While PETA is believed to be the leading group which pushes vegetarian lifestyles, many may be shocked to learn HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) also advocates this lifestyle on their website. While they claim to be a group which protects animals, they also have another mission, they are also advocating vegetarianism.

"Each one of us can help prevent animals from suffering...simply by choosing vegetarian options." This quote comes directly from HSUS' "Humane Eating" page on their website. As I continued to search the HSUS website, I found a page titled "The HSUS Guide to Vegetarian Eating."

What disturbs me the most is how HSUS continues to push misleading information about the livestock industry to our consumers, indicating that all farms using modern technology are mistreating their livestock. Nothing could be further from the truth. Modern technology, which includes modern livestock facilities, enables farmers to provide the best care possible for their livestock, which is the goal of any farmer and rancher. Modern facilities are found on many family farms today, and these facilities provide safe and secure housing for our livestock, protecting them from predators and the elements of the weather.

It's time we started telling our story and put a stop to the lies being told by groups like HSUS.

A friend of mine recently told me about a neat conference coming up in April for women in agriculture to develop their leadership skills. The National Women's Leadership Conference is taking place April 25 - 28, 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky.

This conference will teach not only leadership skills, but help you improve your communications skills through workshops, seminars and tours.

Tours include horse farms, Churchill Downs, My Old Kentucky Home, Andersen Circle Farms and many more. To learn more or to register, click here.

Missouri is being hit by a winter storm this weekend, delaying many events and making travel difficult. On our farm, we began implementation of our emergency action plan. We fueled up tractors, hooked up generators, and double checked our alarm system, among many other jobs, to prepare for the bad weather.

Since our animals are housed indoors, they do not have to endure the high wind chills, freezing rain and snow. But, it is our job to make sure if the power fails, we are ready with the generators to ensure our animals never endure the cold temperatures. Our goal is to protect our animals from the cold temperatures so they are safe and comfortable. This is not only a humane way to care for our animals, but it also protects our animals from injuring themselves on the ice and snow.

Although the winter storm creates more work for us on the farm, our animals are safe, and so is our country's food supply.

Farmers who live along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers may begin to see improvements to locks and dams taking place in the near future. Thanks to the passing of WRDA (Water Resources Development Act), farmers will see transportation of their products become more efficient and competitive with foreign products once the improvements are made to the deteriorating locks and dams.

WRDA has not been updated since 2000. If Congress did not pass WRDA, foreign countries would likely begin looking for reliable suppliers to meet their food demands. This would spell trouble for American Farmers and Ranchers.

However, we can’t consider WRDA a done deal just yet. WRDA only authorizes the project and studies; it does not include funding for the projects. Funding for WRDA will require action by Congress, which likely won’t be looked at until sometime in 2008.

Take a moment to THANK your Senators and Congressman for passing WRDA and encourage them to support funding WRDA. One farmer and rancher at a time, we will make a difference!

This week I am attending the Washington Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Spokane, Washington. One of the keynote speakers for the meeting was Matt Roloff, star of TLC's "Little People, Big World." Matt and his family live on a farm near Portland, Oregan and raise pumpkins and soon they will also have Christmas trees.

Matt and his wife, Amy, have turned their farm into an Agro-tourism business which allows them to help educate their community about the business of farming.

Matt's message was a true inspiration to everyone in attendance. He spoke about the importance of helping out fellow farmers. He also emphasized how important it was to run your farm as a business.

What I found so unique about Matt was his willingness to share his success with his neighbors. As you leave the Roloff Farm not only will you find signs advertising his neighbors' pumpkin farms, but you will find flyers as well with directions. Matt doesn't see his neighbors as competition, instead, the Roloff Family views their neighbors as members of the same team!

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) launched a new video titled "What's For Lunch?" The intent of the video is to tell a balanced message on food production methods and biotechnology. With more people turning to the internet for information, IFIC saw the importance of making the video available on the internet. You can find this new video on YouTube, and it will soon have a MySpace and FaceBook page.

The "What's For Lunch?" video features consumer interviews, as well as interviews with an academic, dietitian, a farmer and a school principal.

