Showing posts with label farmers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label farmers. Show all posts

Friday, October 02, 2026

2026-10-02 Friday - A Lesson In Entrepreneurship


[image credit: kpbritton on pixabay dot com]

I am reminded of a brief conversation I had with my grandfather, almost 60 years ago, as our family had gathered at a campground around one of the many lakes in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas for a long weekend in the cool fall weather.

Even when he took a break from farming, he would always listen to the Farm Report on the radio, every day, checking the trends and news, and the latest quotes for soybeans and cotton.

As I stood by the open door of his truck, as he listened to the radio, I vividly remember asking him this question: "What is a good price for a bushel of soybeans?"

His reply was a lesson in entrepreneurship, encapsulated in just a few words:
"As much as you can get". 

~

In the farming off-seasons, my grandfather frequently traveled the backroads of Arkansas, and several of the surrounding states – looking for family homes that might have old barns and smokehouses, that might have hidden antique treasures he could offer to purchase. He would then travel to auctions and flea markets to sell his items, and buy more. 

One year, I traveled with him down to the DFW area, for a mega flea market event. He setup his tables, and placed his items out for inspection by the constantly flowing crowds. 

I noted he did not have prices on his items, and asked how he decided what to charge someone. 

He stated that he looked at their shoes. 

Nice shoes, higher price.  

WordCount