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Planting on faith

Farmers are planting a crop on faith that prices will eventually improve.

Southeast Minnesota corn and soybean grower Ben Storm says it would hurt to have to sell into the current market.

“But I’m optimistic. I think soybean demand nationwide is still growing and is really good. So hopefully that brings the corn price up a little bit.”

The Olmstead County farmer tells Brownfield a lot is riding on how quickly the U.S. can recover from the pandemic.

“Get these packing plants opened back up and keep all the livestock on feed, get the ethanol plants opened back up. Those two things are going to be a real killer to the corn market between ethanol and livestock demand. That’s probably the biggest factor hurting the corn market.”

Storm has his 2020 crop in the ground and says the rapid U.S. planting pace isn’t helping commodity prices either.