Once upon a time........

Those magical first few words we heard as a small child. We new that what ever story came next was a world of excitement, wonderment, mystery and a tale of fulfilment. Those amazing "Fairy Tales" left us feeling as though the world was full of magic,that we can do anything and be a part of our own fairy tale. It gave us insight,scope and took us along a pathway of complete happiness and left us with confidence and feeling that all things were going to be "happy ever after".

As we grew up, our childhood fairy tales became shattered. The reality of the big wide world set's in. We are always feeling that we are pulled down a peg or two. Our dreams and goals drift away from us. We feel anxious, lose confidence, we wonder if there will ever be a, happy ever after.

This is what modern day society and business drives into us. It makes us think that, yes you can have your dreams and your fairy tales,in your mind, but in reality, corporates will drive you into the ground at every opportunity for their own gain, and at your ultimate detriment. We are left feeling, whats the point of continuing.

Well friends I want to tell you a story, and you guessed it, it starts with......

Once upon a time, a few years ago, I was sitting in front of my computer reading some blogs and forums on sustainable and productive farming solutions.
I started to read this particular farmer's insight on some things he had learnt and started to implement on his own program.
What he was putting into words in this forum, was an insight to this farmer's ultimate and achievable goals.
Then Mrs farmer popped up in the same forum, complementing her husband's insights, but from a different angle, yet again ultimately with the same ideas and the same set pathways.

The more they wrote, the more I read and researched some of this amazing tale of learning and practical knowledge building. After a while their time on the forum dwindled. I kept searching, and in my travels kept learning and passing on some of this information I had picked up from these guys.

Twelve months or so went by and as I do, I attend many field days and seminars to improve my knowledge. We were in a hall with about 40 or 50 people, where we all stood up and introduced ourselves and told every one a little about who we are and what we are there for.
Bingo. My forum fairys were there.

At the first break of the day, with cuppa and cake in hand I made a fast-track approach, shoved out my hand, introduced myself and told them how fantastic they were to be sharing and passing on their knowledge. Because you see, they are like-minded people, cut from the same stone as myself. Let's build knowledge and learning, and pass it on to the masses. That's what makes a difference.

Over the next year or two we would occasionally catch up the odd phone call, a farm visit here and there, no pressure, no sales just friends helping friends.

Earlier this year, pretty close to seeding, Mrs farmer rings me up. Andrew can you come and visit, we need to talk. No worries, is tomorrow ok?
The next day on the two hour drive to their farm I was wondering, why all of a sudden the quick cry for help or guidance.

As we sat around the kitchen table, Mr and Mrs farmer unloaded on me that things were not all good. They had lost confidence, they were anxious, had been screwed by corporates, and in their own way were feeling, is there going to be a happy ever after?

Then something amazing happened. A spark. They started to tell me about a project they had undertaken. Something from completely left field. But they believed in it. They had a passion about making it work. Because you see for them, This had to work. It was the last straw. It was the last throw of the dice. Everything came down to this.

In confidence they showed me their project. I was amazed. I had read briefly about this idea before, I had not dismissed it, I just had not followed it very closely.

After a couple of hours, I drove out of their farm knowing that,

1. They had a passion.
2. They had drive.
3. Yes, they were going into some relatively uncharted waters, but they believed.
4. They needed to share with a like minded person, and really for them, get a show of confidence from me to know that, what they were doing potentially had merit.
5. They were giving it everything, totally.

Now here we are 6 weeks post seeding. Crops are up. Looking pretty good. We have had a variable season so far, thinks going ok.

Recently I had the privilege of being with Mr and Mrs farmer on their farm with about a dozen or so fellow primary producers to share these insights.
What we discussed and discovered during the afternoon, made many people really stand up and think about their current farming practice. What we saw was not just some healthy crops, we saw a healthy farm.

This is driven by passion and commitment. To achieve what Mr and Mrs farmer are doing is about the thinking. To undertake this pathway, first you must create the paradigm shift.

If you do what you have always done,
you will always get what you have always gotten.

You must change your thinking pattern first before making ultimate change.

We have all heard of the book The Secret and the term, The Law of Attraction. Now some of you may initially dismiss this, but please don't underestimate the power we ultimately have our self, and the power of the universe.
You ask Mr and Mrs farmer here about their law of attraction. This program for them was never going to fail. For others it might, you see, you need to have belief.

After driving out their drive way that evening, I knew that Mr and Mrs farmer and their little farmers are going to live "happily ever after".

Sweet Dreams.

Now That's Smart Thinking Smart Farming.


Keep your green light on.