UDanny Murphy wake wakhokha u-$10 ngesaka lembewu kabhontshisi wesoya, amasenti angu-18 kuya kwangu-30 ngegaloni likadizili, u-$200 ngethani le-urea, u-$20 ngosuku ngomsebenzi oqashiwe, kanye nerenti engu-$25. Kwakungaleso sikhathi; lokhu manje. “Ukulima kuhlale kushintsha ngendlela eyodwa noma enye, kodwa ungaqiniseka ngento eyodwa: Izindleko zokufakwayo zizoqhubeka zikhuphuka”.
Ngo-1974, uDanny Murphy oneminyaka engu-21 ubudala wakhokha u-$10 ngesaka lembewu kabhontshisi wesoya, amasenti angu-18 kuya kwangu-30 ngegaloni likadizili, u-$20 ngosuku ngomsebenzi oqashiwe, kanye nerenti engu-$25. Kwakungaleso sikhathi; lokhu manje.
Ekhumula amabhuzu akhe okulima ngo-2022 okokugcina, uMurphy ulandisa indaba yokwehla kwamandla emali kanye nokwenyuka kwamanani emali eminyakeni engu-48 ensimini: “Ukwehla kwamandla emali kwasuka kuzo zonke izindawo kusuka kumanyolo kuya kumakhemikhali okubulala ukhula, kodwa imishini yilapho engazizwa ngimbi kakhulu khona. Khumbula i-parody? Noma izintengo zezitshalo ziphezulu njengoba zinjalo ngo-2022, uma zilandela umkhondo okhuphukayo wezimoto noma wogandaganda, lezo ntengo zezitshalo eziphakeme kufanele ziphindwe kabili kunalokho eziyikhona njengamanje. ”
Nakuba kuyisithombe esifushane nje sokuhlangenwe nakho komlimi oyedwa, ubufakazi buka-Murphy buwubufakazi obusobala bokwenyuka okukhulu kwezindleko ezirekhodwe esikhathini esifushane uma kuqhathaniswa nomsebenzi wokulima owodwa.
I-Price Creep
Inhlabathi engaphezulu ene-silty loess evunguzwe phansi eminyakeni eyinkulungwane edlule kusukela eMidwest, Murphy ufuye maphakathi neMississippi, eceleni komfowabo, uTommy, kusukela ngo-1974-2021. Ezinsimini eziginqikayo ezithambile ezihluka ngothambeka ukusuka ku-1% kuye ku-4%, uMurphy watshala ukotini nobhontshisi wesoya, kwathi kamuva ummbila, kumahektha ayi-1,600 eMadison County.
Ukotini wabusa amasimu akhe kwaze kwaba ngu-2000, kodwa ngemva kokufika kokuwohloka kwentengo kanye nokugcwala kwe-reniform nematode, uMurphy wengeza ummbila ohlwini lwakhe lwezitshalo. Ebheke ngeso elibukhali izinombolo zokufakwayo, uMurphy waqala ukushintsha kancane kwaze kwaba ngu-2005, kwathi ngo-2009, wonke umsebenzi wakhe wawungasenakulima okuvamile.
“Uma ubheka emuva ku-1974, senza amaphasi amaningi kakhulu ekulawuleni ukhula sisodwa, ngezinye izikhathi salima masonto onke, kodwa sasingenakho okuningi esasingakwenza. Kwabe sekuthi ama-GMO/Roundup Ready aphuma kusukela ngo-1996-1997, futhi kungazelelwe sase singalindi kangako. Kwaba ngcono kancane kancane futhi ngabona ukonga okukhulu ngodizili, abasebenzi, ukuguga kwemishini, ukuthuthukiswa kwesakhiwo senhlabathi, kanye nokwanda kwezinto eziphilayo. "
“Uma uqala ukonga okokufaka, kwenza umehluko omkhulu kulo lonke ipulazi lakho—futhi ngeshwa, okuphambene kuyiqiniso impela, yingakho ukwehla kwamandla emali kungase kukwehlele futhi ngezinye izikhathi ungakuqapheli.”
