Billionaire Candidates and Agricultural Ignorance

This is from a few years ago and is among my favorite images.  I find it interesting how the curiosity is strong on both sides of the fence.

Agriculture is something that is little appreciated by most people these days.  Social media has been completely crazy with how one of the current Presidential candidates gave a speech a few years ago to a group of highly educated, full-of-themselves individuals, in which he implied that it didn't take much intelligence to be in agriculture.  In fact, that speech (follow the link to see the article which includes the video) was given at about the same time the above image was taken.

The speech has been taken out of context in such a way that everyone in agriculture has gotten angry rather than thought about what was said.  Essentially, he indicated that civilization has evolved through time from what was, for most of history, an agrarian culture to an industrialized economy and now we are in the middle of a technology-based information economy.  He was correct, but his comments leave one wondering if he truly understands the amount of information and technology that are utilized in agriculture today.

Take that bunch of cows in the image above; they were from a registered herd of Angus that have been carefully selected for over 60 years to produce efficient, fertile, highly versatile animals that provide us with some of the highest quality meat in history.  Each animal is carefully measured in many ways, the data collected, collated and compared against their genetic scores which are developed from genomic testing.  They are rigorously selected based on stringent criteria so that only the best animals are allowed to produce breeding stock for future generations.

They are fed protein and mineral supplements that are carefully formulated to meet the nutritional requirements that the animals cannot attain from forage alone.  They are vaccinated to prevent disease.  They are cared for using scientifically-based methods that reduce the amount of stress to which they are subjected.  The forage they eat is also managed based on best scientifically proven practices.

That's just a small part of agriculture -- raising cattle on a ranch.  I won't even address what happens when they head up the production chain to eventual harvest and presentation in the meat case at your local supermarket.  Technology is everywhere.

When you look at farming it gets even crazier.  The tractors are guided by computers to precisely apply the correct amounts of seed, fertilizer, etc. based on satellite images.  The seeds which are planted are frequently the result of advanced breeding techniques -- including genetic manipulation to enhance disease, chemical and pest resistance.  We have more and better quality food than ever before in history -- thanks to the application of technology to agriculture -- and it costs virtually the same as it did 50+ years ago!

The candidate in question mentions the brainpower required to farm vs. work in a factory vs. create the technology which is so pervasive in society today.  I should introduce him to the rocket scientist I know who ranches in Arizona.  He truly is a rocket scientist -- used to work at NASA.  Or, maybe he should meet some of the scientists unraveling the genetic code which determines disease resistance.  Oh, wait, those are scientists.  Yep, I have worked with them most of my career.  They may be able to manipulate a gene, but most of them have no clue how their work impacts the real world.  They are isolated in their cocoon of technology of which they know much, but they don't know what to do with it much of the time.

I think, ultimately, that is the issue.  I call it intellectual snobbery.  It happens in every field of endeavor.  I've seen it in many, many scientific and engineering fields -- and I've seen it in agriculture.  It goes something like this: "If you don't have a PhD in blah, blah, blah, there is no way you can understand it.  You obviously don't have the intelligence to be able to comprehend it, or you would have a PhD in blah, blah, blah."  Sometimes it isn't just a PhD -- with Engineers it is simply a degree in Engineering -- and they have ranks.  I think Aerospace is at the top and Civil is at the bottom.  Each believes if you "aren't one of us, you ain't nothing."

Back to agriculture -- "If you try to learn how to ranch after a career in something else, you had better be prepared to fail."  "If you didn't grow up in it you will never be able to master it."  Those are incorrect too.

Getting back to the article:  I don't like the candidate mentioned in the article.  Period.  I think he would be worse for our country than most of the others.  Just look at the problems in his state and you should agree.  We shouldn't blast him for what was said, though.  Instead, we should realize that what he said is a symptom of something deeper.  The average person, or the self-proclaimed intellectual elite has no idea about what is involved in production agriculture.  Most of them don't even know what is necessary to get the food to their table.  Billionaire Presidential candidates probably have large staffs that take care of it for them anyway -- they don't even know their food comes from the grocery store -- let alone what it took to get it to the store.

If you don't like the candidate, talk about why you don't like the candidate; don't just blast him by taking his words out of context and failing to address the real issue -- ignorance.  Yep, brilliant people can be ignorant.  If you don't know about something, you are ignorant of that subject.  It doesn't mean you lack the gray matter to understand it given time and effort.  I wish all of the candidates would apply a little more of their gray matter to learning about food production.  Those in agriculture just don't add up to enough votes for it to make a difference to them -- at least in their mind.  We need to explain why it does matter.  Even billionaires won't live long without food.

Bull Haulers

Sometimes I just hunt through the images stored on my computer until I come across one that catches my attention.  This is from when we bought a load of heifers and had them shipped in, but it made me think of shipping time and sending calves to wheat pasture, or the feed yard.

Shipping time;

Bawling calves;

Dust cloud;

Diesel roar;

Headed west;

Time for rest.

