By Brad Barth, Board Chairman
Fall is my favorite time of year, not only for the cooler weather but also because it is the time to harvest the fruits of our yearly labor. For the past year, we have been planning and researching crops, inputs, and markets. Harvest is the culmination of all the decisions made during this past year. Did I make good decisions or poor decisions? Will I learn from these decisions? Whether they were good or bad decisions, they are always a learning opportunity.
If you are like me, you probably make as many poor decisions as you do good ones. Sometimes the poor outweigh the good, but it usually takes only a few good decisions to overcome and forget about all the bad. Babe Ruth was a home run king, but he also was a bigger strikeout king, but no one remembers him for that. It seems best to relish the wins and learn from the losses.
Fall is a busy time on the farm, and I just want to remind all of you to be extra vigilant and extra safe this harvest season. Nothing is more important than safety for you, your loved ones, and your employees.
MCIA is planning the 2024 Annual Meeting and it should be an excellent one. Save the date: January 24, 2024. There will be a new venue, a new schedule, and some great speakers and panel discussions. If you haven’t been to one of these meetings in the past, this will be the year to attend.
I would like to take a little time to welcome the staff members recently hired at MCIA: Sarah Lindblom and Tessa Parks in Organic Services, and Kate Sinnott in the Seed Laboratory. I am sure you will find working with the members and staff of MCIA to be rewarding.
2023 was a challenging year for all and I am sure we all made a few mistakes, but I hope everyone also hit a few “home runs” and had a prosperous year.