The Importance of Appreciation

Friday last, we held Customer Appreciation Day and Golf Scramble. It was our first such event and we had so many unknowns: how much food, what kind of discounts, where to get the prizes, and who will come? Do people really have time to relax headed into summer?

Many of those questions were answered in spades. Prizes flooded in from our myriad of vendors who then also offered discounts for the retail side. Cooks put together a huge feast of meats, seasoned beans, salads, and brownies. And people? Twenty golfers and thirty eaters.

Smiles and laughter abounded, even in 50 mph wind with threatening rain clouds glaring from the Rocky Mountain front. By the end of the afternoon, winds had calmed and the sun was peeking through. The golfers lingered. Some talking with sales reps, the rest with each other. It was a good day to relax and tell stories before the busy summer season kicked in.

Stressed economic times often produce stressed people. Often,our social graces are the first thing to exit our toolbox and tensions build all around. Spending time appreciating the people who make my job, our jobs, possible was important because in the end, we're all in this together...making food and fiber for the world.