FROM THE EDITOR
Sweet Analogies M y ru m co n sul ti n g c l i e n ts , a s w e l l a s , t he stu d e n ts w h o h a v e ta k e n m y R u m Un ive rsity clas s e s , k n o w v e r y w e l l t ha t I lo ve a na l o g i e s . Th e y a r e o n e of m y p re fe rre d w a y s to e x p l a i n n e w o r co mp le x to p ic s to a u d i e n c e s th a t a r e unfa milia r wit h th e m a te r i a l . Fortu n a te ly fo r m e , fe r m e n ta ti o n , di stilla tio n , a gi n g , b l e n d i n g , b o ttl i n g m arke tin g , e t c ., a r e a l l a c ti v i ti e s th a t have mu ch in c o m m o n w i th n a tu r a l pro ce sse s, whi c h g i v e s m e a c c e s s t o an a lmo st in fi n i te n u m b e r o f a n a l o g ies . Su g a rca n e , ho w e v e r, I fi n d p a r ti c u l a rl y f ascin a tin g a n d i n s p i r i n g , p a r tl y b e caus e I’v e sp e n t d e c a d e s s tu d y i n g i t a n d wo rkin g with i t, b u t a l s o b e c a u s e o f i t s imp a ct o n h u m a n i ty a s a w h o l e . Se p te mb e r h as fi n a l l y a r r i v e d , a n d , in th e So u th er n US A, th i s m e a n s th a t t he sta rt o f sug a r c a n e h a r v e s t i s r i g ht aro u n d th e co r n e r. Bu t p r o d u c i n g su g a rca n e is a c o m p l e x p r o c e s s th a t in vo lve s mo re th a n j u s t h a r v e s ti n g the ca n e wh e n it r e a c h e s m a tu r i ty : s e e dc ane nee d s to b e c o n s ta n tl y r e - i n tr o d u c e d , t o re p la ce o ld c a n e th a t n o l o n g e r pro d u ce s th e e x p e c te d y i e l d s . Th i s m ea n s th a t com m e r c i a l fa r m e r s m u st devo te a p e rc e n ta g e o f th e i r l a n d to cu ltiva te se e dc a n e th a t i s d e s ti n e d t o be p la n te d , ra th e r th a n p r o c e s s e d a nd so ld . Ha rve sti n g s e e d c a n e th e r e fo r e is a co stly e n d e a v o r, b u t o n e th a t mus t be in co rp o ra te d i n to th e b u s i n e s s p l an of su cce ssfu l o p e r a ti o n s . As m u c h a s a q u a rte r o f a fa r m e r ’s l a n d m a y b e devo te d to e n s u r i n g th e i r a v a i l a b i l i ty of se e d ca n e ! Ho w mu ch o f y o u r r e s o u r c e s ( ti m e , ene rg y, mo n ey ) d o y o u e a r m a r k to ensu re yo u r ab i l i ty to “ o p e r a te ” a s the perso n yo u a r e a n d w a n t to c o n ti n u e
t o be? M uc h l ik e a c ane f armer w ho negl ec t s t o produc e s eedc ane f or his s ugarc ane f i el ds , we humans w ill also pay t he pric e w hen we negl ec t t o s et as ide res erv es we need t o c ont inue t o f unc t i on properl y. E v en ol d age, l ik e old s oil, c an s t ill be f ert ile and produc t i v e, gi v en t he ri ght amount of c are, amendment s / nut ri t i o n and pl anni ng, Tak e c are of y our pers onal “s oil” s o th e f rui t of y our labor nev er dri es up. Cheers !
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