“It’s unfortunate,” an Agfinity customer said after hearing our latest pricing updates. “In order for me to win, somebody else needs to lose.”
Life seems to work that way. For every up, there’s a down. Every “tit”, a “tat”. Every piece of cake, a pound…
This truth can be hard to understand. But there’s a reason the world needs both – winners and losers.
“But,” the farmer continued, “I guess it’s about time I’m going to start making some money again!”
That’s the spirit!!
This past weekend, my family and I visited Discovery Canyon in Red Deer. A nice, little spot to watch your kids tube down a concrete river, and then again, another twenty or forty times. The weather was ideal, so naturally we were one of more than a hundred families who chose to spend their Saturday this way.
“Shoot,” Michelle said on our drive down. “We forgot the tubes.”
The moral of this newsletter, unfortunately, is not based on the ant or squirrel that prepared for winter all summer long while the husband didn’t help pack the van… but that lesson would have benefited us hugely.
…No tubes? No problem! Discovery Canyon rents tubes! 5 bucks a pop! ‘But don’t pop ’em! You’ll be charged $40!’ read a sign outside the tube shed.
“…Sorry,” I overheard an employee with a man-bun say to another want-to-be-tubing-family upon our arrival. “We’re all out of tubes at the moment. But, you can hop in line, and wait for others to return their tubes.”
… Wait for others to return their tubes…? I hesitantly followed the other guests to the back of the line as Michelle and the kids found a place to play near the water. I felt like I had joined the Family Fun Transplant List, and was now waiting for somebody else’s kids to have a mini-crisis or temper tantrum so we could be the recipients of their freshly-used tubes.
A family near the front of the line was debating on whether to keep waiting. I did my best to mimic their irritability, hoping it would help persuade their decision, bumping my family up another spot on the transplant list. It worked. They decided to save tubing for another day and go watch a movie in an air-conditioned theatre instead. “How come this place is called Discovery Canyon if there’s no discovery?” their boy asked as he forfeited his heir to the tube.
At long last (about 20 exhausting minutes of being in line), I was finally at the front! I had emerged from the depths of the Family Fun Transplant List, and was soon resuscitated by the sand-stained tubes of the next exiting guests. My son and oldest daughter arrived just in time to help carry them back.
I took one last glance at the crowd that had formed behind me. I did not, however, see them as losers. We were all winners-in-waiting.
We had our tubes!! There was nothing stopping us now! Well, nothing except for the sun and it’s unforgiving UV rays… But after lathering up with some 50 SPF, we were ready to rock the river!
Dearest farmer… If at any point you’ve felt like a bit of a loser this past year, you’re not alone. This past year has provided farmers all across the prairies with countless opportunities to feel like a loser. You might even be so used to losing, you’ve forgotten what it feels like to win! Well, I may not be a weatherman, but I’m pretty sure we’re looking at a long-term forecast of winning this next year!
If your crops are looking decent or even mediocre, don’t be shy! And don’t feel guilty either. This is your year! This is your $9 wheat, your $4 feed barley and your $12 canola!
You’ve reached the front of the line, partner! So, let’s make sure this year’s harvest is transplanted straight into your bank account! Yeehaw! *Gunshots ringing in background*
Whether you’re ready to place a target, or you’re wanting to see where things are at or where they’re going, we look forward to hearing from you soon!
Because Farming is Forever,
Jared Seitz
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