Byron Dorgan: “The problem in North Dakota has been that family farmers lost 98 percent of their income last year as compared to 1996.…”

“The problem in North Dakota has been that family farmers lost 98 percent of their income last year as compared to 1996. They planted a crop and they discovered that the crop was devastated by disease. The worst crop disease in this century has hit our part of the country. It has also touched Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota, and some other areas, but none quite as devastating as in North Dakota. So a farmer plants a crop and hopes it grows. When it grows he hopes it avoids the insects, avoids the drought, avoids too much water, and avoids disease. Unfortunately, our crop didn't, it was devastated by disease. Then the farmer harvests those crops, or is what left of them. That is not easy. I have been out on harvests plenty of times in my life. It is tough work. The farmer drives his truck into town and pulls it up to the county elevator and unloads that grain. The harvest in that truck box has all of your hopes and dreams for an entire year. That harvest in the truck box determines whether you are going to be able to feed your family, whether you are going to continue farming, and whether you are going to be able to pursue your hopes and dreams on the farm.”