a big year billion higher than the revised forecast for the preceding year. The FY 2022 forecast value increase is primarily driven by higher export values for soybeans, cotton, and horticultural products. “Commodity prices are up because of two things,” Campbell said. “Number one, it really boils down to weather, global weather. Brazil has had some tough times getting their corn crop to match production of years past. Between drought and some snow they caught – they’re fighting frost on corn right now – it’s been tough conditions for them.” Last summer, as Campbell was reflecting on the world scenario, he noted Ukraine had been struggling with weather, and China was having issues with droughts and floods. “Weather trumps all. If we have great weather, we’ll over produce and see prices down. If weather doesn’t cooperate in some areas, we’ll see better prices,” he said. And demand for protein is increasing worldwide. “You’re seeing those people want a better diet, a more diverse source of protein. People live longer, wealth is up, and they have more money in their pocket,” he said. Those are the positives, Campbell said. Of course, higher commodity prices, as ag industry insiders are aware, lead to higher input costs. That’s a balancing act for farmers, too. “As farmers we always operate under the fear of the ‘what-if.’ What if interest rates change? What if we have overproduction weather? Cooperative weather on a global basis and we have all of the sudden taught the rest of the world how to grow corn? What if China has a great year, and Brazil has a record year, and Ukraine pumps it out and we have a plethora?” It’s important to not be short-sighted. “You have to go into it with that philosophy. Sometimes it gets to be hard on the ego. You think ‘I did everything right, and the cards just didn’t play out.’ You have to step back from it and take a long-term view. That’s the other piece. It’s a cyclical long-term horizon,” he said. For Campbell, farming is the way of life. “I enjoy the challenges and the variety of the different tasks. I like the change of seasons,” he said. “We enjoy our piece in making the protein puzzle work. A lot of what we do goes to feed people elsewhere, and that’s an important part of our work.” n For derecho-hit forest landowners, sunlight follows the storm <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> photo / Brooke Taylor Jim Piper lost a few beautiful trees on his property in northwest Clinton County to the derecho, but, like many people with timber, he used it as an opportunity to effectively manage timber and re-plant desirable species that will thrive in the newly-cleared canopy. Many farmers have stands of trees on their property. The silver lining to damage from the August 2020 storm is an opportunity to manage timber and re-plant desirable species. BY Sara Millhouse eastern iowa farmer On Aug. 10, 2020, Rick Springsteen “watched 28 years of work blown away.” His 87 acres of forest were among the approximately 724,000 acres of <strong>Iowa</strong> forest damaged in the derecho. Statewide, <strong>Iowa</strong> lost about a quarter of its forest acreage, a hard blow for timber landowners. However, even as clean-up continues, foresters see the silver lining in all these downed trees. To regenerate, forests rely on natural disturbances, such as flooding, fire – and storms. In other words: the derecho was a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to effectively manage timber and re-plant desirable species that will thrive in the newly-cleared canopy, experts said. 74 <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> | <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2021</strong> eifarmer.com <strong>Eastern</strong><strong>Iowa</strong><strong>Farmer</strong>_<strong>Fall</strong><strong>2021</strong>.indd 74 9/15/21 10:25 am
<strong>Eastern</strong><strong>Iowa</strong><strong>Farmer</strong>_<strong>Fall</strong><strong>2021</strong>.indd 75 9/15/21 10:25 am