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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1981-07-22, Page 4BY BEY BROWN The Procter brothers of Brussels again demonstrated at their annual sale of Bod- rnin shorthorns how to mar- ket a good farm product. In one corner of the drive shed visitors could watch a video tape about shorthorns and Bodmin farms, while outside the door you could get liter- ature about shorthorns or buy a farm hat advertising shorthorns, Ross Procter and his daughter Ann rode their horses Buck and Rawhide in a splendid display of cutting a cow out of a herd. During the afternoon Ann offered everyone an opportunity to ride the horses while she led them up and down the lane- way, If the sun and wind made you thirsty, there was a booth where you could buy coffee, lemonade and home- made tarts. Country music, including step-dancing, was provided by Jim Medd from Blyth. A Dutch treat dinner consisted of tender and juicy bull steaks, new potatoes, salad and a tart. Most every- one knows that bulls grow faster, are meatier and have better feed conversion. What Farm management Six steps for success BY MEL CHAMBERLAIN, Agricultural Representative Dr. Hiram Drache from Baker, Minnesota, speak- ing to a recent Conference, suggested six M's to suc- cessful farm management. Each of the "six M's" could be a topic for a separate article, but I'll mention them all now and add some of my personal questions and points to each. To be differ- ent start with number six. 6. Mechanization - Dr. Drache suggested that the optimum farm was a totally mechanized husband and wife. Organizing the mach- inery systems on the farm is a major challenge. Do the various pieces of equipment fit together - to they comple- ment each other? Are you overspending on machinery: could good used equipment be bought, thus reducing your capital outlay? Do you really need it this year or could you put it off? The annual ownership cost on a piece of equipment is about • :'5% - whether you use the ,i,achine one day or 30 days. :5. Marketing - We hear a 't about marketing these ays. That's good. marketing a complex subject. You Iced to spend a lot of time in tudying all the marketing aspects and possibilities for a particular commodity Changes in our marketing system have traditionally been slow -to come about. That's good too - because the participation of many is necessary to develop the best system. Individually, producers r BERG — Serviced Installation FREE ESTIMATES I 1 ° Barn Cleaners 11, 1 ° Bunk Feeders I ° Stabling 1 1 1 I Donald G. Ives ( 1 R.R.#2, Blyth 1 1 Phone: I 1 Brussels 887-9024 must consider marketing ar- rangements for their product as part of their planning process. Produce a product for the market - don't simply hope there will be a satisfactory market for your product. 4. Money - Are you getting your money from the right places? Are you putting it in . the right places? Have another look at your debt structure. Land and building should be amortized over a long term, machinery and breeding stock over a med- ium term. Your operating line of credit should be used onl y for crop and livestock ' production. And remember, bank money is generally at a lower rate of interest than money from farm supply sources. 3. Management - Are you using the available manage- ment tools? These include soil testing, feed testing, production testing and a ' number of computerized pro- grams. Do you prepare cash flows and projected budgets? Ask yourself these questions; "What will it do to my cash flow?" and "What will it do to my net income?" before you make a management decision. 2. Motivation - Dr. Drache said, "Spend no time with the doom and gloom crowd " a good suggestion if you want to remain optimistic when times are tough. Set your goals and set them high. A farm 'family that discusses and sets its gOals in life and works together to achieve them is likely to be successful. And this brings me to the most important point, point number one - Mate. L Mate - As Drache stated, "the attitude control- ler in most: families is the wife." Do you include your wife in goal setting and managment decisions on your farm? Does she under- stand the farm business - or if she runs the business do you understand it? Do you and your wife go together when you seek advice? Many bank managers have told me they like to see the farm wife present when farm finances are being diScuSsed. I expect your accountant and lawyer have similar feelings. Arid I know extension workers dol. the sales were made to farmers who live not far from the Bodtnin farms, which pleased Ross Procter, The sale average was $834 for 68 head, A4 — THE BRUSSELS POST, JULY 22, 1981 --- Bodmin sale brings out crowds the Procters are trying to Buyers were there from show is that bull meat is also Manitoba, Saskatchewan and superior eating. New Brunswick, But most of Roundup®. It can be one of your most versatile tools. Wherever you use it, Roundup° herbicide by Monsanto controls tough emerged weeds — right down to the roots — so they can't grow back. Yet Roundup has no carryover. And it won't wash or leach out of treated areas to injure crops or other desirable vegetation. Reach for Roundup as an in- crop spot treatment for tough weeds like milkweed. Use it in orchards. Or for pasture renova- tion to clean quackgrass infesta- tions out of forage crops. Use it after harvest to control quack- Nothing works like Roundup. 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