With a New Year on hand I know lots of folks will make resolutions. Consider resolutions for both your personal life and for your farming operation.
A common resolution is to quit smoking. My wife and I did that over 20 years ago. We went to a hypnotist because we wanted to quit. For our health we should have done it 40 years ago or better than that we should have never started.
We could all probably lose some weight. Some folks may not be too fat but food is a large part of our every day life. And if you married a woman who cooks well you probably eat more. And we begin to see in our middle ages that we aren’t as active as we once were but still take in the same amount of calories resulting in a weight problem.
Maybe in 2012 you are going to soil test all your fields and get ideas on how to get more out of your soil. Things like soil pH are important for knowing how to get the most from your land. Folks who think the only fertilizer needed is nitrogen could be missing an important part of the balance.
Years ago, I studied worm growing. People were growing earthworms for fishing bait. First thing you have to do to grow them is have a pH of seven in the beds. How do they get that? Add simple ag lime. What do worms do? They make tunnels that aerates the soil which lets water soak in. They eat organic matter and turn it to fertilizer. I have seen some ag lime experiments that point out what it can do for you. Soil testing can answer lots of questions.
What is the vaccination plan for your herd? A good guy I used to work with at Tyson scoffed at my vaccinating cows for lepto. It was part of my ranching plan. I also had a few outbreaks even with a program but he wrinkled his nose. Until he had asked the boss for a couple days off. What for? He needed to help the vet vaccinate his cows. He had lepto in several herds. Today, there are even more complicated vaccination plans that veterinarians recommend. They make good sense, but until there is a problem most small producers walk on thin ice. Take a little time and study a plan that will protect your herd from the standpoint of not walking on a tight rope in 2012.
What else should we do? Be more conscious of energy savings. Have a front door blower test for your house. Many of us belong to an Electric Coop that provides this service to its members for a refundable fee to buy things that stop the draft. Do you have those energy saving bulbs in your sockets? A thermostat set at 50 degrees in a pump house will save more than running a heat bulb in there or holding a wide open heater.
Americans are generous people. They give lots of things through churches, agencies and charities. Maybe if you have a job and are making it you can find in your heart to help others. Our on going national unemployment disappoints me. Maybe there are young people in your sight that aren’t making it and some help would make them get by easier. May God bless you in this upcoming year. Make it a better one.
Western novelist Dusty Richards and his wife Pat live on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas. For more information about his books you can email Dusty by visiting ozarksfn.com and clicking on ‘Contact Us’ or call 1-866-532-1960.
