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Barry Olson thinks he has a handle on the farmers’ mood: speculative.

Anxious works, too, he said.

Anyway you look at it, he continued, “they’re ready to get rolling.”

The mood of the farmers? Good, bordering on happy.

Happy, bordering on smiling.

“They’re spending money,” he says, smiling. 

The John Deere parts man at Oppegards in Hillsboro is hoping the good times continue.

For as long as possible . . . .

Truth be told, he knows, the record prices of the last two years cannot continue indefinitely.

History has proven otherwise.

Which is why Barry Olson is hoping the younger generation is listening to their fathers and grandfathers. Who remember when high prices, take for instance the 1970s, when some farmers went overboard, over-extending their farm operations farming fence row to fence row and buying everything in sight.

“Bingo,” said Olson. The bottom dropped out of the market. “And it didn’t take long.”

Farmers surviving the boom to bust cycle can legitimately talk of tough times, according to Olson.

“They know how tough it can be.”

But, Barry Olson would rather not talk of the tough times.

Not when times are good.

And everyone’s wearing a smile.

“It’s been good.”

Busy good.

Mike Willison welcomes the spring season. The Oppegards salesman can live with the cool, windy and wet days.

Because he knows a couple of warm dry days changes everything.

Willison also has appreciated the successful years farmers and the ag industry have enjoyed.

“We’ve had two good years, two really good years.”

Record high commodity prices have afforded farmers a good opportunity to make money farming, Willison suggests.

“Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate again this year so the farmer can have another good year.”