Government Shutdown Starting to Affect Farmers

By Theresa Schmidt, KPLC-TV 7, Lake Charles

LAKE CHARLES - The shutdown not only affects government employees but also others, like farmers, who depend on their services. Brandon Vail is a fifth generation farmer. Right now, he’s loading trucks with rice harvested in August. “I’ve grown wheat, soybeans, corn, sesame, milo, crawfish. I’ve tried just about everything. Rice and cattle seem to consistently make money,” said Vail.