Is it time to retire? Can I afford to retire? Would I enjoy retirement? Or should I admit that I am stuck in my ways and they will someday pry my cold dead fingers from the steering wheel of a tractor or find me lifeless in a hayloft?

I sure started this column on a pleasant note. For many, life during a pandemic has not been pleasant. I certainly do not understand it all, and many things since the pandemic started make little sense. For instance, all the anecdotes about a serious labor shortage. Last spring the pandemic created the quickest and biggest spike in unemployment ever. Today, almost every business has a “Help Wanted” sign.

There are so many bizarre stories I do not know what is true. A hay customer with a landscape business told me today how short he is on help, yet he is still paying two employees on unemployment even though he has begged them to come back to work. He conveyed his frustration of trying to get help via the phone from the unemployment office.

Earlier this year the American Psychological Association reported that 42% of adults had an unwanted weight gain since the covid chaos started. The average weight gain was 29 pounds. It is also reported alcohol consumption is up 15%.

If many Americans are indeed gaining weight, I guess that means farmers and the rest of the food industry are still doing their jobs, perhaps too well. There have been times when farm groups have advocated for farmers to cut production to help buoy prices. Would higher prices indeed curtail purchasing and weight gain?

Recent events prove that I am capable of slowing down the workload and easing into a retired lifestyle. For the second time in a month, I purposely did not cut hay during a dry spell so I could have some time off. What does it mean when a hay farmer starts using his social calendar and not the weather forecast to dictate when to cut hay. Is this a harbinger for retirement?

By the time this paper reaches your mailbox, the combines will be running full speed in many fields. The summer of 2021 will go on record as being warmer than normal, and that has accelerated growth of many crops that were planted in a very timely manner. Farmers, myself included, will be working hard to finish the harvest in a timely manner. I have not heard of any farmers seeking unemployment in lieu of working. The buffet will stay well stocked!

Now that I think about it, I cannot entertain the thought of retirement. This spring when baler twine was on sale I bought a 3-year supply. I will have to continue farming and help to support our abundant food supply. Now that I put it that way, perhaps farmers should be blamed for the public’s weight gain, not covid.

I wonder who is going to get the blame when/if inflation arrives.

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