The Land — Welcome to 2010 and another adventure in the exciting world of Minnesota agriculture. My only real prediction for the new year: Mother Nature will not have the audacity to do a repeat of 2009. That said, let me share some excerpts from the “Handbook for a Happy New Year in 2010.”

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
• Live with the 3 Es — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
• Make time to pray.
• Play more games.
• Read more books than you did in 2009.
• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
• Sleep for seven hours, preferably at night.
• Take a 10- to 30-minute walk daily, and while you walk, smile.

My local Lions Club is doing Meals on Wheels this month. So each day this week I’m delivering 14 meals to “shut-ins” on the north side of town. Each day I am again reminded of many things I take for granted: good health, plenty of food, friends to share, a loving family, and a warm and cozy country home. Meals on Wheels graphically points out to me the special needs of some even in our small, relatively prosperous community.

More items from the “Handbook for the New Year.”

• Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
• Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
• Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
• No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
• What others think of you is none of your business.
• Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
• When you awake each morning, thank God for the privilege.

Ketelsen’s fearless predictions

Many of you listen to farm broadcaster Lynn Ketelsen each day, and undoubtedly heard his predictions for 2010. For those who missed them, I asked Lynn if I might share them again in The Land. He and I both know the “printed word” generally has more lasting impact than the “listened-to word.”

Here’s what Lynn had to say on his Dec. 29 broadcast.

• The coming year will not be a peaceful one, here at home or around the world. “Volatile” is the word best describing the world today.
• The American public will be more engaged than ever before. The days of sitting back and watching legislation pass without their views being listened to are over.
• Healthcare legislation will limp through in late January, but will be a turning point for some Senators and Congressmen in losing close elections.
• Cap and trade will fall upon mostly deaf ears because just about everyone will run from it.
• The Environmental Protection Agency will make more rulings that rankle farm state legislators, and a bill to limit the EPA’s power will gain traction and pass before the fall elections.
• Global warming will continue to cool in public support as the economy becomes the big agenda in 2010.
• While there are signs of a better economy, the job market will continue to be in bad shape. Some jobs lost will never return. The additional taxes on business will keep the recovery from getting the legs it needs to really rev up. A recovery will be a two- to three-year process.
• President Obama will be forced to move to the middle to shore up his lagging popularity, but that will put him at odds with the left wing of his party.
• The Minnesota Vikings will win the Super Bowl and Brett Favre will announce his retirement (again).
• The Boston Red Sox will go on a signing frenzy and will win the World Series.
• Two new names will emerge as leaders in the Republican presidential sweepstakes: Sen. John Thune of South Dakota and Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.
• The Middle East will continue as a hotbed, with Israel and Iran on the brink of war. Pressure will mount on the United States to pull out of Afghanistan and President Obama will eventually make that move.
• In the mid-term elections, the Republican Party will make gains enough to tip the balance of power that the Democrats currently enjoy.
• All in all a good year for agriculture price-wise, but a disturbing year for the American public. After nine years of relative peace from terrorists, the coming year will show us just how fortunate we are to live in the United States of America.

Update from South Africa

Two years ago this January, I was one of 28 Minnesotan’s doing two weeks of “agricultural missionary” work in South Africa. You might remember my mention of a small country church with holes in the roof. Even if it was a rainy Sunday, the pastor still gave his service and the ladies sat holding their umbrellas over their heads. That truly showed their love for Christ.

Thanks to some of you, we sent some money to get that church roof repaired. Finally this fall we received a letter and pictures from the Mbulwana Church showing a new roof and happy parishioners.

So from a little country church in South Africa, “Thank you, Minnesota.”

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Dick Hagen is staff writer of The Land. He may be reached at dickhagen@rswb.coop.