WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:14.748 >> HERE'S WHAT'S MAKING NEWS AROUND INDIANA. THE SCHOOL SEES A FUTURE OF AG FOR STUDENTS THAT GOES BEYOND 2 00:00:14.748 --> 00:00:18.885 BLANKET SEAT AND HARVESTING CROPS. THE UNIVERSITY OPENED NEW AGRICULTURAL CENTER DESIGNED TO 3 00:00:18.885 --> 00:00:26.860 HELP PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD OF FOOD PRODUCTION. AND HOLIDAY WORLD AND SLASHIN' 4 00:00:26.860 --> 00:00:32.565 SAFARI TAKING A STEP TOWARD BECOMING THE WATER COASTER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. THE THEME PARK UNVEILED PLANS 5 00:00:32.565 --> 00:00:39.939 FOR THIRD WATER COASTER. THE $7 MILLION CHEETAH CHASE. THE RIDE WILL BE THE FIRST FULL CIRCUIT LAUNCHED RACING WATER 6 00:00:39.939 --> 00:00:53.253 COASTER IN THE WORLD. AND SLATED TO OPEN NEXT SUMMER. SOME ENCOURAGING NEWS ON THE AG ECONOMY THIS WEEK...FARMER 7 00:00:53.253 --> 00:00:55.688 SENTIMENT IMPROVED AGAIN IN JULY, ACCORDING TO THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY AG ECONOMY BAROMETER, WHICH JUMPED TO 153, AN INCREASE 8 00:00:55.688 --> 00:01:02.028 OF 27 POINTS COMPARED TO JUNE. STILL, THERE IS NO GETTING AROUND THE FACT THAT THIS WILL BE A TOUGH YEAR FOR HOOSIER 9 00:01:02.028 --> 00:01:07.367 AGRICULTURE. ON A VISIT TO THE INDIANA STATE FAIRGROUNDS THIS WEEK, I SAT DOWN WITH BOONE COUNTY FARMER 10 00:01:07.367 --> 00:01:15.575 DON LAMB FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE FROM THE FARM. >> Gerry: DON, GIVE US A THUMBNAIL DESCRIPTION OF LAMB 11 00:01:15.575 --> 00:01:21.614 FARMS, SECOND GENERATION FARMER. >> RIGHT. SECOND GENERATION FARMER, I'M PROUD OF MY DAD, HE GREW UP NOT 12 00:01:21.614 --> 00:01:27.887 FAR FROM RIGHT HERE, AND WAS A CITY BOY, WENT TO BUTLER, GOT A BUSINESS DEGREE, WHICH I ALWAYS THINK THAT REALLY HELPED OUR 13 00:01:27.887 --> 00:01:34.727 FARM IN GETTING STARTED. SO, I FARM WITH MY DAD, MY BROTHER AND OUR FAMILIES. AND WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT 14 00:01:34.727 --> 00:01:42.802 EMPLOYEES AND WE RAISE A LOT OF CORN, SOYBEANS AND WHEAT HERE IN CENTRAL INDIANA, BOONE COUNTY. >> Gerry: HOW MUCH GROUND DO YOU 15 00:01:42.802 --> 00:01:50.009 FARM? >> ABOUT 10,000 ACRES. >> Gerry: SIZEABLE OPERATION. TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR, 2019, 16 00:01:50.009 --> 00:01:56.082 TOUGH YEAR FOR THE FARM INDUSTRY. HOW ARE YOU GETTING ALONG, AND HOW ARE YOU KIND OF COPING WITH 17 00:01:56.082 --> 00:02:03.957 THIS SITUATION, IF YOU WILL? >> THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF STRESS THIS YEAR. IN MY DAD'S 56 YEARS, HE NEVER 18 00:02:03.957 --> 00:02:09.596 HAD A YEAR LIKE THAT. WE SAY THINGS LIKE THAT A LOT. IT IS REALLY UNUSUAL TO HAVE A YEAR WHERE WE REALLY HAVE GROUND 19 00:02:09.596 --> 00:02:15.301 THAT DID NOT GET PLANTED, 120 ACRES ON OUR FARM DIDN'T GET PLANTED. FIRST TIME EVER. 20 00:02:15.301 --> 00:02:21.341 BOONE COUNTY MAY HAVE 20 OR 30,000 ACRES NOT PLANTED. THAT'S INCREDIBLE. IT IS ONE THING TO SAY YEAH 21 00:02:21.341 --> 00:02:28.548 WE'RE HAVING A TOUGH YEAR, BUT THIS ONE IS PRETTY EXTREME. SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF STRESS, WE KIND OF HAVE A THEME THAT 22 00:02:28.548 --> 00:02:33.686 SAYS IT'S 2019. AND SO NOW IT'S DRY, AND SO NOW WE'RE FIGHTING THE DRY SIDE OF IT. 23 00:02:33.686 --> 