Growers Call for Certainty

Uncertainty weighs heavily on farmers like Kirk Schaunamen of Aberdeen, South Dakota, as they gather at the National Farmers Union Convention. Farming with his brother and nephews, Schaunamen grows spring wheat, soybeans, and corn, along with running cattle. Reflecting on the past year, he described 2023 as a strong production year, but looking ahead, concerns about market stability and the stalled farm bill dominate conversations.  “You know, last year was a fairly decent year, we had really good crops,” Schaunamen said. “If you had it marketed early enough, it was a really good year and then things just kind of tapered off, but as far as productivity, the wheat was exceptional. Beans were good and corn just knocked it out of the park.” However, looking ahead, he emphasized how uncertainty is a major challenge, particularly with policy decisions in limbo. “We as producers dealing with Mother Nature every day, we have enough uncertainty with that. If we can just get some of the chaos or the stalemate resolved, because the uncertainty does not bode well for production agriculture.”