"Bull Haulers" get a lot of abuse because they are often short on sleep and look like they've been living in their Peterbilt or, Kenworth for weeks on end -- which they probably have.  They ought to get our respect though, because they are the ones who drive endless miles getting the livestock to the next point in the production chain.  Cattle aren't like a cardboard box full of some unknown consumer good that can sit in a warehouse, or in the back of a truck while the trucker sleeps; they need to get where they are going as quickly as possible to reduce the stress and get them to feed and water.  The driver is the pilot, flight attendant and sometimes gate attendant all rolled into one.  They get the animals to their next home safely and efficiently no matter the weather or, the conditions.  Just like the rest of us, they sometimes need a pat on the back.  Their job is just as critical as anyone else's when it comes to putting high quality beef on the table.

The Chant Goes On

Buyers gather around the ring

To hear the auctioneer sing

"Look at these beauties!

Nice young Tiger-Stripe Heifers.

They'll make some dandy cows!

Let's start the bidding."

The chant begins to fill the air

And I look to see who's bidding there

As the Master with the silver tongue

Rolls up the bids I see nary one

With upraised hand

There in the attentive crowd.

Oh, wait, a finger by the nose,

The guy that's wearing farmer clothes,

I'm pretty sure he wants those girls

And over on the other side

I think he might be bidding too,

The one in the bright blue plaid.

He's got his card up by his chin

And taps it every now and then,

That's got to be the way he makes a bid.

Look, there in the back row

By the lady in the in the yellow cap,

I think he might be another one.

Pretty soon we hear, "Sold!"

And those heifers head out in the cold

As we find out that the buyer

Was "Kyle 3X-2"

So, they're headed out west

To wheat pasture for a few months.

"Look at this nice set of light steers!"

The caller chants to calm the fears

That this bunch might just be a wreck

When they get to their destination

Several hundred miles

From where they were born.

"Let's start the bidding...."

Common Sense and Natural Forces

There is more than one way to deal with a water gap.  We had a neighbor that recognized nature's way of removing them by utilizing natural materials to fill them.  You can see the remains of an ancient barbed wire fence in the photo and a nearly new post on the left, but the gap is blocked by tree limbs that will be washed away when the next flood comes.  When that occurred, he simply came back after the waters receded and replaced them with more limbs.

Most people approach a water gap as a way to pit themselves against nature.  The idea is to construct something that will withstand the forces of the water and bend it to their will.  They use bull wire panels that will swing upward as the waters rise, or perhaps even anchor them to the banks in a way that allows smaller debris to pass through while catching the larger pieces.  Eventually, they always wash out, or are otherwise destroyed in the floods.

Working with nature seems to be the best way.  It is something we should do in many areas.  Instead, it is man's way to attempt to tame it.  We build our buildings and streets, we change the landscape with heavy equipment and we suffer the consequences with flooding and devastation.

Many agricultural practices also take an approach that doesn't necessarily work with nature, but seeks to "overcome" natural forces through artificial means.  We do this with fertilizers and chemicals and plows that re-shape the land into our "image" of what is necessary to produce food.  Historically, such practices resulted in catastrophic loss through flooding, or drought-fueled wind storms.

Many today are taking more conservation-conscious approaches that disturb the soil less and utilize natural forces to manage the land.  In livestock production it is seen in rotational grazing systems based on native forage species -- sometimes in intensive rotational grazing that mimics the pattern of native ungulates such as American Bison.  In farming we are seeing a switch to less soil-disturbing methods such as low-till, or no-till cultivation.  We see the use of cover crops and more drought-tolerant species.

We are currently seeing another form of the devastating impacts of man's attempts to change the natural systems in the California wildfires.  Failure to allow periodic low-impact fires to clear brush and undergrowth has created a tremendous fuel load in those forests.  Crossing those brush-covered hills with electrical lines is a perfect setup for the fires which are raging there now.  Just like in the water gap shown in the image at the top of this post, nature will cross man's artificial boundaries at a whim.

They need to control the brush with goats, or controlled burns.  They need to bury their power transmission lines.  They need to stop building on erosive slopes.  They need to understand that nature will have her way in spite of the billions of dollars they spend attempting to prevent it.  Perhaps what is needed most is some common sense, like our neighbor used by stopping the water gap with limbs, but we are talking about California....

Sometimes We Need Help

Animals, just like humans, sometimes get sick.  This little guy is an orphan.  We don't know what happened to his mother, but one day she seemed perfectly healthy and the next day she was gone.  This young (about 6 week old) bull calf was "stealing" milk from the other cows that had calves at their side and had started eating grass.  We watched him closely for a few days and he seemed to be doing okay, but then on Monday of this week I spotted him off by himself and showing signs of respiratory distress.  I immediately got out of the pickup and herded him to the corrals on foot.  The fact that I could do so was an indicator that he didn't feel well.

We began to treat him for the respiratory problem and to hand feed him.  He was going downhill, so on Wednesday we took him to the Veterinarian.  She has access to more powerful tools than we do and by Wednesday evening he was feeling much better.  The photo is from late yesterday when he nearly knocked me down to get the bottle.  It was gratifying to see that he seemed to feel much better and signs of the respiratory issue were gone.

