Reflections on my early business life as a commercial lettuce grower.

  In Jesus Christ God gives us our identity, our purpose and our meaning in this life and in the life to come.1 Peter1:1-12 

Previous blog posts about our Lettuce Farm

We will not be around in 50 years. Our children won’t be around. Hopefully our grandchildren will be here.

This was my life before marriage as an only child.

Each of us has a story in his heart. 

Sometimes it is good to review the past events in our lives to fully understand how the LORD has made us, directed us and led us where we are today and why we are as we are. I believe it’s good for our children to see and understand this. 

 Looking back...I was so fortunate to have the parents I did and all the opportunities they gave me! So what may seem like a reflection of my successful business...in previous posts...I want to acknowledge how the LORD worked in my parents and me even when I didn't really know, understand and acknowledge this and be thankful and give all glory and honor to Him!

I also remember a verse from Exodus 20:12  "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."
 

As pastor Matt Erickson always says: “I must decrease so Christ can increase”…

 “The desire of my heart is for Jesus to increase in my life, and for myself to decrease. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” So hopefully as you read this and other posts by me the focus is not on me, but what the LORD has done in my life in the past. 

“When people look at my life, I want them to see less of me, and more of Christ. As I walk with Christ day by day and endeavor to follow him, I want HIS will and HIS power to be manifested in my life. He must increase. We must decrease.

Everything that has happened in my life life was NOT because of anything I did or accomplished. It’s all by the grace of God. His hand has been in my life directing me long before I consciously knew Him or even acknowledged him as Lord of my life. Although I had a highly successful lettuce growing business, I want to make sure that the LORD gets all the credit!

So hopefully as you read this and previous posts ...while the focus may be on me the LORD will get all the glory and honor.

Looking back…would have liked to have asked dad some questions…grand dad died when I was 14.  Why did he immigrate to America? Where did he get the $ to purchase his 11 acre farm in 1925 that eventually came to me…When was that 300 foot deep well dug?  It was a key ingrediant of a successful business!

We usually don’t ask questions or sometimes we think of them too late.

Decided to document our farm business as best I knew how…Hopefully answer some questions that our grand kids may be interested in sometime in the future when we (I) am not here. Hopefully some encouragement to them. Ok for you to read also. 

Some further reflections and observations on my early childhood and how it influenced my later life…with decision making. 

●My parents were not “religious”…not church goers…although for some reason they made it a priority to have me go to Sunday school as a child….At least  through confirmation.

  
●Had an idea of God, but no real personal relationship. That came years later after farm operation ended. Everything I thought I accomplished really was from the LORD. That will come in a later post!

●Parents were introverts as I was.

●Parents were hard workers, good people.

●Grew up as an only child.

●Parents were hard working...always in the field...Had times to get away...remember walking the rail road tracks with my only friend...next door neighbor. When we got to the trestles, he walked across...I usually left and went home. 

●Parents let me help and do most anything on the farm as a child.  Probably drove tractor around age 10 or so.  Low key encouragement!  Didn’t tell me what to do.…at least no perception of that. Led by example.

 ●On our way from Riverview grade school...walking through Lincoln Park to Lincoln Park Lutheran Church Confirmation class...friend would pick up old cigarettes along the way and smoke them. That was 8th grade. That was sort of the parting of the ways...friendship. 

●Later as a teen or even preteen...always had an interest in learning and doing something new or different...on the farm. 
  

●Always doing some kind of research ...those years without the internet!  Always read American Vegetable Grower magazine and research was done by snail mail. 

 ●Pre Teen: Parents gave me tons of opportunities to work on the farm. Develop a good work ethic. Saving money. 
 

●Had little projects like a row of yellow plum tomatoes that I picked and sold  and  the money was mine. Had a bank account as a preteen even.

●Had a small gladiola patch. Sold bunches of glads to Winkies 5 and 10 stores. 

●My dad was not in good health and didn’t participate hardly at all at least in my older teen years.

●Gave over complete operation of the farm to me a few years after high school.

●My mom was a key player and without her we wouldn’t or couldn’t have kept on. It was a family farm, although we had several high school kids help during the summer months. 

●So when things changed rapidly with city of Glendale expansion, my decision to end the business was also in consideration of my mom. A very hard worker. Time to end. Could maybe have worked a few more years…as passionate as I was with the business…I knew it was time to end this chapter of my life. Took another 8 years getting land up to grade level and selling it in small parcels. In the meantime…attended UWM…pre business  for two years until all the savings I had accumulated rang out…and I got position at A.L. Gebhardt Co. as a bookkeeper because of the accounting courses I had taken but mostly I found out later because I was treasurer of my church and my boss figured I was an honest person. Also, being at the right place at the right time. The hand of God was truly in this.  

As I now look back on my business days as a lettuce grower...I say to myself, "I wish I knew then what I know now."  Still trying to figure out what the LORD may be saying to me. 

Explo 72 Comes to Milwaukee   Next major event in my life

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P.S. Received a B.A degree from Trinity Intl. University in 1985. 2 years work in one year, having 60 credits done at UWM many years before. 


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Many years later…as a result of my prior interest in agriculture…I got involved with a Christian non profit, www.chapinlivingwaters.org.  Their mission was and still is: "Chapin Living Waters exists to help poor people in developing countries grow vegetables when there is insufficient rain. We offer simple, sustainable technologies for subsistence farming, bringing hope to the poorest people and the opportunity to solve their own problems."

"Chapin Living Waters was founded as a means to express Christian love to needy people in developing nations through small-scale drip irrigation technology. While much of our effort is directed toward missionaries working among these suffering peoples, Chapin Living Waters stands ready to assist any group, regardless of race, color, or creed. With 1.1 billion people going to bed hungry tonight, we are dedicated to working in partnership with as many organizations as possible."

● Worked with Chapin Living Waters as a volunteer, as Webmaster of their website and using social media, such as Twitter and blogs to maximize impact of their technology and expertise around the world. Reason Dick Chapin asked me to help with their website was because he knew I had made Eastbrook Churches website.

 

 
● As of August, 2014, Erick Wescott, a new Board member has developed a new website and is the new webmaster. I will continue as a volunteer with social media.


● Have represented Chapin Living Waters (Speaking & or booth setup) at various conferences such as: ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) Partners Worldwide, Agri Expo and Food Security Conference.

 "The Lord created each of us individually with different Spiritual Gifts, Passions, Abilities, strengths and a unique personality with different experiences.  I'm sure or hope that as we get nearer to the end of our lives...whenever that is...that we would like to finish our lives well and leave a legacy that gives glory to the LORD so when we stand before Him one day, we will hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."​ 

That will be a good ending to our story!

Hope some of this will be of benefit to you!

Have a great day!

 

Some key verses from the book of Proverbs:

"For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths." Proverbs 5:21

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." Proverbs 21:5

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1

Just some true statement from the Bible... observations...reality, not promises from the Bible. Our actions have consequences.

While I thought I was directing my life and business, it was in reality the LORD!

To God be the glory!

 Richard

 

The Key to Joy!

 

Finding peace with God