RIP Cisco

Jennifer and I got Cisco almost 16 years ago when we left Harper County. Cisco was a gift to Jennifer from one of the neighbors of the ranch she worked on. She was a blue heeler, border collie cross, but in the coming years she became much, much more. We called her our practice kid, joking that if we could raise a puppy, we could probably raise kids.

At first she was just content to ride on the console between us in the pickup. Everywhere Jennifer went, Cisco was sure to be along. The two of them along with Ace, the horse, could move any herd of cattle we had. Cisco was one of those dogs who just knew what you wanted her to do, and all she wanted to do was to make you happy. There was no doubt she was Jennifer's dog and Jennifer was her person.

Then came the kids. We kind of wondered what she would do when the kids came along. I am not sure why we worried. We often said Cisco viewed our kids as her pups. She watched over them and tolerated every yank on her ear and the constant pestering. All the while, she continued to be the top cow dog on the ranch.

Over the years the miles started to show their wear and tear. She was just a bit slower, she needed a longer run to assume her rightful place on the back of the pickup. During this time we introduced Killer, the cow dog. She accepted the challenge of training the new cow dog like all the other challenges we gave her. She tolerated Killer, nipped at him when he needed it and led by example.

Over the last couple of years the arthritis took it's toll, her eyes got cloudy and her hearing slipped away. We worried about the extreme Kansas weather and let her in the house. She adapted to indoor life like a champ, assuming her rightful place in front of the woodstove in the winter and the air conditioning vent in the summer.

We knew our time with Cisco was limited and dreaded the day when she would no longer be with us. In typical Cisco fashion, she took care of that too. She had never wandered out of eyesight of the house, but one day last week she slipped away after morning chores never to be seen again.

I have heard that dogs know when it is time and often just disappear. I know in my heart that she slipped off to one of the hills overlooking the ranch and passed away on the ranch she loved. Cisco was truly a "once in a lifetime" dog and I hope that each of you will someday be lucky enough to own a dog like her. I am sure we will have other dogs, but they will never quit live up to our Cisco dog.

New Year's New Changes

Some little boys want to be baseball players when they grow up, other want to be fire fighters. I have always wanted to be a farmer. Every year for Christmas I wanted a new tractor or a new implement to pull behind those tractors. I think it is in my DNA, my father is a farmer, my grandfather was a farmer and my great-grandfather was a farmer (I suspect it goes back many, many more generations).

Everyday during the summer Dad would leave the house each morning to work in the fields. I would hook my toy tractor up to the same type of implement he had hooked up to his tractor and go off to work up my own fields. I would come back in a lunch just as dirty and happy as he was.

I have always owned livestock. It all started with rabbits when I first joined 4-H. I raised those rabbits and the money I earned from them helped be save up for one of the best days of my life. That was the day I went to my Uncle's cow sale with my Grandpa and bought the cow that started my herd.

Oh, I watched Mom and Dad struggle through the bad years and I know how fickle the weather and the markets can be. But through it all I saw the satisfaction from a life spent working hard, enjoying what you do and time spent working as a family and that money alone should not determine what you do with your life. After graduation I did the sensible thing and found a good job with a regular salary. But deep down I knew I was missing something.

I have always encouraged people to follow their dreams and recently I realized it was my turn to follow mine. It was a tough, scary decision to make, one that cost me many nights of sleep. However, starting this year I will become a full-time farmer/rancher with my father. While it is hard to leave the good people I work with and the great people I serve in Extension, it was a decision that put me at peace.

I look forward to the feeling of waking up each morning knowing that I am doing what I want to do. To me, nothing in this world can be better than being a proud producer of the food that we all need.

Counting my Christmas Blessings

Its one week from Christmas and the signs of the season are all around us. The music of the season is on the radio, the t.v. schedule is full of seasonal programs, the air is alive with the smell of evergreen and sugar cookies. Of course, we are also bombarded with the commercial angle too, with black Friday and Green Saturday. All of this hustle and bustle take away from the real reason for the season.

Christmas is when we, Christians, mark the birth of a baby who came to save us. Jesus was sent to live among us and take away our sins that is the ultimate Christmas gift. The Blessing He gave me is my most treasured gift and one that I eternally grateful for. That is why I take time every Christmas to reflect on the blessings I have been so richly given.

Today is an awesome example of the blessings in my life. This morning I went out into the bright, clean white frosty morning to feed the livestock I have been trusted with. I am incredibly blessed to be allowed to help feed the world. Producing the food and fiber we all need and the fact that I have a part in it is something I marvel at daily.

