Crisis and faith: Weathering current farm struggles is a challenge for producers

Cloudy skies have been an all too common sight on the northern plains since late April. Farmers and ranchers, who normally would welcome the moisture, are now praying for relief from the threat of rainfall. The 2019 growing season will long be remembered for the nearly non-stop rain showers from the time crops went into the ground to the current harvest season. Add on top of that a freak dumping of snow in mid-October, and farmers all across the Great Plains must be wondering, when is enough enough?

“There is a sense among ag producers that the farm crisis this time around is pretty comprehensive,” said Father Tom Graner, pastor of churches in Anamoose, Drake, and McClusky and the Rural Life Director for the Diocese of Fargo. “It’s not just hitting one group of farmers, but everyone. This isn’t localized, it’s part of the reality throughout the upper Midwest. That gives farm families a sense that they will have to weather this storm together, even more so than in the past. There seems to be a sense of solidarity.”

That solidarity, knowing they’re not alone, is a small branch to cling to when facing a crisis of this magnitude, but it is true that the current conditions are wide-spread. Daryl Ritchison, Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo says current conditions are, in a word, wet.

“September and October combined was the wettest on record for much of eastern North Dakota,” said Ritchison. “The timing of that moisture made it very difficult to allow for any drying as a significant rain fell every 7 to 10 days from early September through October 20. All of eastern North Dakota has suffered through harvesting delays, but the central Red River Valley seemed to be hit the hardest. That area seemed to get rain from every event and tended to have the most flooded fields. Yet, I will emphasize that all areas have had a very tough harvest, and this came after most locations had planting delays in the spring.”

Ritchison adds that despite some claiming that this is the wettest growing season they’ve seen in over 40 years, the 2008 and 2013 seasons were very similar to this year, especially in the central and southern Red River Valley. He says the main difference this year is the extreme wet conditions, plus the timing of a storm every 7–10 days that never allowed for a drying window to get the crops out of the fields.

This year’s corn harvest is nearly 70% behind schedule, and many producers are opting to keep some, if not all, of their corn crop in the field throughout the winter. Corn stalks are stiff and can withstand heavy snowfall for the most part, and the freezing temperatures often act as a freeze-drying agent cutting the moisture levels down over the winter. This can help corn producers save in fuel and electricity costs over harvesting wet grain and drying it out, then running fans keeping it dry in storage bins. But, corn left over the winter is still susceptible to winds which can knock it down, and wildlife tends to feed on corn throughout the winter.

Soybean producers also have the option of leaving their crop in the field over the winter, but soybeans can fall prey to winter weather more so than corn. A heavy snowfall could lay down and flatten soy beans, making it nearly impossible to harvest them in the spring. Even if they can harvest in the spring, the condition of the beans will vary depending on the winter weather conditions. Still, wet and muddy conditions could leave some producers with little choice but to take the risk.

Other producers aren’t so fortunate to have that choice. Sunflowers, for example, can be weighed down and the seeds knocked out of drooping heads with just one strong wind and snowstorm. Add to that the moisture levels that are causing mold issues, and those producers are feeling the pinch and hoping for drier weather. For potato and sugar beet producers, the wet weather has had a crippling effect on their operations. Muddy fields have forced many to replace wheels on their harvesting equipment with heavy and expensive tracks. Even then, the mud only allows for a few passes before machines need to be cleaned out. Many producers who still had beets and potatoes in the field suffered a hard freeze in early November, rendering their crops worthless. They are now cutting their losses, along with the heads of their crops, and hoping for a better season next spring. To add insult to injury, sugar beet growers who contracted with sugar processing plants are now being forced to pay the plants for the beets on their contracts that they couldn’t deliver. What’s worse, the open market for beets is only about $25 per ton, which is not near the price needed to cover production costs.

And the misery only gets worse. Poor conditions and suppressed commodity prices, along with a short market for US farm products during US/Chinese trade negotiations, are making it difficult for farmers and ranchers to see light at the end of the tunnel. Many aren’t sure they’ll be able to hold on, despite federal relief programs. All but four counties in eastern North Dakota have been declared disaster areas, and producers in those counties automatically qualify for the US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency’s Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program (WHIP). This program provides disaster payments to farmers to offset losses from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms, and wildfire.

Six counties, McLean, Burleigh, Dickey, Barnes, Richland, and Logan are not part of the disaster declaration as of late November because these counties are primarily corn and soybean-producing counties, and they have a little more time under crop insurance guidelines to get the harvest data needed in case they need to be added to the WHIP program. According to Dr. Miranda Meehan, Extension Livestock Environmental Stewardship Specialist at the NDSU Extension Service, growers in those area may still apply for WHIP assistance, but they need to take care to be prepared ahead of time.

