From the Word
There is a time …
GENERAL COLUMN
From the Word
The A-factor
June and July are the months of the year when farmers focus more on game , hunting , animals and feeding . While attending the opening of the new Senwes Equipment branches in the Eastern Cape , it came to my attention yet again how quickly confusion can be created . My Editor-in-Chief always reminds us , always keep your target audience in mind .
Let me explain . The word animal is a noun and in farming it is a general term referring to cows , sheep , etcetera . But if you ask children they will most probably first mention cats and dogs as these are more in their immediate environment .
It may have another connotation , especially in the US someone can say " You ' re an animal ". This has a total different meaning as it rather creates a positive , friendly feeling . It has the same meaning as " You ' re on fire ." It in essence means you ' re doing more than what ’ s asked of you . You ’ re crazy , but in a good way and it says a lot about your productivity or awesomeness referencing to your work .
The metaphor also suggests jumping at or pouncing on an opportunity . But to behave like an animal has a total different meaning than the above .
The A-factor may also take readers back to television series The A-team of the 1980 ’ s . A team that gets things done , no matter what the obstacles are . A for a child is the very first letter of the alphabet . A is also the symbol that shows you ’ re at the top in your class .
A farmer definitely has the A-Z factor and focuses on everything , needs to be on top to succeed , with his aim to achieve the top spot , no matter what the circumstances . And yes you ’ re on fire .
This is my message to you . Good luck with the animals as well as your preparation for the 2018 / 2019 season . Always look ahead and don ’ t let all the other factors affect your uniqueness . You ’ ve got what it takes .
Animal greetings .
There is a time …
Rev Willie Botha Read : Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
ONE AFTERNOON , WHILE the pastel colours of the autumn leaves were becoming more prominent , I realised how wonderful the seasonal cycle of a deciduous tree is . In summer the leaves are a beautiful dark green and have the ability to use every ray of sunlight . From mid-February the area around the leaf veins start to discolour . This signals the beginning of autumn and the leafy carpet under the tree becomes thicker and thicker . As time goes by , the leaves will be broken down to useful organic material , improving the quality of the soil . During winter the tree rests and switches off in a certain sense . Enough reserves have been built up to carry the tree through the cold months . At this time the tree is almost devoid of leaves . The August winds strip the tree from dead leaves stubbornly clinging to the branches . And then comes the late winter early spring hail , putting the necessary nitrogen into the soil .
Plant experts should excuse my simple observations . However , I was amazed about the way in which nature optimises its own chances . The winter poses unique challenges for the cattle farmer . As Angora goat farmers I remember how we ensured that the goats were sheltered at night for the first six weeks after shearing . We listened to the weather forecast every day , attentively to everything uncle Piet van Rensburg had to say against the background of the synoptic chart . A number of female animals are pregnant during winter and careful attention has to be given to their care and condition . Winter also brings unique feeding challenges . Some years are drier and additional feed is necessary . It is also a good time to break the cycle of external parasites .
Ecclesiastes took the observation about the cycles of life even further . In life there is also a time for everything under the sun . “ There is a time for everything , and a season for every activity under the heavens : a time to be born and a time to die , a time to plant and a time to uproot ". In Ecclesiastes 3:10,11 he concludes his observation : 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race . 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time . He has also set eternity in the human heart ; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end .
Winter is a unique time for the cattle farmer , time to optimise . A time during which we can fit into God ' s undetermined time . It is not a time to be passive , but rather to be proactive . In the simplicity of winter , we discover unique aspects relating to our time with God - and God ' s time with us .
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SENWES SCENARIO | WINTER 2018