Unlike humans, animals are unable to ask for help when they are in distress.  In fact, animals such as cattle are naturally wary of giving any indication that they don't feel well because they are naturally prey animals.  It is the sick and distressed that are usually first to fall to predators.  I have observed sick cattle "put on an act" of feeling well and "pretending" to eat in order to appear healthy.  Sometimes it is very difficult to spot a health problem until the animal is extremely sick and difficult to heal.

As I have mentioned before in this blog, we feel a deep responsibility to the animals within our care.  We monitor them daily in order to make certain they have adequate food and water and that they are healthy.  Occasionally, something will happen to one of them that is inexplicable -- such as the loss of this calf's mother -- but, for the most part, we are able to catch any problems early and to deal with them expeditiously.  It is important that we have the tools to do so in order to prevent undue suffering.

The movement to ban the use of antibiotics in livestock production is one that threatens our ability to deal with issues, such as the respiratory problems this calf had, in a timely fashion.  The medicines with which he was treated will be completely metabolized and gone from his system within a matter of a few short weeks.  The labels include withdrawal times and dosages which we record and keep, along with other information about the event, in a file if an animal must be treated.  Hopefully, this calf will be able to go on and live out a normal, healthy life in which he will thrive until he fulfills his ultimate purpose of providing nutritious protein for human consumption.

As I think about it, I realize that the inability to ask for help sometimes applies to humans as well.  In us, it isn't so much that we are incapable, it is that our pride or, our personality make it extremely difficult.  We also are influenced by the way in which we were raised -- especially in rural America where independence and self-reliance are deeply rooted in the culture.  For some reason this morning, I feel it is important to say that it is okay to ask for help.  Don't be like the calf in the photo who would have died in his loneliness had I not observed his condition and intervened.  If you need help, ask for it.  Ask friends, neighbors, family, or one of the many organizations that are out there for help.  There are good people who will be there for you if they know you need it.

Just my thoughts this morning....

Treating Ignorance (lack of knowledge)

Raising cattle requires controlling parasites.  There are many that attack the animals both internally and externally.  The large, flying critter you see in this photo is a horse fly resting upon the back of one of our calves.  If you look more closely, to put it in perspective, you will see a number of horn flies toward the edges of the photo.  There is quite a difference in their size.  Both are irritants to the cattle.

The horse flies are a source of the organism that causes Anaplasmosis.  They carry tiny rickettsial parasites called Anaplasma marginale or Anaplasma centrale which cause severe anemia.  The parasites can also be carried by ticks, but in our area, the horse flies seem to be the primary vector.  Fortunately, it is easily treatable with tetracycline.  Without treatment an animal -- especially mature ones -- will usually die within a matter of a few weeks.

The movement by many toward livestock production without the use of chemicals or, antibiotics is one based in ignorance.  No rancher uses such things unless they are necessary to protect their animals from disease and possibly death.  All products available for use on animals have been tested and the rates at which they disappear from being present in the blood, or tissue of the animal through normal metabolic processes has been determined.  This provides for a known withdrawal date on any products that are used.  Most are completely gone from the animal within a very short time.  Animals can't be harvested for meat if there is any residue and are tested at the harvest facility for such.

One of the arguments against the use of antibiotics in animals is that it causes organisms to become resistant and therefore the treatment becomes less effective over time.  There is certainly some validity to the point, however, the majority of organisms that are treated are species specific and not zoonotic.  Zoonosis is the transfer of pathogens between species -- such as tuberculosis -- but the list of such diseases is fairly short and when they occur in livestock they are reported to the state Animal Health Commission and steps are taken to isolate any infected animals and prevent the spread.

I use fly spray to help control the pesky horse flies and horn flies which attack my cattle.  I've used the same sprays in my kitchen!  It seems beyond cruel to me to allow the flies to constantly attack the cattle and potentially make them sick through the parasites they carry.  The female horse flies have strong cutting mandibles which they use to slice open the skin.  They then will sit and drink the blood from the seeping wound.  As they do so, the parasites they carry within their saliva enter the wound and the blood stream of the animal and present the risk of disease.  If the cattle show signs of sickness I immediately treat them with an antibiotic targeted at the disease.

If you are one who is on the bandwagon of the crusaders who wish to ban the use of such products in livestock, please take a minute to consider the cruelty that will be inflicted on those animals.  Today we are able to produce a safe and wholesome product because those tools are available.  Without them, a lot of animals would die a slow death from disease.

I suppose this seems like a morbid subject early in the morning.  It is on my mind because I am about to head out to doctor a sick calf.  Those animals are my responsibility as long as they are in my care.  I will do my best to raise them in a manner that respects them and provides the best environment in which they can thrive.

"Oh, look at the pretty flowers!"

Texas is a land of wildflowers.  They are pleasing to view while traveling across the open spaces of the Lone Star State.  They have their place and are useful to wildlife, but some are toxic to many species.  In the photo you see what I believe to be Bitter Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum).  It is an invasive plant that likes to colonize overgrazed pastures.

This one was growing on our place -- not at our invitation.  When a plant is not where it is supposed to be it is considered a weed and we treat them as such.

