11/10/05 Farming floundering

Gazing at the bounty at our supermarkets most Americans wouldn't think this year is different than any other. Yet it has been a tough year for farmers. The cost fuel has affected everything from fertilizers to transporting crops. By virtue of geography most of us have been exempt from the damage of the hurricane season yet farmers in the South, notably Florida, are struggling to overcome the loss of crops, equipment animals and structures. Crop losses will mean our holiday menus might need adjusting as it is forecasted that most of fresh green beans for the Thanksgiving table were lost because South Florida grows the majority of US green beans. Official estimates of crop losses in Florida alone are expected to top a billion dollars, and we are not just talking citrus. Winter vegetables, tomatoes, peppers and sugarcanes will cost more this winter. Funny, I have a hard time being gouged at the pumps knowing some I am padding the pocket of big oil conglomerate yet it doesn't bother me at all to pay a little extra for Florida produce because those farming families have taken hit that is harder than anything I will ever experience. Source: Palm Beach Post.com 10/27/05