Isikhathi Sokuya
Inhloso yempilo yakhe yonke ka-Murphy kwakuwukuthatha umhlalaphansi eneminyaka engama-70. Kodwa-ke, i-inflation monster yango-2021 yadonsa ukubukeka okude ku-Murphy oqaphile. Maphakathi nesivuno sika-2021, amanani kamanyolo enyuka, kanye nokukhuphuka kwezindleko zokubulala ukhula nemibuzo ngokutholakala, uMurphy waba nesikhashana sokubala ku-69.
“Izintengo zezimpahla bezingakahlanyi ngaleso sikhathi. Izintengo zaziqinile, kodwa hhayi zasendle. Empeleni, bekuyimakethe eqinile, futhi njengoba u-Tommy elungele ukwehla, ngangazi ukuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokuhamba. Bengibheka uphethiloli, isibulala-khula, i-nitrogen, nezinye izindleko ezikhuphuka kancane kancane. Ngangingafuni ukubeka engcupheni yokulahlekelwa unyaka bese ngiwukhokha lapho ngithatha umhlalaphansi. Lokho bekusemicabangweni yami impela.”
Asikho isikhathi esikahle sokuthi umlimi athathe umhlalaphansi, kodwa uMurphy wayethembele embonweni wemvelo. “Ngiyekile ngesikhathi amanani enyuka futhi ngazizwa ngikahle. Impela, ukube ngangazi ukuthi amanani entengo aphezulu ayeza, ngabe ngingabaza, kepha 69 inezinhlungu eziningi, futhi mhlawumbe nobuvila obuncane, ”kunezela uMurphy ehleka. “Ngizizwa ngijabule ngokushiya phansi, futhi ayikabikho indlela yokwazi ukuthi lezi zivivinyo zizokwenzani ngokulandelayo, kodwa ngingakuthembisa into eyodwa—zithuthukile empilweni yami futhi zizolokhu zikhuphuka ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.”
IDola Elihlehlayo
Uma ecabanga ngezomnotho wokulima emsebenzini wakhe wonke, uMurphy uqala ukudonseka egebengwini lomehluko phakathi kwamanani entengo yemishini yezolimo wayizolo neyanamuhla. “Ngiqale ngezwa ukushaywa kwemishini. Ekuqaleni kwawo-1970, ugandaganda omusha wangibiza cishe u-$25,000, inhlanganisela yayilinganiselwa ku-$30,000, kanti isikhi sikakotini sikaJohn Deere 9900 sasilinganiselwa ku-$35,000. Yebo, lezo kwakuyizindodla zemali ngalolo suku, futhi izinto ezithengiswayo zaziphansi, kodwa imali yonke yayiphansi kakhulu.”
Eshisa imishini, uMurphy ukhumbula amanani edizili ngo-1974 phakathi kwamasenti ayi-18 kuya kumasenti angama-30 ilitha ngalinye. “Besihweba ngogandaganda njalo ngemuva kweminyaka emibili kuya kwemithathu senze okufanayo nakubacoshi. Iphuzu liwukuthi, umlimi uyakwazi ukuhambisa izinto zokusebenza kodwa angalimali.”
Ngokungangabazeki okuphawuleka kakhulu kunemishini, amanani entengo yomhlaba ayengamanani aphansi. Eminyakeni emihlanu ngaphambi kokuthi uMurphy aqale kwezolimo, uyise, uCarl, wathenga ipulazi elincane elinenhlabathi ekahle eMadison County ngo-$200 ihektare ngalinye. Cishe eminyakeni engu-14 kamuva, uMurphy wathenga ipulazi elifanayo eMadison County ngo-$900 ihektare ngalinye. “Zonke lezo bekungamanani ajwayelekile angaleso sikhathi, ngaphansi kwama-$3,500-$4,000 amapulazi endaweni yethu namuhla. Lokho akukho eduze kwalokhu abakukhokhayo e-Iowa noma e-Illinois, kodwa umehluko phakathi neminyaka usabonakala kalula.”
