The old saying “honesty is the best policy” is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin and is sound advice. But he probably never had a bunch of soybean farmers — that had already been through the wringer — wondering what the next kick in pants from Mother Nature would be. 

So, when I’m trying to figure out how to talk about challenges these later-planted beans may face, it’s tempting to sugarcoat it a little. Leave it to Mark Twain to bail me out with his wisdom: “Honesty is the best policy, when there is money on it.”