÅíÉÇ=íÜÉ=Å~íÑáëÜ=áåÇìëíêóK He continued, “We have not laid off anybody, and we continued to process every day. We ran reduced hours for several weeks, but we are getting back up to 80 to 90% capacity.” The catfish processor employs more than 300 people, and frozen fillets wholesale for $4 to $5 a pound. Global demand has not affected the U.S. catfish industry, he said: “We are strictly a domestic market.” He did wonder about the future, guessing that if 100 other people did the same, they would reach the
same conclusion: “Nobody knows.” Reichle said, “Fortunately, Congress has recognized the importance of maintaining a supply of the basic necessities since the difficult times of the 1930s. These come to both Walker consumers and the agricultural producers through safety nets in the farm bill,” the comprehensive legislation that governs the nation’s agricultural policy.
Renewed every five years or so, the current farm bill was enacted in 2018. “The farm bill’s main objectives are to keep food prices fair for farmers and consumers, ensure an adequate food supply, and protect and sustain the country’s vital natural resources,” Reichle said. “Although safety nets are no replacement for demand, they do help mitigate some of the negative impacts in times such as these.” Reichle said he would not even want to imagine how much worse the current pan-
demic-related crisis would be without the farm bill and the provisions contained in the coronavirus stimulus package that “help maintain the agricultural supply chain so that people could at least be assured that the basics will be available to them.” He said he hopes the trade agreement with China “will help move some U.S. ag product to China in the coming year. China has the capacity to hold some ag products in their state reserves. If they do that, it will help to stabilize prices while demand attempts to recover.” n
Homegrown cooking
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Locally Produced Meals
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Options include catfish, rice, vegetables
“farm to fork” meal is not hard to achieve on a weekly basis in Leflore County. With the Mississippi Delta’s rich, fertile land and with farming as its top industry, residents are offered a wide variety of options for creating a weeknight meal using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. For example, rice is grown in the Delta, and two farming operations in northern Leflore County have packaged their product. Delta Blues Rice is grown, artisan-milled and packaged in small batches on the Arant family’s farm, which has been operating for nearly a century. Delta Blues Rice offers varieties such as white rice grits, brown rice, jasmine rice, brown rice grits and long grain white rice. Two Brooks Farm’s rice is the product of the Wagner family. Using an ecocentric rice farming system, the Two Brooks Farm rice is grown, milled, packaged, marketed and delivered from their farm. Two Brooks Farm offers white rice and rice grits, brown rice and brown rice grits, and brown, white and aromatic rice flours. Two Brooks also offers sable long grain black rice and scarlet long grain red rice A variety of Delta Blues Rice and Two Brooks Farm products are available at Mississippi Gift Co. The store’s owner, Cindy Tyler, said she’s seen a significant increase in sales of both rice brands recently. Greenwood restaurant Fan and Johnny’s, owned by chef Taylor Bowen Ricketts, often features Two Brooks Farm rice in its dishes. “I had lunch yesterday at Fan and Johnny’s. ... Their special for the day included the Two Brooks black Sable rice,” said Erin Goldberg, who works at Mississippi Gift Co. “It was really good.” She said the rice had a good texture and wasn’t too heavy-tasting. “I feel like it’s a privilege to be able to say it was grown around here,” said Goldberg. “It didn’t taste processed, it tasted healthy and you are supporting a local business.” Another Delta-grown item that’s currently a top seller at the store is Crop to Pop popcorn, which is grown on a farm in the Washington County community of Tribbett. “We sold 15 bags yesterday,” Tyler said one day this past week. Leflore County also has several catfish operations, including two processors, Heartland Catfish and America’s Catch. Fillets from both Leflore County farmraised catfish operations are currently available at Greenwood Market Place. Another great source for locally farmed food is the Downtown Greenwood Farmers Market. Beth Stevens, who manages the market with her husband, Glen, and is also a vendor, said the majority of the vendors are from Leflore and Carroll counties. “Because we are a certified Mississippi farmers Stevens market, pretty much every vendor who is there is growing their own food,” she said. The market runs this year from midMay to the end of September. It’s open from 8 a.m. to noon each Saturday at the Rail Spike Park Pavilion. The market features a wide variety of locally grown seasonal produce. “We’ve got everything from meat to