One of our neighbors has a pasture that is almost completely covered with these weeds.  They grow right up to our fence and then stop.  His pasture was overgrazed a number of times and the weed has colonized.  We see only an occasional plant pop up in our pastures.

In the photo you also see seed heads of Bahia grass and you see a lot of organic material covering the ground.  It is important to let the grasses go to seed regularly in order to maintain plant populations.  The organic material covering the ground helps to conserve moisture, return plant nutrients to the soil, provide strata for bacteria and fungi which break down that material and also to prevent the colonization by invasive species.

Monitoring pastures is something we do constantly.  Every time we cross a piece of ground we are looking at the plants, the condition of the grasses, the moisture levels, invasive plants such as trees and weeds, the shape of manure piles from the cattle as well as their coloration.  We watch for insect species, for other wildlife signs, the height of remaining forage, and many other things.  It is a habit of constantly monitoring and evaluating our operations.

I had a great conversation at breakfast yesterday morning in which we talked about how in every business there is a tendency to quickly "institutionalize" the things we do.  We lose the motivating factors to innovate -- to change -- and things become routine.  The problem is that the world changes around us and sometimes we get significantly "behind the curve" because we fail to change with it.  We stop monitoring the processes because they are "tried and true" and familiar.

Whatever your business, it is important to constantly monitor the processes that brought you success.  Subtle changes, like the appearance of that single invasive plant, could signal the need to make an adjustment, or they might just be an anomaly.  If we aren't paying attention, those anomalies can become part of the "accepted" background and creep in on a scale that is destructive.

Climate Change Quarterbacks

Some folks are observers

As they pass through this old life;

They prefer the grandstand

With a perch high above

The nitty-gritty going on the field.

Often, they carry on

A running commentary --

A critical analysis of everything they see

But, in which have never participated

As if they were experts

In the field.

They see the execution

Of well-coordinated movement

Which sometimes doesn't

Work as planned

Because there is opposition

Equally bent on succeeding.

Those spectators

See only a small part

Because they had no involvement

In the preparation,

The investment,

The time spent

Honing skills

And developing plans.

They have no

Sweat and blood and tears

Poured into the ground of battle

Yet, they rage on

With blame

When the results on the field

Don't match

The expectations

Of these sideline quarterbacks.

So it is with the beef industry

Which daily fights the battle

Against the elements

To bring food to the table

Of hungry people

Who criticize them

For what they do

More efficiently

And sustainably

Than could have been imagined

By generations

Who have come before

And paved the way.

Climate change?

Look to your steel

And concrete

And luxurious living

As you jet around the world

Burning fossil fuel.

Taxi!

Taxis in a line

Waiting patiently for their fare.

Drivers standing, looking at each face

Expectantly.

Sometimes the ride can be an adventure.

Taxi rides are often interesting.  It seems most of the drivers are from some country on the other side of the world and driving travelers to their destination is just one point on their own journey to success in a new land.  Newer versions, such as Uber, are often just as likely to be piloted by colorful individuals whose story is one of transition.

I usually try to strike up a conversation with taxi drivers.  Most of them are talkative and willing to engage in conversation.  I surprise a few by guessing their nationality, or by knowing something about their native land.  Apparently the average American traveler is geographically challenged when it comes to points beyond the borders of this great nation.

The photo of waiting camels and their drivers was taken on a trip to Niger in 2009.  It was near the end of our time there and we had taken a boat ride down the Niger river to a village that, like much of the country, looked like it hadn't changed in the last several thousand years.  Our contact in the country had arranged for us to have a camel ride back to our point of departure and the awaiting modern transport.

The sun was already sinking which helped to make the heat slightly more bearable in this region of the Sahel.  The shadows of our plodding mounts stretched long as we wound slowly through fields of millet and occasional patches of thorny brush on the way to our destination.  It was a relaxing, therapeutic ride.

There is something special that connects us to animals who serve us as transportation, as beasts of burden, as means of reducing the toil of labor.  We have lost that in our fortresses of steel and concrete.  Animals -- I'm not talking about the anthropomorphized "fur babies" as some refer to their pets -- connect us to the land and nature in ways that are difficult to achieve otherwise.  They teach us if we will observe them closely.  They help us to understand relationships such as nurturing and community structure and predator vs. prey.

Animals also provide us with food.  Yes, it is part of the way nature was designed.  Life on this planet is structured in an energy pyramid with plants at the base capturing the energy of the sun.  The next level is of herbivores -- those who consume the plants.  Above that are the omnivores who consume both plants and other animals.  Higher still is the first level of carnivores who feast on those below them in the pyramid which finally is topped by the higher level of carnivores who consume even other carnivores who rest lower on the food chain.  Each level is built on those below; it is the natural order.

Every plant, every creature, has a place of service.  That may seem a strange way of describing how all things fit together, but that is the reality.  We -- and I include humans in this -- fill a role in this giant, organic organism that fits together into life.  Life begets life -- even in death.  Energy, which for life, comes almost exclusively from the sun and is only used once, but the matter which combines to make our bodies -- our substance -- is continually recycled.  It is a never-ending journey as long as the sun continues to pour energy into the system.

