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#Post#: 19568--------------------------------------------------
Wondering how Neal‘s farm is going
By: SHL Date: November 1, 2019, 2:15 pm
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I hadn’t heard from Neal in so long I was wondering how his farm
is doing? Long Island gets awfully cold this time of year so I
wonder how he makes in through the winter. Of course this might
be „chicken season.“ I love how they call raising animals to
slaughter „animal husbandry.“ Some husband those folks are to
their animals ;)
#Post#: 19569--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wondering how Neal‘s farm is going
By: NealC Date: November 2, 2019, 8:14 am
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Lol. You knew that asking about the farm would bring me out of
the bushes :-)
The Garden Mums are done, we now have a small season of
ornamental cabbages and pansys here in the first few weeks of
NOV and then the Christmas Tree auction and December
Poinsettias. Cabbage and Pansy time is where a lot of Japanese
seed companies shine - the cabbages are all named after cities
in Japan!
I am mostly in the office making orders and otherwise
formulating fiendish schemes for next year. I have created a
huge cost sheet in excel on all of our products, will spend the
winter testing a lot of the assumptions.
Inside the greenhouse we are reworking some of the heat and
irrigation as well as putting in a simple propagation area.
Buying unrooted cuttings and rooting them ourselves is a
significant cost savings. I am also astonished when it works,
as it did for the 3000 perennials we just rooted. Saved at
least 50% on them.
Finally I am redesigning our retail area and taking the
unprecedented step (for us at least) of pre-planning the
displays. Our retail area angers me because although we have an
impressive expanse of material for sale the expanse itself has
no endcaps and no height. We need to fix that. I also might
work on a new color scheme up front, but that would open a
Pandoras box of new work. Not sure we have time for that this
year.
Of course new grand-baby Natalie is taking up some of our time
too. Grandchildren are wonderful - it is really where life
starts paying you off.
#Post#: 19572--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wondering how Neal‘s farm is going
By: SHL Date: November 2, 2019, 2:18 pm
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[quote author=NealC link=topic=1384.msg19569#msg19569
date=1572700449]
Lol. You knew that asking about the farm would bring me out of
the bushes :-)
The Garden Mums are done, we now have a small season of
ornamental cabbages and pansys here in the first few weeks of
NOV and then the Christmas Tree auction and December
Poinsettias. Cabbage and Pansy time is where a lot of Japanese
seed companies shine - the cabbages are all named after cities
in Japan!
I am mostly in the office making orders and otherwise
formulating fiendish schemes for next year. I have created a
huge cost sheet in excel on all of our products, will spend the
winter testing a lot of the assumptions.
Inside the greenhouse we are reworking some of the heat and
irrigation as well as putting in a simple propagation area.
Buying unrooted cuttings and rooting them ourselves is a
significant cost savings. I am also astonished when it works,
as it did for the 3000 perennials we just rooted. Saved at
least 50% on them.
Finally I am redesigning our retail area and taking the
unprecedented step (for us at least) of pre-planning the
displays. Our retail area angers me because although we have an
impressive expanse of material for sale the expanse itself has
no endcaps and no height. We need to fix that. I also might
work on a new color scheme up front, but that would open a
Pandoras box of new work. Not sure we have time for that this
year.
Of course new grand-baby Natalie is taking up some of our time
too. Grandchildren are wonderful - it is really where life
starts paying you off.
[/quote]
Yes Neal. You knew I wanted to bring you out of hiding ;)
Just hoping you are doing well. I sort of wish I had a business
like yours because it sounds like you like it and are
successful. I’m not fond of the law business, as you know. And
I only have my 91 year old mother next door to visit and watch
over. All she likes to do is watch her veterinarian medical
shows on TV, showing operations on bunny rabbits and lizards.
How interesting is that? (Not very).
Well, I know you don’t want to hear about my gallbladder surgery
on the 27th, and the ordeal I’ll have to go through. If I drop
off the radar screen you’ll know what did it. You know how
planes on radar screens suddenly disappear if they crash ?
