Yesterday, the temperature at our house made it over 40 degrees. This was the first time in four weeks that we had been above freezing. Much of that time was actually spent in sub-zero temperatures. When it's that cold out, it doesn't seem like we get out much. Maybe it's because I cringe a little when I have to start my diesel pickup or it's just the fact that -20 doesn't make you feel like doing anything but keeping the fireplace going. Cabin fever was starting to take a toll on kids and parents alike.

However, there has been one thing that's cheered up everyone in our house. That was when the box of oranges that we ordered from our local FFA Chapter's fruit sale showed up.

There is a lot of talk about becoming a locavore and how you should do that to save the environment. I don't want to be a locavore. Some areas of the country, like us in the Upper Great Plains would miss out on some of the great food that is grown and raised in the United States.

Having a chance to eat these fresh oranges in December not only made my whole family smile but it also is a testament to the incredible agriculture industry this country enjoys.

Thanks to the orange growers for warming up a very cold December in the Dakotas.

What does it take to keep the organization running and not just at a walk? It takes members. And how you you keep them once you have them. We all know those that come and go and Farm Bureau isn't immune to this either. But what if members joined and didn't go. Wow, just think what this organization could do.
A little over 10 years ago I heard of three things that I think would help any organization. These would have to be implemented on a county basis because that is what grassroots is all about.
First, a member needs a friend. In Farm Bureau this shouldn't be a problem. SOme of the friendliest people are in Farm Bureau. Besides with only 2% of the population in Agriculture, we had just better be the best folks around
Second, members need a responsibility. Some may need more that one, but some only need to feel a little needed and some may only want to be on a committee and then there are those that only want to help maybe once a year. The hard part is knowing who and where those members fit in. It may take asking more than once or it may take using the issue at hand and helping them realize that their neighbors issue is also their issue.
Third, you need a worthy cause. What that cause is depends on your county programs. But what is more worthwhile than a cause for agriculture. A worthy cause is anything that will keep American farmers and ranchers continuing to feed, fuel and clothe the world. We not only want to be the best farmers and ranchers, but we want to give our customers (the consumer) the best. That is what makes America what it is.
So invite your friends and neighbors to your next Farm Bureau meeting or activity and make them feel needed in a worthwhile project. I can honestly say that is what happened to me almost 12 years ago. and I hope everyone has a Happy New Year.

Everyone knows the last 16 months have been very rough for livestock producers, especially if you owned hogs. "Farmers lost money on every hog sold during 14 of the past 16 months," according to Ron Plain, a livestock analyst at the University of Missouri in Columbia. "On average, the loss was $45 per head in November, compared with a loss of $29 each a year earlier," he said.

There is hope though that 2009 will be a better year for hog producers. I read an article from Bloomberg yesterday that indicated hog farmers might see a profit on their hogs in 2009. “The big, big uncertainty hanging over all this is the recession and how deep is it going to be and how long it’s going to last,” Missouri’s Plain said. According to Plain, pork won’t suffer as bad in a recession because on average it is a more affordable cut of meat.

This news gives pork producers a sparkle of hope that 2009 will be a better year than 2007 & 2008!

There is an article in the Capital Press about Conversations on Care, a program which encourages farmers and ranchers to interact with the public about the care given to livestock.

The article does a great job of explaining the program and the importance of farmers and ranchers talking with the public about the care they give their livestock.

Below is part of a comment posted by Scott Lahteine on this article about Conversations on Care:

"I hate to be cynical, but the quote "It's up to you to tell your stories about spending cold nights in your barns with your animals, giving them the kind of care that means personal sacrifice from you," doesn't really mean anything, does it? If there was a stack of gold bars out there that might - I dunno - shrink, evaporate, or rust on a cold night, you can bet the person invested in that pile would be out there "giving them care."

As you can see from the above comment, it is very important for farmers and ranchers to talk about the care they give their animals and why. Please take 5 minutes out of your day to post a comment on this article and engage in a conversation about the care you give your livestock and why! If we don't start telling our story, who will?

Just like Troy and Stacy had the opportunity to read to their son's kindergarten class recently, I had the opportunity to visit with our daughter's kindergarten class last week. This month her class is learning about food and where it comes from... the farm and not the grocery store. Thankfully, her teacher gave me the opportunity to come and talk to her class for about a half hour about our family farm and pork production as a whole.

This was a wonderful opportunity as it allowed me to expose approximately 30 kindergarteners to modern livestock production and the importance of farming. We were also able to provide them with a coloring page from the National Pork Producers Council and I took pork burger samples for all to try. Many of the kids wanted seconds.