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seafood to produce to baked goods to canned goods. You could shop and create an entire meal just from our farmers market,” said Stevens. “There’s no reason you should have boring meals with fresh food, because there are so many possibilities,” she added. There’s also a personal connection when purchasing local food directly from the farmer. “You’re looking that vendor in the eye who produced that item. You can have a direct conversation with the grower. They
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1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1-2 red ripe tomatoes, diced 1/3 cup onion, diced Salt and pepper to taste Pinch of red pepper flakes Butter and olive oil
can tell you everything about their farm. They may have ideas that they can share with you on how they prepare that particular item,” said Stevens. “Also, you know that because it was farmed here in Leflore County, when it shows up at the market on Saturday, it doesn’t get any fresher than that.” Here are some recipes to use for locally farmed items:
Heat 2 cups of stock, whisk in rice grits, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add the cream and more stock if needed to get the consistency you like. Add cheese, and mix well. Season the shrimp to taste. Heat a heavy bottom pan to searing hot. Carefully add a little oil, then sear the
_i^`hbkba= `^qcfpe 1 pound Heartland catfish fillets ¼ cup butter 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon ground pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon cayenne powder ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients on a shallow plate. Melt butter and brush catfish fillets, coating both sides. Press fillets into the spice mix, rotating to coat. Place on lined baking sheet, and bake 15 to 17 minutes, or until flaky and evenly browned. — eÉ~êíä~åÇ=`~íÑáëÜ EïïïKÜÉ~êíä~åÇÅ~íÑáëÜ KÅçãF pqrccba= _bii=mbmmbop ¾ cup Missimati Mississippi Basmati or Beulah Land Tan Brown Rice 1 pound ground chuck beef 80/20 or better ½ pound bulk pork sausage 1 large sweet onion, diced 6 large bell peppers 3 tablespoons dried sweet basil ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper ½ teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons ground black pepper 3 tablespoons minced garlic 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced olives 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes ¼ cup chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or other white wine 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice according to directions and set aside. In large skillet, brown beef and pork while adding black pepper, and drain. Cut tops out of peppers, and remove seeds and rib. To browned meat, add diced onions, sweet basil, crushed red pepper and paprika, and stir in. Continue cooking until onions just begin to turn translucent. Add diced tomatoes, olives and wine. Mix thoroughly while cooking for 5 minutes. Add cooked rice, then 2/3 cup of parmesan cheese, mixing thoroughly. Stuff peppers with mixture, then top with remaining 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes, and then uncover
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and bake another 10 minutes. Ô=qïç=_êççâë=c~êã EïïïKíïçÄêççâëÑ~êãKÅçãF
^oh^kp^p=_^hba ^ijlka=`^qcfpe ½ cup sliced almonds ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon minced onion 2 pounds America’s Catch catfish fillets 1 egg ½ cup milk 1 teaspoon seasoned salt or garlic salt ¼ cup melted butter 1 cup dry bread crumbs
or panko
