Tuesday, November 25, 2014

It’s chilly out there, about 28ºF (-2C), as I work in the office on some reconciliations with the bank accounts.  The cash flow spreadsheets are being updated.  I also filled out a USDA-NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service)  survey of the results of the 2014 crop.  The paperwork seems never ending.  We are approaching the end of our fiscal year, and that requires some special planning.  I find working through the details of those plans an enjoyable experience.   Calculations that improve our operational information for the farm are interesting and fun; filling out forms for bureaucrats is a little less so.

We received a significant rainfall event Sunday-Monday — 1.85″ (48mm).  The good news is that the new WASCoBs at Roberson worked very, very well!   Yes we have some water standing on the Cox farm, as usually happens after a bigger rain, but this time of year, it is of no concern.  There is also a little bit standing on the flat fields of Waldo, but nothing to worry about there, either… since harvest is passed.  The tile systems we’ve installed in recent years are performing just as we hoped they would.

As that unique American holiday of Thanksgiving approaches, we are reminded of how truly blessed we are as a family and as a nation.  I call Thanksgiving my favorite holiday, not for the feast and food, but for the attitude it fosters.  It is a significant time to remember to ‘count your blessings’.  We farmers have particularly good reasons to offer thanks, for without the providence of our Maker, we would not experience success.  We work hard, we plan and execute our plans, we incorporate modern methods and technologies.  Even with all our advancements and sophisticated tools, it is not our might or intellect that makes a seed sprout once we’ve placed it in the soil.  We can do everything ‘right’ and still fail (remember the drought of 2012?).  So, we must acknowledge our complete dependence on God… and give Him the credit for our good fortune.  He deserves our thanks.  And we give it… hopefully not just on this holiday, but every day of our lives.

We at Carnahan & Sons, send you our very best wishes for a day of joy on Thanksgiving.  Please remember to express your appreciation to your Maker… and to those special people around you.