Lately, a verse from the Old Testament has been circling in my head. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV). Maybe this is present in my mind because, at least in my neck of the woods, the seasons are all out of whack. Here in Idaho, we tend to follow a normal four-season year, with winter moving in from November to February, and flurries and cold lasting well into March. This year, however, spring showed up in February, and March felt like May and looked like April, which was great for calving season but not a promising start for our farmers. And I know this isn’t a unique experience. Folks across the country have dealt with some crazy weather patterns this winter. Someone needs to give Mother Nature a call and see if she’s OK.
It’s a sad, sad day when it’s harder to plan for the natural seasons than the alternative set of seasons we know and love, or love to hate – calving season, construction season, hunting season, and by now I hope you’ve recovered from the trauma of tax season. My heart still beats a little faster when I drive past an H&R Block.
To everything there is a season, and I think we are blessed in the agriculture community to have some comforting constants to cling to, regardless of what is happening in the world. Economies rise and fall, but it’s still time to get out in the field to cut hay. Politicians pontificate, but it’s still time to turn your pairs out into fresh pasture. Contention between communities, cultures, countries and political factions grows louder and more vicious, but you still have fence to fix and chores to do, and dang it, somebody left the gate open.
However, just because the foundation remains the same and the day-to-day work gives a sense of continuity, it’s important to pay attention to the rest of the world and leave room and flexibility to grow and change. This is an important and often difficult balance to keep. In this day and age, we are a more global community and economy than ever before. As we’ve seen with fuel and commodity prices, a disruption on one side of the world will ripple back to affect what happens on the other side. That doesn’t mean you must keep up a constant stream of Fox News or CNN; for the sake of your own mental health, I’d advise against that, actually, but it’s necessary to know what is going on in the world to make informed decisions for your operation.
The other element to balance is room for growth. In applying Ecclesiastes to today, I’d say there is a time to dig in your heels and keep doing what you’re doing, or a time to look for a different way to do things. As stewards of the land, especially with the weight of generations, in some cases, of experience and trial-and-error behind us, we know what our land and cattle can and cannot do. But what if your pastures were managed differently? What if you were more selective about herd genetics? What if you tried something new? You can learn from what Grandpa knew, take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and tools we have today and still leave room for the next generation to make their own changes – because heaven knows their world will look very different from what we know now.
Just like winter turns into spring, change comes whether we’re ready or not, and just like a freak April blizzard or an August wildfire, something comes up that will knock even the most determined plans awry. The key to survival and success will lie in keeping firm roots in the past and a clear eye on the future.