The video focuses on facts, rather than myths. It also points out the important role marketing plays in swaying consumer minds. Take a few minutes and check out this video and see for yourself how just a few words can have a major impact on a farming operation.

The other day I was contacted by a young lady who attends the University of Missouri in Columbia. She excitedly told me about an upcoming event at the college campus which will feature Trent Loos. Loos is a long time farmer and advocate for agriculture. He encourages audiences to speak out for agriculture and stop being on the defensive when it comes to talking about modern agriculture methods. This young student went on to tell me advocacy groups, mainly PETA, had plans to 'crash' the rally. This was troubling to her because she knows where her food comes from and how safely it is produced by U.S. farmers and ranchers. This is exactly why we need more farmers and ranchers speaking out about our industry. If you live near Columbia, Missouri make plans to attend this great event on November 1 at 8:00 p.m.

This week members of our committee attended the FFA National Convention. I was impressed with the enthusiasm the FFA members had for the future of agriculture. They are prepared for the challenges they may face and determined to succeed. They are prepared to be a strong voice for our industry and they are not intimidated by groups like PETA OR HSUS. I am proud of these kids and their optimistic approach to having a bright future in agriculture. There is no doubt in my mind these kids will make a difference in informing our consumers about the great things U.S. agriculture is doing to safely feed the world, protect the environment and care for our animals.

Earlier this month, a tornado went through our county and destroyed several homes and farms. Trees that had been standing strong for decades were broken off like twigs. Fields of corn were destroyed on one side of a road, while cornfields on the opposite side of the road were untouched. One century old farm house had its front porch ripped off while the rest of the brick house had pieces of (cedar) wood driven into the brick like nails. Another home had its roof ripped off with extensive damage to one side of the house. One man was thrown from his home and found lying in a nearby field.

It’s during tragic times like this that rural communities show their true colors. Within minutes of the tornado touching down, neighbors were phoning neighbors to assess the damage and organize help teams. There were temporary roofs made within hours to protect the homes that were damaged, local building contractors left projects for days to come to the aid of those in need. Meals were made and delivered to families without kitchens, and beds were offered in neighboring homes to those in need. The support that our community showed to its neighbors was truly amazing; and it wasn’t organized by some agency but by farmers and caring neighbors in a rural community. The tornado may have damaged our community but it didn't damage our spirit and pride. This pride and spirit is unique to small communities and it is one of the reasons I love living in rural America!

PETA is urging it's members to give vegetarian friendly treats this Halloween to trick-or-treaters. The PETA website suggests their members greet ghouls and goblins with "animal-friendly candies" or one of PETA's kid-oriented stickers to help spread the word about animal rights.

This is just another tactic PETA is using to taint the minds of today's youth. Another way they try to reach kids is through their website where they dedicate a page to kids. As a parent, I wouldn't dream of letting my children view their website for many reasons, especially because of the nudity. After your kids view the "naked" photos and videos on the website, they may actually find the kids page. I wonder how many parents think this is a safe website for their kids.

PETA is famous for only telling a fraction of the truth. But who is holding PETA accountable for the lies they are telling? Who is telling the public for every acre of land that produces a crop, there are 4 acres of land that raise livestock to help feed our country. If animals are taken out of the food system, there will be less food, not more. There will never be enough land in this country to feed an entire nation of vegetarians like PETA wants it's members to believe.

The AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers committee has partnered with the Foundation for Agriculture to help educate today’s youth about agriculture. Sadly, many American’s are at least three generations removed from farming, making it crucial to tell the accurate story of agriculture to today’s youth. For many kids, the only exposure they have to a farm or farm animals is through television or the internet, which normally isn't an accurate image of modern agriculture.

The YF&R Committee is working to help change the way today’s youth learns about agriculture through the Accurate Ag Books program. Through Accurate Ag Books, the committee encourages all state committees and young farmers and ranchers across the U.S. to take an accurate book about agriculture into pre-school and kindergarten classes, giving kids an opportunity to have real access to a farmer or rancher and agriculture.

