It’s hard to believe 2018 is upon us.
Like many folks, I always hope the new year is better than the last, and that my friends and family have good health and prosperity, but I’m not one to make a trove of New Year’s resolutions.
In the words of Mark Twain, “Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink, and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient short comings considerably shorter than ever.”
I tend to share Twain’s feelings about the dreaded New Year’s resolutions. This year, however, I have decided to set a few attainable goals – not resolutions, but goals – for the New Year.
In 2018, I want to share more about agriculture with my friends who have never stepped foot on a farm. I want to explain that there is a difference between a cow and a steer, a ewe and a ram. I want share that farmers do care about their livestock.
I want to share with others that farmers are not the ones causing global warming and the environment to crumble. I want to share that farmers are actually stewards of the land and environment because that’s how they make their living.
I want to learn more about agriculture and the new innovations and technology on the horizon. I want to find out how things work and get a better understanding of how new practices and products will improve the industry.
I want to be a better advocate for agriculture. I want to be armed with the knowledge to answer questions proposed by the public about farming and agriculture. I want to be more engaged with the public about agriculture.
I want to spend more time with the next generation of agriculturalists. I want to share with them how I always wanted to have a career involving agriculture, but I had to take a few detours along the way, but I never lost sight of my goal. I want to inspire young people to follow their farming dreams.
I want to continue to share the stories of the hard working farmers and ranchers from across the Ozarks in 2018, and for many years to come.
Oh, I also want to lose weight, spend more time with friends and family, take an actual vacation and give up bad habits – it’s the New Year afterall. I also want to find a way to somehow to once again be allowed to post comments on the social media of pages of animal rights groups that I am currently banned from. Seeing and reading some of the falsehoods and lies they continue to post has given me withdrawals.
I think some of my goals will be much more achievable than others.
To all of our readers, have a happy and safe New Year. May you and your family continue to find the rural way of life the best way of life for your family. And in the words of S. Omar Barker, may your horse never stumble, your spurs never rust, your guts never grumble, your cinch never bust.
Julie