This experience just reminded me how important it is for us to tell our story whenever we get a chance to any group no matter the age or size. I not only got to talk to these kindergarteners, but hopefully it encouraged some conversations at home with their parents (I have already gotten one positive email from a parent). Additionally, I also got to tell our story to the two kindergarten teachers at our daughter's school. This experience also reminded me how it is up to us to make sure our story is heard and that our industry succeeds.

Last week Stacy and I had the opportunity to read to our son's kindergarten class. What a great time it was. We read a book called "I Drive A Tractor". The kids were so excited. Several of his classmates do not live on a farm or ranch and unfortunately do not get exposed to agriculture very often.

After reading the book, we pretended that we were driving our own tractor, filling a feed wagon and feeding the cows. At the end of our time, we donated the book to his class. His teacher was very happy to have us there and asked when we could come back again.

Simple things like this can make a big difference in how these kids will view agriculture as they grow. It doesn't take much time and just a very simple way of promoting our industry. I urge everyone to go into the classroom and read. Even if you don't have kids in the class, take the time to do it.

Have you ever looked at the amount of dollars you spend on insurance premiums? I tallied our premium bills up for the year last night, $46,000! I think that's nuts. We operate a 2,000 acre farm as our sole source of income. Forty-six thousand dollars is what we hope our profit is for the year. Is it wise to spend your projected annual salary on premiums for what might happen? Fire, hail, drought, flood, high wind, tornadoes, pestilence, falling prices, liability, vandalism, theft, collision, health failure, and death are all possibilities. Couldn't I save that money for ten years, have over $500,000 in the bank and self insure? Possibly, but I'm glad I didn't try it.

Years like 2006 come along and it doesn't rain, gets hot, and the wind blows. Cutting seven-bushel-an-acre wheat, shredding failed cotton, and not cutting hay puts a dent in your income. Medical bills get rather high for countless tests, hospital stays, surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments because your young wife has breast cancer. Yes, insurance is an expense part of managing risk on the farm and you can have too much. In 2006, God, friends, and insurance saved our farm.

Agriculture’s biggest secret is the impressive job that American farmers and ranchers do to protect the environment. Caring for the water, soil, air, and wildlife while feeding the world is no small task. Farmers are charged with this responsibility every day. Farmers have adapted to use research and technology to ensure that the practices implemented on the farm are in the best interest of the environment. Agriculture is not a short term career; it is often a profession that lasts a lifetime. Most farmers realize that the decisions they make regarding the stewardship of their land will effect their operation for years to come. They are a part of the community, and are impacted by the decisions they make in multiple ways.

Wisconsin Discovery Farms are a great example of farmers working to improve the environment. There are six working farms that are core to the project along with other special project farms. On the Discovery Farms, on-farm research is done, implementing Best Management Practices and tracking the economics of complying with regulations. The goal of the farms is to find out which really work and which don't make as much of an impact. Discovery Farms are a producer-driven project, with a largely producer-based advisory board. The Discovery Farms program takes a real-world approach to finding the most economical solutions to overcoming the challenges environmental regulations place on farmers. Other states have started to look to this model for implementation in their states. With this type of cooperation, everyone wins.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering implementing a rule that would regulate greenhouse gases under the Cleain Air Act. EPA accepted comments on this proposed rule until 11/28/08. The proposed rule would include regulating agriculture, especially livestock.

In short, this tax could reach $175 per cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and upward of $20 for each hog. Farmer's and ranchers do not profit $87.50 per cow or $20 per hog. This tax is not reasonable.

The New York Times has a blog article regarding this tax, below is a comment posted on this blog:

This would be a good first step to insure that product pricing more closely represents its total environmental footprint. In order to preclude inequalities between states, this should be imposed on the federal level. Kiss those cheap, fast food meals good bye. Both our environment and health would benefit from decreased animal protein consumption.

The voice of agriculture needs to be heard on this blog. Please take a minute to post a comment on this blog and let readers know what the "cow tax" would do to their safe and abundant food supply. If agriculture is forced out of the United States, a foreign country will be producing food for our growing nation. How safe will that be?

Today is December 2nd and its been 4 days since familys have gotten together to share a meal. Perhaps you or a family member invited people over who may not have the same circumstances as you. Could someone please tell me why we have to celebrate one day to give thanks.

I personally give thanks every day for having a healthy family, for a job, for being a farm bureau member and for democracy. When I heard that a person got trampled to death at a store because he was waiting in line to go shopping it made me sick to my stomach. Have we come to this point in our society that we don't value life over property? Are we falling for the big store gimmicks of save, save, save when ultimately we are going in debt, debt, debt. Personally, I would rather spend a little more at a local store and invite the owner over for Thanksgiving rather than support the big boys.

As we enter this holiday season please keep in the back of your mind that the local people need sales as well to survive. At the local hardware there aren't automated computers to tell you what section the item you are looking for is in, nor do they have self-serve cash registers. Remember where your roots are.