Whether it passed quickly for you or drudged along, January is
coming to a close. Only 11 months left for 2009. We often start the new
year optimistic to make lots of changes, but by the end of the first 30
days, much of those ideas have been forgotten as we resume our routines.
Start again fresh for February and revisit what you need to be focusing
on to make improvements to your business and personal relationships.
Included below is an article about business plans - it's a good place to
start. Rural Life Poetry is also back with two reflective pieces that
were recently submitted. Enjoy!
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The night sky is black
like that of death.
Smoke just rolls out
with my frozen breath.
The air is eerie
yet is also crisp.
To read the complete poem, click on the headline above.
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Standing in the corner
out by the barn.
Stands a simple fence
as old as the farm.
The wire is rusted
the metal all twisted.
To read the complete poem, click on the headline above.
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This week B is the featured letter on the A to Z list of the
characteristics that seem to help perpetuate success. I’m going with a
straightforward, no-nonsense piece of advice: B is for Buckling Up.
While there is the literal application of buckling up, I’d like to
suggest you think of it as a metaphor in life as well. Life can throw
some pretty fast curves at all of us – and those too are best handled
by being buckled up...by staying grounded.To read the complete
article, click on the headline above.
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Farmers and ranchers at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 90th
annual meeting were encouraged to speak out and become activists for
agriculture.
“We can’t think of the word ‘activists’ as a dirty word
anymore,” said Will Gilmer, a third-generation dairyman from Lamar
County, AL. “We have to be proactive, aware and informed about our
industry and what others are saying about us. It’s going to take all
of us to be active.”
To read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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What’s the first thing that should enter the minds of your
prospects and customers when they read or hear your name? Perhaps you
want them to think of quality, service, convenience, helpfulness or
expertise.
To help direct the position you want your business to fill in the minds
of customers, consider developing a detailed business plan, suggests
Monica Braun, a rural development specialist with the Nebraska-based
Center for Rural Affairs. Braun says walking through each step of the
business planning process – whether you already have an existing
business or are dreaming of starting one – can have real value in
identifying business’ potential.To read the complete article, click
on the headline above.
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Washington State University (WSU) Extension has published the 2009
Beef Management Calendar. The calendar has been developed to assist
livestock managers in formulating an overall management plan for beef
operations. It provides timely management recommendations month to month
for both spring- and fall-calving herds in the areas of nutrition,
animal health, reproduction, marketing, pasture and range management,
and business or farm management. To read the complete article, click
on the headline above.
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The 2009 Women Managing the Farm Conference has been scheduled Feb.
12-14 at the Grand Prairie Hotel and Convention Center in Hutchinson,
KS. To read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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The 2009 Ag Essay Contest sponsored by the Agriculture Council of
America is calling for entries and has a deadline of Feb. 9. To read
the complete article, click on the headline above.
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Severe winter weather places stress on livestock herds that can
dampen their immune response and lead to potential losses. South Dakota
Cooperative Extension Veterinarian Russ Daly says the prolonged stress
of weather events like the recent sub-zero temperatures and blizzards
across the Midwest can cause problems that show up even after the
weather improves.
There are some immediate dangers to the health of animals from severe
cold, like chilling and frostbite, Daly said, but also problems that may
not be apparent until seven to 14 days following the event.To read
the complete article, click on the headline above.
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How about this for a New Year's resolution? Feed less hay next
winter. There is nothing you can do about your forage situation for the
remainder of this winter, aside from selling cattle or buying more hay.
However, if you start planning now, you can put yourself in a position
to drastically reduce the amount of hay that you will need to feed next
year.
Why do people rely so much on feeding hay in the winter? I believe the
answer is that they are overstocked. To read the complete article,
click on the headline above.
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Meetings, conference calls, listening sessions, trainings and even
more meetings… There never seems to be a shortage of gatherings about
something. At some point I get numb with so many activities and places
to go.
It is a tough challenge indeed, deciding what to do when family, farm
and fossil fuel obligations take precedent. Throughout my history of
checkered get-togethers, one assembly of seasoned experts (farmers) has
always tickled my fancy. That fancy is a simple pasture walk or sojourn
among the waving blades of grass with passionate graziers. To read
the complete article, click on the headline above.
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