I still have places to go and things to see and do.  I enjoy this part of the journey and hope I fill it with service to others.  I am anxious to see what's over the horizon.  Taxi!

Stirrup Deep in Grass

Sometimes I just need some wide open spaces.  This photo was taken a few years back while traveling through a portion of the Canadian River country in the Texas Panhandle.  If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will see cattle scattered in the distance.

It was early Spring, yet you see a good amount of dried grasses among the greening countryside.  This ranch seems to be well managed and supports a large amount of wildlife along with the cattle.  I often see Pronghorn and Mule Deer when I pass through. 

It is an area once covered with American Bison and was a part of what was formerly the Comancheria -- home to the Comanche Indians.  It is one of the last parts of our country that was "domesticated" by settlers.  It was also a haunt of outlaws that raided the north-bound cattle drives during the late 1800's when The Trail shifted west to the eastern edge of the Panhandle.

Although you don't see it in the photo, this is a high-producing area for oil and gas.  In spite of what appears to be land with "nothing" in it, it helps feed the country, fuel the country, provides a home for wildlife and is visually pleasing to this old eye.  I don't think you can get much more sustainable than this.

In my mind I am horseback with my feet just clearing the grass and trailing west....

Colonization and Spreading Agriculture

Texas contains the sites of a number of old Spanish Missions.  Many of those Missions were also a Presidio, or Fort, in which troops were housed.  The photo above, is a portion of the housing which formed the walls of the enclosure at Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo in what is now San Antonio, taken when we took a trip there a few years ago.

In my mind I hear the rattle of gear and the sounds of conversation as the troops lounged during their few leisure hours.  Most were probably in the shade of the large oak trees during this time of year due to the oppressive heat of the summer.  Their job was to protect the Mission which served as a frontier outpost of the Spanish Empire as they sought to consolidate their claims to vast stretches of North America in their quest for riches.

The Missions were the first sites of European-style agriculture to find its way into the Plains.  Most of the tribes they encountered were hunter-gatherers.  The Missions also introduced cattle, horses, burros and mules. Texas Longhorns are descended from early stock brought to the Americas by the Spaniards.  Escaped draft animals, milk cows and cattle for beef intermixed in the wilds of what is now Mexico and Texas to become what we know as the Longhorn.  The wild Mustangs of the American Southwest are descendants of escaped horses used by early explorers and settlers moving into the region from the south.

The Pueblo Indians of the Southwest learned much of their agriculture, blanket-making and other arts from the Spaniards who introduced sheep and goats to the Continent.  Prior to Spanish Colonization, most of those groups relied heavily on hunting, or gathering seeds.  Corn, beans and squash were likely already grown by some of those tribes, but the knowledge of South American Indians was also brought north by the Spaniards as they carried their slaves, captured from tribes far to the south, along with them.

It is difficult for me to fully imagine the hardships faced by those earliest pioneers into the wilderness of the American Southwest.  They left some mighty tracks across the land, but they are mostly invisible to us today because they are hidden within the commonness of our everyday life -- like ranching, cattle, horses, irrigation, corn, beans, sheep and goats.  Yes, corn and beans were domesticated and utilized first in the Americas by "first Americans", but their utilization on such a wide scale should be attributed to the Spaniards who saw them for what they were -- the true gold of the Americas.  That legacy lives today as American farmers and ranchers feed the world.

It's a Balancing Act

We have a couple of ponds on our place that were built to catch water for the cattle.  They were already there when we bought the place.  One was dug much more recent than the other.  The photo of what I believe to be a juvenile Snowy Egret was taken at what we call the Old Pond.  It is surrounded by much more growth of tall grasses and a few trees than the New Pond.

Note how muddy the water appears to be.  This is because the cattle like to wade down into it to cool off.

We provide separate sources of cool clean water for the cattle in water troughs hooked to the county water supply.  We believe it is important for the cattle to have access to clean water at all times, although their nature is such that they will drink muddy water.  Their digestive system is designed to handle it.  The problem is that they can pick up diseases from the water -- either parasitic or, bacterial -- because feral hogs and other wildlife also will drink from those same water sources.

This particular pond is surrounded by many acres of grassland which provides a good filter for most of the water running into it.  It is filled with frogs, turtles and fish.  One thing the cattle do is to eat many of the plants that would choke the pond.  They wade along the edge eating the succulent water weeds which tend to spread across the surface.  As you can see from the photo, though, there is still plenty of healthy plant growth along the edge which is critical to wildlife.  It provides shelter as well as a filter for things that might wash into the pond during a rain.

We love to see the wildlife on our small place.  I think most people in agriculture do too.  Grazing animals are part of a balanced ecosystem.  They harvest the grasses and convert them to protein.  Without them, the danger of fire would be high when those grasses dry each season and become highly combustible fuel.  Grazing animals also help to maintain open spaces in areas that would otherwise become forest.  Those open spaces are critical to wildlife.  They provide diversity in plant species as well as create "edge" along the margins which is where wild animals are often found.

