Spring
Issue 4 | Volume 1 | 2022
In Full Vue
The inside scoop
When I sit down to write this newsletter, I always struggle with what to write about. When you are here every day, things change and happen slowly, making it feel as though not much truly goes on. Yet at the same time, things have changed, and continue to, at a rapid pace. Life on the farm is a unique combination of slowing down and working fast, while trying to beat the weather. You will later read that our very best employee retired in February, and then Mandy will bring you to tears as she reflects on raising her son, and his future in agriculture. Change has the potential to be a beautiful transition, but often a bittersweet one too. The season of Spring always brings on renewed hope. A new crop year begins, and the world around us comes back to life. Nonetheless, the arrival of Spring this year has been a bit dreary. Temperatures remained cool toward the beginning and rainfall has been adequate. We need rain to raise a crop, but we also need to plant a crop in order to have a crop to raise. The start of planting was delayed about three weeks past our normal target start date. We have since used every available opportunity to plant. Corn planting is officially finished, and rain showers would now be welcomed. Weather is the one input that we have no control over, yet it has the ability to make or break production numbers. On a more joyful note, we have had the most beautiful view here at the shop, this Spring. Our high erucic acid rapeseed, pictured here, bloomed early in the season and has now lost those bright, yellow flowers. This crop lies dormant all winter and once the weather turns it grows quick, fast, and in a hurry. Our winter wheat is similar in that aspect. Both crops will be harvested in a month's time. But, let's not jump ahead to that just yet.
The whole world has been in disarray the past two years, and recent events have thrown yet another wrench in the system. Transportation as a whole is facing a motley of challenges. It is no secret that fuel prices have sky rocketed, increasing the cost to hire for transportation needs even more. Let us focus on the railroad sector of the transportation industry. As a result of the increase in fuel prices, railroad companies have been forced to adjust their rail-transport prices to compensate for their added expense. The majority of trains today run on diesel fuel. The availability of rail-cars is low, and our local grain elevators have experienced this first hand. Some have been forced to limit or temporarily close for deliveries. If grain elevators run out of on-site storage and cannot get rail-cars to move grain out of their facilities, they have no choice other than to limit or close for deliveries until they can get more cars in. If this issue still exists during harvest seasons, farmers with little to no storage will be up a creek. Many elevators, and other businesses that rely heavily on the railroad, have resorted to secondary freight options, which are significantly less cost efficient. Many of these same businesses, including our primary corn and wheat buyers, are located far from coastal export facilities. As a result, their list of economical choices for meeting transportation needs is already limited, and now their primary, economical choice is letting them down. Rail-transportation is also facing issues of labor shortages, weather, rail-car capacity, and shortfalls in global transportation networks. The supply chain inefficiency experienced here is creating a snowball effect of issues for other sectors of the transportation industry and for other, completely different industries within the supply chain. The number of rail-cars ordered and billed is in line with the average from 2018 to present day. It is the number of unfilled grain rail-car orders that clearly demonstrates the issue at hand. Demand is there, but supply is not. Railroad companies have locomotives and the infrastructure, it's the key component of skilled labor that is missing. Engineers and conductors are a hot commodity. Agriculturalists are facing impacts beyond local elevator issues. We rely on rail-freight to transport agricultural inputs. It has been expressed that there will be rail-shipping restrictions imposed to help with the growing congestion. This will create delays in the availability of Urea, Urea Ammonium Nitrate, and Diesel Exhaust Fluid – all of these are key inputs for farmers. Union Pacific has already imposed restrictions on thirty companies, including CF Industries. This company is North America’s largest, single production facility for the products I mentioned above. Shipments are said to be limited, and other industries and products will be given priority. Costs all across the board have risen substantially, and situations like this will only add to cost increases.
Rail is the way
Employee spotlight
We celebrated the retirement of the most special man in February. Durell, or as we like to call him – Unit 11, clocked out for the last time as a full time employee at Long Vue Farms. This guy works the hardest, has the most fun, is the most dedicated, loves the most, and is always loyal to his people. He has devoted his life to caring for the land; planting, tilling, dirt moving, mowing, or to sum it up, beautifying it. If Durell is not working on the farm, he is at home working on his yard, in his tool shed, gathering wood for his furnace, or helping Ms. Marsha (his wife) tend to her flower beds. The man is wide open 24/7. Ms. Marsha needs some special recognition herself for sticking with Durell throughout his 40+ years of farming. The hours are often long, dirty, unpredictable, and require a packed lunch. She cares for him like no other, and the same can be said for the way Du cares for her. They are the finest of people. We will miss having Durell around daily, but are happy that he will be able to spend more time with Marsha and his family - hopefully resting more than working.
