Folks seem thrilled to lose money at the casinos. A growing number of us let traders play craps with our retirement accounts.

But for some reason, we get stiff as a bunch of old-time Baptists when we have to gamble on a few cents of seed.

Life, as they say, is a gamble. The most successful farmers and gardeners are forced to roll the dice every year, whether they’re betting on heat, freeze, rain at just the right time or pest and disease outbreaks.