A farmer, finding himself sliding into debt with production costs exceeding income, figures he can plant a few more acres or buy a few more head of livestock, put in a few more hours each day, and work himself back into prosperity.

It's a natural inclination. Not just for farmers, but for many other business operators.

But the economics at play are such that the more investment and effort he expends, the further into the hole he goes. His work ethic becomes his enemy.

There's an element of futility to this anecdote. Irony, too.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture predicts that farm income in Michigan will be down “a staggering 38 percent” from 2008.  For a state already reeling from the loss of manufacturing companies over the last few years and the near demise of General Motors and Chrysler, resulting in the loses of thousands of good-paying jobs and in millions of dollars no longer circulating through the state's economy, this news only adds to the gloomy picture; one that includes record numbers of home foreclosures, unemployment rates of 15 percent, and an increase in both business and personal bankruptcies.