The committee has been promoting two books this year, as well as a planned activity to go along with each book to help the kids remember what they learned in the book. The two books are “A Seed In Need” by Sam Godwin and “I Drive A Tractor” by Sarah Bridges and Amy Bailey Muehlenhardt. We leave the books with the teachers to add to their library of books. Each year the Committee will promote a new book to help expand class libraries and reach more children.

To find out how you can become involved with the Accurate Ag Books program, contact a State Farm Bureau or a member of the AFBF YF&R Committee.

Did you know U.S. consumers spend just 10% of their disposable income on food each year? Consumers in other countries spend much more on food. Indonesia spends 55% of their disposable income on food, and China spends 26% while Japan spends 14%.

Of the 10% of disposable income Americans spend on food, an average of 5.8% is spent on food eaten at home and 4.1% is spent on food eaten away from home.

Americans work 36 days to pay for the food they will consume for the year. We can thank American Farmers and Ranchers for our safe and abundant food supply.

With the recent toy recalls from China, consumers are becoming more aware of American made products. Now is the time for farmers and ranchers to promote and educate consumers about where their food comes from.

American farmers are currently at a disadvantage in Peru and Colombia because U.S. products entering these countries receive tariffs, while the products they ship to the U.S. are duty free.

A pending trade agreement with Peru would increase the value of U.S. farm exports by more than $705 million per year after full implementation if Congress approves the deal.

South Carolina Farm Bureau President David Winkles testified before the Senate Finance Committee about the trade agreement’s potential for improving U.S. farmers’ and ranchers’ bottom lines. “This agreement requires the elimination of all tariffs on all agricultural products exported by the United States to Peru,” Winkles said.

Winkles urged Senate Finance Committee members and the full Senate to take prompt action on agreements with Peru, Colombia and Panama. If passed, these three agreements would increase U.S. agricultural exports by almost $1.5 billion per year once the agreements are fully implemented.

Please urge members of Congress to commit to U.S. Agriculture Trade and pass the Peru Trade Deal promptly.

Today I had the opportunity to testify before the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works. I testified on the health and environment effects confined animal feeding operations may or may not have to human health and the environment. I spoke on behalf of family farmers and ranchers all across the nation. My testimony emphasized to this committee that farmers and ranchers all across this country work diligently to protect our environment, our land and care for our animals. I told the committee how farmers and ranchers go above and beyond federal and state regulations to protect our environment. I also reinforced the many positive things U.S. agriculture does to safely provide an abundant food supply to our consumers. Farmers are a very important, yet often overlooked, part of our food chain. Finally, I asked the committee when considering implementing new rules and regulations to consider the impact these rules and regulations will have on family farmers, the communities we represent, and the other farmers we support.

The Des Moines Register ran an artilce over the weekend by President Bob Stallman regarding the House version of the Farm Bill. President Stallman's article did an excellent job of explaining the House version of the bill, pointing out direct changes and how they will impact the budget. Stallman explains to readers, "The House legislation is fiscally responsible and is projected to cost $20 billion less than the last farm bill."

President Stallman relates to readers that farmers work a full year not knowing what their salary is going to be. He explains how the farm program helps even out the uncertainty, allowing farmers and ranchers to continue to provide Americans with a safe, affordable food supply. "And for about 3 percent of the total national budget, that's a pretty good deal for ALL Americans."

PETA is advertising a new video game called Super Chick Sisters on their webpage. The object of the game is to save Pamela Anderson from Colonel Sanders because he has kidnapped her for telling the world how cruelly KFC treats chickens.

This game is meant to capture the minds of young children and adults and brainwash them into believing all animals are treated cruelly. This is only one of the methods PETA uses to attack agriculture with their $30 million budget.

On PETA's blog, the game's inventor invites people to play the game and rate it. Farmers and ranchers supply our country with an abundant supply of safe and healthy food. Please go to this blog and let them know agriculture will not tolerate these lies any longer! It is in our best interest to care for our animals, we need to let people know the measures we take to care for our animals.

Thousands of people are homeless in this country; PETA should use their $30 million budget to help those who really need it. If PETA members really wanted to help improve our country, they would put their money to a better use.

New York's 11th Congressional District Representative, Major Owens, has decided to bash the American Farmer while misrepresenting the facts about the current Farm Bill.

