You lose most of the time, but every so often you have a blue moon moment. Like the time pork raisers killed the checkoff tax and Sen. Jon Tester ended funding for NAIS.

When you live out of the way, as we do in northwest Missouri, you do for yourself and for others — or, many times, it doesn't get done. Every Christmas, we do a lot.

Harvest season is busy enough without having to remember to fertilize your virtual wheat fields too. Thank heaven for good online "neighbors."

"Crop insurance reform" turned out to be doing away with a public option, subsidizing insurance companies and handing farmers high costs and high deductibles. Is health insurance reform headed this way?