Oil vs Soil

Jim Cramer on CNBC today was discussing the train derailment and its ramifications. He then got into a discussion about the competition between farmers and oil business.  N Dakota is a major producer of wheat, corn, soy and other crops that need trains to get them to market.  But much of the rail capaicty is being used to ship crude oil. He called it the Oils vs Soils wars.

Could that be a problem here also? The competition not so much for rail but for labor and trucking.  Some areas in E Pa have had issues with guys leaving farm work for better paying gas and oil jobs. Farmers can't find, or afford, drivers for the milk trucks.  Or getting trucks during harvest season.

Something to prepare for.

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Permalink Reply by Mark McGrail on January 3, 2014 at 2:17pm

Jim,

Good point, but I don't believe that this will be the first time that one area of our economy has competed with another for labor. For example;this was a serious issue during the industrial revolution..

Although farming is a satisfying way of life it is also difficult. The long hours, the vagaries of mother nature, fluctuating crop prices etc. I have always admired farmers. But who can blame a son or daughter seeing a better prospect in another industry. In the past it was steel, coal, lumber; as I said this is not a new phenomena, it just so happens the sight of a better prospect happens to be the shale industry right now.

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