In his comments, he attacks the Blue Dogs of Congress for supporting the American Farmer. Owens claims the Blue Dogs "combine a steady drumbeat against higher taxes and government waste with their loud bugle call to rich farmers to come to get the green gravy. Their clients who enjoy the mega-buck free lunches constitute less than two per cent of the population. To make the treasury safer for the farmers, the favorite sacrificing victims of the Blue Dogs are the welfare mothers who have no claws and no fangs and can't fight back."

Rep. Owens obviously doesn't realize over 66% of the Farm Bill goes to Social Programs like food stamps, WIC, and school lunches. He obviously doesn't understand why Congress has provisions to help the nation’s farmers when crop prices unexpectedly drop to severe levels due to factors beyond the control of farmers. He also doesn't know Americans spend 9% of their disposable income on food, while foreign countries spend over 20% of their disposable income on food. He forgets the 2% he is criticizing feeds this country!

Including government payments, the average return on assets seldom exceeds 4 percent, and return on equity invested typically averages 6-7 percent -- levels that don’t attract a rush of investors anxious to invest in agriculture. If farm program payments were making people rich, there would likely be more people waiting in line to farm. PLEASE visit the link above and let Rep. Owens hear how important the Farm Bill is not only to farmers, but all of the country. Without American Farmers, who will feed our country?

Everyone wants to blame large farmers for the declining number of farms today. I found some interesting information recently that indicates large farmers are not to blame, but tractors.

As tractors replaced human and horse labor, the size of farms increased, resulting in fewer farms. After 1940 (the year the tractor took over) there was a RAPID decrease in the number of farms. In 1910 there were slightly more than a million farms smaller than 20 acres and 20,000 that were larger than 500 acres. In the 40's, at the start of the war, 6.8 million families and 30 million people lived on farms and there were 1.2 million tractors. By 1950, the number of tractors had climbed to almost 4 million. The number of people on farms had fallen to just over 23 million. This number has declined steadily since then.

This proves that large farmers are not the reason for the declining number of farmers. It also shows that even in 1910, there were numerous farms that were 25 times larger than the average farm size.

I have yet to see anyone protest the use of tractors, have you? But people are quick to jump on the bandwagon to eliminate the farmers they feel are "too big" or who use modern animal facilities to raise their livestock. I see plenty of new vehicles driving around cities with GPS; everyone wants the newest technology in their vehicle, and this is fine. But if farmers want to enjoy the latest technology on their farms, they are attacked by activist groups who target the use of modern agriculture practices.

In a recent Harris Poll, farming ranked 12th on the “Most Prestigious Career” list. Leading the list of Most Prestigious Careers were firefighters, scientists, teachers, doctors, military officers, and nurses. At the bottom of the list were real estate brokers, actors, bankers, entertainers, union leaders, and athletes.

Farming has risen five points in the last year on this poll. According to this poll, “Actors and entertainers occupy two of the bottom five positions in the list of prestigious occupations showing that while people may enjoy reading about them, they do not regard these occupations as prestigious.”

Although people regard farming as prestigious, farmers do not farm with a hope of being noticed. Farmers take pride in producing food and fiber for our country. With the recent attacks on agriculture it is critical farmers speak out about what we do on our farms to protect the environment, feed our country, and care for our animals. Farming is ranked as the 12th Most Prestigious Career in the United States, it's time we put this prestige to work for us and tell our story to the world!

“ATTACKING AGRICULTURE” has hit your neighborhood. The New York Times has published another article attacking agriculture. This time, they give a false view of what the livestock industry is doing to provide a safe food supply for you, our consumers. Click here to read more.

In this op-ed piece, they try to "scare" their readers into believing all livestock farms pollute the environment. They forget to mention that livestock operations are regulated not only by state governments, but by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well.

The goal of the article was to drive readers into checking out a website they claim "allows users to track the proliferation of factory farms by state and county." I checked out their website, and it was full of misleading information. When I checked out my county on their site, it claimed we had 18 factory farms that were polluting the environment. Our county does not have factory farms that are polluting the environment. We have modern livestock facilities in our county, but they are permitted by the State and regulated by the state, they are all ZERO DISCHARGE FACILITIES, which means they DO NOT POLLUTE the environment.

