Building Real Leaders

 This past Tuesday morning Jan and I headed south to the Drakesville, Bloomfield neighborhoods. We first stopped at an Amish discount grocery store where Jan regularly does business. This young man with his pony had also driven his mother and sister to the store. Leadership isn't measured by tenure, age, or experience. But rather by actions, abilities, and a work ethic driven by selflessness.

The temperature on the morning of our trip was -15 degrees and the roads were totally snow covered. Leadership often happens from the background. Allowing others to "drive the cart". True leaders serve.

Just northwest of the little community of West Grove we stopped at a farm operated by Robert and his 15 year old son. Robert and his family sell flooring. He sold us a pallet of lament hardwood for the bunkhouse across the road. His forklift was revised as a walk behind and was powered by a Honda motor.

Friday, Jan and her sister Donna went to a Mennonite community in Rutledge, Missouri to shop for groceries, fabric, and to pick up pork the locker had processed for us. We enjoy having a freezer full of ground pork of all kinds that we can share with our family, our help, and others.

Doug was able to pick up Mom yesterday and take her for a ride. It was good to see her in person rather than through a window. A parents responsibility evolves from raising children to building leaders. In most cases their example is much more effective than their words. Thanks Mom and thanks Doug for taking the time for a ride.

It was Cat week in our shop as Chuck came and inspected and repaired some of our construction equipment, making sure it's reliable for another season.

Since it was below zero most of the week our goal was to work inside. One morning the guys helped Kurt insulate he and Emily's garage.

Another inside job was to install the flooring across the road that we picked up from Robert and his son. Thanks to Matt, Eli, and Ryan for heading up the project and thanks Dean for the visit.

After attending a funeral visitation in Sac City, BJ and Cassia, and Jan and I stopped in Paton at 209 Main, an active restaurant in a rural community.

Paton, Ia has 230 residents and is the home of Bauer Built, a business like many others, that started in a farm shop. Today the community has a John Deere factory that employees 120 people and a more recent built facility built by Vaughn and Lori that employees 60 folks. The couple also owns the convenience store and the restaurant we ate at. Before selling to John Deere in 2013 Vaughn built large toolbars for John Deere planters. He also built an adapter for our operation to run a John Deere corn head on a Cat combine. Vaughn not only builds equipment but a community and leaders alongside his farming operation that he operates with his son and son-in-law.

We started our story this morning with Robert and his family who farm with horses and have diversified with a flooring business. We've talked about Vaughn and his family who farm with 4-wheel drives and diversified with a manufacturing business. Both operations are serving well. And both are raising leaders. Below, our helper's boys are happy with the pillows Jan made them. Kaysen like John Deere. Kolby likes CaseIH.

Building real leaders starts young. By giving our children time, attention, and responsibility. By putting some grit in their life. And rewarding them with gratitude. Thanks for the picture Mike.

It's often difficult during times of rapid change for folks to know which is the "right direction" in agriculture today. Farming has never been short of doers when it comes to work. However there are only so many hours in a day for the balance of our faith, our family, others, and farming. And as we discussed as a family recently there comes a time when we need to work smarter, not harder. And be open to maybe more diverse opportunities when it comes to "how do we fit" in being leaders in tomorrows agriculture.

At my age one starts to think of a succession plan where an operation not only continues, but flourishes without the older generation. In my opinion that plan is not about building and compiling financial security but rather by building real leaders. Below are our youngest, twins, Kurt and Karl, soon to be 32 years old.

My friend and author, Joel Rosenberg, shared a story this week about working for Rush in the mid 1990s. As most of you know Rush passed away from lung cancer this past week. Joel talked about how much Rush taught him and promoted his political thriller novels. Joel also shared how he prayed for Rush for 25 years. And Joel shared how in 2019 Rush gave his life wholly and completely to Christ. Today we have leaders in the mainstream media and politics, filled with hate, trashing Rush and his impact. Rush is the real leader today. Rush is with his Lord and Savior for eternity. And the future for folks who hate is not very bright.

Finally, it doesn't matter if you farm with horses or 4-wheel drives. It makes no difference if you're famous or unknown. Our purpose here on earth is to be prepared and help prepare others for eternity. And to acknowledge the real leader of our lives. God created us to have a relationship with Him. He also created us to have relationships with each other. With warmer weather in the forecast Mike decided it was time to get the ice shack off our pond. Thanks for stopping by.