Quote of the Month:

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawnmower is broken.” — James Dent

Food Preferences Are Changing.

How Will It Affect Farmers?

The American grocery aisle looks different from what it did ten years ago. Refrigerated case space has grown, and the center store has gotten much smaller.

Labels carry more claims about how the food was raised, where it came from, and what’s not in it. The number of small brands keeps growing, and shoppers are asking sharper questions about exactly what they’re buying. That shift starts at the farm.

What they’re buying, what they’re avoiding, what they’re paying extra for, and what farmers are starting to think about doing differently in response.

Reminder:

Send in your 2025 taxes and year-end financial statements

for all individuals and businesses who signed on the loan.

Pay Down Farm Debt, Invest or Save:

What’s the Best Way to Use Extra Income?

The more you plan ahead for those times when you have extra income from improved commodity prices, the more confident you feel when making decisions about how to best use the money.

Having extra income for your farm or ranch is a blessing given the fluctuations in commodity prices. When the day comes, though, you feel uncertain about how to best use the cash. Should you pay off debt, invest the money, or put it in savings?

In the bigger picture, all three options offer valuable benefits to your operations. Yet, on a smaller scale, each option also has risks and disadvantages. This is why making the decision is so challenging for farm and ranch operators like you.

A Fun Tidbit of Information

Key Lime Cream Pie

Ingredients

11.3 ounce package of Keebler Pecan Sandies Cookies
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup of freshly squeezed key lime juice (approximately 15 key limes)
3 teaspoons lime zest (optional)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Optional Toppings:

¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut
thin slices of lime (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Add 11.3 ounce package of Keebler Pecan Sandies Cookies to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. (Alternatively, you could add the cookies to a large Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.)
Add 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted to the food processor and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed with the crumbs. It should look like wet sand.
Add the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate and press the crumbs evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the plate. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup to help press.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes then remove and allow it to cool completely.
Add 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature to a mixing bowl and beat using a hand or stand mixer, until smooth and creamy.
Add 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup of freshly squeezed key lime juice and 3 teaspoons lime zest and beat until smooth and blended. Set aside while you make the whipped cream.
Add 2 cups heavy whipping cream to a large mixing bowl and whip on high until it begins to thicken.
Add ¼ cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon coconut extract and whip on high until stiff peaks form.
Grab a measuring cup and remove one cup of the whipped cream and add it to the bowl of pie filling. Use a spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the filling until it is just mixed. You don’t want to be too aggressive when mixing the two as you want the air to remain in the whipped cream.
Pour the pie filling into the shell. Add the remaining whipped cream to the top of the pie and distribute evenly.
Chill for at least four hours.
Prior to serving, prepare the coconut. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and add ¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut to a baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
Bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool. Sprinkle over the top of the pie.
If desired, you can decorate the top of the pie with extra whipped cream and thin slices of lime.