Ramsey County

December 17, 2007

Howdy!!!!

Every article I write we are a week closer to Christmas and still cannot believe we are only a week away from this Joyous day.  This past weekend Deb and I along with Debs’ mother and two sisters drove to Minneapolis for two birthdays and to congratulate one sister for finishing her Masters’ program.  I am still conveinced I would not make a good big city person.  I can say one thing I am getting a little better but that kind of driving is not for me.  I did however find some very interesting things as we shopped the many different stores.  Thursday we stopped at Albertsville and there was hardly no one, I asked one clerk what the deal was and her comment was gas prices and the poor economy.  I had the pleasure to visit with many different folks and they all said the same thing the economy is really struggling.  One electrician said he was just laid off along with about another 100 from his employer.  An electrician said he was laid off after working for his company for 18 years and said his union is trying to find a job for him but would probably have to look in surrounding states.  It is really scary when we look at areas like that knowing many of these folks have families to take of.  In my conversations one gentleman had asked me to work with him in doing an economic analysis of our communities, comparing big to what he would call little.  He worked for a university and said they have been seeing an economic impact across a wide area.  We stopped at the big Cabelas’ store at Rogers and found a swarming of people but not much buying going on.  The trip went well and obviously I made it home even with a car load of women. 

I mentioned the above description, of what I saw on our trip, as a reminder of our lives that most of us enjoy.  I know there are troubling areas but all in all we do live a pretty simple/happy life compared to folks in the larger cities and manage to sustain our lifestyles we enjoy.  When the dust settled not much was bought by our group in Minneapolis as we are all trying to keep our business “LOCAL”. 

Lake Region Extension Roundup is also just around the corner.  Just three weeks away, January 8-9.  There is a very good selection of topics again this year with topics from wheat to corn.  With the high cost of inputs, rotations will likely be a large player in this spring planting intentions.  The likely hood of more soybeans being planted will greatly increase and high use nitrogen crops will likely go down but then who knows.

   Calendar!!!

                        January    8-9               Lake Region Extension Roundup
                        January    8                   Ramsey County Shooting Sports (Air Rifle)
                        January    31                 Deadline to apply for Faller HRSW
                        February 7                   Ramsey County Crop Improvement annual meeting
                        March     4                   Ramsey County Shooting Sports (Archery)
                        March    17                  Private Pesticide, Starkweather 9-am
                        March    26                  Private Pesticide, Devils Lake 9-am
                        March    26                  Private Pesticide, Devils Lake 6- pm

524 4th Ave NE #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - ramsey@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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