(Agriculture Online) -- The past 12 months have made up one of the most volatile periods for Midwest farmers in decades. So, what's this mean for 2009? Many farmers say they expect their income to go down in the next year: Almost half of those responding to a recent Agriculture Online poll say they anticipate income to be "much lower" than 2008. But some experts see some farm operating expenses backing off the peaks seen in '08. Many economists say fertilizer and fuel will likely moderate in price a bit, but other production costs in general will continue to touch record levels. Another wildcard for farm incomes in the coming year is land rents. When entering into lease negotiations for the coming year, Purdue University Extension ag economist Craig Dobbins says farmers will likely see slight increases, but not as sharp as those in recent years.
