WHO WILL BE YOUR SUCCESSOR? Peter Drucker, a well-known management expert said, “The final test of greatness in a CEO is how well he chooses a successor, and whether he can step aside and let his successor run the com pany.” When you are ready to step aside, do you know who your successor will be? Many children who grow up on farms have their share of chores and are introduced at a very young age to working on the farm. They leam by doing. In my own family, all the children were expected to help with chores and there never seemed to be enough time in the day. Sometimes I thought my middle name was “Hurry.” Aqua-Therm Outside Wood Burning Furnace - Clean f - Easy - Safe - Efficient n ir°d Buy the top of the line! ’Stainless Steel Fire Box *Ash Removal Auger *l5 Year Warranty ‘Thermostatically Controlled Meat your house, shop and/or hot water with one unit. For more Information, call 717-838-9270 or 1-888-382-8170 Email: mkpoweliepaonline.com A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ... Tom Bollinger & Family - Meadow Spring Farm New 3 Row Freestall Facility Features: • Double Sidewall Slider Curtains • Alley Scraper with Gravity Flow to Storage • Wide Front Freestalls • Brisket Boards • Mattresses • Open Trough Type Energy Free Waterers • Grooved Concrete Scrape Alleys, Diamond Grooved at Waterers • Wave Grooved Type Feed Alley Matting White Horse Construction 5070 Leike Road Parkesburg, PA 19365 Phone 610/593-5559 Dairy Facilities / . Gsnerql Constcuqtioiv New Farmers, New Generation M avion Bowlan Pennsylvania Farm Link Children can absorb a great deal of information by participat ing on the farm. They gain first hand knowledge of living and working with family members, being one’s own boss, and mak ing important decisions. They also experience the problems that weather, regulation, and globali zation of trade have inflicted on the profitability of the farm busi ness. Good successors do not hap pen by chance. Most CEOs don’t start out as CEOs. Rather, they work their way up through the business and are groomed by in terested mentors or founders. We should be doing the same for the successors, or CEOs, of our farms. Unfortunately, many senior Joe Zook 450 Sheep Hill Rd. Newmanstown, PA 17073 Phone 717/949-6870 Dairy Facilities Consultant .'.QTjJaJ r.. 1 yAw.*': l -.v: generation farmers are reluctant to discuss farm succession be cause they may not have come to grips with the idea of stepping down or their own mortality. Or they may not believe that the jun ior generation is capable of run ning the farm as well as they did. If you choose not to discuss farm transfer, you risk the dan ger of leaving the inevitable to chance. Sooner or later we all have to face our own demise. If you have no plans in place, you may leave the farm highly vul nerable, leaving dissent, disorder, and even failure as your legacy. Make a commitment today to schedule a family meeting and get discussions started. If you haven’t discussed the transfer process, sooner is better than later. Successors also need the op portunity to develop manage ment skills before they take over the operation. Management skills are not inherited. Too often, the senior generation holds onto the checkbook and bank account, leaving the successor poorly pre pared to take over or make crit ical decisions. In addition to production skills, successors need the oppor tunity to manage labor, solve problems, understand the finan- Dutch Country Soft Pretzels e <3 <? 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Profit or loss should be the Dairy Day Jan. 15 LEESPORT (Berks Co.) The Berks County Cooperative Extension Dairy Day will high light feed additives, milk inputs for 2003, and nuisance birds Jan. 15 at the Berks County Agricul tural Center. Speakers and topics include: • 9:00 a.m. - Registration, Visit Commercial Exhibits, and Refreshments • 10:00 - Dealing With Nui sance Birds (Clyde Myers, Exten sion Agent, Penn State Coopera tive Extension-Berks County) • 10:30 Exploring the Rumen Digestive System - How It Really Works (Dr. Limin Rung) • 11:15 From the Cost of In puts Through the Price of Milk - What Can We Expect for 2003 (John Berry) • 11:45 Lunch • 12:45 Dairy Feed Additives - Which Will Work With Your Management (Dr. Limin Kung) • 1:30 Experiences With Addi tives (Dr. Carl Brown, Dr. Dave Nirschl) • 2:00 Panel Discussion (Dr. Kung, Dr. Brown, Dr. Nirschl) All-Breeds Convention Feb. 14-16 STATE COLLEGE (Centre Co.) The 2003 Pennsylvania Junior All-Breeds Convention will be Feb. 14-16 in State Col lege. This year’s theme is “Crazy About Cows!” Workshops for older par ticipants in clude calf nu trition, water quality, and manure anal ysis. Juniors will attend sessions on dairy judging and conver- J successors. Allow them to learn and make mistakes without jeop ardizing the whole operation. More responsibility and authority can be added as they gain experi ence. If you would like to learn more about farm succession, attend one of Pennsylvania Farm Link’s upcoming workshops: Jan. 22 in Pleasant Gap, Feb. 19 in Man heim, March 10 in Lewistown, or March 11 in Bedford. Call (717) 664-7077 to register for these workshops or for information on farm succession. • 2:30 Adjourn Featured speaker will be Dr. Limin Kung, a researcher and educator in dairy nutrition. He has conducted many research studies dealing with additives at the University of Delaware. He has given presentations to pro ducers and professionals in the United States, Canada, and Eu rope. Other speakers include John Berry, a multicounty extension agent in marketing; Dr. Carl Brown, sales manager and nutri tionist for F. M. Brown’s Sons, Inc.; and Dr. Dave Nirschl, a vet erinarian for 32 years for Willow Creek Animal Hospital. Reservations are required and are $5 per person. Send check, made payable to Berks County Extension Special Account, to Berks County Cooperative Ex tension, Berks County Ag Center, P.O. Box 520, Leesport, PA 19533. For more information, contact Clyde Myers at (610) 378-1327 or e-mail camll@psu.edu. sion of feed to milk. Saturday lunch will feature Dr. Larry Muller talking about inter national dairy opportunities, and Sunday will feature Carrie Bom gardner as the inspirational speaker. Registration fee is $5O, which covers all meals for the weekend. Hotel reservations should be made directly with Ramada Inn by Jan. 14. 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