Let’s begin. I created this blog with the intention of sharing my knowledge and passion for all things agrarian and woodworking. Both could consume a lifetime of blogging but I’ll keep this effort focused on what I have experienced. Which is to say about 40 years in agriculture and agribusiness and 5 years in woodworking. And 32 years of marriage, 4 kids, 3 grand kids and a grand dog, if such a thing exists. I’ve been a “survivor” of several mergers and on the receiving end of dozens of pissed off farmers. This latter experience alone should make me eligible for early retirement.
My upbringing was simple but stable in north central Indiana in a rural farming community. Never moved once. I worked for all the neighbors and mostly for the dairy farm next door. (Enjoyed the cows so much that I was an accomplished dairy cattle judge all the way through college and afterwards.) Loved the FFA and was an honorary Hoosier Farmer. I smoked and chewed in the corn fields and my first car was a ’75 Ford Pinto (another reason for early retirement.)
Today, I’m an agronomist for a seed company. Eight years ago I was a seed salesman for a different seed company. Before that, a state extension specialist for a university in the Midwest. All told, I’ve lived and worked in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and today, Texas. As the T.V. commercial says, “because I’ve seen a thing or two, I know a thing or two.” Oh, and I’ve got a diploma on the wall that says I’m a doctor or some such thing. Everybody calls me Peter, never Doctor. I’m not one for formality and I will warn you that my speech can get a little colorful at times. (If you enjoy the seed business, you’ll find me on Twitter @Texasagronomo and if you really want to learn more about corn and sorghum production, you’ll find me in several videos via Pioneer Hi-Bred’s YouTube video channel.)
Now, the weekend calls and I have three book cases to finish for my daughter and a small craft project for my wife. I just finished making several pieces for a silent auction scholarship fund – a carpenter’s toolbox, a restored industrial stool, a card deck holder and a cookbook holder – all very useful and well made – at least I think so. My hope is that everything I make is purposeful and will last a lifetime. And, ultimately, that would be my goal for this blog.
Until next time.
The Refined Woodworking Agronomist 