Editorial / Opinions

When I was 16 years old I begged and begged my parents to let me have a dog. I didn’t want just any dog. I wanted a lemon-colored beagle pup named Jezebel that one of my classmates had. The family who owned the beagle puppy was looking to get rid of her. They were beagle breeders and swore this one would not make a good rabbit dog because she was too “people friendly.”

Cows are similar to people, in that the older they get, the more health problems they start to encounter. Their mobility may be hampered by stiff joints or bad feet, their eyesight may become clouded with cataracts or scarring from past eye problems, and their teeth either begin to fall out or get so worn that they have problems eating. Unfortunately, at my advanced age, I can relate to all these maladies.

I am thankful for long weekends and old friends. Over Memorial weekend I headed south to see my friend, Tina, who moved to Bentonville, Ark., after we graduated from high school. Over the years we have kept in touch taking turns driving back and forth to spend as much time together as our busy lives will allow.

This past week I was at a meeting in Tulsa, Okla., for KAMO Power and their supply partner Associated Electric.

Many years ago, when I was teaching at a university and coaching the livestock judging team, I took my students to a local purebred cattle farm where we were going to practice on several classes of animals the owner had selected for us. As the students quietly evaluated the four heifers in the first class and took notes, I noticed that two of the animals had been clipped by the owner in preparation for an upcoming show. Since this was one of the first workouts of the year for this rookie team, I wondered how many would notice the fresh haircut when we got back to campus.

I am thankful for long weekends and old friends. Over Memorial weekend I headed south to see my friend, Tina, who moved to Bentonville, Ark., after we graduated from high school. Over the years we have kept in touch taking turns driving back and forth to spend as much time together as our busy lives will allow.

Many years ago, when I was teaching at a university and coaching the livestock judging team, I took my students to a local purebred cattle farm where we were going to practice on several classes of animals the owner had selected for us. As the students quietly evaluated the four heifers in the first class and took notes, I noticed that two of the animals had been clipped by the owner in preparation for an upcoming show. Since this was one of the first workouts of the year for this rookie team, I wondered how many would notice the fresh haircut when we got back to campus.

"EPA can not stand for END PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE,” by far my favorite quote by Senator Roy Blunt during the 2012 Missouri State University Collegiate Farm Bureau Agricultural Forum.

There is a lot going on in my life; I went to Washington D.C., and met with the staff of the Congressman in my district, Steve Womack. Steve was home on recess so we spoke with his staff member, a young lady who knows the electric coop business. As complicated as the government is no one person could do or know all the things needed for his district.

One of the reasons I enjoy farming so much is that I get to make decisions that impact my profitability several times each day. One of the major drawbacks to being a farmer is that I must make decisions that impact my profitability several times each day.