9. Year-round calving spreads out cash flow, reduces bull requirements and expands seasonal cull cow marketing.

8. Your "I jotted it down on the pickup fender" recordkeeping has forced your accountant to become a far more creative person.

7. Not paying attention to a bull's EPDs gives you a 50 percent chance of being pleased, 50 percent chance of being disappointed--better odds than most farming decisions.

6. Half-way fence-fixing measures expand the forage base and open up lines of communication with neighbors.

5. By allowing the johnsongrass to choke out the velvetleaf, you eventually reduce the target weed species you have to deal with.

4. Big skips in applying chemicals encourages biodiversity and prevents herbicide tolerance.

3. Driving your truck until the clanking is absolutely deafening makes diagnosis far easier.

2. Basing grain marketing decisions on whether the truck will start puts you on a par with professional price prognosticators.

1. A busted planter and a lazy attitude and you can be a real skip-row crop production innovator.

Mark Parker is withFarm Talk Newspaper, Parsons, Kan.