Most people don't realize that the environment around us is a system that needs balance.  We can't "preserve" the environment -- we can only work with it.  It fluctuates seasonally and annually in the natural processes that swing pendulum-like in a continual movement toward that balance.  The presence of the Egret in our pond is gratifying because it is an indicator that there is health in the land that can support such creatures.  That health is a part of sustainability.  It is only one aspect, but it is a positive indicator.

Ancient Knowledge, Big Data and Robotics in Agriculture

I think we all should be concerned about the loss of genetic diversity in agriculture.  The photo above was taken several years ago as I was crossing the Oklahoma Panhandle.  I stopped because it was an exceptional group of cattle and they weren't black.

There are several reasons the cattle industry has become dominated by black cattle -- notice that I say black and not Angus.  One is that Certified Angus Beef has done an amazing job at promoting the quality characteristics of the beef produced from Angus cattle.  A second is that the Angus breed truly does typically marble more easily and therefore, the beef is more flavorful and tender.  Because the market favors those characteristics, ranchers are often paid more for black-hided cattle that exhibit the phenotypic Angus traits.  Less profitable breeds tend to fade away, or become extremely small niche opportunities for breeders seeking uniqueness and finding profit in a boutique market -- or the they find more effective ways to market their product.

The same thing has happened in almost every aspect of agriculture.  We now see only a few basic types of most species dominating their market -- whether it be corn, soybeans, fruits, vegetables, pigs, chickens, or whatever.  Agriculture moves toward the most profitable.

The narrowing of the gene pool comes at a price.  Along with more productivity based on market-driven factors we often see susceptibility to disease or, weather-driven factors such as drought or extremely wet conditions.  That susceptibility adds to the use of chemicals, drugs, or other high-cost inputs to combat the problems.

A different approach, especially in countries that are less industrialized in their techniques, might be through the utilization of multiple strains of a plant across a field, or the varying of strains based on specific conditions unique to a location.  Ancient civilizations did this through a collective wisdom garnered through trial and error and close observation.  Today, with the information gathering capabilities we have, data banks could be designed with a focus on what I might term "species intelligence" that allows the farmer to better match genetics to current conditions of soil, weather and other factors at his specific location.

We need to re-think species diversity.  Uniformity is not always the answer.  We have moved that direction, to some extent at least, to accommodate industrialization of the farming processes.  It is easier to plant, cultivate and harvest the crop when it is uniform.  Varying species across a field would mean that the needs of the plants would not all occur simultaneously.  Diversity might add to the necessity for robotic farming.

It is interesting to me that in order to gain efficiency we moved away from ancient knowledge and techniques but, in order to reinstitute that ancient knowledge we may be challenged with developing even higher forms of technology in order to reap the benefits of that knowledge and wisdom.  Have you ever noticed that we seem to "evolve" in circles?  The pendulum swings....

Super Wolf Blood Moon

Can you imagine a life under the open sky where the movement of the moon and stars is transparent and integral to each and every day and seeing the "Super Wolf Blood Moon" that occurred last night?  In our lives lived beneath a roof, we merely look upon it as an oddity, but for our ancestors who lived much more "in tune" with the natural world, it was a traumatic event and it is no wonder there are superstitions based in legend regarding it.

In today's world, we "deal" with the changing seasons and the various weather events that impact our lives.  We still are affected by storms and cold and heat and wind, but for the most part, we have modified our environment to the point they are not nearly as disruptive as they once were.  The quality of our shelters, our modes of transportation, the availability of affordable warm clothing, paved roads, all help us to cope with the weather.

Today, in this country and throughout the developed world, about the only people deeply affected by weather events are those who work in jobs that are "outdoor" in their orientation.  Such jobs would include power company linemen, emergency response and public safety personnel and farmers and ranchers.

I've noticed through the years that a full moon tends to bring out a little craziness.  I can't imagine what law enforcement had to deal with last night.  I'll bet there were plenty of people out howling at the moon....

As you come in contact with those who are most directly affected by the weather, show a little empathy.  Thank them for what they do so that you don't have to.  Thank the linemen who keep the electricity flowing, the road maintenance crews who clear the highways, law enforcement who keep the "crazies" in check, and thank a rancher for caring for his livestock when it is miserable outside.

A full moon affects livestock too.  I'm betting we had a new calf or two born in the cold under the full moon.  It's time to go check.  I'll let you know tomorrow.

Planning Ahead -- a fading skill?

Sometimes you park the tractor at the gate.  You know the pasture is wet, the road is rutted with standing water and the expected rain will only make it worse, so you plan ahead.  That's all it is, planning ahead.

The trouble with parking a diesel tractor at the gate is that it is exposed to the weather.  When the temperatures plunge, diesel gels and the tractor doesn't start, so you take steps to mitigate that issue.  Again, you are planning ahead.

Fortunately, if it is so cold the tractor won't start, the ground should be frozen enough to drive on with the pickup -- unless it has snowed and drifted and you can't get through.  The cattle still have to be fed.  What is the contingency?

The cattle also must have water.  Water tanks are great for keeping fresh water to the cattle, but they can freeze.  Tank heaters can correct that problem, but what happens if there is no electricity?  What do you do?

