Midwest farmers are struggling with higher fertilizer prices

[Sherman A1]

Making money farming is always a risky proposition, but a giant spike in fertilizer prices this year will make it even more difficult.

The cost of phosphate and nitrogen-based fertilizers, the kinds that are applied to corn, soybean and hay fields, are seeing jumps of 80% to 200%.

Manufacturers are blaming a variety of factors for the jump. Raw material prices are up, and natural gas, also used to make fertilizer, is more expensive. Hurricane Ida shut down production in the U.S. last year, while power outages in China cut back manufacturing capacity there.

“Prices are all higher, it’s just crazy,” said Bill Taylor, who farms 2,500 acres of corn and soybeans in central Missouri near Sedalia. “Guys like me are talking about reducing the amount we apply, or maybe delaying to see if prices come down. It’s going to mean lower profits, or not even being able to break even.”

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/economy-business/2022-02-11/midwest-farmers-are-struggling-with-higher-fertilizer-prices

[MontanaFarmer]

1. It's high here, too. Were we interested as an industry,

this would be the perfect opportunity to begin to break the cycle of completely giving our farms and industry over to corporate monopolies. We've all bought in to "cheap food," which is making us fat, sick, and leading to farms being consolidated. Yet, look at the quote from the farmer in the article, basically saying he can't farm without chemical fertilizer. I hear the same refrain in my area, whether it's glyphosate or fertilizer, other chemicals, whatever. Can't farm without em. Synthetic inputs and cheap food policy, which both parties have perpetuated since the 80s, is killing agriculture, consumers and the planet.

[Phoenix61]

2. Funny how folks managed to farm without all

that crap. Back in the day, you’d harvest the corn then let the cattle in to eat the stalks. They would turn it into fertilizer and dump it right there. Now they need the fertilizer because they’ve killed the soil with all the pesticides. It’s a vicious cycle. I hope you’re right and this is the start of it being broken.
To add, chemical based farming is also why nothing has any flavor anymore.

[MontanaFarmer]

4. I wish it was the start

but i don't think the farmer has the will nor do we currently have the policy tools to break the cycle. And you really hit the nail on the head with your comment about livestock. When we all specialized, and livestock left the farm, was when small towns really began to wither and when the consolidation really accelerated. We would be much better off, climate-wise, to have diversified agriculture with integrated livestock and crops than all this "efficiency."

[Chainfire]

3. Have a heart, Monsanto has to eat too...

[Farmer-Rick]

5. Those petroleum based fertilizers are destroying our rivers and oceans

They seep from the farm lands into the waterways.

Some of our GMO seeds are so delicate they need tons of nitrogen, excessive water and pesticides to grow. But there are other ways to get nitrogen into your soil. There are other plants or seeds that don't need constant watering. And some of the beneficial insects can control problem insects quite well. I've got chickens who are allowed to peck through the fields 4 months before planting. The eat the insect grubs and leave fertilizer.

Then I have live stock manure I carefully cultivate to fertilize the fields too. People think you can just put the manure on your field but that will burn and infect your plants. So, you have to let it dry out, preferably away from too much rain because the rain will leach out alot of nitrogen. But too much nitrogen will burn your plants. It's a careful balancing act.

When the farm was in full swing, I felt more like I was a fertilizer farmer than anything else.

I could never afford to buy fertilizer. Then when I had more money, I just felt I should use the fertilizer that was all around me.

It's just one less thing I have to buy for the farm. I guess old time farms did this. Raised livestock to fertilize the fields. Raised corn and managed grass fields to feed the livestock.

But you can't necessarily do it the old fashioned way. Older farmers use to till. I hardly till my fields unless I'm estbliing a new one. Older farmers use to just let the cattle out in to what ever land they had. I constantly rotate my pastures so that the animals don't overgraze. Just dividing your field in half can make a big difference in the quality of your pasture.

So it's a combination of old and new techniques. I don't know why corporations can't do it this way too? Why do they have to abuse animals and land to farm? But some farmers are coming around because consumers have show they are willing to pay more for better quality food.