Farmer Diaries

 Two seldom-visited islands, part of Australia, saw a massive increase in the tariffs they will face when exporting to the United States.   The 32,000 residents did not have much to say...being Penguines.   NO kidding, massive tariffs were imposed on Heard Island and McDonald Islands.  According to the Australian government, the last visitor to Heard was about a decade ago.   Never mind the 47% tariff on Madagascar, where the principal export is Vanilla and the GDP per capita is less than $500 a year. Not only a Stable Genus but evidently an administration that took all of two hours to proof the list of countries.    They also treated St Pierre & Miquelon, two islands part of France in the middle of the St Lawrence Gulf...

 The first quarter of the year is over, and our performance is in line with last year. The small fall in fuel costs has impacted the firm a little bit, but overall, we are within 1% of last year's Q1 results.   The big question is Q2, but it's much too early to say. Our team number is static on the farm, but we did acquire a business last year so ignoring that new income stream shows results in line with last year, the new business is already performing ahead of projections, the impact of additional capital cannot be undersated, it has freed up a lot of resources inside the firm. Agai,n I want to thank everyone.

 President Trump seems to believe that he can raise $6 trillion from tariffs, his stated objective is to cut income tax for his constituency -- wealthy Americans.  There is also a move to cut social security Medicaide and medicare, three of the four most expensive programs for the Federal Government --- with defence, they represent 80% of the federal budget. Tuesday, the American government introduced lots of new tariffs; there is absolutely no way of knowing how this will work out.   What the government will do and what others will do.     No one ever believed that Trump would do it, but he is, expect a massive increase in US domestic inflation over the next two years until all these tariffs are worked out. It will not be a bed of roses around here either.