For several reasons, the cost of raising crops is much higher than it was last season. If South Dakota farmer David Poppens would fertilize his crop at the full rate, “we’d be almost $100 an acre higher just on the fertilizer costs.” Poppens and his farming partners constantly run cash flow analysis and incorporate higher input costs into that equation, but even pricing next fall’s corn at $5.00 a bushel, the Lennox, South Dakota farm family continually addresses challenges to profitability.

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