What upset me the most was the way the article leads viewers to believe all farms included on the list pollute the environment. Their numbers give a false image of modern agriculture. The sad fact is, activists can “pretty up” the numbers for their benefit and they are never held accountable.

On July 25th, The New York Times ran an article "Bringing Moos and Oinks Into the Food Debate". The article advertised the growing influence of groups like Farm Sanctuary, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and PETA. The NY Times showed pictures of "animals originally destined for dinner who instead live out their lives at Farm Sanctuary," which has a $5.7 million budget.

The article explained that "among animal rights groups, the 1980s were considered the decade of grass-roots activism. The 1990s saw the rise of court actions and ballot initiatives. This decade is about building budgets, influencing policy and cultivating elected officials, all with a deliberate focus on livestock." And, they aren't just stopping there, with the help of technology, these activists deliver their message via mass e-mails and the internet.

In a 2006 survey of 5,000 people, ages 13 - 24, PETA was the non-profit organization most would like to volunteer for. This has come about thanks to PETA's $30 million budget. The HSUS has a budget of $132 million, targeted at farm animals.

PETA and HSUS have purchased enough stock in corporations like Wal-Mart, Tyson, McDonald's and Smithfield to have legal clout to introduce resolutions that have a huge impact on our farms and how we operate. As Farmers & Ranchers, it is up to us to educate our consumers about our farms. The groups I mentioned earlier are trying to tell our story for us, but it isn't accurate. If we don't start speaking up, these groups will conquer livestock farming, pushing animal agriculture out of this country. And once it leaves, what will happen to the rest of our farm commodities?

This past weekend, Kevin and I attended the Tennessee YF&R Summer Conference. The Tennessee YF&R County Achievement Award winners participated in a video called "I Am a Fortunate Man." This video shows what it is to be a farmer, and the reasons we farm today. These young farmers and ranchers are the most optimistic farmers I have ever met. They are facing a terrible drought year, yet I did not hear a single complaint from any of them about the hard times they are facing. They are optimistic about their future, and the future of farming, they are a true inspiration. Click here to view the video.

I Am a Fortunate Man
Author unknown

I am a fortunate man.

Few others enjoy the freedom that I sometimes take for granted.
On this farm, I answer to only one man.
The same man I look at in the mirror at the beginning of everyday.
I spend my days doing what I love and my nights surrounded by family and friends.
I am truly blessed.

I do not own this land anymore than it owns me.
I am only its steward.
I will use the land wisely; and do my part to improve it.
Caring for it until the time has come to pass it on to the next generation.
And I will do my part to teach them the same respect I have learned.

I have learned the nature of business and strive to understand the business of nature.
Peaks and valleys compose the natural cycle of farming.
I won’t get carried away by a peak, or destroyed by a valley.
I will move steadily on.
Tomorrow I will return to finish what I didn’t accomplish today.
I will rest when the work is done.

I have never asked for recognition.
Not even a thank you.
I am proud of what I do, and that is all I need.
I don’t farm with the hope that I will get noticed.
I farm because it is what I was called to do, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.

I must plan and prepare for the future even though
I can only speculate at what it will bring.
I will keep an eye on the future and a foot in the past.
To continue to feed a growing world,
I must seek out and embrace new, more efficient technologies
And business practices that give me an edge.
I will not only survive, I will succeed.
I will hold my head high, because I am a farmer.

A very fortunate man.

China recently announced it has suspended imports of chicken feet, pig ears and other animal products from seven U.S. companies in an apparent attempt to turn the tables on American complaints about tainted products from China (read more here).

This announcement came days after Zheng Xiaoyu, China's former chief food and drug regulator, was executed and 180 factories that put industrial chemicals into food were shut down.

Concerns have grown in the United States as an increasing number of Chinese products have been found tainted with dangerous levels of toxins and chemicals.

