Wisdom from the road

If you’re anything like me, this time of year means chasing events – meetings, forums, expos and conferences. It’s considered a "slower" season for agriculture (though I’m not sure that term really applies), so everything tends to be crammed into a two- to three-month stretch.

The goal? To take all that information I’ve gathered and share it with you, the reader. The real challenge, however, is deciphering my notes and remembering why I jotted them down in the first place.

Now, I’m a sucker for a good quote, and during the Magic Valley Soil Health Forum in Twin Falls, I collected plenty of gems worth sharing. The meeting began with an open-mic-style segment where attendees offered their “words of wisdom” from their farm or industry experience. Many focused on soil health, but all of these nuggets can be applied to any area of business.

While I didn’t catch all the names to attribute these comments to, here are some of the highlights I wrote down:

“Don’t be afraid to try something new. I don’t suggest you try the whole farm at once, but try something new.”

“The best thing you could put on your crop is your shadow.”

“Try new practices on a big enough scale that it hurts a little bit. At least make it big enough that you’ll put some effort into it.”

“They are not failures; they are things you did not expect.”

“Ask questions. Questions lead to other questions.”

“We’ve developed a good-bad habit on our farm over the years, doing a lot of different plot trials. One thing I’ve learned is to make sure you limit your variables to just one. One thing. Because at the end of the year, if I’ve changed a few things on that plot, I can’t pinpoint what exactly contributed to that change. Doing so has made me a better manager.”

“Make a plan, and have a back-up plan, so if things don’t go the way you thought, you have a way to get out.”

“That what you persist in doing becomes easy to do, not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but the power to do it has increased.”

“Keep being curious.”

Aren’t those great? I love how honest and relatable these comments are. They serve as a reminder that both agriculture – and life – are about continuous learning and adapting. No one has all the answers. So, whether you’re exploring new soil health practices, testing new strategies or simply looking for a fresh perspective, the wisdom shared at events like this can inspire us all to keep growing.

I’d love to hear your own nuggets of wisdom. What would you add to the list? Feel free to email them to me.