My dad always made sure we had good winter boots regardless of the year.  The warmth they provided was secondary to the way they made you feel while walking up to the hockey rink.  Dad wanted us to feel good and take pride in what we wore, only because he was a firm believer in that if you looked good and felt good you would take pride in what you were doing.  That being said, Brian, although  he could use a new wardrobe, is about the most meticulous person in how his equipment looks and runs.  His due diligence in the shop pays off when we are in the field.  January is a time for maintenance, polishing and rebuilding around the farm; and the more due diligence that occurs in the confines of the shop pays huge dividends when we get out in the field.

January also brings time to refine and alter any plans that we have in the pipeline for the coming year.  For instance, we are putting the finishing touches on our seed orders and acreage amounts that we want to plant for each particular crop.  We announced an exciting new product for this coming year that we tested last year, mini-peppers in a bag.  We introduced them in the Lunds and Byerlys stores in 2015 and plan on ramping up our production to facilitate the demand.  We have a couple of new sweet corn varieties that proved well last year and plan on expanding the acreage in those particular varieties as well.

I hope everyone had great Christmas and is off and running in the new year.  Just remember spring is not that far off and the days are getting longer.  Enjoy the winter months!