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| Ethanol production is not controversial, people’s attitudes are |
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Dear Editor,
First of all, I want to say I appreciate getting the paper Farm World, even though it is usually a few days too late for me to take advantage of most auctions. Of course, I could pay for second-day air and burn more fossil fuel for my convenience.
All said and done, I wanted to comment on the letter submitted by a fellow American taking to task Mr. Truitt. (The Truitt Energy Plan, or ‘How to still live in the 1950s’; published Aug. 13.)
Mr. Cooper, you are the one who needs to wake up.
The production of ethanol is a process using renewable resources. The trees (renewable) were switched for another crop (renewable nature) because the property sold to another whose best use was different than your wishes. You are grinding a personal axe. Some things are beyond our control.
Production of ethanol is not controversial, people’s attitudes are. Ethanol works, and it will help America become energy independent. Isn’t independence from fossil fuels your desire?
The farmers return on the dollar used to be single digit, and only lately has climbed close to the 20 percent area. I am sure Mr. Truitt goes grocery shopping just like you and I and has seen a significant increase in the cost of goods.
The cost of the items has been impacted by; higher oil prices, the value of the American dollar and other minimal factors that include the amount of land utilized for field corn. But as a cash crop, the returns on field corn are a lot less than the returns of a vegetable crop. So why would a farmer who already produces a cash crop that makes more money than field corn switch to corn?
In animal feeds, yes, the costs have gone up. Animal producers have enjoyed profitable years – maybe not lately – and one might suggest at the expense of the crop producers. Farm prices are cyclical in nature.
As for Alaska, your insight is immature and lacking. I am not sure of the exact mile marker or longitude, but not too far outside of Fairbanks, the land becomes desolate and void of vegetation even ankle high.
Your woods are not our woods. They are two different worlds. The woods my family owns in Indiana has trees and forest, not lichen and tundra. Lastly, Mr. Cooper’s obvious Democratic leaning reflects the “liberal, zoning” attitude of some of the new Democrats, but not all.
Some Democrats are dinosaurs of today. My guess is that Mr. Cooper needs to try to make a living at farming instead of picking on those who are or support us.
Respectfully,
Robert Shumaker
Palmer, Alaska |
| 9/24/2008 |
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