F2F

We drove to Omaha again this year for the Farmer2Farmer conference.  We bucked 40 to 50 mile per hour wind gusts all the way out.  I was pretty weary from driving by the time we got there.  But, we enjoyed our time there, especially the speakers.  The first evening, Rob O'Neill, former Seal Team 6 leader, was the featured speaker.  He was the Seal who shot Osama bin Laden in the raid of his compound in Pakistan.  He talked about preparation, leadership, decision making, and operating in uncertain environments.
The next day Kevin O'Leary was the keynote speaker.  He is a millionaire entrepreneur and investor, and is the mean "shark" on the Shark Tank TV program.  He talked about investments, attitudes, diversification, and building businesses.
 
It was exciting to see the growth of FBN and hear the new products coming out and the direction the company is taking in the Ag industry.  I got to speak personally with the co-founder and CEO of the company.  They have a lot of ideas to help level the playing field for farmers in an industry dominated by multinational companies.  There were farmer members in attendance from 40 states plus Canada.

As we were leaving Omaha, we made a quick stop at the Pioneer Courage Park in the downtown area.  They have some neat, life size sculptures depicting a wagon train of pioneers heading west.  It reminded me of the "Cattle Drive" in downtown Dallas.

We've already had our big family Christmas, so the actual day should be laid back.  Our kids won't be all together with us until later in the week.  Daughter #1 did present me with a plate of her spingerle cookies already!

Finally, here is a grainy black and white photo of the corn pile at our elevator this fall.  It contained approximately 2 million bushels of corn.  Most of it has already been picked up, loaded on rail cars, and shipped out. 

And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
Numbers 13:20