Crystal Ball

I sometimes wish I had a crystal ball so I could see what was coming up in the future. It is really something out there. I don't need to link the stories. Investment banks failing. The government buying AIG to save their ass. The financial crisis not only rocking this nation, but the world is something. I've heard it described as the worst financial crisis since the 1930's, if not worse than the 1930's. Where this crisis is going to end and when would really be nice to know. What the world will look like at the end would be nice to know too.<br />n<br />nOkay, I know this whole crisis seemed to have started with the burst of the housing bubble but it has gone well beyond that now to a complete lack of confidence in the whole financial system. The housing market was over leveraged and now any financial instrument that is over leveraged is vulnerable to collapse as we have been seeing.<br />n<br />nSo this really makes me wonder, what is going to happen to those agricultural producers out there that get their financing through a non-traditional bank, i.e. one that does not accept deposits. I know quite a few producers that get their financing this way and it really makes me wonder when this source of credit will dry up for these producers. I have been hearing rumbles from some of these guys that their "bankers" are demanding a certain number of dollars for their calves and if they don't get it they will be foreclosed upon. Most of the times these numbers are well over what the market will support right now. These guys sound like they are in real trouble to me. Is this a side affect of what is going on in the financial markets? It would be curious to know.<br />n<br />nI'm not overly worried about my financing. I finance through a traditional deposit bank and the banker is not worried about my situation. With the markets the way they are I might be down a little this year but it is not a problem. I really wish I had that crystal ball though to see the future. What is going to happen out here in the country? Will this financial crisis bring down farms and ranches? Why am I not hearing the presidential candidates talk about this crisis. The whole thing might be a little esoteric but it is going to affect us more than anything else that is going on in the world in quite a while. It's probable worth more than a soundbite, don't you think?