Kirk Leeds Chief Executive Officer, Iowa Soybean Association kleeds@iasoybeans.com, Twitter@kirkleeds
Opening and Closing Doors
A
s you read this column, I wonder how many of us have already abandoned our New Year’s resolutions. Year after year, we come up with a list of things we want to change or accomplish in the next 12 months. In our personal lives, these resolutions often deal with improvements in health or the relationships we have with family or friends. Professionally, we may want to improve specific skills, take on new leadership roles or enhance our overall effectiveness. As I reflected on this, I wondered where this practice of setting resolutions came from and why we do this on January 1? In my research, I was reminded the first calendar with January at the beginning of the year (the Julian calendar) was in 45 B.C. when Julius Caesar decreed that a new calendar be created. The word January comes from Janus in Roman mythology. He is a Roman god of doors, doorways, arches, openings and closings. January is the closing of one door (year) and the opening of another – the New Year. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar was implemented, establishing the
4 | JANUARY 2019 | IASOYBEANS.COM
new leap year rules. Since then, people around the world have gathered January 1 to celebrate the precise arrival of the New Year. The practice of creating New Year’s resolutions has religious origins. Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus. So, after closing the door on 2018 with all the challenges experienced throughout the planting and harvesting seasons and with the significant disruption of exports of U.S. soybeans to China due to trade disputes, what does 2019 hold for Iowa’s soybean farmers? First, we need to remember there are many things we have no control over. Weather, of course, being one of the biggest. Second, there are lots of things we have very little control over. Global politics and conflicts between countries and political leaders near the top of that list. But there are many things that we can impact. On this list would undoubtedly be our attitudes and outlook. As bad as things may be,
they could always be worse and even in the darkest days, we have much to be thankful for. But as it relates to production agriculture, farmers know improving the efficiency of their operation is indeed an area where they do have many opportunities to impact. In early February, the Iowa Soybean Association will host three regional farmer research conferences across the state. Our goal with these events is to help farmers deal with new and emerging production issues (soybean gall midge infestations, for example) or how to reap benefits from digital imagery. Turn to page 17 to learn more. I encourage you to “make a resolution” to join us at one of these events as we close the door on 2018 and open the door to 2019.
