If you’re a Type-A personality like me, sticking to the plans you’ve made is likely more satisfying than making plans in the first place.
As this issue went to press, the Top Crop Manager team was wrapping up day two of the Top Crop Summit, our annual research-focused event, which we hosted in a virtual format again this year. To give you a bit of a glimpse at the behind-the-scenes work that goes into planning an event, we’ve already started discussing our plans and ideas for next year. In fact, certain details for future events are traditionally decided before the current year’s event has even happened. I recall choosing the theme for our 2020 Plant Health Summit in late 2018 – two months before the 2019 event – the Soil Management and Sustainability Summit – took place. There are lots of decisions to be made when planning an event, and the earlier we can nail some details down, the better.
But planning through a pandemic is a completely different story, and if we’ve learned anything over the last two years, it’s that practicality and flexibility are more important than ever. We knew by mid-2020 that our 2021 event would have to be virtual, and made the difficult decision to host it virtually again in 2022. We could have chanced hosting it live in Saskatoon, as we would have pre-pandemic, but decided another virtual edition of the Top Crop Summit would allow for more flexibility in the unknown. We looked at the data, evaluated our options and made a practical choice.
The same advice can be used when it comes to your plans for this season. Just like our crystal balls couldn’t have predicted a global pandemic or a devastating drought, we have no idea what the next few months have in store. But with some preparation, some common sense and a little bit of critical thinking, you’ll be ready to face whatever this season brings.
In a roundabout way, this message was delivered through the presentations at this year’s virtual Top Crop Summit. Each of the three live sessions were on very different topics, but it wasn’t difficult to recognize that each presenter had actionable strategies in mind when sharing information with the audience. With some critical thinking, a serious eye on data and trends, and many years of experience, the presenters shared recommendations and advice for the audience on the topics of insect pests, wheat yield and soil conditions for 2022. With some added flexibility, producers have the skills and toolbox they need to make good choices for the coming year.
If you missed this year’s Top Crop Summit, the recordings are available online at
topcropsummit.com. For a small fee, you can catch the insights and information shared by the presenters (and earn CCA and CCSC credits, to boot). In the meantime, like you, we’re planning ahead for what’s to come, with flexibility and practicality in mind.
