| OCTOBER 2009 -- What a great time of year for agriculture! Local fairs and fall festivals are in full swing demonstrating and educating about agriculture’s passionate history, production excellence, and the vital importance of agriculture to our community.
Volunteering at the Brooklyn Fair I get to see this showcased first hand in the displays and contests. Competition and showcasing brings out the best in those involved with agriculture; Creating leaders who are working hard, passionate, dedicated, and are planning for their future. These traits help build character and integrity in individuals which will help strengthen agriculture’s image in Connecticut.
Many friends I know are interested in farming and are optimistic about what the future holds! Helping lead agriculture down a road of prosperity in Connecticut lies in the hands of those passionately interested! Keeping the public informed on practices and management style will help booster agriculture’s image and standing! Otherwise regulation by the government may control the size of barn you build or how many cows you can milk! Keeping the public and government informed on issues is the better solution which helps keep things less complicated and costly.
Currently the fall harvest of crops is being finished up after suffering through a wet beginning to summer! Agricultural producers can now access their situation for up the coming months! Finding support and advice from other farmers sometimes can help solve problems.
What a tough year for the dairy farmers who are suffering from low milk price and a poor corn crop! Being optimistic and planning for the future is what I believe keeps a lot of agricultural businesses strong even in the tough times. Crunching the numbers and budgeting is now the name of the game. Finding a way to survive during the down times sometimes can make you more efficient. Farming is a tough business to operate with so many variables and risks but the rewards are great when things are going good. The great thing about America’s free market is that high risk can lead to high return. As farmers we must focus our energy on becoming experts at managing the high risk under which we operate our businesses. I believe that those of us who do will have a long and viable future here in Connecticut. |
