Money, Money, Money

Beech Plum buds

Apricot flowers

Cornelian Cherry flowers

This month for the A3 Program we are working on our relationship with money.  Our reading is “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki.  I have been reading his book at night before I go to bed which is a huge mistake.  His concepts on money are different that what I grew up learning about money and I like what he has to say.  My conundrum is I am having a hard time wrapping my head around how to apply his concepts to me.  I want to, but it is taking a lot of brain power to try to figure it out.  I’d highly recommend everyone read it, but read it in the morning so you can ponder it all day, not at night when it makes your brain go haywire.
 
I was walking around the farm this morning checking out our fruit crops and doing a walking meditation.  I realized as I started to see more and more flower buds on our berry plants that these are also a form of money.  Farmers do a lot of long term investing – in the soil, trees, fruit, animals, land, etc.  Farmers are there for the long haul and do a lot of long and short term investing.  Some of the investments have high risks (late frost kills all the fruit buds).  Others require care for the first year, then a little annual maintenance that will result in big returns in a few years. Our berries are a great example of this.  We planted them all in 2012.  We got a little fruit in 2015, but the 2016 flowers buds tell a story of lots of delicious results that can be sold at a premium price.
 
In Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki says “A person can be highly educated, professionally successful, and financially illiterate.”  I feel financially illiterate, but that’s gonna change. My brain has been processing what I am reading and translating it into terms that I can understand.  I am also going to get more financial training.  I asked one of my financially savvy friends for a recommendation for an accountant and I have my first meeting on April 28th.   I love to learn, so now is my chance to learn more about how money works and how I can make my money work for me!  I will be including my husband and my sons on this journey to financial literacy. 

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Gooseberry Flowers

Service Berry buds

Recommended Viewing:  Robert Kiyosaki has a YouTube Channel with several videos that are worth watching.  I will be spending more time going through them.

Did You Know that this young man, Birke Baehr, does an excellent job of explaining what is wrong with our food system?  I saw this Ted Talk video when I was in MSU’s Organic Farmer Training Program. ​

Hardy Kiwi buds

Honey Berry flowers