Science not Politics

If you would like to change the world, an education and career in science should be your route not politics.  I am told there was a time in our country that our representatives in politics actually had businesses and careers in their hometowns and only went to DC or their respective State Capitols to discuss and vote on official business. Hmmmm!

I see a lot of people commenting, blogging, reporting, and voting on things they are not entirely educated on.  If you want to change agriculture, food sources, education, medical practices, laws or anything else your heart desires, you should be studying the subject matter through a multitude of resources (including live people interviews) and do some old fashioned science projects. This should be a top priority.

There are many issues this applies to, some from my former classroom teacher days, some from owning a feed yard and some from my community of agriculture people I pal around with.

Who thought it would be a good idea to make it more of the responsibility of teachers for the attendance, graduation and passing of "the test"?  Who thinks that high school students who are days from entering the real world, where we want them to get out of bed and get to a job where they will pay taxes, are given no responsibility in setting an alarm and getting themselves out of bed? Many times in my teaching career I was told to call parents of 17 and 18 year old students' about them being late, not turning into their homework, and not working to their potential. I think a good talk with the pre-adult student would be more useful.

We coddle children in our society entirely too much, always thinking we expect too much of them. Then one day we want them to wake up and be adults. Who would think that is going to work?  I often look to the Amish Community when thinking about expectations for our girls.  If I grade myself on this scale I would be failing currently as an Amish Mom. My girls don't do laundry, have any real cleaning responsibilities, bake or cook.

The most recent story being talked about is antibiotics being used in livestock.  I understand the concern for the topic, however I can't understand why after all these years someone would go to the government rather than the laboratory/feed yard/farm to see if those people are concerned.  I surround myself with some really smart people. It is part of my plan to get through life. Dr Francis Fluharty is just one of those people. He has spent his life studying chemistry, animal science, and ruminants and in my mind if he says it's safe and he feeds a lot of beef to his family, I believe him.  Can you believe with all of the uproar over antibiotic use, not one person has called our feed yard. Not one reporter trying to get the truth, not one editor determined to find the truth for their readers.  Don't you think asking a feed yard owner about antibiotic use is important? Don't you think asking, "what if, we told you tomorrow you can't use any antibiotics at 4+ Feeders, what would you do?" "What do you think would be the repercussions to the consumer and how many cattle would suffer or worse die?"

If I was a reporter, I would ask these questions:

1. If antibiotics were not able to be used, starting tomorrow, what would happen at your feed yard?
2. Would the price of beef go up, if so in what proportion?
3. What things do you do to use less antibiotics?
4. When you choose a steer/heifer to butcher for your family, do you make sure you get one that has not been treated?
5. How do you choose a steer/heifer for your family?

The problem with our thought patterns is we have become a nation of couch problem solvers.  If we have an issue, problem or complaint we should not always email our representative.  We should first write people that have first hand experience with the "situation". We should also find people to represent us in government that have had at least 10 years of experience in the field.  For example before you start telling people how to run a classroom and what is best for their students, you should have been in a classroom teaching students.  That does not count, being in a principals office. Because unless you are in the trenches, it doesn't count.

The Road to BQA Certification

If there is one thing I have learned through being an agvocate, it is that in order to be sustainable we must be socially pleasing.  Why I don't think everyone is angry with the farmers and ranchers producing their food, there are enough people upset to make me squirm in my seat.

My mind is constantly swirling with this question; how do we do it better?

How do we hire the best employees and get them to want to stay?

How do we improve our pen space?

How do we improve our bunks and water tanks?

How do we keep death loss down and sickness to a minimum?

How do we dispose of our manure in an environmentally beneficial way?

How do we do all of this on financially conservative budget?

The first thing I am going to do is start with this free tool of wading through the BQA certification program. . . 

Beef Quality Assurance is a national program that provides guidelines for beef cattle production. The program raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry.

Producers have embraced BQA because it is the right thing to do; but they have also gained through increased profitability. As an educating program, BQA helps producers identify management processes that can be improved.

We are trained and we are certified in many areas already. We are doing a lot of things right.  BUT, we are not perfect and we have some growing to do.  I am going to spend the rest of 2012 figuring out what we are doing right and what we can check of the list.  I think that will be a feel good activity for the holidays.  I am then going to analyze our list of things to improve, which I am sure will be painful to point out our flaws. Hopefully we will then spend 2013 fixing them and move into BQA certification.  

I am going to start and share with you our journey (it will be a long one, I am sure).  It will be a little longer than I thought last week.  Mostly because I had plans of winning the Power Ball (like many of you, I am sure).  If I had won I would have bought a new Silencer chute for 4+ Feeders for Christmas. 

Since that didn't happen I guess we will live in the reality of making our chute and working facility better.  If you do not own or care for any cattle, you can take the journey here on for the love of beef.  If you do have your own cattle (no matter how many) you should check out this BQA website and start your own journey.  This is going to be a fabulous New Year's Resolution.