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Editor’s Note
I
t was a guy by the name of Nicholas Sparks who wrote, “Never forget that anticipation is an important part of life. Work’s important, family’s important, but without excitement, you have nothing. You’re cheating yourself if you refuse to enjoy what’s coming.” Well if that’s the case, then my cup runneth over in 2012. 2012 was a year of anticipation for all of us. We waited for it to rain during the sultry summer. 2012 was a year of deadlines where we waited for circled days on the calendar to arrive. For example, here in Wisconsin about every other month we waited for another election day to arrive. 2012’s anticipation and deadlines for me personally did not just have to do with being a magazine editor. At the beginning of the year the milestone birthday that awaited me in the waning days of December loomed large on
{from Casey Langan} my calendar. However, its significance was soon dwarfed by other events. In August, my wife and I found a house to our liking in my hometown. Soon a closing date and moving day became dates on the calendar with circles around them. Then there is something else I have yet to write about publicly (other than Facebook) up until now. Our first child is expected to make his big debut in late December. Sometimes change can be scary, but there is also something comforting about knowing when a big change is going to happen. It is the unforeseen things that happen in life that often leave us feeling unsettled. As I write this, another successful WFBF Annual Meeting is in the books and I will take a leap of faith and assume this Rural Route has made its voyage from my computer to the printing press and then on to your mailbox. It’s also a safe bet that when I blow out all of those candles just before year’s end, it is actually me exhaling a sigh of relief. As my wife and I quietly celebrate the New Year with a newborn and our ‘new’ 107-year-old house, I will be especially thankful for my work, thankful for my family and thankful for all the anticipation that 2012 brought me. Happy New Year! Casey Langan Rural Route Editor Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
Editor Casey Langan 608.828.5711
Assistant Editor Sheri Sutton 262.949.2418
Contributor Amy Manske 608.828.5706
Address of Publication Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation PO Box 5550 1241 John Q. Hammons Dr. Madison, WI 53705-0550 Postmaster: Send address changes to Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation PO Box 5550 Madison, WI 53705-0550
Contact Information 608.836.5575 800.261.FARM (3276) www.wfbf.com info.demingway@wfbf.com
WFBF Board of Directors Jim Holte, Elk Mound, (President) Richard Gorder, Mineral Point, (Vice President) Dave Daniels, Union Grove Jerry Bradley, Sun Prairie Joe Bragger, Independence Kevin Krentz, Berlin Rosie Lisowe, Chilton Wayne Staidl, Peshtigo Don Radtke, Merrill
Women’s Committee Chair Jane Mueller, Fall Creek
Young Farmer and Agriculturist Committee Chair Teresa Hanson, Shell Lake Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Rural Route (ISSN 39940) (USPS 1082-1368), the official publication of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, is published six times per year in February/March, April/May, June/July, August/ September, October/November and December/ January. Subscription of $5 is included in Farm Bureau dues. Periodical postage is paid at Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Rural Route is produced for the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation by Kennedy Communications, LTD., 9 Odana Court, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53711, 608.288.9000. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. For advertising rates and information, please contact Casey Langan at 608.828.5711 or clangan@wfbf.com.
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