The Cost Is In Being There

Some one coined the phrase, "The cost is in being there.". The is one of my favorite axioms of farm life.

Here are 10 ways it applies to our farm...

1. If you are picking green beans you had just as well pull the weeds too.
2. If you are going to be at the famer's market in May, when there aren't as many vegetables. You'd just as well grow asparagus and take vegetable transplants.
3. We fill our market booth space. You won't sell it if you don't take it. But if you take it you just might sell it.
4. You should weed the bed before you plant spinach. To weed it later is a pain.
5. If your children or farm workers don't get all the weeds pulled, the best teacher is to do it over. No need for angry comments. Just a quiet peaceful do over.
6. If you don't get all the beans picked the first time, you can do that over too.
7. If you don't plant any beans you won't need to weed or pick them. But then you and your neighbor will be hungry.
8. If you are going to winter market you'd better make salsa or your customers will be grumpy.
9. Make pickles as soon as you can, because when the tomatoes are ready you won't have time. (Dairy farmers call this, make hay while the sun shines.)
10. The most expensive seed is often the best investment. If you are going to take the time to plant, fertilize and weed something. You want it to be productive and disease resistant over a long time. You can often get 4x the production from the best cucumber varieties, for example.
11. You'd better check and change oil in the tiller regularly or you will be buying a new engine.
12. The cost is in being there.