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.

As a third grade teacher, I had the pleasure of taking my class to our Scholastic Book Fair. During the half hour that we had to browse the books, I came across a book that I connected to agriculture. The book, GROWING Farm, School and Me!, was written by sixth grade students. Scholastic selects books that are created by young authors and publishes one to two books in this manner per year. Although the topics vary, I was thrilled to find that today’s youth chose to write about the ever-changing face of agriculture. The book targets hard topics; such as urban sprawl and gaining awareness for agriculture. In a society that is quickly becoming removed from our nation’s rich agricultural heritage it is essential that we embrace every opportunity we are given to promote agriculture by sharing our story with our future generations. I look forward to reading, GROWING Farm, School and Me!, with my class tomorrow during literature. For a list of agricultural books for you to share with others, you should visit the American Farm Bureau Foundation’s recommended book list.

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!

Children that are raised around farming and ranching have a true appreciation of life. They know how to work and understand the value of a dollar. They aren’t discouraged and give up when obstacles are in front of them. They don’t wait on things to be handed to them; they take the initiative and get to work for what they want. This work ethic spreads over into other areas of their life, such as school, sports and other jobs. Think of all the negative we hear about the youth of today. More and more of them are becoming obese from the lack of activity and they are getting into trouble with drugs, alcohol and in other areas. If they would get a job on a farm for the summer they would realize how much better they feel when they get outside and move around, helping them to understand the importance of physical activity. And they wouldn’t have time to get into trouble. This is just a start of the many values they would learn. But one of the most important is gaining a true understanding of where their food comes from and of their agricultural heritage.

Don’t think for a minute that we are hicks from the sticks. We have all the modern conveniences that most kids enjoy. Our kids have video games, Nickelodeon and a computer. They even have a 4-wheeler and a go-cart they can ride. But when they aren’t helping dad, they enjoy things like riding their bikes, building forts, going fishing on the creek and having mud fights. They enjoy the outdoors and nature. We have four children and sometimes farming gets tough, but they are the main reason we would never give this lifestyle up. They have the freedom to grow and play without fear. The experiences and values that they have gained from living and working on a farm will be some of the most important assets they will ever posses.

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.

Many of you are probably aware of the recent incident between a football coach and a newspaper reporter. Oklahoma State University’s football coach, Mike Gundy, let the media have it at a press conference because he felt that a certain sports writer did not get her facts straight about one of his players. I admire his strong support of his player, and his willingness to take a stand and speak up. But, he has received some criticism over the way he handled it. I guess maybe the reason I understand his position is because it is very similar to what we go through as farmers and ranchers. The media and anti-agriculture organizations, such as PETA, speak publicly of things they know nothing about, and they don’t take the time to get their facts straight. Such as the way they have attacked the poultry farmers stating they are polluting the water, but they have no research or proof of this claim. Maybe we as farmers and ranchers need to have a press conference to get our chance to rant and to set the story straight. I don’t know if it would do any good because some people just like to stir up trouble. I don’t mean to group all reporters together. There have been a few that have come to the source to search for the truth. But as usual, the bad outweighs the good. And unfortunately, the majority of the population has no firsthand experience with agriculture, so they believe what they hear; therefore, tarnishing the heritage we hold so dear. Remember, the farmers and ranchers are the ones who work with the land and nature day in and day out. Most of them started doing this when they were young under their father and grandfathers and they want to pass it down to the next generation. Don’t you think they are the ones that care the most about trying to preserve our earth. So, the next time you hear a bad report about agriculture, you might take a moment to ask a farmer or rancher the truth, or at least remind yourself that may not be the whole story. And as Gundy says, get the facts straight.

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.