Before a good play or concert can be performed, the stage must
be set. I might be a little premature in my thinking, but I
believe the stage is being set for a very interesting situation
to unfold in the peanut industry during the 2004 planting
season. And guess what? It's not directly because of peanuts but
instead because of the recent price increases we've seen in
cotton, soybean and small grain prices.  The question is whether
these price increases will be sustained so farmers can contract
or expect higher prices for these crops. If the answer to the
question is no, then farmers will go through the same old
drudgery of planting a balanced mix of crops including peanuts,
cotton, corn, soybeans and other grains to “spread their risk”
because no one crop or combination of crops is “asking” for our
land. However, if the answer is yes, then all bets are off and
we must carefully consider our farm planning decisions regarding
which crops and how much to plant.  Just because you own
equipment that is specific to