Across the Ozarks
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.
“All We Need’s More Rain”
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.
Life Is Simple
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.”
From Bull Fightin’ to Clowin’
Kent "Woody" Porter started in the business fighting bulls. “One night me and a guy named Scooter were fighting bulls together. It was a tough show. Scooter split his lip and broke his nose. I broke my hand and something else,” Woody said. “We went to get paid, sitting at the fair waiting for the stockman contractor to come pay us our money. In walked the rodeo clown. He wasn’t even dirty. All happy go lucky. Nothing hurt. The contractor paid us and then paid the clown twice as much. I said I wanted his job. The contactor said, 'Good. You’ve got it next week.' That is how I became a rodeo clown.”