China is banning "American Made" products with the hope of building consumer confidence in their lable "Made in China." American farmers go to extreme measures to provide a safe and abundant food supply for our consumers. If the media would promote the efforts of our farmers and be less critical of our methods of farming, our consumers would have a better understanding of the safety measures American farmers take to provide healthy and safe food products. I don't want to rely on any country, China included, to supply my family with food. My trust lies with American Farmers and Ranchers.

Wendy's recently announced they will give preferential buying to its pork and chicken suppliers who improve systems for humane animal welfare. Currently, at least 10% of Wendy’s pork products are from hogs not raised in gestation stalls. The goal is to reach 20% by the end of 2008.

It's time farmers advertise the facts and let our consumers know the reasons behind our farming practices. Gestation stalls are provided for the safety and welfare of sows. The gestation stall protects a sow from being injured by "bully" sows. It also keeps sows from being stepped on while resting. Sows housed in stalls do not have to fight for their food or water. There is no concern of whether the bully is preventing other sows from gaining proper nourishment. Farmers are also able to monitor the sows health better in stalls.

Activist groups try to persuade our consumers that our farming techniques are wrong by saying our animals are not cared for properly. These groups are driving agriculture out of the United States, and other countries are opening their doors to our markets. We are playing into their hands by remaining silent. It’s time we start telling our story and educating our consumers. There is a reason behind every farming method, it’s time we let our consumers know WHY we use modern technology on our farms.

With the recent increase in food costs, many have been quick to blame high corn prices as the driving force behind the increase. However, a recent economic report released by the American Farm Bureau shows corn demand to make ethanol has little to do with the recent rise in food prices.

All the evidence points to factors other than ethanol demand, including an early freeze that zapped fruits and vegetables, low world supplies of wheat, milk producers’ cutting back on production in response to last year’s low prices and the rising cost of energy.

But is anyone listening to these facts or are they buying into the latest gossip that corn is the bad guy? While searching the internet, I ran upon a blog that is definitely listening to the facts, it's the Food and Fuel America.com blog. Good and Balanced Food and Fuel News is their motto, and the article I found did a great job of stating the facts!

We have the facts, let's make sure our neighbors know corn is not to blame for the increase in food costs. Instead, blame it on the weather!

The AFBF YF&R Committee met today with Fred Gorrell, Agricultural and Fisheries Counselor at the Canadian Embassy. We were given a quick overview of the relationship the United States and Canada have in regards to trade.

It was remarkable how much the United States and Canada rely upon each other for trade. Canada and the U.S. enjoy the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world. To learn more, click here to check out their website.

I recently read an article by Aaron Putze of the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers called "Modern, Innovative Farms are also Family Farms" I found this article on the Animal Agriculture Alliance website, at http://www.animalagalliance.com/.

The article talked about how society "thinks" all farmers and farms should remain as they were in the 1950's and 1960's. Aaron goes on to say this is an unfair and unrealistic expectation. For farms to remain viable, they must modernize and use the technology available to keep their family farms strong and capable of bringing the next generation back to the farm.

There are many commercials on TV today that portray farmers wearing overalls and straw hats while using farming practices of the 50's and 60's. Because of these false images portrayed by the media, our consumers believe this is the only way a farmer should farm. What they aren't showing on TV is how much it costs to produce our commodities and how few acres we have in production agriculture today.

It's time to change the face of agriculture and let our media outlets know family farmers and ranchers use modern technology to responsibly produce a safe product for our consumers.

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I am traveling home today from a meeting in New York, a PR conference. The focus was getting the story of agriculture told effectively. While waiting in the airport, I overheard two business professionals talk about how expensive milk is. They went on to discuss how the price of corn has nothing to do with the price of milk.

This is a perfect example of why we need to tell our story every chance we get. We take for granted that people know cows eat corn, or that cows produce milk.

As farmeers and ranchers, it is our responsibility to make sure our neighbors, rural and urban, understand what we do on our farms and ranches. We need to show them our farms and ranches touch their lives too, and what an important role we play in feeding America.

Together, we can change the image of agriculture, one story at a time. Never under estimate the power of one! Go tell your story and help our consumers remember the important role we play in our country. Afterall, Farmers and Ranchers are the backbone of America.