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the catfish fillets into serving size pieces. Put the milk in a bowl, and whisk the egg into it. Add the seasoned salt, minced onion and black pepper to the milk-egg mixture. In a separate flat dish, mix the bread crumbs and the sliced almonds. Dip the fish pieces into the seasoned egg mixture, then coat them with bread crumbs and almonds. Place the coated catfish fillets on a well-greased (olive oil or similar oil) flat baking
pan or foil-lined pan. Pour the melted butter evenly over the fillets. Place the baking pan on the middle rack, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily. — ^ãÉêáÅ~Ûë=`~íÅÜ EïïïKÅ~íÑáëÜKÅçãF `oblib=pqvib peofjm=^ka=of`b dofqp 1 cup Delta Blues Rice rice grits 2-4 cups chicken stock ¼ cup heavy cream ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
shrimp quickly, not more than 1 minute, cooking in small batches. Set the shrimp aside. In the same pan (do not wipe it out or clean), add a little butter to the shrimp juices left and the onions. Season and saute over medium low heat for 8 minutes. Add more butter as needed. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes (the tomatoes should fall apart). Cook until the sauce is thick. Add the shrimp, and toss well. Plate the grits, and garnish with shrimp and sauce over top. — aÉäí~=_äìÉë=oáÅÉ EïïïKÇÉäí~ÄäìÉëêáÅÉKÅçãF
Weather woes Dealing with Rain
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Flooding has affected farmers’ schedules
H
o~áåÑ~ää=ÇìêáåÖ=É~êäó=ëéêáåÖ=áå=OMNV=ÑäççÇë=é~êíë=çÑ=_áääó=tÜáííáåÖíçåÛë=Ñ~êãä~åÇI=äçÅ~íÉÇ=~äçåÖ=jçåÉó=oç~ÇK=iÉÑäçêÉ=`çìåíó=Ñ~êãÉêë=Ü~îÉ=Ü~Ç=íç=ÇÉ~ä=ïáíÜ=ÜáÖÜ=ï~íÉê=~Ö~áå=áå=OMOMK eavy rain in late winter and early spring this year has caused delays in the planting of crops, according to farming experts and local farmers in Leflore County. From Jan. 1 through April 28, Greenwood received 31.01 inches of rain, which was 17.87 inches, or 174%, above the normal rainfall for that period, according to Mississippi State University’s Extension Service. Other cities throughout the state, such as Jackson, Starkville and Greenville, also received above-average rainfall, according to MSU. Andy Braswell, Leflore County’s MSU extension agent, said the rain had a “tremendous effect” on just about all of the farmers throughout the county in their ability to plant crops early in the season. Farmers with land bordering the Yazoo River, which flooded, were more affected, he said. “It’s not a question that Braswell every farmer in the area has had difficulties with the rains that we had,” said Billy Whittington, whose farmland is along Money Road.
“Everybody’s having to struggle with that, plus the rains have brought high water, which is a problem in the Delta because it’s flat,” he added. Because of his farm’s location, Whittington said parts of his farmland received flooded backwater from the Yazoo River. To get the best possible yields from crops, farmers plant early, Braswell said. Corn, one of the main commodity crops in Whittington Leflore County, is ideally planted in March or April. Whittington planned to plant corn in March, but wet conditions didn’t allow him to do so until April. Furthermore, he said, he got to plant only a small amount of the acreage he wanted to plant. “We’re way behind but happy to be working and making some progress,” he said this past week. It was the same for Erle West Barham, a farmer with land in Leflore and Carroll counties by the area of Greenwood-Leflore Airport. Barham said that in early March, he was able to plant one-third of the corn he originally had in mind. Other areas of his
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“You can’t afford to allow fear to define how you will react to the adversity; you just deal with it. You deal with it as best you can. ’’ Erle West Barham
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farmland were still wet, meaning tractors could not go out. “We’ve got good conditions now. We’re hopeful to be able to plant alternative crops, either soybean or cotton, in place of what would’ve been corn,” he said. A delay in planting leads to other problems, he explained. “The difficult part is not just the field conditions; you have all of the costs associated with farming. You have to have your seed; you have to have your fertilizer; you have to have your field in a condition,” he said. In addition, he said, even before corn is planted, farmers generally make arrangements with farm elevators to market their corn in the fall.
