A Winner’s Viewpoint

The annual Grower Achievement Award recognizes superior growers in the U.S. This year’s winner, Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, GA, is no exception. One of the farm’s owners, Bill Brim, has worked hard over the years, paying close attention to all details on the farm, including financial ones. In light of the economic situation facing the country, which involved a $700 billion bailout package, American Vegetable Grower asked Brim what he thought of the recent decision to bail out the lending giants and how that decision may impact the agricultural industry.

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What is your opinion on the decision to bailout the mortgage lending giants?

Brim: Personally, I think everyone has to be responsible for his own success — or lack of success. As far as the economy is concerned, we all need to stand up and realize that we must be responsible for our own finances.

In the short-term, I think the bailout is a good idea. I don’t want to see the housing market tighten up anymore.When I go to get financing for my business, though, I have to put 50% down for my collateral. I know that there is no one who is going to bail me out. I don’t understand how you can give someone a loan knowing that the person can’t repay it. ‘If you can’t pay for it, you don’t need it,’ that’s what my granddaddy always told me.

In spite of that, we have to leave it to our lawmakers to make the right decision. I hope with the election we get someone in the White House who will turn this around. We have to have someone who is pro business.

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In general, how will a financial crisis of this magnitude impact agriculture down the line?

Brim: This financial crisis will impact agriculture tremendously. We are hearing all kinds of things includ-ing that growers can’t make payrolls, and lines of credit are being cut off because banks don’t have the money.

All of us need to be in the right financial situation in order to run our farms. Overall, I think we need to just hang on. It’s a given that people need to eat, and hopefully they will eat fresh fruits and vegetables. We need to get some stability into the banking industry so we can borrow money to farm.

You have got to be able to depend on your financing, and right now it is very scary. We are looking at all our costs. Hopefully we put our money into the right crops and we will make some money instead of losing it.

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