Micorsoft has launched a new initiative called i'm: http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/

According to the Microsoft website, every time you start a conversation in Microsoft Messenger using i’m, "Microsoft shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with some of the world's most effective organizations dedicated to social causes." The site goes on to say, "We've set no cap on the amount we'll donate to each organization. The sky's the limit. There's no charge, so join now and put our money where your mouth is."

Sounds great, right? I clicked on the "Choose the Organization" link and to my surprise, I discovered some of the organizations they are donating money to include the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Sierra Club. The HSUS targets animal agriculture but many people get confused by their name, they think their donations are going to save abused or neglected puppies and cats. However, their dollars are being used to target animal agriculture, which threatens American farmers and ranchers. The Sierra Club has been involved in similar causes that have been detrimental to agriculture.

What can we do? Contact Microsoft and urge them to remove these sites from their donation list. Everyone needs food to survive, and American farmers and ranchers produce the safest, most abundant food supply in the world. Let's tell Microsoft to support American farmers and ranchers.

Although the Senate didn't take action last week on the immigration bill, AFBF is not sitting idly by watching time pass. Today, AFBF posted a comment on The Hill's blog http://blog.thehill.com regarding this issue. AFBF points out farmers contribute 9 BILLION DOLLARS worth of business to the U.S. economy yearly, and without a viable immigration bill this money will likely leave our country. If this money leaves the U.S. it will go to foreign economies and foreign farmers. Check out AFBF's response at The Hill Blog, then contact your Senator and urge them to support this important piece of legislation!

Agriculture is a diversified industry that allows uniqueness and creativity to exist and succeed. In agriculture, there are many different types of farms ranging from livestock to row crop, to organic or non-organic, even agri-tourism, the list can go on and on. But all of these farms have one thing in common; they help feed our great nation.

Many times you will hear people try to persuade an audience that one type of farming is better than the other. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is we need all types of farms to keep agriculture successful. Diversity creates competition, and competition is good for our markets. If every vegetable farmer grew organic vegetables, what would happen to the organic vegetable market for the farmer? It would lose its competitive edge and organic farmers would earn less for their vegetables. And then the question would rise if there would be enough acres available to provide the United States with organic vegetables? Would previously planted crops be replaced with vegetables? If so, who would produce the crop that was replaced? A foreign farmer? And what if some consumers insisted on having non-organic vegetables, where would they find them? A foreign farmer?

It’s true, thirty years ago there were more people engaged in farming. These farmers were farming more acres than today’s farmers, but we produce more per acre today than we did thirty years ago, thanks to improved technology. Why do we have fewer acres in agriculture? It’s called progress, and as progress occurred in our country, it will occur in other countries as well.

If American Farmers decide to join in the fight to destroy each other, we are giving the activist groups exactly what they want. Not only will we be allowing these groups to divide and conquer US Agriculture, we are giving foreign farmers a competitive edge to provide our consumers with their food and fiber. If our food comes from a foreign country, how safe will it be?

“Just Say No” to attacking diversity in agriculture. Allow our farmers to have the freedom to choose their style of farming. Let’s keep American Agriculture unique and creative, let’s keep our freedom.

If you go to the PETA website you will find a link where you can vote for the "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity": http://www.goveg.com/feat/sexiestveg2007/. Among the names of celebrities vying for the title are: Carrie Underwood, Chelsea Clinton, Christie Brinkley, Kim Basinger, Lauren Bush, Alec Baldwin, Bob Barker, Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, and Tony La Russa to name a few.

According to the PETA website, "these stars’ reasons for keeping animals off their plates are as diverse and inspiring as their talents—from avoiding the inexcusable cruelty to animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses to improving their own health and helping the environment."

This article made me wonder how popular being a "vegetarian" would be if someone common, who wasn't famous or well known, stood up and bragged about their vegetarian lifestyle. I doubt anyone would give it a second thought, let alone promote it. We see this everyday in rural America. While the media would like to portray a farmer as someone who is old, and only wears overalls and hats, (even on Sunday's), rural Americans know farmers don't always look like this. But how many people are listening to rural America, or even paying attention to rural America? While we are busy working to help feed our country, the media is portraying a false image of agriculture to our consumers, who believe what they hear. After all, if someone famous says it, it must be true, right?

