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Minnesota farmer doesn’t feel great about 2018 prospects

A southeast Minnesota corn and soybean grower says he’s less optimistic about farming than he was a year ago.

Michael Petefish of Claremont tells Brownfield margins keep getting tighter.

“The markets are just a little bit lower, costs have held relatively flat (or) maybe even slightly higher in areas like interest rates and fuel.  Now you’re throwing on some extra uncertainty in terms of trade and the RFS.  It just makes a guy stress out a little bit more.”

The current president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Petefish says he is hopeful better days are ahead.

“I’m actually more optimistic for 2019 than 2018 because I think there are some marketing opportunities now, and hopefully throughout ’18 prices and costs will adjust.  So for me, this is kind of the bottom.  2017 seemed okay, and 2019 looks good, but I think 2018 will be a little tough.”

Brownfield spoke to Petefish at last month’s Commodity Classic in Anaheim.