Editorial / Opinions

I just got back from a trip to Ghana, Africa. It was a service trip of sorts, I worked at two schools, one in Accra, Ghana’s capital city, and the other in Kumasi. Ghana is the better of most African countries, it is safe, with a stable government allowing its citizens to make their way selling fruits and vegetables, eggs and fish, or an assortment of imported prepackaged items of all shapes, sizes and colors. Agriculture is a vital part of the economy of Ghana, and I witnessed this on the large scale – in the marketplaces and roadside vendors aplenty – as well as in one beautiful, yet small, example of self-sustainability.

There was something casual about Tyson Foods back when I joined them in 1963. We all wore khaki. My boss back then, Bill Martin explained that farmers were uncomfortable around folks in ties and suits. Since they were the core of our business, providing the housing and labor for the birds, it was a good idea. Don and John even wore tan outfits, (I understand Don still does).  They had our name on them so folks would know who we were. Tyson  called us servicemen, and we were a big part of the company’s management – about all of us were college graduates.

I don’t know whether the entire country has become agriculturally illiterate or just the people in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue, but I’ve about had enough.

I just got back from a trip to Ghana, Africa. It was a service trip of sorts, I worked at two schools, one in Accra, Ghana’s capital city, and the other in Kumasi. Ghana is the better of most African countries, it is safe, with a stable government allowing its citizens to make their way selling fruits and vegetables, eggs and fish, or an assortment of imported prepackaged items of all shapes, sizes and colors. Agriculture is a vital part of the economy of Ghana, and I witnessed this on the large scale – in the marketplaces and roadside vendors aplenty – as well as in one beautiful, yet small, example of self-sustainability.

And so time passes with the speed of light. Our so-recent “New Year” has passed the half-way mark and is headed for the end of the year with, if not the speed of light, a speed that each day finds us incapable of keeping up with the changes we will see tomorrow.

I don’t know whether the entire country has become agriculturally illiterate or just the people in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue, but I’ve about had enough.

There is a lot of proposed legislation and regulation being debated in both Congress and in the USDA’s halls right now. From The National Animal Identification System “listening sessions” to the House's “Cap and Trade” bill and another, similar measure in the Senate, there are heated, and vastly differing opinions on what effects upcoming changes might mean to agriculture. I know for sure there were provisions in the “Cap and Trade” bill that could have meant a “cow tax” targeting livestock’s greenhouse gas emissions, which would drastically affect all of us. Fortunately, there were enough ag-minded Congressmen and women out there to stop that legislation from staying in the bill, thus far. Then there's NAIS'  three sides of the issue – supporters for mandatory ID systems, those for voluntary ID systems and those opposing all national ID programs. There is a lot of debate out there on this issue, and make no mistake – the outcome of this debate will affect you! I encourage you to research these issues, and let your voice be heard. The NAIS website has places you can submit your opinions. Go to www.ozarksfn.com to find a link to that site.

This has sure become  a complicated world. If your car or truck won’t start and you have amps in your battery to turn over the engine, don’t bother to lift the hood. There is nothing under there that you can simply fix. Call the tow truck and take it to a computer for analysis to even tell what needs to be done.

When I’m asked to speak to an agricultural group, the request is almost always for a light-hearted, humorous talk that will entertain and “lift the spirits” of the audience of farmers in attendance. I’m happy to try and always enjoy myself as I get the chance to visit with other like-minded people across the country. In the past six months, however, I’ve been warned on two separate occasions, “Jerry, it’s a group of dairy farmers and if you can make them laugh, with what they are going through right now, you will earn every penny.”

There is a lot of proposed legislation and regulation being debated in both Congress and in the USDA’s halls right now. From The National Animal Identification System “listening sessions” (including one well-attended in Jefferson City, Mo.,) to the House's “Cap and Trade” bill and another, similar measure in the Senate, there are heated, and vastly differing opinions on what effects the proposed changes might mean to agriculture. I know for sure there were provisions in the “Cap and Trade” bill that could have meant a “cow tax” targeting livestock’s greenhouse gas emissions, which would drastically affect all of us. Fortunately, there were enough ag-minded Congressmen and women out there to stop that legislation from staying in the bill, thus far. Then there's NAIS'  three sides of the issue – supporters for mandatory ID systems, those for voluntary ID systems and those opposing all national ID programs. There is a lot of debate out there on this issue, and make no mistake – the outcome of this debate will affect you! I encourage you to research these issues, and let your voice be heard. The NAIS website has places you can submit your opinions. Go to www.ozarksfn.com to find a link to that site.