LOUD NOISES, I Don't Know What We are Yelling About!

I have a reputation for being loud.  It's the result of a deadly combination: bad hearing and a passionate personality.  Since those elementary school years, I have been told to use my inside voice, a skill I still have yet to master.  Like every other person on the planet, I want to be heard.

One of the perks of my job is the chance to research and read articles about the beef industry for the weekly TV show we produce.  While reading about everything from the hay season to the cattle market, I came across a variety of articles that had some very interesting responses in the comment section.  I love reading the comments because it is a place of raw discussion.  As I read, there were so many comments that condemned the beef industry.  Phrases like evil, heartless, corporate greed, and poison were used to describe the people who work hard to raise cattle.  More upsetting though, were the responses from the people who farm and ranch.  Their phrases like ungrateful idiot, mindless hippie, and selfish disgusting human being broke my heart.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE agriculture, raising cattle, and the people that make up this great community, but we are hurting ourselves by attacking those who question us or disagree with us.  Fighting fire with fire will only get us burned.  We as a community need to stop pointing fingers and demanding "boycotts" and start listening.  It's hard, I know to have someone attack not only your business, but your way of life, but it's time to turn the other cheek.

So how to hold your temper? When commenting on a blog or other site, I try to keep my "argument" portion down to one or two sentences.  This keeps me from getting myself more riled, and saying things I regret.  Secondly, I always post my name.  This holds me accountable for what I say knowing that someone who Googles me could see that comment.  Finally, I always finish by offering the opportunity to contact me with any questions via my blog or Twitter.

Keep your passion alive, but add to it.  Make listening an important part of spreading the word about agriculture.  We aren't a perfect industry, so we need to be held accountable for our mistakes and problems. We are largely good people who mean well.  Let's become the industry with a reputation for standing above petty fighting, and cultivating honest meaningful discussion.

'till the cows come home,
Ellie

Eye in the sky

The EPA has some 'splaining to do!

If you're not involved in agriculture you probably have no idea what the letters EPA stand for.  If you do happen to know the Environmental Protection Agency by it's full name, then you probably don't understand this blog post.  I must be some kind of crazy person if I don't believe the environment needs protecting.

We need to take care of our planet, after all it's the only one we can live on (for now), and I don't even mind that a government entity keeps an eye on the organizations whose business affects the environment.  I do have a problem with their methods.

Last week all of Nebraska's congressmen sent a letter to the director of the EPA demanding answers.  The problem: The EPA has been doing fly-over inspections of feedlots in Nebraska.  This has resulted in privacy concerns, and overall uneasiness among beef producers, and I don't blame them.

The EPA has been doing these fly-overs without authority.  There is no rule that allows this invasion of privacy. The number of head a cattle producer has is the equivalent of dollars in the bank.  So imagine my non-ag friends, that Uncle Sam is peeking into your bank account without your permission, or even the authority to do so.  Hopefully you can understand why I'm more than a little peeved.

Finally, you can't evaluate all the activities of a place from the air.  The EPA definitely has some explaining to do.  They are part of a government that is only as strong as the people they govern, so they have to answer to those people for their actions.  Without accountability, we no longer have a democracy.

'till the cows come home,
Ellie