This spring, just as in any other, farmers all over Southern Missouri returned to their fields and planted crops.  Ranchers welcomed a new generation of livestock to the farm.  They did so during a tough economic time. 

Uncertainty over the economic climate made all of us pay closer attention than usual to the weather forecasts throughout the summer.

Communities in Southern Missouri have been fighting harder than ever to keep jobs and create wealth.  All over America, the family budget had less and less room for retirement savings, a college fund, the mortgage payment, or school supplies.
Seasons change, though, and so does our economy.

Now, at Thanksgiving, cattle prices have held strong for several months now, soybeans are much higher, and good prices for the bounty of our Southern Missouri harvest are about to inject some much-needed stimulus into our local economies.

In the third quarter of this year, America experienced the largest increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the last two decades.  The national output of goods and services rose 7.2 percent, compared to 3.3 percent last quarter, in the largest growth spurt since 1984.

What does this number mean to us in real terms?  Jobs, consumer spending, and home sales.

In September, the economy experienced an infusion of new jobs as unemployment benefit claims continued to drop.  Experts think more jobs are on the way, too. Hopefully, the U.S. House of Representatives will soon consider the American Jobs Creation Act, which could encourage the creation of additional U.S. jobs in the manufacturing sector.
Job creation is largely a result of consumers’ renewed confidence in the economy and the products they buy in the marketplace.  Consumer spending has increased 6.6 percent as our family budgets return to normal.  Tax relief, help for small businesses (the largest source of jobs in America), and lower paycheck withholdings have been a leading factor in this good news.

And finally, more homes have been sold this year than any other in history – more than 1 million single-family homes have been sold nationwide by September.  Home sales means less Americans rent and more accumulate wealth by putting their earnings into a home, where it accumulates as equity.

But these are only early indications of an economic turnaround.  Congress should not stop its assertive economic policies until the benefit is felt in the family budget, not just seen in the business section of the newspapers.

Most importantly, Congress last week passed an energy bill that will give an additional boost to the Missouri farmer.  The bill contains expanded programs for renewable fuels, like ethanol, biodiesel, and biomass fuels.  The ethanol language alone will boost ethanol production from 3.1 million gallons in 2005 to an estimated 5 million gallons in 2012.  These ethanol provisions are expected to raise the price of a bushel of corn by 30 cents, while decreasing the price of gas by an average of 6.6 cents per gallon.
This fall, we are gathering a harvest not just from the fields, but also from two years of policy work in Congress.  Tax relief, aid to small businesses, and a comprehensive energy policy are combining with better days for agricultural products. 

When we gather around our family tables on Thanksgiving, we should also give thanks for the men and women who worked so hard to make our feast possible.  We all depend on the farmer in his fields and the rancher with his herd. 

A strong agricultural foundation is the lifeblood of our local economies, and the positive changes to our economic policy are an added blessing.  They enable us to have a larger slice of the economic pie chart along with our pumpkin pie.