By Clint Abernathy – PCCA Board Member, District 1 – Altus, Oklahoma
As I write this column, this crop year is proving to be one of the driest I have ever seen. It makes you wonder how, and probably even why, farmers keep going when the odds are seemingly against us. That’s not a new thought, and I know I’m not the only one who has, at times, questioned the line of work I chose. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, we’ve received the rain we so desperately need. This battle with the weather, the market, input prices, and just about everything else isn’t new by any means. We’ve done this before, and we’ll do it again.
I am a fourth-generation farmer and a second-generation PCCA Board Member. We farm cotton and wheat, and we also have a cow/calf operation near Altus, Oklahoma. My two sons farm with me full-time, and I am blessed to have nine grandkids, ages five to 20. I was also fortunate enough to farm with my father for many years, and he taught me everything I know. We are higher-input farmers, especially on our irrigated land. Efficiency is always at the top of our priority list, but we are usually inclined to give our crops what they need to maximize production. This year, due to weather and other factors, we are having to think harder and be much more careful about our up-front spending. I think I can safely say for all cotton farmers right now, if we don’t have to spend it, we’re not. Normally, in my operation, we manage our risk by buying volume (fertilizer, chemical, etc.), but right now, if it’s not needed, I don’t want to carry the cost.
In a world of so much uncertainty and change, I look for ways to create consistency. It can be elusive at times, but there are actions we can take to navigate the ever-changing. When you do have a good year, you’d better plan for a bad year. I’ve learned to always plan ahead financially and keep our operation in a position where, even in hard years, we can make it without major cuts. Those cuts can impact your future operation, and that’s the last thing I want.
The number one way we mitigate risk is by being in the PCCA Pool. I have always been in the pool – to me, that decreases the risk of hitting market lows. We may not always hit the highs either, and that’s what brings consistency. Through PCCA, we can hire experts who work every day on marketing our cotton, and we can share the cost of that with many other farmers. To me, that’s a no-brainer. Some people enjoy marketing, but I am not one of them. I would rather worry about production because that’s what I love. I would rather let PCCA handle marketing my cotton because they can better manage those risks than I can.
Personally, I never let myself think that our situation won’t improve. Some say, “It’s just not going to rain anymore,” or “We are turning into a desert,” and while I understand the sentiment, it has always rained again eventually. I remember from 2011 to 2014 we thought it would never rain again, and then, in 2015, the floodgates opened. We do have to adjust how we farm, be conservative with our water even in wet years, and take care of our resources. Not to mention, let your family keep you grounded. When we think about our kids and grandkids, that keeps our hopes up. Everybody has struggles. Every business has its ups and downs, but the people who learn to deal with them are the ones who succeed.
PCCA also provides stability during uncertain years. We live and die together on this thing. PCCA needs volume to work, but when it doesn’t, we hang in there and don’t lose sight of what we are trying to do: help our farmers. In fact, we were just talking about this at the board meeting – PCCA does so many things for farmers in ways that they may not realize. PCCA has a lot of political clout, which is good because, like it or not, we need these government partners to survive. It’s pertinent that we keep those relationships as strong as possible.
It goes back to marketing, too. When farmers have bad years, an organization like PCCA does too, but stable organizations help keep farmers going. At every board meeting, we are working to make this place better, more efficient, and better serve our farmers and gins. The services PCCA provides to gins are invaluable. If gins did not have those services, they would be scrambling to figure out where to get them. That is not something you can buy at Walmart, especially during tough times.
You know, when I started farming in the early 80s, it didn’t look good for quite a while. I could have walked away back then – taken my college degree and gotten a good job. There would have been nothing wrong with that, but looking back, I would have missed out on a great opportunity, not just for me, but for my kids and grandkids. I am so glad I stayed with it. A farmer can create opportunities for his family within his rural community. I’m so fortunate to have all my kids and grandkids right down the road, and that my wife and I are able to see them all the time. The blessings I have today all go back to that decision I made in the 80s to not give up.
We’ve seen a lot of hard times, and that gives me confidence that we can do what we need to do now. There will always be challenges, whether they are political, weather-related, machinery costs, or anything else – but, we have worked through them before, so we will work through them again.
Confidence comes from experience. Once you’ve been through hard times, let those lessons give you confidence that you know what you need to do today. It’s a good life. Even when things are bad and frustrating, it’s worth it.
