By Rep. Paul Anderson
The first major holiday of the summer season is upon us with Memorial Day being celebrated May 26. It’s a time when we all should stop to remember the ultimate sacrifice made by those who answered the call to defend our country. What those men and women did, what they fought for, was to insure that the United States of America remains the greatest country in the world. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
It’s been nearly a week now since the legislative session adjourned. Leadership from both parties has made its way around the state, recounting how the session turned out. I will have more to say about the outcome in future columns as the focus this week is on Memorial Day, saluting our veterans and remembering those who have gone before us.
The weather seems to have finally straightened out. Cold temps throughout springtime have slowed down those crops that have been planted and excess moisture has kept farmers from making much planting progress at all in some areas. My guess is that corn acres not planted by the end of the month will probably be switched to soybeans. The northern tier of states has the biggest problem with delayed planting while the major corn belt areas have nearly wrapped up. This is shaping up to be a challenging year in agriculture as we face problems with rail transportation that are taking a bite out of the farmers’ bottom line, in addition to the probability of large crops coming in this fall that could substantially lower prices even further. The bright spot comes in the livestock sector, where dairy, hogs, beef, and poultry are all seeing reduced feed costs and strong retail prices.
Enjoy the holiday weekend and spend time with family and friends. And be safe in whatever you do. Thanks for the privilege of being your state representative.
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