HURRICANE MILLS, Tenn. (WKRN) — On a bright October afternoon, it looks like another steady harvest season in rural Humphreys County. Up close, it tells a different story.

Eric Mayberry farms more than 1,000 acres on the land his family has worked for generations. He's also president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, which is the largest in the nation.

You can say he knows the risks of farming better than most.

“It’s a gamble," Mayberry said. "You put a seed in the ground and hope Mother Nature cooperates and that there’ll be a price high enough to make it worth it. You’ve got to have a leap of faith.”

This year, that leap feels longer.

Mayberry said he’s seeing record corn yields — more than 200 bushels an acre — but even that’s not enough to break even.

"Any other time that

See Full Page