ORLINDA, Tenn. (WTVF) — Farmers are facing a perfect storm of unpredictable markets, climbing fuel prices, and forces far beyond their control, as many Americans feel the pinch of rising costs.
"My family’s been farming in this area since 1806," Willis Jepson said.
For the seventh-generation farmer, the land is where his family’s story lives on. The farm is now passing to the next in line as his son steps into the field to become the eighth generation.
"We’re trying to hold it together to give opportunity to the next generation to continue to grow food, fiber, and fuel for our nation," Jepson said.
On Thursday, they planted white corn that will one day land on tables across the country. But every seed goes into the ground with uncertainty.
"So many things on the farm are out of our control. We can’t control the weather. We can’t control the commodity markets or the prices that we get for our crops," Jepson said.
From sudden storms to shifting markets, farmers are forced to navigate a world where the stakes are high and control is limited. In recent years, the pressure has only intensified.
"For the past couple of years, especially, our cost of production has nearly doubled per acre on the crops that we grow," Jepson said.
With costs climbing and margins shrinking, survival has become the goal for many farmers rather than profit.
"We've already experienced a couple of really lean years with negative margins," Jepson said.
Even a war thousands of miles away can ripple straight into these fields.
"The plans that we made for our crop budgets go out the window when prices go up due to geopolitical events that are, again, out of our control," Jepson said.
Every pass across the field comes at a higher cost. The tractors burn about 10 gallons of fuel per hour. Jepson said diesel prices have surged roughly 80% since the war in Iran.
Still, he believes there are paths forward, starting at home.
"It's very important in the future, I feel, to be able to produce our own fuel and our own fertilizer for our American farmers so we don't have to rely on hostile nations to supply us with the inputs to grow what we need for our nation," Jepson said.
Jepson said it is time to make better use of what farmers grow in the United States.
"We need to use more of our commodities at home," Jepson said.
A shift could support farmers and ease costs for families far beyond the farm. While farmers cannot control the challenges they face, they remain committed to the work, hoping the next season brings stronger markets and a more stable future for the generations that follow.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting for fairness and accuracy across all platforms.
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you'll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
- Carrie Sharp
