Farmers Face Steep Losses

A News Response Poem

Mar 15, 2025

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We’re just in such a state of shock. 
     We just don’t really even know how to respond. 
             We thought that this was sacred 
                and really untouchable.
A little bit of an adjustment period.
          a “detox period.” 
 My fear is that once you lose those markets  
           it’s very hard to get them back.
                    I've been at this for 45 years. 
      Consumers are going to see these impacts  
I’ve got 31 farmers who are pissed off.
        We are rounding the corner 
             into the planting season.
                   We are supposed to be ramping up
                        but we are not. 
We are unable to ramp up.
        This is the economy of rural America. 
                 These farmers pay their property taxes, 
                             they’re business owners.
These are the drivers 
              that keep rural communities alive. 	
                     So it feels like a divestment 
                            in rural communities.
It has really sent a chill 
             among a lot of farmers.
We’re used to the ups and downs in the markets. 
            In order to get a fair price, 
                 you need a good, steady market.
I’ve got real debt. I’ve got real expenses. 
          You would never expect 
                    That they’re not going to fulfill 
                          their end of the deal. 
 It makes me worry in a broader sense 
             about where we’re heading. 
So much of what we do with each other 
                  is based on that basic trust.
To have that be shattered is very, very worrisome.
           It’s planting season
                 and there’s a cloud of uncertainty.

Author’s Note: As an Iowan living in a rural community, I read this NBC article called “Farmers Face Steep Losses in the Middle of Trump’s Trade War and Funding Cuts” with interest. The quotes from farmers, government officials and association leaders jumped out at me. So I extracted the quotes and arranged them into this poem.

What are your thoughts on using news as poetry?

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