Iphethini efanayo ayizange ibe yinto emangalisayo ekuqashweni kwemali, amanothi ka-Murphy. “Endaweni yethu namuhla, endaweni engachelelwe, uzokhokha imali engaphezulu kuka-$80 ihektare ngalinye ngerenti. Ngo-1974, yona leyo ndawo yaqashwa ngamaRandi angu-25 ihektha ngalinye.”
Umshwalense wezitshalo wawungeyona into ecatshangelwayo ku-Murphy-okungenani ngo-1974. Ukuthola imali engu-$15 ngehektha ngalinye ngesisekelo esiyingozi (futhi uma kucatshangelwa abalimi abaningi babenamarekhodi amancane/amaphepha) kwakuyithemba elingathandeki. “Kwakungeyona into ngaleso sikhathi futhi asikaze sicabange kakhulu ngakho. Konke lokho kwashintsha kamuva futhi ngangingeke ngihambe ngaphandle komshwalense wezitshalo, kodwa kwakunzima kakhulu ukutshala imali ngaleso sikhathi.”
Futhi umanyolo? UMurphy ukhumbula izilinganiso ezifanayo zokusetshenziswa kwe-phosphate, i-potash, ne-urea ngo-1974—kodwa inani elihluke ngokuphelele. “Umanyolo omningi wawufakwe i-homogenized futhi usuvele une-sulphur kuwo. Ngingathi sikhokhe u-$150 ngethani ngalinye le-phosphate ne-potash, kanye no-$200 ngethani le-urea.”
Abasebenzi bezolimo eMadison County bavame ukudonsa u-$2-$3 ngehora noma cishe ama-$20 ngosuku.
Ukufakwa kokubulala ukhula kwakuzungeza i-Treflan, i-Karmex, ne-Cotoran—ikhemikhali ngalinye libiza cishe u-$5 ihektare ngalinye.
Izindleko zembewu beziguquguquka kakhulu, okungenani ukotini, futhi kuncike kulokho okungatholakala nge-gin-source. “Ukotini ubungenisa endaweni ethile ngo-50 cent. Besingathenga imbewu ye-gin-run, futhi uma ungayithola esizeni esikhiqiza kakhulu, ungayithola isuswe umugqa, yelashwe, bese uyithenga ngemali ephansi. Bese ungangeza ezikhwameni ezimbalwa eshalofini lezinhlobonhlobo ezintsha ngemali engaba ngu-$60 isikhwama ngasinye. Ubhontshisi besoya babengenazo izinhlobo zokuzivikela futhi sasisebenzisa kakhulu izinhlobo zomphakathi. Sakhokha i-premium yokufaka izikhwama futhi ngingathi imbewu kabhontshisi wesoya ibiza u-$10-$14 isikhwama ngasinye, futhi yayibiza u-$4-$6 ngebheyili.”
Esongwe ngenqwaba, uMurphy ubeka izindleko zakhe zizonke zika-1974 zikakotini cishe u-$200 ihektha ngalinye nobhontshisi wesoya ngo-$125 ihektha ngalinye, uma kuqhathaniswa nezindleko zakhe zika-2021 ngehektare lommbila ngo-$550 kanye nobhontshisi wesoya ngo-$400.
“Ukuqhathanisa amanani okufakwayo nezintengo zezitshalo akulula unyaka nonyaka ukuhlala ebhizinisini, ikakhulukazi uma izinto zihamba ngokushesha okungajwayelekile noma kungalindelekile,” Murphy uyanezela. “Ukhuluma ngenselelo, kodwa yilokho abalimi abasalele namuhla okumele babhekane nakho. Ukulima kuhlale kushintsha ngendlela eyodwa noma enye, kodwa ungaqiniseka ngento eyodwa: Izindleko zokufakwayo zizoqhubeka zikhuphuka.”