By Clay LePard
clepard@cbs4qc.com
Local farmers packed the QCCA Expo Center Tuesday for the big farm and equipment show.
While they were trying out all the new toys, farmers couldn't completely rest easy about their future.
They say it's good news that lawmakers recently passed a nine month extension of the farm bill, but usually farmers can count on a five year deal; so planning can be tough.
"We have no idea how to plan out what we're doing," says Paul Vandermyde of Morrison, Illinois.
Most of the farm bill deals with nutritional programs and food stamps. But it's the crop insurance that gives farmers some wiggle room.
"Combines are incredibly expensive, Vandermyde adds. "You look over here, they're half a million dollars. Do we go buy a half million dollar machine or do we buy a used one? Without knowing how we're going to be planning in the long run, do we spend the big money?"
But as far as this year goes, farmers say the uncertainty won't have a huge impact.
"I don't see it really affecting me this year," says Scott Crowl of Milan. "The long term, it might have some downside to it."
"My plans are already made what I'm going to plant," says Dennis VanDaele, Rock Island County Farm Bureau. "There might be some decision on crop insurance that'll be a little difficult one way or another depending on what they come up with."
On the other end of the industry, suppliers say selling farm equipment is still business as usual.
"The truth of the matter is I don't think anybody knows yet," says Russ Morman of Ag Leader Technology. "I've not had growers come up and talk to me about 'I need to do this or not do this due to the change in the farm plan.'"
All in all, farmers hope a new long term bill can help bring everything back to normal.
"It'll give everybody a direction and even to the whole country of non-farmers," Crowl adds. "What they can expect as well from us."
Earlier Tuesday, Senate majority leader Harry Reid said a new, long term farm bill would be at the top of the priority list.