Chores were followed by a warm cup of coffee and a daily check with Dad. We discussed what needed to be done. I decided to cut some firewood with my son. There is something very satisfying about cutting the wood needed to warm your family. The feel of a fire on a frosty winter night is certainly a blessing I have been given. However, the bigger blessing is to have a profession where I can work daily with my family. Farming and ranching families are closer because of that daily interaction.

Later in the evening I sat in my house, warmed by the fire, eating beef produced by my family ranch, safe and secure in a land of incredible freedoms. My family has plenty, we are well fed, have few worries, and that is a blessing that we all share.

I encourage each of you to take time to reflect on the blessings you have been given. We have each been given individual blessings that we should be grateful for. More importantly, we have all been given the blessing of Eternal Life if we choose to receive it. For that, I am indeed, a blessed man.

Congress and the President Correct Horse Mistake

Washington D.C. does not fix it's mistakes very often, but yesterday they did. President Obama signed a bill that will allow horse slaughter again. This rectifies a mistake that allowed for the suffering of many horses over the past several years.

To those of you not associated with horses or livestock, it may seem shocking that not allowing the harvesting of animals would be cruel. Yes, many horses were underfed, neglected and abandoned because of the lack of horse slaughter facilities in the United States. Think of all the news stories over the past several years about neglect of horse owners and even horse sanctuaries.

I was never around horses until I married my wife. When we met she was training horses and she has had a love of horses all of her life. During our courtship and first years of marriage I saw her work with many, many horses. Most great animals, but also several who were not safe. I have had a 16 year crash course in equine management and that has made me an advocate for horse slaughter.

OK, before you get upset, I like horses, let me say that we currently own 4 horses and at least 1 of those horses will probably live his entire life out on our ranch. However, over the years the need for horse slaughter has become apparent to me. This can be summed up by something my wife told me early in our relationship. "Life is too short to ride a bad horse." Simply, some horses are dangerous.

In other cases, a horse may have a physical infirmity that would limit its use. In other cases, the owners of a horse may not be able to financially support the ownership of that animal. Horses are large animals, who require large spaces and large amounts of feed, i.e. they are expensive to own. In all those cases something needs to be done to insure the horse does not die from starvation or neglect.

The vocal minority who oppose horse slaughter see horses in a different light. They have blurred the line between animal and human to the point that they see no difference. While I like all 4 of the horses we own and I am attached to them, they are animals and should be viewed as such.

We treat our horses with kindness and respect, caring for their needs. However, if injury, age or illness happens to lessen their quality of life, we would look at all the options available to us. It would be a difficult choice, but the animal's quality of life must be taken into account.

If sending a horse to slaughter is not something you could do, I respect that position. It is your choice to do what you want with your animal. All that I ask is that we view animals as animals and not the same as humans. I applaud congress and the President for recognizing that an important option had been removed from the decision making process for horse owners and correcting it.

Farm Kids and the Labor Law

"There are never enough farm and ranch kids." That is a quote I often hear when talking to human resource people. It seems that if an employer finds out a potential applicant grew up in agriculture that it automatically puts them ahead of the pack. Ever wonder why that is?

From what I hear it is because of their work ethic and sense of responsibility. So why is it that farm and ranch kids have something that so many others lack? Work ethic and responsibility are two things that are honed in our kids from the very beginning.

My kids are typical of most who grow up in agriculture. Rain or shine, hot weather or cold, weekday, weekend or holiday, they get up and do their chores. Weekends are spent working on the ranch tending to the cows or sheep or other chores. They realize from an early age that our family farm is just that, a family endeavor, everyone is expected to pitch in. Agriculture involves a lot of sacrifice and hard work, but in the end, it is a very satisfying way of life. I have asked my kids if they would change places with their city friends and they always answer with a resounding NO.

Now the Department of Labor wants to change all of that. They are seeking to change the Child Labor Laws in ways that would restrict or even eliminate the opportunity for our children to take part in our way of life. The Department seems to be out of touch when it comes to modern agriculture, its business structures and production methods.

I am not going to get into the proposed changes, other than to say that it is another case of bureaucrats and government invading the lives of good, decent, hard working families. Agriculture does have its risks but we love our children and watch over them to keep them as safe as possible. We would ask that the Department of Labor respect the tradition and culture of farming and ranching. If this strikes a cord with you, I would ask that you go to http://www.dol.gov/whd/CL/AG_NPRM.htm and make a comment.

I am not sure if they listen to the wishes of the people affected by proposed regulations, but we need to make our voices heard. I know, without a doubt, I am a better person for growing up on a farm and learning the benefits of working hard and responsibility. Simply stated, that is the life I want for my kids and I do not want some bureaucrat in D.C. telling me they know what is best for my family.