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“When you have a situation where you’re prevented from planting, that just causes a number of problems — not just the simple fact that you didn’t get it planted timely (but also) that you sold a plant that you’re not able to plant,” Barham said. This year’s rain was a repeat of last year, when heavy rainfall, particularly in February, also caused delays in farming. “We have had some big floods before, but it seems like the last three years have been prevalent for backwater and rainfall,” Braswell said. Since the weather is beyond farmers’ control, how do they cope? The answer, according to Barham and Whittington, is simple: You just deal with it. “Nothing much we can do about the weather,” Whittington said. “The problem with farming, and it’s been this way a long time ... you’re subject to Mother Nature,” Barham said. “In our area we can have excessive rain from time to time.” Looking back on his farming career, he said, “We’ve faced this sort of adversity before. We’ve faced excessive rain, and we’ve faced drought as well. “You just can’t afford to allow fear to define how you will react to the adversity; you just deal with it,” Barham said. “You deal with it as best you can.” n
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Fueling progress Express Biodiesel
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Demand for Greenwood product is growing
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he plan to tap into the alternative fuel market was in place from day one for Express Grain Terminals. And Willard Jack, a Belzoni farmer, is proud to see the Greenwood agricultural product processing operation finally churning out biodiesel. “It was in the works from the time we bought (the former Delta Oil Mill) in 2015,” said John Coleman, president of the company, which employs 180 people in three locations — Greenwood, Sidon and Minter City. “I hate it took this long, but to do it the right way took a little time.” Biodiesel is a renewable fuel obtained from vegetable oils or animal fats. At Express Biodiesel in Greenwood, it is made with soybean oil and distributed through the region with a staff of between 25 and 30 people. It is the only alternative fuel that can be used in a conventional diesel engine without modifications. Jack is a loyal customer and has served on the American Soybean Association Board of Directors since 2015. He’s been on the Mississippi Soybean Association board for more than 20 years and served as president, vice president and membership chairman. “I have been pushing this product for like 20 years now,” said Jack, who has farmed for more than 30 years, including 10 years
in Ontario, Canada, before coming to Mississippi. “It just makes sense, especially for our farmers.” The locally owned and operated company only started marketing its biodiesel service in February, and demand continues to grow, Coleman said. He said the move into alternative fuel was a chance to help Mississippi Delta farmers but also a smart business move because it added value to soybean oil. Express Grain also sells its soybean oil to other biodiesel plants. “It’s pretty neat to have our farmers raise the soybeans we use for their fuel, while at the same time we are creating demand for their farm production,” Coleman said. “It will save you money. A typical B20 blend (20% biodiesel and 80% diesel fuel) will save you 4 cents per gallon compared to petroleum diesel fuel. “Also, we can custom blend any amount of biodiesel that you desire, from 5% to 100%, with a price discount of 1 cent per gallon for every 5% of biodiesel used.” Jack said it makes good sense to use biodiesel in his equipment because he is using his own product, adding that it is also a higher-quality product. In the past, he said, soy meal was the primary market for soybeans. Now, oil is the primary market, and meal is secondary.
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^ÄçîÉW=gçÜå `çäÉã~åI=éêÉëáÇÉåí çÑ=bñéêÉëë=dê~áå qÉêãáå~äëI=ëí~åÇë=áå íÜÉ=Åçãé~åóÛë ÄáçÇáÉëÉä éä~åí=áå dêÉÉåïççÇK=fí=àìëí ÄÉÅ~ãÉ=Ñìääó=çéÉê~J íáçå~ä=áå=cÉÄêì~êóK iÉÑíW=gÉååáÑÉê=eççâÉêI ~å=ÉãéäçóÉÉ=~í=íÜÉ éä~åíI=ÅÜÉÅâë=ë~ãJ éäÉë=çÑ=ëçóÄÉ~å=çáäI ïÜáÅÜ=áë=ìëÉÇ=íç ã~âÉ=íÜÉ=~äíÉêå~íáîÉ ÑìÉäK==
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Experts say the use of biodiesel may not end the national dependence on foreign oil, but the short-term benefits to Mississippi’s farm economy should give soybean growers reasons for hope. Gregg Ibendahl, an agricultural economist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service, said increased use of biodiesel should help bolster soybean prices and provide farmers with a beneficial alternative to petroleum. He added that there are not enough soybeans grown in the United States to eliminate the need for foreign oil, but biodiesel’s value as an alternative is undeniable. “If we used every bushel of soybeans currently grown in the United States, we could not replace onefifth of the diesel fuel used in the country,” Ibendahl said. “However, some research has indicated that every 100 million gallons of biodiesel use could raise soybean prices an additional 10 cents. If this is true, then we will likely see more acres allocated to soybean production.” The Greenwood plant runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, producing about 30,000 gallons a day, with the storage capabilites much greater than that. Express Grain’s plant in Greenwood processes local soybeans into soybean meal and hulls, which are then sold to the state’s ani-
