Editors' Notebook

OMAHA (DTN) -- First, an apology. This is late.

The last week of every year the DTN newsroom runs a Top Ten Ag News Stories of 20XX series. I did manage to get those stories assigned, edited and published in a timely fashion this go-round.

But I also emailed my reader advisory group, asking for their opinions on the biggest news stories of the year. And they replied, because they are dependable like that. But my year-end got swamped with holidays, filling in for people who take days off around holidays, cramming in government reports ahead of holidays, trying to get year-end human resources work done for corporate around holidays, etc. etc. So I never quite got the readers' opinion piece written or published.

Until now.

Cory Ritter, of Blue Mound, Illinois, was the first to reply when I sought assistance all those weeks ago in early December. He sent me this list, including a qualifier: "1. Crop size; 2. Transportation issues; 3. Lack of RFS; 4. MIR162 and the issues with China; 5. The Soybean and Sorghum Demand!; 6. The minimum amount of 2013 carry-out and how it affected basis; 7. Feeder cattle futures; 8. PEDV. Not in that order..."

From New Era, Michigan, Phil Carter's list looked like this: "My answers (in no particular order) are: 1. Weather (as usual) -- we had a late spring start, cool and mildly wet all year (except apple harvest which gave us more mud in 2014 than in my 40 years as an apple grower) and then early snow which shut down corn and bean harvest for a couple weeks. 2. The lack of meaningful immigration reform, especially an ag guest worker program, ranks pretty high on my list as we need these people for hand harvesting asparagus, peaches, pears and, of course, apples. Obama's executive order has done nothing to solve our problems. 3. Most commodity prices below breakeven prices is another concern. I could go on and on but I won't plug up your email with other stuff."

Dave Tollefson of Starbuck, Minnesota, sent this note: "Top story would have to be the drop in crop prices. But who would have thought that the crude oil prices would drop also? Helps to mitigate the pain at the elevator. Also, boom times for hogs, cattle, dairy. Not so sure about ethanol now with the drop of crude prices."

Note: Dave sent me this on Dec. 2, well before we had seen the lowest crude prices later in the month. I actually paid $1.89 at the pump recently and did a happy dance.

Being based in the Midwest my entire life, it's easy for me to get hyper-focused on the nation's midsection. But Keith Landis of Sterling, Illinois, has a wider view than I and was the first reader to remind me of big stories in other parts of the country. "How about the California drought?" he wrote. Then he added, "GMO controversy, protests and ballot label issues, cattle prices, milk prices, and drop in corn price."

Doug Zillinger of Logan, Kansas, also had his West Coast brethren at the top of his mind. However, home is where the heart, hat and combine are and the rest of his list centered on his own state. "1. The drought in California; 2. Record corn crop in southern Kansas; 3. Water Vision in Kansas; 4. Record beef prices in the U.S."

Those high beef prices and what that went hand-in-hand with all through the livestock industry chain was No. 1 in Mark Nowak's mind in Wells, Minnesota. "Top story from my perspective is the dramatic shift of the livestock industry (and its) return to profitability and the opposite (in the) grain sector seeing diminishing returns (profitability). ... 2. Finally the passage of one of the most complex farm bills in a long time. 3. Despite all the talk of climate change, the 2014 weather was highly conducive to record corn and soybean production. 4. A November election that vehemently showed the voters believe this country is headed in the wrong direction under current leadership."

And last, but certainly not least, Bob Birdsell of Stanberry, Missouri, asked me the following question: "Will the mid-term elections make any difference?"

With Congress returning to Washington today, I guess we will start to find out. Onward with 2015!

If you'd like to join our reader consultant email group, send me a note at cheri.zagurski@dtn.com or call me at 1-800-369-7675.

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