Pride in a Job Well Done

Last Friday we sold our calves at the local auction. It is one of the most exciting and scary times of the year. A whole year of work boils down to just a few minutes. Dad, Ike and I watched with pride as our calves came in. The old rancher next to me leaned over and asked if they were our calves. I told him yes and he said "that's a nice looking bunch of calves". For those of you who don't do "rancher speak", that is about as good a compliment as you can get.

These were the calves that my family and I spent many cold mornings and evenings checking, tagging and caring for. We worked long hard days preparing the pastures in the spring, burning the old grass and fixing fence. Then came a hard week of running them through the chute and giving them their vaccinations.

Summer came and we went out many mornings and evenings when it was cool to check them. We filled the mineral feeders, baled hay and moved the cows and calves to new pastures. When the rains came we spent many miserable hot afternoons fixing flood gaps. Finally, came the fall gathering, hauling them from summer pasture and ultimately hauling them to the salebarn.

All of that led to the moment when the calves came into the sale ring. The auctioneer really worked the buyers, and they responded. All of this gave me a great sense of accomplishment. At that moment I think I was as proud as I have ever been to be a rancher and doing my part to provide my customers with healthy, wholesome beef.

That is why it so upsetting to me when groups such as HSUS and PETA attack our way of life. Have the very activists who spend their entire lives trying to tear apart what generations have built, ever experienced the sense of pride, accomplishment and hard work that I was at that moment. The short answer is I doubt it.

I think if they had spent the hours working in the biting cold or the extreme heat they might have a change of heart. If they had ever gotten dirt under their nails, grit in their teeth or mud on their boots, they would feel differently. If they had truly ever put the care and comfort of animals in their care ahead of their own well-being, they would have a change of heart. There is something about raising your own food and feeding others that brings meaning to life.

At that moment, I realized that the hard work of the past year, the hard work of my parents, grandparents and the three generations before them counted for something. The hours caring for my cattle and the time spent caring for the prairie was time well spent. At that moment I was truly proud to be a producer of the food we all eat.

My Message to the White House

Today I have the honor of meeting with USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan. This is part of the White House Round-table Agribusiness discussion. I am sure some of the discussion will focus on rural job creation. However, I suspect some of the discussion will focus on the locally grown food movement.

I must say I fully embrace and participate in marketing locally grown foods. My family markets a portion of our beef and lamb each year locally. I truly believe I am providing my customers with a high quality product and I enjoy developing a relationship with the consumers I help feed.

To my fellow producers participating in selling produce and meat locally I applaud your efforts. We are cultivating relationships with consumers and providing them the freshest, highest quality food possible. For those of you buying locally produced food, I applaud you for choosing to buy from local producers and going the extra mile to do so. It requires more effort than going to the local grocery store.

However, I also recognize the need for large scale, modern production farming and ranching. Let me share the facts with you. World population will be 9.6 billion people by 2050. Our agricultural production must increase by 70 to 100% in that same time period to produce enough food and fiber to meet the demand. Currently, we are expected to increase ag production by 40% during this time period.

For those of you challenged by mathematics that means an increase of 30 to 60% beyond our current expectations. So we either need to find more farm and ranch lands or become much more productive on the land we currently have in production. Since the current trend is for us to lose farm and ranch land annually, we must rely on increased efficiency and production. That means biotechnology is of utmost importance.

The Utopian view of each community relying on locally produced foods is not a realistic world view. Relying on locally produced foods would result in higher food costs and reduced food supplies. The meat I produce is both higher in quality and higher priced than that sold in grocery stores. It has to be higher priced because it costs me more to produce beef on a small scale than it does for our modern feedlots. Out of necessity (i.e. I need to make a living), my beef is priced out of the range of some potential customers.

Often locally produced foods also mean organic and without the benefit of biotechnology (not always, but that is the underlying current). Without modern fertilizer and chemicals our most efficient, environmentally sound farming and ranching practices cannot be utilized. If you chose to buy organically produced food, I do not have a problem with that, it is your choice. However, you also need to realize that we cannot meet our growing need for food and the need for environmentally sound practices without modern agricultural practices.

Modern practices such as no-till farming have allowed us to produce more grain, with fewer inputs (i.e. petroleum) while doing a better job of saving soil and protecting our water. The bottom line is that if we are to attain our production goals and maintain our environment we need these practices and we need to continue to refine them and develop new technologies.

Rural job creation (and for that matter job creation period) must first be rooted in a secure foundation of adequate nutrition. As farmers and ranchers we must be able to utilize the technology available to us without excessive government regulation (the subject for another day) to reach our full professional potential and feed our growing world population.