For farmers in West Tennessee, this year's harvest is coming with two problems that are hard to control: expensive diesel and too little rain.
A third-generation farmer's view
WBBJ-TV spoke with William Barken, a third-generation farmer in Haywood County who grows soybeans and wheat. "Grew up in the country all my life, so farming is something I've always wanted to do. Some years are tougher than others," he said.
This year, he told the station, has been one of the tougher ones. "Diesel prices pretty much doubled from last season to this season," Barken said.
Why diesel matters so much
Combines, tractors and other heavy farm equipment all run on diesel, so every pass across a field adds to the farm's costs. Barken also hauls soybeans, which means higher fuel costs ripple outward. "If you haul, you have to pass on the increase to other people, so yeah, it makes it tough on both ends," he said. According to AAA, diesel prices are still hovering near $6 a gallon.
The dry season
Fuel is not the only squeeze. Barken said rain stopped in his area around June, and the area got a little more in August. A dry summer can reduce yields and add stress to a crop that was already costly to grow.
Even with that uncertainty, Barken said the connection to the land keeps him going. As harvest season wraps up, WBBJ reported, farmers are watching both the weather and the cost of keeping their operations running.
Sources: WBBJ-TV, AAA