As farmers, we can help educate our consumers by telling our story every chance we get. And many farmers are doing just that. But imagine if agriculture had over 200 celebrities promoting our story, spreading the truth about agriculture. How many people would listen? What if a celebrity stood up and said, "I was raised on a farm, and I know first hand a farmer's first priority is the well being of their animals. A farmer knows their family and farm's success depends on their animals being healthy and well cared for. A farmer is not going to do anything that would harm their animals because their livelihood depends on it." Or what if a celebrity said, "Farmers are good stewards of the land, I should know, my parents are farmers. They live and breathe the same air, and drink the same water as their neighbors, and they take extra precautions to protect our environment by managing their nutrients, and testing the soil and water."

Our consumers trust the media to educate them accurately about their food and fiber and it appears many of our consumers are comfortable trusting celebrity opinions, even if the facts contradict what they say. It’s time agriculture finds our CELEBRITY VOICES!

Memorial Day is just around the corner and many Americans are gearing up for the holiday weekend with plans of picnics, ballgames, fishing, and relaxing. With gas prices still on the rise, more people will be celebrating the beginning of summer close to home.

For many of us, "home" is on the farm. When I was younger, we always went to my grandparents farm for Memorial Day. Even though there was work to be done, we always made time for a picnic with family and friends. The day would include fishing, croquet, horseshoes, kids running through a sprinkler, laughter, good conversation and GREAT food.

A recent survey conducted by the Minnestoa Farm Bureau (MFBF) revealed how affordable a picnic is this summer. The survey found the average cost of a picnic for 10 this summer is $30.38. The MFBF survey shopping list included hot dogs and hot dog buns, cheeseburgers and buns, potato salad, baby carrots, broccoli florets, baked beans, corn chips, watermelon, lemonade, single-serving milk and condiments, all in quantities sufficient to serve a picnic for 10.

A gallon of gas costs $3.30 right now in Missouri. For $30.00 you can buy 9 gallons of gas, or you can buy a picnic for 10. (And people still complain about high food prices?)

This year, my family and children will enjoy Memorial Day on our farm, just as we have done for years. And just like every year, there will be plenty of fishing and laughter, lots of fun, great conversation, and most importantly, affordable food! Thanks to American Farmers, we are able to enjoy the safest, and most affordable food supply in the world.

Welcome to the Young Farmer and Rancher Blog. We welcome your comments and ideas.

I recently had the opportunity to chaperone 4 area FFA students to Jefferson City, Missouri, for the Farm Bureau Youth Leadership Days. This was my 5th year taking FFA students on this trip and one thing has never changed, each year the kids tell me "my mom and dad say there is not a future for me in agriculture so I'm not going to come home to the farm after college" or I hear, "there is no money in farming and I don't want to be poor." Every year I explain to these FFA kids who are Juniors in high school, what a bright future there is in agriculture and how many new programs there are available for beginning farmers in the way of low interest loans, guaranteed loans, etc. I explain to these kids that farming today has evolved and changed with technology and the demands of consumers, and these changes have created many new opportunities for farmers.

This year, one of the kids told me she planned on having a career in agriculture. She wasn't sure how she was going to accomplish this goal, but she knew she would find a way to stay involved with agriculture. It's people with optimism like this young lady who are finding new ways to stay involved in agriculture. We've all heard the saying, "Anything worth having in life is worth fighting for." In my opinion, this is true when you look at a career in agriculture. Sure there will be tough times, and many days when you work longer and harder than you would at an 8 to 5 job, but when times get tough, FARMER UP and work that much harder.

When times were tough for our parents and grandparents, they didn't run away, they stood their ground and worked that much harder to provide for their families and our country. I know from talking with my grandparents that farming 30 years ago was no walk in the park like the movies want viewers to believe. They had just as many worries and struggles as we do today in farming but they never gave up. So when times get tough, or you hear a young person say there is no future in an agriculture career, FARMER UP and help spread the TRUTH, help tell the story of Agriculture!