No pithy editorial insight this month. Instead, a little bit of philosophy for you to consider. I spoke at a VIP conference recently about technology, but one point another speaker made got my attention and I thought I'd share it, with some added insight.

Jeanne Bernick, former editor of a competitor, is now with K·Coe Isom, a respected consulting firm working with all levels of ag and the food industry, including many farmers. During her talk at this event, she pointed out that your job should consist of 300 10-hour days, and that you needed to get at least 50 hours away from work each year — totally away. If not, you run the risk of burnout, a fact she says has been proven by work done by the Harvard Business Review.

It made me think. I have a lot of jobs at Farm Progress, though I secretly love my role as editor of Western Farmer-Stockman — especially when I get to leave the office and head into my eight-state coverage area. On my trip to Washington state a few weeks back, where I connected with Sue Tebow and Josh Steward for different stories, I also had the luxury of time — something that doesn't happen often.

The weather was sunny and dry, and I had my camera. So while I stopped occasionally to check and clear my business email, I also took my time returning from my stops on that trip to capture some images along the way. It was refreshing to be out in a wheat field so big I could not see its end. To look on eastern Washington vistas that epitomized "openness" in all its glory.

Then I hear Bernick talk about that 50 hours of "off-work" time. We need to take it. I'm terrible about it (please don't bring it up to my wife). Yet during those three days out West with my camera, the silence of open country and great weather was a truly relaxing time.

The canola flower image with this story is just one of many I took. And it shows the hidden beauty around all of us. Whether you're talking a field of pollinating corn or a hop trellis bursting with fresh buds waiting to be harvested and dried, fall is a beautiful time.

In the West, the variety of crops and weather makes for a busy fall harvest. I'm not advocating you take time off during harvest, but perhaps to avoid that weariness of the rush, take 10 minutes a couple times a day to just stop. Enjoy the view and take a deep breath. You're working in the greatest industry in the world with one role — feeding us all.

Oh, and that little break may help avoid fatigue, which can be a farm safety hazard. It sure couldn't hurt. Then after harvest, you can start figuring how you'll get that 50 hours of off-business time for yourself. It's something to consider.