I walked into the Radisson Hotel in Normal, IL, and the layout made me ask the receptionist, “Did this used to be a Holiday Inn?”
Why yes, yes it was. And then it had sat vacant for 15 years or so. Radisson revived the location and spent a pretty penny making it all brand new, but the basic bones remains the same.
I had spent many a night in that Holiday Inn, first as a public relations writer, then as a market researcher. It was a popular spot for holding focus groups back in the day. And it made me think about how and why farmers value history. History can teach us a lot. History repeats itself unless we learn from it.
Farmers know the history of their fields, the history of their equipment, the history of their families. These are the ties that bind them to the land, the way of life a farm can afford. They help them avoid repeating their mistakes and continue to make progress. Sure, setbacks happen, but they keep their feet moving forward, even as they embrace the past.
Sometimes, that means rescuing a farm that has been neglected or mismanaged. Just as a classic car (or tractor) restorer pulls a frame from the back row of trees and sees the outcome of a shiny showmobile that draws admiration, so too do farmers who pull land back from the brink. They see the beautiful bumper crops that are possible with the right input, care, and attention.
Vision is a key attribute of successful farmers. Successful marketers, too. It comes from knowing history and shaping the future. Millennium Research can help you with both, reducing the need for elbow grease. If you need help envisioning the potential, we can help. Give me a call!
