No Till Notes: 'Happy New Year!'

I would like to start off by wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! This is a good time to reflect on all the blessings and challenges the past year brought to us. It’s also a good time to look forward with a renewed anticipation of the events the coming year will bestow upon us.

I’m often asked at this time of the year what farmers do during the winter months. I guess folks figure if there isn’t corn growing in the field there isn’t much going on in the farming community. I’ll often respond that this is the time of year when producers meet with bankers, accountants, landlords and agri-businesses to begin planning for the next growing season. We often spend time repairing and improving machinery over the winter as well.

This past weekend, one of the blessings bestowed upon me was to attend my daughter Hannah’s college graduation from the University of Nebraska. It was definitely a proud moment for my wife, Denise, and I to watch our daughter achieve a degree in education. Hannah plans to follow her mother’s footsteps and work in the teaching profession. An interesting side note is that Hannah is the fourth generation in our family to graduate from UNL. Her great grandfather, her grandmother and I preceded her in graduating from UNL.

Gov.-elect Pete Ricketts spoke at the commencement ceremonies and challenged the graduates to be an active member of the communities they will live in. Ricketts talked about the importance of strengthening our communities through service to the communities by serving on the various boards and volunteer organizations throughout communities.

I think the commitment to strengthening our communities through service to the community is something the people in agriculture understand and take very seriously. I know of numerous members of the agricultural community who volunteer and serve on various community boards.

Those of us who live in rural America learned a long time ago that no one is going to take care of us but ourselves. We also know the importance of hard work and good values in building strong communities. We are blessed to live in the communities we are in but also know that we need to be involved in these communities to insure a bright future for our way of life.

As we look forward to this coming year, I think it is important to note how lucky we are to live in rural Nebraska. We have caring friends and neighbors who work together to help each other through good times and bad. We celebrate the joys of life together and share in the sad times that come along.

I think Ricketts made a valuable point to the graduates when he told them to become involved in your community, share the joys and sorrow with your friends and neighbors as you become a member of your it. When it’s all said and done there isn’t anything more valuable in life than your family, friends, and neighbors who make up the communities we all live in here in the great state of Nebraska.

Wishing you and your family a very happy and prosperous New Year!