AgWired

The board of the AgChat Foundation has been hard at work for two days planning for the future. We’re still in the process and will have some very positive and exciting announcements coming out soon.

It’s hard to believe that farmers have been engaging online via a weekly Twitter chat that began over two years ago. The AgChat Foundation has grown out of that effort and community and now encompasses much more than just one social media platform. The organization is specializing in training agvocates. As the mission statement says:

Empower farmers and ranchers to connect communities through social media platforms.

We do that by reaching out and engaging with farmers and conducting an annual training conference. Let’s just say that the effort is going very well and I’m proud to be a part of it. I’m also proud of all the people who are volunteering past and present. We’ve got a lot more work to do but in retrospect it’s amazing what we’ve accomplished so far. I’ll have more after we get done with the rest of our agenda here.

I think it’s hard sometimes for city-folk to imagine what it’s like to live in the country. When I tell them we have two horses out front in the pasture, they can’t imagine having that much room in the “front yard”. Then I tell them we have to drive at least 18 miles for groceries but if you want cheaper ones, you have to drive 26 miles. Our closest neighbors are my grandparents and they’re about ¼ mile away. Living where we do, I’ve learned to make lists, too because if you get to the store and forget something, you can’t just turn right around and be back to the store in a blink. It’s thoughtful and planned which sometimes drives my husband crazy because he likes to be more spontaneous. I on the other hand like to combine my trips to save on gas and time.

This is a picture of our local co-op, 5 miles from our house. This is where we get gas. There’s no pizza, no restroom, no candy, but the air is free. (Imagine that – not charging $1 for AIR.) And you have to have a card or you can’t fill up.

The co-op at my in-laws in Kansas is the same way except they have a candy and pop machine inside where our son’s Grandpa always makes a purchase when the grandkids are visiting. It’s tradition…going to the co-op, seeing all the men sitting around drinking coffee and gossiping, then getting chocolate and a pop for the ride home. Even if it is 10 minutes before lunch.

The nice thing about the pump at the co-op? It’s always open as long as you have a card.

Until we walk again …

Have you ever thought about buying all the gifts mentioned in the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas?” This year the cost will top $100K according to PNC Wealth Management that calculates the cost each year. They also produce an annual Christmas Price Index. Here’s the findings (pdf) this year:

A sluggish economy coupled with weak demand has kept the 2011 PNC Christmas Price Index® (PNC CPI) to a moderate gain of 3.5 percent in the whimsical economic analysis by PNC Wealth Management based on the gifts in the holiday classic, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

As part of its annual tradition, PNC Wealth Management also tabulates the “True Cost of Christmas,” which is the total cost of items gifted by a True Love who repeats all of the song’s verses. This holiday season is the most expensive year ever: very generous True Loves have to fork over $101,119.84 for all 364 gifts, a 4.4 percent increase compared to last year.

You can find a handy table with costs listed and compared to 2010 here (pdf). Only the three French Hens, Eight Maids-a-Milking, Nine Ladies Dancing, and 10 Lords-a-Leaping were the same price as last year. Need the lyrics? Try here.