Monday, May 25, 2009

7 Habits of Successful Farmers

To all you virtual farmers and real farmers !
Warning ! This could be beneficial !


Seven Habits Of Successful Farmers – Canadian Association of Farm Advisors – Spring Edition/2009
AgDay TV, part of the online programming from U.S. farm mag Farm Journal, recently had a series called “Seven habits of successful farmers. Here are the highlights
Habit 1: Adopt new and useful technology. A big part of farming, the show says, is to research practical applications for new technology to make sure it will pay off. New technology is a good investment if it “increases efficiency” and “maintains profitability” for the operation.
Habit 2: Create and follow a business plan. The business plan includes crop marketing, financing, accumulation of land and equipment, soil testing, seed evaluation and crop protection. One farmer interviewed says his family gets together for weekly meetings to review the plan and make sure everything is happening according to plan, oradjusting the plan as necessary.
Habit 3: Set goals. With challenging but realistic goals, you are motivated to make the farm better next year. What are you trying to achieve in life and in the business setting?
Habit 4: Protect your investment for the legacy generation. Do your children want to take over? If yes, make sure they’re ready. Get them involved in management earlier in their careers. Have an exit strategy for yourself.
Habit 5: Build business relationships. Farm business has expanded outside your immediate township, but good face to face relationships still have value. Social skills are very important. Know that any deal you make has to benefit both sides of the table in order to keep the relationship strong.
Habit 6: Keep learning. Tap any sources, from the old farmer down the road to the young kid right out of university to extension services. Five tips:
Listen more, ask questions, give some wisdom to get some, get peers outside your area, keep an open mind.
Habit 7: Share learned knowledge through mentorship. A person can’t help you be more successful unless you give them feedback.

Bicycles for people in Ghana, Africa

I've told some of you about this , here are more details !
This is a great contest I found that supports a very worth cause in Ghana and allows you to feel good about eating chocolate bars ! Each Bar code (play on words there) entered contributes one of one hundred parts needed to build a bike. They are donating up to 5000 bikes to people in Ghana this year. Go to the website and see the videos .... they also have a cool animated factory that you can see your bar code entered and turned into a bike part. Look on the top left and see your name and how many parts you have contributed and how many total bikes have been contributed... Plus ...at the end of the contest someone wins a trip for 2 to go to Ghana all expenses paid to help distribute the bikes... Check it out at www.thebicyclefactory.ca



Program Description
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.To participate in The Bicycle Factory* Program and help build 5000 bikes for Africa (the “Program”), you must first register by completing the online registration form at www.bicyclefactory.ca. All fields on the registration form must be completed unless indicated as optional. After registering, you can participate in the Program by submitting a valid UPC code from the wrapper of any participating Cadbury product (including Canadian labeled Dentyne*, Stride*, Cadbury*, Maynards*, Trident*, Bubblicious*, Certs* Chiclets*, Clorets*, Jersey Milk* and Halls*, but excluding some seasonal products) with a net weight of 18g or more (“Participating Product”) and submit as instructed. Limit of five (5) unique UPC entries, per person/day during the Program Period. A full list of Participating Products is available at www.bicyclefactory.ca. Offer valid from April 13 to July 30, 2009 or while supplies last (the “Program Period”). For every one hundred (100) UPC’s entered, Cadbury will donate one (1) bicycle for delivery to Africa up to a maximum of five thousand (5,000). Further details regarding The Bicycle Factory* Program and this donation are available on this website. Must be thirteen (13) years of age or older and a resident of Canada to participate in the Program.

Very Expensive Striped Sweater


Ray the Grain Guy may know about Grain but not about fashion !
I bought this sweater new at Walmart 2 weeks ago. I had it in the office before I even put it on and was getting teased because of the stripes ! It was new and my size and it cost $2.00 plus tax.. that was good enough for me !
The recommendations at the elevator were that it should only be worn at a cabin... hmmm.... so , thursday night we went to my brothers cabin at Killarney and I thought of the sweater. I took it along and did wear it there. Gail dropped me off at the elevator Friday morning, It was cool (the temperature not the sweater) and so I put the sweater on in public ! Lot's of teasing right away....suggestions that I should stand sideways so that they would appear to be vertical stripes... then in comes a producer named Larry ! He hadn't heard all the comments but the first thing he said was... maybe he had been in the farm chemicals too long that day as the sweater was making him dizzy.... then he had the same suggestion to lean over sideways creating vertical stripes... ( Stick with the story just a little longer. I do have a point ! ) I told him it cost $2... he said he'd give me $5 to not wear it...
That got me thinking... I said... Larry, if you donate $100 to the CFGB I will take off the sweater and never wear it again...there was even talk of burning it....
He thought for a second and said that was a very good cause... he reached in his wallet and gave me a $100 bill ! That's one half a Kernels acre !
Even it we just got that matched 4 to 1 by CIDA that turns into a $500 sweater ! I removed the sweater and it is now pinned to the wall as a conversation piece ! A very good return has resulted from my fashion sense !

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Norquay

Friday, May 8
A planning meeting took place at Hudye's in Norquay, SK of what could be a major boost to Kernels of Hope and people of need in Sudan ! We have a group of very caring real farmers there that will be pledging the entire production from a portion of their farms while they assist in Feeding the World. More on this later !

Insight meets Steve and Ray



May 1, 2009

Insight stops to visit at of Steve and Loni Marvins'

Kernels of Hope field at Brandon. Insight (The Hybrid Car) of Honda Canada is driving across Canada learning about projects making a difference. We explained the whole project !

You can follow the trip by going to their blog site.

From left to right.... Insight, Steve, Ray ...

Loni had to work so she missed out on the visit.