55 Years And Counting From The Tractor Seat

By bill whitman 

 I have a brother-in-law – very successful in the business world – who recently told me that he had misjudged the most important part of life. Success isn’t about possessions; it’s about how content and fulfilled you are in life. It’s being satisfied at the end of the day that your day’s labor means something.

In grain farming, we’re going through difficult times. Grain prices are down, inputs up, and the stress on our families is… growing. Given all these negatives, I recently spent the day working with a neighbor trying to beat the weather making hay. If you know, you know. Even on a good day, nothing goes perfectly. You wrap a roller, kick out an unwrapped bale, sheer a bolt, and each time something happened during the day, my neighbor found something to laugh about, and it was infectious. I laughed harder that day than I have in a long time.

Since that day, I have thought, wondered, and contemplated how he could carry with him such a positive attitude. Then, I began wondering why I can’t have that same attitude every day as well.

Recently, I sold a piece of equipment that we don’t need any more. Charlie Mullins raises cattle and began a used equipment business a few years ago in Spencer, Ind. Every interaction I’ve had with Charlie over the years, I have been impressed with his cheery attitude. I’ve learned over time that it’s genuine. When we’ve seen him at a restaurant or even when he was getting a sleep test at the hospital when my wife was too, he’s upbeat wherever we see him. And as you might expect, his business has grown along with his reputation.

In many cases I think we take ourselves too seriously. Like we can control so many factors in our daily life as farmers. Sure, I think there are things we can do to reduce many problems by planning and following through with our plans, at least to the extent we can. How we approach these events and the hiccups are the choices we make.

We face challenges unlike any our ancestors ever had to face because of the complexities of the world we live in. I do believe that our financial challenges have exponentially increased and certainly the weather is unlike anything we have experienced in decades. But that’s what we do, we meet challenges and overcome each one. Whether we do it with a smile or a grimace is a choice.

What I learned the other day, the one thing we do have control over is who we surround ourselves with and whether we have a positive influence or negative influence on the way we approach each day.

One of the concerns I have is how many farms are being sold after generations of families overcoming challenge after challenge. I recently learned that a farmer I knew in my youth took his own life. Granted he was older, and his son had taken over the management of the farm. Recently his son felt it was time to sell off the family farm. I know this is happening all over the country and is something that a lot of families are having to deal with.

We can’t control the weather, prices of inputs, cost of equipment, and prices we receive for our crops. What we can do is choose to approach each day determined to make the most of it. I think it’s appropriate that we consider the “Serenity Prayer.”

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Horse Sense: On a good horse, you can get a day’s work done, with a smile.

IndianaAg@bluemarble.net