b'Early Action Smooths the Way for Both Travel and Contra-Season Production YOUD NEVER KNOWfrom how calm my house looks that soonWith five children, sometimes things dont go exactly we will be locking the door and heading north for two months.as planned. One year, in the taxi on the way to the airport, We head to North Carolina in June each year to escape thewe realized my childs dental retainer had been left behind.rainy Chilean winter. My children benefit from immersion inThankfully, we had enough time to arrange for our nephew to English, and I spend time with our North American clients.bring it to us at the airport. A good team is so valuable.Ive learned that when packing for a whole family, planningContra-season production similarly favours early prepara-early is the difference between chaos and sanity! tion and a great team. Ideally, Canadian companies looking to The first year was the most complicated. We neededcontract to Chile should have their plans in place by July. passports, insurance, housing, transportation, and to findIn Chile, we (like other contra-season suppliers) con-summer camps for our children. This took a fair bit of plan- tract acres from skilled local farmers for our contra-season ning and coordination that couldnt happen at the last minute.clients. Contracting early assures the best quality farmland.Subsequent years were simpler because wed been through theAdditionally, planting early (before Oct. 15) dramatically process. increases the odds of getting the highest possible yields. On travel day, I like to be certain we are packed, organ- We also want to get the seeds shipped to Chile as soon as ized, and that we leave with plenty of time to get to the airport.possible in case there are any delays or snags in that process. I would much rather spend time working in a lounge at theJust as we need to clear customs and immigration when we airport than scrambling to rearrange a missed flight.travel to a different country, we have a regulatory process to follow when moving plant products across the border. You have a team on your side, and we can smooth the process more easily if we have ample time. As Im preparing right now for this years adventure in North Carolina, now is also time for you to set your contra-sea-son plans for this coming growing season. The first year might have some bumps in the road, but were here to help you. The years after that will be smooth sailing.NICOLS SAHLI GENERAL MANAGER/CEO, CIS AGROnsahli@cischile.clcischile.clJULY 2024 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 19'