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board and ask, once again, why we aren't.
• ___
• American News, Aberdeen, March 9, 2013
• Enjoy the good times, but also feel the burn
• An agricultural economist recently planted in Aberdeen some seeds of advice for us all.
• Hope, but don't believe, the good times will last forever.
• "What the market gave you, it will take away," said Michael Swanson, a senior vice president for Wells Fargo.
• "If you look at farmers' balance sheets, they are probably bigger than 80 percent of the small businesses in the United States," he said. "Almost all of the assets are land."
• Swanson said while he was optimistic about farming and corn, he was more pessimistic about land values.
• Ag land is being pushed higher by low interest rates and high prices for crops. While both might continue in the short run, over the long run, it is unlikely they will continue at such high levels, he said.
• Whether you swallow all, some or none of Swanson's message, one thing really rang true. In the middle of good times, map out a plan for the future when times might not be as good.
• That holds true for farmers, business owners or your own family finances.
• "There are good times and bad times in agriculture, and they don't last," Swanson said.
• Assessing situations and anticipating risks is important in all businesses, including farming.
• "Anticipating a risk is like an NFL quarterback reading a blitz and knowing what to do with the football," he said. "The good ones throw a short pass and throw it out of bounds so they don't take a loss. The Vikings quarterback takes a 15-yard sack. We don't want to be like the Vikings."
• ___
• Rapid City Journal, Rapid City, March 6, 2013
• Lawmakers fail driver safety test
• The South Dakota House passed a bill on Monday that would prohibit drivers younger than 16 from using cellphones while driving after failing to pass the measure last week and rejecting another bill that would ban texting while driving for all drivers.
• Let's see. It's not OK for young drivers to use a cellphone while learning to drive,

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