Winter is a time when thinking and planning ahead are critical for those in the livestock business.  It is something our society is conditioned against.  In a world of instant gratification where anything you might need or, desire, is delivered right to your door, the critical thinking skill of planning ahead for how to deal with various contingencies has faded to non-existent -- except among those charged with caring for livestock.  Even then, most have learned through experience.  They have dealt with the issues and found ways to overcome.

When most people were tied to agriculture -- even loosely -- critical thinking skills like planning ahead were much more common in the general population.  The drift to urbanization threatens more than we realize.

An FFA Presentation Challenged

Yesterday I had the opportunity to listen to a practice presentation by an FFA team as part of their preparation for contest.  There were 7 members of the team, 2 of which had come down with an illness and were unable to attend.  All 7 members of the team were young ladies.

The topic they presented was on reducing meat consumption to help prevent climate change.  Two members took the "pro" position, two the "con" position and one acted as moderator.  The "debate" was highly scripted.  After their presentation, it was our job as part of the practice opportunity, to ask questions.  Our group consisted entirely of beef producers who were obviously biased against reduction of beef consumption.

I felt sorry for these young ladies in a way because in our group was a PhD Animal Scientist, a PhD Microbiologist, 2 Veterinarians, a retired County Extension Agent, a Current County Extension Agent an Ag Banker, the owner of a Livestock Auction and me (I'm not sure what my qualifications were.)  The level of questions, which we had been instructed were to be extremely challenging, were mostly way over the heads of these youth.

It was an enlightening exercise.  The issue is complex and requires a fairly deep knowledge of physical science, chemistry, biology, environmental science, climatology, economics and who knows what other disciplines in order to fully understand the impact -- pro or con -- of changing our beef consumption, and possibly more importantly, production habits.

I applaud these youth for taking on such a difficult topic.  I wish them well in their future endeavors.  All of them desire to one day be in production agriculture.  They understand that feeding the growing population of the world in an environment of difficult challenges will be a critical and valuable career and they are preparing now for those challenges ahead.

Changing Times

This is one of those days that I want to post but, don't know what to say.  In fact, this is my fourth start on a post.  I deleted the previous attempts.

I guess the thing that is on my mind is what I have seen this week.  It really is nothing new but, for some reason it stood out to me.

We have been holding educational meetings for ranchers in South and Central Texas.  The attendance has been good.  The faces are the thing that caught my attention.

I've been doing or attending these types of meetings for a lot of years.  It used to be that your crowd was going to be the old, grizzled, lived in the sun all his life rancher and his wife whose hands were just as work-worn and weary as his.  That's not the case anymore.  Oh, there are still a few sprinkled in the crowd, but, today I see bankers and lawyers and real-estate tycoons, environmentalists, city folk with a few acres in the country......well, I guess the best description is a lot of hobby ranchers.

The questions always amaze me.  Some of them are obviously coming from a person with little or no understanding of the cattle business.  Others come from a deep "book" knowledge but, little real-world experience.  And, yes, there are questions from the old guy who has lived it all his life.

Sometimes it is easy to tell which group a person falls into simply based on their question.  You know immediately whether they are a serious, make-your-living-off-the-land, in-it-for-life rancher, or a hobbyist.  Not always.

I am always amazed that there is occasionally one -- frequently a woman -- who asks exactly the right questions.  It is obvious that they are interested and knowledgeable.  You immediately think of, "she left him at home working and she's out gathering information to make it easier."  You think maybe she's the business side of the business and her husband is the get-it-done side.

Rarely is that actually the case.  More often than not, she has 3 cows, 2 llamas, and a couple of horses.  All of them have names like Daisy and Buttercup.  Her husband is a lawyer.  They live on an "estate" in the country.  They have no children.  Her animals are her life. 

This old world, it is a changin'.  I'm not sure it's for the better.

Chris

Spotted Cattle, Vodka, and Boat Rides

Dairy genetics is one of the more esoteric fields of modern animal husbandry.  The selection process in the U.S. is finely tuned to the productivity of the animal and their ability to provide a steady stream of profit to the ailing industry.

The art has reached such a pinnacle of success upon this continent that prize specimens of the species are in great demand throughout the world.  Therefore, it was no surprise when Ivan (whose country of origin you might guess) came calling on an organization known for developing such prime specimens to the point that their genetic potential was ready to burst forth with amazing productivity.  The problem being that a large body of water as well as a couple of extensive land masses lay between the developer and the ultimate recipient of said genetic wonder.

So, Ivan, through the good offices of a broker for such phenomenon, came calling. 

The ordeal of extensive time within the confines of the large silver bus with wings was quickly overcome by the selective offerings of various libations carried on large carts pushed by comely servants who soon found that Ivan was depleting their stocks quite rapidly.  But, never worry, the duration of the flight would eventually end and the charge would be handed to one whose skill at communication was limited to two languages -- that of Ivan and that of his intended victim -- er, I mean business acquaintance.

Ivan came with an entourage:  A Veterinarian whose years alone must have been the prime qualifying factor for his services, a government official whose youth indicated acquaintance with the most modern practices of animal husbandry, and a business partner whose nervous character was probably due to the lack of body guards which likely accompanied him in his native country.

