Business, meetings, oh my

Farming is a business. Business involves meetings, paper-pushing, hugs, kittens and rainbows. Well, maybe not all of that fits. However, there certainly are meetings, paper is involved, hugs may or may not come in the form of handshakes, kittens would be the farm dog with identity issues and rainbows would be the thing that appears after a rain storm. 

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the powers that be in my Canuckland farm and its parent company. Like that play on words, eh? Since the radical notion of a business meeting during the day was too much to consider, an evening meeting was convened at one of our local joints where oodles of caffeine in different mugs and flavors was available. 

If you’re having a ‘business’ meeting at a local coffeehouse, maybe a few suggestions for the next meeting would be advised. 

1) Obviously don’t discuss super personal info and numbers in case the coffee beans are listening. Duh.

2) Hold the meeting in the evening, after the evening meal so you are sure to encounter ALL of the moms (with three kids and baby in tow) hanging out for their weekly dose of reality and sanity.

3) Don’t forget all of the teenage crowd out after church (or before church)

4) Instruct all of your fellow coffee drinkers to order a drink that requires an ingredient to be steamed or blended. This way optimum hearing of conversation is achieved.

5) Be sure that the place is packed because it’s one of the few cool places to hang out after dark.

6) That includes the parking lot.

7) Have half of your party at this meeting come into it (or view it) as a Q and A session. NOT a business meeting where an agenda or items are actually discussed.

8) Have one person on both sides of the table mumble or whisper words that may or may not be an answer to a question or even pose as conversation.

9) Keep up the good work and hope for a legitimate business meeting next quarter.

10) Drink LOTS of coffee. And water, hydration is key to be successful in the long run and outlasting the endurance of the parent company.

Joking aside, a decent-ish meeting was had and both parties walked away well caffeinated. A few, tiny issues of, oh say, me being a gold digger and looking-to-profit-off-the-parent-farm-by-selling-all-the-land-once-that-future-day-of-control-rolls-around was settled. Paranoia and fear of loss of control threw that one out there so I’m going to take it with a five gallon bucket of salt. And I may have pointed out that that thinking didn’t say a lot for my love of farming (or of my hubby’s). The out-law (me) took the teeny tiny win of a somewhat successful first farm meeting. Nothing got crazy, no insults, civilized questions/answers were had and coffee was actually enjoyed. Fingers crossed for the next one!