00:02:40.293 MOST OF US ARE KIND OF SAYING, WELL, IT'S 2019, WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT GOD GIVES US IN THE END. 24 00:02:40.293 --> 00:02:45.632 >> Gerry: THIS DIFFICULT 2019 REALLY AFFECTS THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY, SUPPLIERS, THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM, IF YOU WILL. 25 00:02:45.632 --> 00:02:55.174 >> YEAH, I HAD A FUEL SALESMAN SHOW UP AT THE FARM IN LATE MAY SAYING WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT GET GOING, IT KIND OF HIT 26 00:02:55.174 --> 00:03:01.414 ME, THEIR TANKS WERE FULL, PIPELINES WERE FULL, AND YOU THINK, WOW, THIS IS REALLY AFFECTING THE WHOLE INDUSTRY, 27 00:03:01.414 --> 00:03:09.155 AND A LOT OF TIMES WE AS FARMERS DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT SO MUCH. WE NEED A HEALTHY INDUSTRY, INPUT, MARKETS TO BE HEALTHY, 28 00:03:09.155 --> 00:03:13.359 AND A YEAR LIKE THIS, IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY. IT'S NOT JUST THE FARMERS THAT TAKE THE BRUNT. 29 00:03:13.359 --> 00:03:20.900 GERRY: FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN FARMER, OR FAMILIAR WITH FARMING, WHAT KIND OF FARMER, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MITIGATE THE 30 00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:25.772 LOSSES, OR DEAL WITH A DOWN YEAR LIKE THIS? >> THERE IS CROP INSURANCE. YOU MAKE THAT DECISION WAY 31 00:03:25.772 --> 00:03:30.944 BEFORE YOU LANT THE CROP. YOU CAN'T COME IN AFTER THE FACT AND SAY I NEED CROP INSURANCE. SO YOU MAKE THAT DECISION BACK 32 00:03:30.944 --> 00:03:36.683 IN THE WINTERTIME. HOPEFULLY GUYS MADE THAT DECISION, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND WE TALK ABOUT THE 33 00:03:36.683 --> 00:03:42.221 FIRM BILL, THAT IS A SUBSIDIZED PROGRAM, IMPORTANT TO US, AND NECESSARY. THAT'S THE BIG THING. 34 00:03:42.221 --> 00:03:48.661 AND THEN OTHER THAN THAT, YOU JUST TRY TO BE TIMELY, YOU DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO DO EVERYTHING ON TIME, WEATHER 35 00:03:48.661 --> 00:03:55.101 DICTATES SO MUCH OF THAT, THAT IT ADDS TO THE STRESS. THAT AT SOME POINT YOU JUST CAN DO WHAT YOU CAN DO. 36 00:03:55.101 --> 00:04:00.039 >> Gerry: FINAL QUESTION FOR YOU. ASIDE FROM THE TOUGH YEAR THIS YEAR, HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THE 37 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:04.644 HEALTH OF THE FARM ECONOMY, AND IN PARTICULAR, IN INDIANA. HOW ARE THINGS? >> YEAH. 38 00:04:04.644 --> 00:04:09.949 IT'S -- IT IS TOUGH. THE MARKETS ARE REALLY TOUGH, WITH THE TARIFFS AND ALL THE THINGS GOING ON WITH TRADE. 39 00:04:09.949 --> 00:04:15.788 WE WOULD LOVE TO GET THE USMCA PASSED. LOTS OF THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE ALREADY A PROBLEM TO US, AND 40 00:04:15.788 --> 00:04:21.361 THEN YOU THROW THIS WEATHER THING ON THIS YEAR, IT'S REALLY TOUGH. I WOULD SAY AS FARMERS WE DON'T 41 00:04:21.361 --> 00:04:27.100 LIKE TO SAY THAT TOO MUCH. SOMETIMES WE ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, THIS YEAR, WE HAVE SOMETHING TO 42 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:37.310 COMPLAIN ABOUT, BUT WE ALSO ARE PROUD THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO ON, GET THROUGH IT, AND 2020 WILL BE ANOTHER YEAR, AND WE'LL TRY IT 43 00:04:37.310 --> 00:04:38.311 AGAIN.