Small World

We have all said the words, Small World. It usually happens when we meet someone from home when we are far away or we find out someone knows someone we know or is even related to them or us.

I ran into that today. I was scouting wheat before it started raining and found a deer hunter and introduced myself.

Finding any deer? No, but I am looking. I am Ed Winkle. Really, I am Ralph Stegbauer. I met Ralph and Rick many years ago near Fayetteville and have traded with their dad Jim.

We both have aged over the years but the resemblance was still there. A few words and it was confirmed.

We caught up on family and such. He was a John Deere mechanic than worked for Airborne Express until they closed.

The more we talked the more we knew someone in common to both of us.

I had taught agricultural education all my life, then extension and now am farming.

The world of agriculture has become such a small world. Farms are so large and there are so few people involved you can easily get to know people in your industry across the world.

Something like 10% of the farmers produce 90% of the commodities sold.

I share as much with my friends in Australia somedays as we used to with the neighbors who lived within miles of us 50 years ago.

It has really become a small world.

Ed Winkle