From March through October, you
will find me on the road about two weeks out of every month. For eight months,
my travels take me from home, in Western Washington, to four cities in eastern Washington,
on to the Willamette Valley of Oregon for nine stops, and then home. After that
trip I am home for a week to catch up on business and then off to Idaho for a
three to four day visit before returning home and repeating the process.
After each trip it takes about 1½
to 2 days for me to recover from what I call “stupid head,” a condition where
you can only hear road noise or the drone of an airplane propeller. I’m sure those of you who travel a lot know
what “stupid head” is.
This really doesn’t sound like an
exciting way to spend your summer, especially if you are a 64-year-old husband,
father, and grandfather. But there is a reason and a validation. When I was in
college I had a discussion with an advisor about the ag retail business. He
told me if you want to be wealthy, don’t go into ag retail. I can honestly say
he was right. I have been in this game for 38 years and I’m sure many of my
former classmates have acquired much more wealth than I have. But I think I can
say I have had more successes than they have. Every place I go, I have helped a
farmer or fertilizer dealer become more successful in their business and I am
welcomed back for another visit.
Life isn’t all about financial
greatness or great self power. When you can educate a dealer who can now pass
the information on to his farmers, or help a farmer be more productive and more
profitable, you have succeeded in being a real Agronomist.
Now, if you will excuse me, it’s
time to pack my suitcase.