That‘s how you know they went down? Same concept. Sort of like
if I were to take a flight on a Boeing 737MAX Right now. (My
niece flew on a 737MAX to Miami before they were grounded, and
made it there and back safely. But you can’t have a plane
flying around with a 1/100 chance it will crash. You might get
lucky and be okay, but you can’t be playing the odds like that
in aviation. With surgery there’s always that chance you take,
so keep a good thought for me. )
Glad business is good. Take care. :)
#Post#: 19574--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wondering how Neal‘s farm is going
By: NealC Date: November 2, 2019, 5:35 pm
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I know about that surgery, both my wife and my mom had it done.
I think you will do ok, the doctors do a lot of that surgery
every year, especially in America, land of the fatty diet.
Well it is nice to do something you like, I gave up the toy
business now and I have to make the farm pay. We shall see.
My wife likes those same tv shows. I can't stand them.
#Post#: 19575--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wondering how Neal‘s farm is going
By: SHL Date: November 2, 2019, 6:05 pm
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[quote author=NealC link=topic=1384.msg19574#msg19574
date=1572734140]
I know about that surgery, both my wife and my mom had it done.
I think you will do ok, the doctors do a lot of that surgery
every year, especially in America, land of the fatty diet.
Well it is nice to do something you like, I gave up the toy
business now and I have to make the farm pay. We shall see.
My wife likes those same tv shows. I can't stand them.
[/quote]
Yeah, those vet TV shows drive me crazy. Suzy the bunny rabbit
needs a paw operated on so let’s watch the operation. What a
bore. My mom was watching one once where they were doing surgery
on a pet lizard, or Gila monster once. Geez. How weird.
I didn’t know you were in the toy business once. Interesting.
Yeah, they do indeed do a lot of gallbladder surgeries each year
all over the world, like Martin said. It’s laparoscopic
surgery so it’s not that bad. Not like they have to slice you
open.
But my biggest motivation is I like to travel and don’t want to
risk having those gallstones floating around in me waiting to
clog up a bile duct. Pain like you can’t believe.
Best wishes. ;)
#Post#: 19576--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wondering how Neal‘s farm is going
By: NealC Date: November 3, 2019, 6:07 am
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I think the travel reason is a good one, it might just be a
coincidence, but it seemed like my wife always had an attack
when we were traveling. Maybe being away make the episodes
stand out in my memory, but I remember them in hotels all the
time.
#Post#: 19577--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wondering how Neal‘s farm is going
By: SHL Date: November 3, 2019, 8:37 pm
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[quote author=NealC link=topic=1384.msg19576#msg19576
date=1572782877]
I think the travel reason is a good one, it might just be a
coincidence, but it seemed like my wife always had an attack
when we were traveling. Maybe being away make the episodes
stand out in my memory, but I remember them in hotels all the
time.
[/quote]
Yeah, that’s what worries me. It’s bad enough being home in your
own bed with a gallbladder attack and your hospital nearby, but
I couldn’t imagine what it would be like being overseas on
vacation and have this happen in a hotel. Yikes.
As to those Vet TV shows, they do drive me crazy. My mom had to
tell me how she was watching the episode with the black bunny
rabbit and how it was having an operation, but “flatlined” on
the operating table. You know, died, but they brought it back to
life after heroic resuscitation efforts by the vets. So the poor
black bunny was dead for a few minutes on the operating table
but ultimately saved (we can all breathe a sigh of relief). She
said they were operating on a snake once, but she wasn’t as
concerned whether the snake made it or not. She said, “you know,
bunnies are very delicate and don’t live long. Chickens too. If
it gets too hot, a chicken will drop over dead.”
So, this is how my Sunday went. Hearing about the vet operating
table dramas. :)
#Post#: 20080--------------------------------------------------
Re: Wondering how Neal‘s farm is going
By: nataliestpete Date: May 12, 2022, 11:50 am
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I read it only now. Natalie. Like me. Sorry, for writing my
thoughts here like crazy but it’s my way to realise some things
happen
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