Their visit brought the clash of cultures into sharp focus when they finally arrived in Southwest Kansas and immediately began to deplete the local supply of vodka.  Every brand.  Every bar.  Every liquor store.  It created something of a celebrity stir when they found that Crowne was but a poor substitute for their preferred libation.

Finally, however, they faced the task at hand -- selecting by careful inspection, the candidates for the long boat ride back to Ivan's homeland.

The process took several days as well as the timely review of each specimen and then the requisite battery of tests which proved no disease of consequence could possibly be contained within their ample frames.  Each patterned heifer, bulging with their growing progeny, passed through the confining strictures which allowed the Veterinarian and the budding government official to pass judgement on their individual merits.

It soon became apparent that merit was in the eye of the beholder for many exceptional specimens were passed off as unacceptable due to minor blemishes in favor of more questionable individuals that exhibited perfect eye-color, or perhaps a special pattern of markings which appealed to the judges.  Of course, the requisite fuel for judging consisted of barley, hops and the results of a fermentation process that had previously been confined to brown glass bottles.  That was before lunch.  After lunch, a higher octane was required to maintain an equilibrium that must only have developed in the womb and been carried to perfection through proper medication in liberal amounts.

Nevertheless, after hours of evaluation, the perfect specimens had been selected for the cruise.  They were loaded on trucks and shipped to port to await their pampered journey which by-the-way was delayed for ten days while appropriate paperwork was completed, stamped, sealed, signed and delivered.  For you see, stamps and seals are the sign of authority -- in spite of the fact that the local Staples can deliver -- custom-made, to-your-door -- the stamp or seal of your design and choosing within the same ten days.

Deal completed, selectees delivered, the entourage and Ivan departed.  The local bars celebrated their record sales and the U.S. export balance was momentarily moved in a positive direction.  Or, at least that was the thought until recently discovered that all was funded by the American taxpayer through the good offices of our current Administration in Washington.  For you see, it was our own USDA funding the enterprise.  It is now time for Paul Harvey to speak his famous line -- "And now you know......"

Cattle Emissions and Conspiracy Theories

OK. I’ve finally had enough of the ludicrous idea that the way to control greenhouse gases is to regulate emissions by livestock. I suspect it is really a plan to destroy the livestock industry by those who think we should all become Vegans. Or, maybe it is something even more sinister.


The carbon cycle is relatively simple to describe although its actions are complex. Living things are carbon-based. This includes plants and animals. Plants take carbon-dioxide out of the atmosphere, trap the carbon into their tissue in the form of various molecules such as sugars and then release Oxygen. Animals eat plants (or other animals) and through the process of digestion, break down the complex molecules (such as sugars) from the plant material and utilize the released energy to fuel their existence. In the process of digestion, some of the carbon is released back into the atmosphere as various gases and carbon dioxide is released through respiration. This process cycles the carbon in a somewhat continuous loop. Plants also release carbon when they die. The process of decomposition releases carbon into the atmosphere.

This carbon cycle has continued since the beginning of life on this planet. At one time in pre-history, there was significantly more carbon floating around in the atmosphere which fueled riotous growth of plants. Many of those plants were then trapped in sediment and over time changed to oil, gas and coal or were bound into limestone and other sedimentary rocks.

Until we began releasing the carbon that was “sequestered” in the form of oil, gas and coal, carbon wasn’t a problem. It was cycled through plants and animals just as it is today. It was this release from the utilization of fossil fuels of huge amounts of carbon back into the carbon cycle that created what some scientists today are claiming to be a cataclysmic problem for life on earth. In other words – it isn’t the cattle that are causing “climate change,” it is the burning of fossil fuels that released huge amounts of trapped carbon into the atmosphere that is causing the increase of atmospheric greenhouse gases.

So, why do our government and the governments of other nations throughout the world think the solution lies in regulating gas produced by cattle? Here is one possibility – it is part of the plan to control the world food supply. In the U.S. most crops are subsidized through various support payments. Livestock production is not. Placing regulations on the livestock producers under the guise of controlling greenhouse gas emissions makes sense only in the context of attempting to gain control of one of the few lightly regulated industries left.

It fits into what could be construed as a plan to force a one-world government. The way I see it, if one wanted to control the world you would begin with a series of induced crises. The crises would be designed to gain control of some key things – banking, energy and food. Hmmmm…..we recently saw manipulation of the first two of these items. That leaves food. I wonder what’s really going on behind the scenes in Copenhagen……

The Harem

The Harem

Quality is the name of the game

For purebred cattle herds

So no expense is spared acquiring genes.

They arrive in tanks of nitrogen

In something we call straws

And delivered in a way that seems obscene.

It is the most efficent way

For improving of the herd

Because the best blood is often far away

So modern technology

Has taken the place

Of the purebred herd bulls today.

However, there are those

Among the lucky few

Who don't face humiliation in a cone

They get to roam the pasture

With the chosen of the crop;

They're like a king who sits upon a throne.

With their harem on display

They stand by the road all day

With an attitude of, "Hey, you -- look at me!"

You know it's just their job --

Passing traits on to the mob --

And it's just the way that it was meant to be!