Tater Mater Forums

I suspect that Tom Wagner is himself a “rare breed” not to mention a “Zebra of a different Stripe”. I don’t think there are many independent plant-breeders left.

So far I’ve met in person exactly two, and not for lack of trying.

Well, fancy that: it’s hard to make a living as an independent plant breeder. There are reasons for division of labor. Systems of production work best when each “unit” within the system can concentrate on part of a more complex process, instead of trying to do the whole thing by themselves.

Why? Because if one person tries to do everything, he goes broke buying tools and other resources that sit idle most of the time while he’s working on a stage of the process that doesn’t require that particular tool. It results in high capital overhead and inefficient allocation of tools.

We’re chronically short on “seed money” (no pun intended) too. We can’t just buy our way out of the production bottlenecks we’re constantly in.

What would make more sense is for us to expand our business by partnering with OTHER independent plant breeders who themselves need income. We provide the sales and marketing overhead that we’ve already invested a lot of time in, and someone else supplies the seeds.

The interesting thing about commerce is that one person’s by-product is someone else’s valuable commodity. For example, Tom was producing lots of seed as a by-product of his breeding work, most of which either got eaten or composted (he doesn’t seed every tomato from every plant). He had tried to run his own seed business, but that’s too much overhead for a one-man operation.

There are probably more professional and amateur plant breeders out there, and in a few cases, growers, who have a surplus of something sufficiently interesting, unique, or useful, to be marketable. Having us sell it could bring someone some needed income. In this economy, I suggest not turning up a nose to small but fairly effortless income streams.

I’ll post a semi-permanent link on this page to solicit offers. Wish us luck; it could be a win-win-win situation for our future partners, our customers, and us too.

I often find myself surrounded by beauty

“If the only prayer you ever said was ‘thank you’, that would be enough.”

–Meister Eckhard

Here in the States it’s almost Thanksgiving holiday. I asked Tom what he was thankful for, but haven’t heard back from him. He told me that his family keeps him busy during the holidays and that they go “all out”.

I think he’s got watching some football with his sons in his near future. He really enjoys that time with his sons.

I know him well enough that I can probably answer for him. Above all, I know Tom loves and is thankful for his family. He often talks about his children, fusses over them a lot, and often expresses his feelings on the importance of family.

I’m thankful for my family too. I have a wife and four beautiful children. The youngest arrived relatively late in our lives but having her has worked out better than we anticipated. She’s been the light of our lives since she was born.

I’m also thankful for…

• My extended family.


• Having good friends who help each other.


• 
  Our home and our farmland.


• Having enough good food to eat.


• The gift of life.

I’m thankful that my parents raised me until I was old enough to be on my own.

I’m grateful for the Internet, for the opportunities it created to make business connections, and for the ability to meet people I never otherwise would have met, some of whom are truly amazing, and all of whom are special and have touched my life.

I’m thankful for my friendship and partnership with Tom.

I’m grateful for relationships that didn’t work out, but that I’ve learned and grown from.

I am thankful for hard lessons I’ve learned from enemies. Even the worst enemy I’ve ever had taught me one of life’s most valuable lessons: the universe does not revolve around my needs.

I’m thankful that every day, I make my own plans, go where I think I need to be, talk to whom I think I need to communicate, and run my own business doing what I think needs to be done. I fear that this cherished freedom might not last all that much longer but appreciate it all the more so long as it does.

I’m thankful to have a life-purpose, and for as much time as I’ve already been granted to pursue it. I am thankful for the doctor who saved my life some years ago and gave me a second chance to pursue goals that otherwise would have been out-of-reach.

My life has been surrounded and infused with beauty and wonder. I have been blessed. May my life and my actions be a blessing to others.

So what zone (ish) are they perennial in?