“The disaster declaration automatically activated certain programs,” said Dr. Meehan. “Farmers are automatically qualified for those programs if you live in the counties that are covered. Producers in counties that are not covered can still apply, but they must show production data to qualify. Unfortunately, the help available for livestock producers is limited. There are some federal programs that provide assistance, but they are limited and it will be really trying for those producers.”

“Document, document, document,” says Dr. Charlie Stoltenow, Assistant Director of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Division at the NDSU Extension Service, to those farmers in counties not covered by the disaster declaration. “This may be tough for some because I know depression can set in and farmers just may not want to deal with it, but they have to keep records, which will help them qualify for the best assistance available. If they don’t document, they can’t quantify what they lost. And if someone comes and offers help in any way, let them help. If you need help, ask for it.”
  
That, Dr. Stoltenow stresses, is where all of us can be of help. He says it’s important for friends, neighbors, and the faith-based community to step in to see which farmers and ranchers need assistance and what kind of help they need before they sink deeper into despair.
“Those of us in urban areas are connected to somebody in agriculture,” said Dr. Meehan. “We’re all impacted on some level. All of our county extension agents are invested in agriculture, not only because they work in ag, but they may have a spouse or family member working in agriculture. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask questions or find out where to get help.”

For those of us in the faith-based community, it is especially important that we reach out because these trying times can result in a loss of faith. According to recently published reports, suicide rates among white and Native American males are on the rise in North Dakota, and drug use, especially methamphetamine, is also becoming an epidemic. We need to be willing to reach out to those in need, no matter how small or big the gesture.

“Being a neighbor will be especially critical at times like this,” said Father Graner. “Making sure that someone is invited to the ball game or card party or producer meeting is one way to combat the isolation that comes with all the pressures of farming. Hosting an evening for friends and neighbors and those who might otherwise be left out, not necessarily addressing the stresses directly, but providing a healthy touchpoint for those dealing with the stress is going to be important. Invite someone along to your holy hour in church, be it Eucharistic Adoration, or just the time you spend with the Lord is another opportunity to invite them to do the same.”

Farmers and ranchers feeling the pressure of the current crisis are also encouraged to reach out if they need help. Catholic Charities North Dakota offers counseling services (see page ?? in this edition of New Earth). Of course, when farming is threatened, so are the small businesses associated with the farming communities that are so closely tied to agriculture. Counseling programs are also available to those business owners and others whose livelihood is interwoven with the rise and fall of the farmers.

Unfortunately, unless conditions improve over the winter, next spring could be even more disastrous. Potential flooding notwithstanding, the financial climate for farmers after a season like this one could be crippling.

“Things are going to get really tight in the spring,” said Dr. Stoltenow. “There are going to be producers who will be going to their banks and the bankers will tell them ‘sorry, you’re done.’ And that then brings up ‘what do I do now?’ What is there after farming? What do I do now?’ Farmers are conditioned and trained to produce a crop. But now amid this turmoil many are disking down their crop. And it’s devastating.”

“The sense of solidarity extends to a lot of aspects of society in this cycle of farm crisis,” said Father Graner. “I’ve been hearing about meetings of bankers, co-op management, and other business whose primary clients are ag producers concerned with an impending crisis. The crisis is humbling, but my sense is that many producers are seeing it as just another in a long line of challenges. It reminds them they are not as in control as they would like to be, and they turn to faith to acknowledge that in the end God is on their side.”

So what can we do, especially with the Christmas approaching, to lend a hand? Many of us are tied by family to those who are farmers and ranchers, and it’s essential we be there for them. Talk to family members. Find out their needs. Maybe offer to take care of their children for a day to let couples get away from the stresses they may be facing.

If the farm crisis does not affect you personally, there are opportunities to help as well. You could organize a food drive at your local parish, and offer the food to any who need it, no questions asked. Call up friends and neighbors and ask how they’re doing and what they may need. Be on the lookout for changes in behavior of friends and reach out, or let your local pastor know if you know someone who is suffering a crisis of faith and hope. If you are facing these challenges yourself, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Proverbs 13:10 says, “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” Let into your lives those who want to help and embrace the offer.

Bishop Folda reminds us all that we need to keep faithful to God’s will in trying times. “I know hope might be stretched in difficult times like these,” he said, “but our Lord is always there to sustain us. I encourage everyone in our diocese to support our farmers with their prayers.”

Through the intercession of St. Isadore and his wife, St. Maria, we pray that God bestows his abundant blessings and kindness on farmers, ranchers and their families in these trying times, so that they may know that they are not alone in their sufferings, and that God will care for them in his tender mercy. Amen.