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April 1999 -- 1999 Number 4

INDEX - April 99 What's Growing Out There? Reaping What You Sow The Cycle of Inaction:  Don't Let It Happen To You The Coffee Shop

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Out behind the house, or across the street, or outside of town, or somewhere, there is a field. Every year you invest your hard work and hard-earned money in that field, preparing it, sowing it, fertilizing it, hoping and praying that the weather holds and the market cooperates. What’s growing in that field? When it’s all said and done, you’re growing cash. One way or another, that crop is going to be turned into money before it does you any good. How successful any farming season is depends on how that happens. All of your goals, plans and dreams are riding on how well you can turn your crops into money. Long-term success is enjoyed by those who have learned to turn their crops into a reasonable amount of money at the earliest possible opportunity (i.e., harvest). They know that, unlike grain, money can be used to help them get closer to their goals. The next time you’re looking over one of your fields, think about what’s really growing out there. It may look like something else, but it’s money. Successful farming is getting that money out of the field and into your pocket as soon as you can.   Reaping What You Sow All of us have heard the old maxim "You reap what you sow" at some time in our lives. The principle of sowing and reaping is easily understood by people from every imaginable background and culture, but perhaps especially in the farming community. While others can relate to this principle intellectually, we experience it in a hands-on, life-affecting way. Every farmer has experienced the physical side of the sowing and reaping principle. When fertile ground is sown seeds and tended carefully, what was once an empty field eventually becomes a sea of grain. No one who plants one crop expects to be harvesting a different crop at the end of the season. Seeds reproduce their own kind--this is the heart and soul of the sowing and reaping principle. What grows depends on what is planted. What gives the sowing and reaping principle its universal appeal is that it holds equally true in the physical process of growing plants and in other, less tangible areas. The fact is, every person who has ever lived has been personally affected by the principle of sowing and reaping in one way or another. zxx Students in school soon learn that the time spent studying and doing homework is reflected in better grades. The employer who treats his employees with confidence and respect gains workers who believe in themselves and take pride in their work. Unfortunately, the principle works just as well when the "seeds" are not good. A student who does not take the time to study and do homework will reap lower grades, and an employer who does not show confidence and respect to his employees will eventually reap an inferior product. So, what does all this mean to you? Simply this--you can use the time-proven principle of sowing and reaping to enhance your success in the non-production areas of your farming operation. In every area of your farming business and your entire life, what you get out of anything you do will reflect what you put into it. Over the past several years, production technology has made huge advancements. We are producing more than ever before. It is obvious that we have come a long way in producing grain. The question is, have marketing skills advanced at the same rate as production skills? While greater effectiveness in production depends to a large degree on advancements in technology and science, greater skill and effectiveness in marketing your crops is something that you can achieve on your own. The principle of sowing and reaping says that what you get out of your marketing efforts depends on what you put in. xxx Are you ready to put together a plan and take some action on '99 crops? We'll be glad to help.   "Sow" a marketing strategy consisting of careful planning and a disciplined method of following through on your plan, and . . . . . ."Reap" a consistently profitable marketing program.   "Sow" a marketing strategy consisting of procrastination and guesswork with no clear goals or plans for reaching your goals, and . . .   . . . "Reap" anxiety and uncertainty in the outcome of your marketing. The Cycle Of Inaction Don't Let It Happen To You One of the most dangerous things you can do is to do nothing at all. Inaction leads to indecision, which leads to the breakdown of discipline, which in turn leads to bad decisions. We’ve all known someone (or maybe even been the person) who’s chosen to "wait and see" instead of taking some kind of positive action, only to watch as opportunity slips away. Taking action doesn’t necessarily mean just selling grain right away. It means having a plan that puts you in a position to take advantage of opportunities and get grain sold when the time is right. It’s easy to say, "I’ll sell when the price is right", but if you haven’t taken any action ahead of time to decide what the right price is and get a plan together, it’s sometimes hard to actually pull the trigger when the time comes. That’s why it’s important to take some kind of action ahead of time, like putting in a target. Having a plan encourages discipline, helps you stay focused on your goals, and helps eliminate the desire to get "just a little bit more" that can cause you to get off track and miss opportunities. Doing nothing is dangerous, whether it’s failing to put in targets before harvest or storing grain after harvest. Taking positive action will keep you out of that trap and get you closer to your goals. . Controlling Stress for Better Marketing Results and Better Health Since a 1977 study of 130 occupations in which farmers were shown to have the highest instances of stress-related deaths, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, along with many state extension services, have been focusing on making farmers aware of the physical and emotional dangers of stress. Some of the causes of stress, like bad weather and long work hours, you can't do much to remedy. However, one of the major causes of stress among farmers is the market. Low prices, high prices, and just the job of marketing in general contribute to stress that can be harmful to your physical and emotional well-being and your relationships with family and friends. This is a kind of stress that we can control to some degree. In any situation where you are forced to make a tough decision, some level of relief comes once that decision is made. Your marketing is no different. It can be hard to make the decision to sell, but once it's done, those are bushels you don't have to worry about any more. You can't control prices, but by putting together a plan to capture opportunity, being ready and willing to pull the trigger on a good sale, and making a commitment to turning grain into money as soon as possible, you can control how it affects you. A solid and consistent marketing plan is good for your wallet and your health. Click here to return to the Farmers' Corner index