Page 16 - Logan County Farm Outlook - Spring 2013

2013 LO
GAN COUNTY FARM OUTLOOK MAGAZINE. LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com March 21, 2013
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Harbarger said that while the 1990s
also proved to be challenging due to
low prices, in recent years, prices have
continued to rise.
“You kind of have to ask, ‘How high
can it go?’” said Harbarger.
Another area of farming that could
be affected by such a
dry season is related
to land. In recent
months, prices of
land have increased,
leading to significantly
higher salefiguresper
acre. For example,
in October of 2012,
land was being sold
in some areas of Illinois for nearly
$15,000. In contrast, the average price
before that was between $8,000 and
$9,000.
After the drought of 2012, it is not
hard to imagine that some farmers
may want to sell their land, especially
if it could be sold for such a high price.
Anew question arises then: What have
land sales indicated?
Harbarger says that from what he has
seen so far, the amount of land that
has been sold really hasn’t changed
that much from previous years. While
land prices have increased, it is not
necessarily connected to drought
conditions.
“Farmers still did OK this year because
their crop rates were locked in so high,”
said Harbarger.
Harbarger also says that from a
banker’s perspective, he personally
has not really experienced a decrease in
agricultural loans. The amount of loans
he has worked with in the last fewmonths
has not really changed.
“I always look for the chance to help some
new farmer get started,” says Harbarger.
Harbarger works with the USDA and
new farmers to purchase the land they
will need to get started on
their own farms. He does
not think new farmers
have been dissuaded by
the drought of last year.
Furthermore, the loans
given to farmers can still
be repaid with higher
crop prices and crop
insurance payoffs.
As to the drought itself, Harbarger, like
other farmers, says the weather works
in a cycle. While the next season may
come with dry conditions once again, the
farmers of Logan County will not let a dry
spell keep them down.
In the end, while years like 2012 do
rear up now and again, for people like
Harbarger, the job still remains, as he
put it, “hard work and a lot of fun.”
[Derek Hurley]