The rains of late have creating very humid days including today which felt like a sauna. It just occurred to me this morning when noticing how healthy and vigorous the corn and bean crops are looking to where we’re likely going to have bumper crops this Fall. We all know what that’s going to do to the price per bushel of corn and beans. I’m not so sure how long the smaller farmers are going to be able endure these low prices when most of their expenses are fixed. If this trend continues, we’ll be seeing the price per acre of farmland dropping. Yes, there are always those corporate entities who pay over market prices for land simply to have either write-offs or tax shelters. I’ve harped on this two crop mentality for years to where I might as well save my breath to cool the soup. Many farmers insist there’s no market for other crops, but as we all know, if the market isn’t readily available, then we create it. I’m still waiting to see fields of Switchgrass in our area which can deliver five times more energy that it takes to grow it. There are all these government set-aside acres that could also be brought into production since Switchgrass is a perennial and native to the Midwest. The downside is that it takes more than a year for it to become productive which means the farmer or rancher would be without a cash crop for a year or two, but after that, it should be smooth sailing for years to come. Wouldn’t it be great to see thousands of acres of prairie grass waving in the breezes of summer? With all the craziness going on in our world, I think it best for us to become as self-sufficient as possible instead of being afraid of how the next phase of global geopolitics will be affecting our economy. I think it best to always prepare for the worst yet hope for the best.
I had a very long yet good conversation with a dear friend who’s been battling some health issues these past months. What she told me was quite frightening as well as informative. It all started when she was having some chronic abdominal pains, so she thought it best to get herself checked out. She had all the tests done and it was decided she had a case of diverticulitis. They gave her an antibiotic to take to help clear it up and sent her home. After three visits to the hospital, it was discovered all the good bacteria in her bowels had been destroyed and left with some very bad bacteria creating a life-threatening situation for her. She finally got herself to a specialist and hopefully is back on the mend for good. The one thing that upset her so much is that she wasn’t warned of the possibilities of her condition worsening from all the antibiotics she was taking. She’s now becoming quite the advocate of taking probiotic tablets, eating yogurt, along with anything else that will keep the good bacteria growing in her digestive tract. She also went on to say how everyone should be all the more diligent in washing their hands often—especially after being in public places where we touch door handles, shopping carts, and everything else that others come into contact with in public settings. She even said, “After what I know now, I’d rather hug someone rather than shake their hands.” I didn’t hesitate to mention how more evolved the viruses and bacterias have become with the over-use of antibiotics. I read in an article not long ago that we humans must learn to let our body’s immune system try its hand at getting rid of an infection before reaching for the pill box. Just remember, over 100 years ago the human body’s immune system was far stronger than it is today. Medicine is only meant to help our bodies to cure something our immune systems no longer have the strength to do in its own. Take a moment some time and investigate the benefits of probiotics.