mal feed markets. Additionally, the plant produces soybean oil, which is sold to edible oil and biodiesel refineries. Mississippi industries using biodiesel include agricultural equipment users, delivery companies, municipal transportation and construction. Some use it because it is an easy way to reduce their carbon footprint. “We have the cleanest biodiesel, and now we are just trying to get the word out and get everyone educated on all the benefits,” Coleman said. “It is a solvent in itself, so it does a good job cleaning engines and also boosts engine life with lubrication properties that are superior to petroleum diesel.” The Express Biodiesel process, according to Coleman, is a conventional biodiesel process that uses the traditional transesterification reaction to convert a glyceride (soybean oil) and methyl alcohol (methanol) to a methyl ester (biodiesel) and glycerin. Biodiesel is then blended with regular diesel stocks for distribution into the fuel supply chain. “We are proud of where we have come in a short time,” Coleman said. “The biodiesel plant not only is a plus for the local economy but also provides our family of producers a source for renewable energy while increasing demand for their own products.” n
We salute our area farmers and agriculture industry for their contributions to our local, national and international communities. Their efforts plant the seeds for prosperity, nourishing our bodies as well as our economy. Innovations in farming technology and agribusiness have created more efficient farms, but it’s the hard work and dedication of our family farmers that are the heart and soul of our nation’s agriculture industry.
Born to farm
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Marc Archer
‘Couldn’t picture myself doing anything different’ M arc Archer says he knew early in life that he wanted to go into
farming. He grew up in England, Arkansas, where his father, Gary, grew rice, cotton, soybeans and wheat — and he says he has been in fields “since I was crawling.” Archer, 43, now works with his father at Archer Farms, growing corn, rice and soybeans on 3,000 acres north of Leflore County. “It’s a stressful job that is rewarding at the end of the day or the end of the year, and I couldn’t picture myself doing anything different,” said Archer, who was honored by the GreenwoodLeflore County Chamber of Commerce last year as Young Farmer of the Year. As a boy, he tagged along with his father and others at the farm, helping where he could. He learned about the business of agriculture as well as the day-today work from his father, and after graduating from Pillow Academy, he earned a degree in agriculture from Mississippi
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Delta Community College. “Every day in farming, you have to make a million decisions,” he said. “Just try to pick out the best one and roll with it.” Archer moved to Greenwood with his family in 1985 after some relatives on his mother’s side who
had rented land where he now works asked his father if he wanted to farm it with them. They started with 5,000 acres. Marc and Gary Archer are partners in the operation, and they have three other employees: Tracy Jones, L.W. Williams and
L.J. Williams. Jones has worked there about 25 years, and the other two men have been there for more than a decade, with each employee doing a little of everything. “All of them pitch in to try to do anything they can,” Archer said. He said he knew years ago that he wanted to work with his father for the long term, and they work well together, as do the other members of the team. Marc Archer knows more about the technological side of the job, so he said he keeps up with improvements such as GPS devices and other equipment. He estimated that they have had GPS on their tractors for 10 or 12 years. The equipment is working well now, but they always like to upgrade if there’s any money left over so they can keep everything up to date, he said. As for the crops, they grew cotton years ago but are pleased with their current combination of corn, rice and soybeans. They try to plant 1,000 acres of corn for a
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rotation, and that helps the soybean yields the next year, Archer said. This time of year, he’s typically working 14 hours a day or more, but he said he has always liked being outside. And in his spare time, he enjoys hunting and traveling. The coronavirus pandemic has presented challenges to farmers, but Archer said there’s built-in social distancing in his work. “I’ve actually felt safer out here on the farm because it’s five people on 3,000 acres and we’re really spread out,” he said. He said the pandemic hasn’t affected the businesses he deals with regularly: “As far as getting our seed and chemicals, everything’s been great, and we’ve been able to get parts for all our tractors and stuff.” He and his wife, Laura Ann, have an 11-year-old son, Luke, and an 8-year-old daughter, Lela. Farm life has suited the children well, he said: “Both of my kids love coming out here and being around it.” n
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