By Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net

I am by no means a “Zen master”. I have moments of calm and moments when what they call the Higgins Temper rears its ugly head. I have taken many a deep breath and have attempted to “chill-out”, as the kids call it, but being a monk is not in my future.

I do, however, believe in balance. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and that if you do something good, something good happens to you in return. Yes, that works the other way too. Without sounding too much like a hippie, for every yen there is a yang.

Deep thoughts, aren’t they? That’s what I get for trying to clear my mind with the newest addition to my garage. Last week I bought bikes for my wife and I. Now that both of our kids can ride, training wheels-free, we wanted in on the action. The thought of the whole family setting off on one of the trails around us just sounded great.

Keep in mind I haven’t even been on a bike in about 10 years. After that long, the saying “it’s just like riding a bike” goes out of the window, as the shape I was in back then has also gone out that very same window.

The first ride was just around the neighborhood, maybe a total of 2 miles. The first hill was brutal. My legs already started to burn and I was ready to put that bike on Craigslist. After about half way through it started to get a bit easier, not because I was quickly getting back into mid 20’s form , but because it was all downhill from there.

As I chat with farmers about how discouraging the crops are looking as they turn for the home stretch of the growing season, I have heard on numerous occasions that it just “wasn’t their year”. They mention how the past few years have been very good to them and every once in a while you just have to expect an uphill climb every now and again.

Balance is all around us. From your truck tires to the levels of N, P and K in the field to me staying on that bike, it makes a big difference.

This crop will be less than desirable when it comes time to harvest, but something is better than nothing. There have been times like this in the past and there will be times like this in the future, but American agriculture will continue its journey, as it has for hundreds of years.

As you pedal your way uphill this season and you start to feel the burn, just know that for every year that you push and grind on that path there will be years that you can give your legs a bit of a break and coast on the way down.

In the meantime, I will keep looking for a path that is downhill both ways.