Just as crop growing seasons come and go, so do seasons in life. Our 17-year-old, Bo, graduates in a few weeks and will head off to Murray State University in the fall to major in agriculture. Many emotions emerge when such a special season ends and a new one begins. Change can be hard. But it can also be exciting and fun, and it is necessary for growth. For now, though, I want to soak up all the sweet moments and reminisce on the chapter we are closing. Please indulge me while I share some of the highlights. From a young age this guy was head strong and fearless, two traits that make parenting overwhelming, but we hoped those traits would be valuable later in life and that has proven to be true. While he looks like a picture of health, he has not had the easiest road at times and has learned to persevere through some abnormally tough experiences. His resilience was particularly clear as his hip reconstruction surgeon referred to him as her little salamander, swearing she could cut his leg off and he would grow one back, never complain, and hardly speak of pain. His ability to face adversity, remain calm, and keep us all laughing often leaves me speechless and shaking my head. Bo has always loved farming, but he did not have the opportunity to be part of ag organizations like FFA in high school and only experienced 4H in elementary school. He managed, however, to make the most of every opportunity he did have to further his agricultural knowledge and experiences through working at Long Vue and at my husband’s family farm and participating in our national peer advisory group conferences. He has greatly benefitted from working under non-family supervision at LVF and not only doing the “fun” work of operating machinery, but also cleaning out grain dryers and assisting with office work. And he, on his own, devised a plan to spend time this summer in Kansas, on a farm very different from ours where he will stay for a few weeks and volunteer his time. Witnessing Bo grow as a person and in his love of farming has been the joy of my life so far. Since he began driving, we have been entertained (and overwhelmingly frustrated) by how he claims his alarm did not go off, making him late to school but never to work. Because, while he has done well in school, working on the farm, or doing most anything outdoors, is still his favorite. He is the happiest when he is tinkering with a truck, operating machinery of any kind, out in nature exploring the river bottoms where we live, hunting, or at the lake. Seeing how his relentless questioning of why and how (that used to exhaust me) has created a skilled problem solver, makes this mama heart beam with pride. His well-timed comic relief and people skills make him easy to befriend and incredibly fun to be with. I often hear from the older generation how much they enjoy his company and conversation, that he’s an old soul, and I love this about him. His charisma and persuasiveness began to peek through early on when report cards and teacher conferences consisted of phrases like “natural born leader” and “makes friends easily.” I am grateful for how he has continued to develop those traits, but aware they come with responsibility. As he moves into the next season, my prayer is that he uses those gifts in ways that honor God and serve others well. That will continue to be my prayer as he works towards his goal of earning a degree and becoming a full-time asset to the family business. We would be equally proud of Bo if he chose a different path. But when you love what you do and your family has spent generations building a life around that love, you feel incredible gratitude when your child wants to carry the torch. You feel that maybe all the long nights, heartaches, head scratching, and tears were worth it. This past Christmas Bo asked for a wall hanging with the Paul Harvey speech, “So God Made a Farmer.” Like most of you, I have heard that speech countless times. I thought I had grown tired of it even. But the closing line hits different these days. “It had to be somebody…who would laugh, and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says that he wants to spend his life “doing what dad (and mom) does. So, God made a farmer.”” With Gratitude,
Growing gratitude
“I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13
supervision at LVF and not only doing the “fun” work of operating machinery, but also cleaning out grain dryers and assisting with office work. And he, on his own, devised a plan to spend time this summer in Kansas, on a farm very different from ours where he will stay for a few weeks and volunteer his time. Witnessing Bo grow as a person and in his love of farming has been the joy of my life so far. Since he began driving, we have been entertained (and overwhelmingly frustrated) by how he claims his alarm did not go off, making him late to school but never to work. Because, while he has done well in school, working on the farm, or doing most anything outdoors, is still his favorite. He is the happiest when he is tinkering with a truck, operating machinery of any kind, out in nature exploring the river bottoms where we live, hunting, or at the lake. Seeing how his relentless questioning of why and how (that used to exhaust me) has created a skilled problem solver, makes this mama heart beam with pride. His well-timed comic relief and people skills make him easy to befriend and incredibly fun to be with. I often hear from the older generation how much they enjoy his company and conversation, that he’s an old soul, and I love this about him. His charisma and persuasiveness began to peek through early on when report cards and teacher conferences consisted of phrases like “natural born leader” and “makes friends easily.” I am grateful for how he has continued to develop those traits, but aware they come with responsibility. As he moves into the next season, my prayer is that he uses those gifts in ways that honor God and serve others well. That will continue to be my prayer as he works towards his goal of earning a degree and becoming a full-time asset to the family business. We would be equally proud of Bo if he chose a different path. But when you love what you do and your family has spent generations building a life around that love, you feel incredible gratitude when your child wants to carry the torch. You feel that maybe all the long nights, heartaches, head scratching, and tears were worth it. This past Christmas Bo asked for a wall hanging with the Paul Harvey speech, “So God Made a Farmer.” Like most of you, I have heard that speech countless times. I thought I had grown tired of it even. But the closing line hits different these days. “It had to be somebody…who would laugh, and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says that he wants to spend his life 'doing what dad (and mom) does.' So, God made a farmer.” With Gratitude,