Realizing We Have What Others Want
By Trent Loos
Sarah Bradbury raises Beefmaster cattle in Texas. She is also a student at Trinity University in San Antonio and Saturday she hand the title of Beef Ambassador over to Laura Nelson from Wyoming. Twenty-one contestants from throughout the country vied for the national title and for $4,500 in cash prizes distributed among the top three places, in addition to three scholarships totaling $2,250 from the American National CattleWomen Foundation, Inc.
While preparing for this speaking competition, youth learn about the importance of the beef industry and beef as an agricultural product. The program spotlights the positive impact the cattle industry has on our economy and families. Trained youth ambassadors address industry issues and misconceptions. Additionally they educate peers, consumers and producers about food safety, nutrition and the beef checkoff program.
Even though we now have new slate spokesmen through this fantastic program I wanted to get the final word from Sarah. She spent the past year traveling the country meeting thousands of people and speaking out for the industry. She started the interview by sharing with the vast amount she learned about the industry. That is one thing that all of us probably take for granted, when you speak to and with people about your own industry you learn things that you didn’t know.
So without prompting her and microphone in hand I ask her, “what is the hole in the beef industry”? The question caught her off guard a bit but without hesitatation said lack of young people returning to farms and ranches. Which in a bit of irony was the exact topic I wanted to discuss with her.
After my weekend in Wyoming with the beef ambassadors I went to Michigan State University and spent the day with another their Block and Bridle members. We had a round table discussion talking about the challenges facing agriculture. Many of this group of 30 voiced the concern about the lack of kids returning to the farm. There my be no greater challenge facing the future of American agriculture.
So back to Sarah, I ask her why. Why kids don’t return to the farm? People don’t realize the wide variety of opportunities that exsist in this industry she said. “Also we just need to stop telling our kids there is no opportunity in agriculture”. I think Sarah is very quailified to answer this question too. When she graduated from high school she admits she had no of intentions of staying in agriculture. Today with the insight she has gained through travel and seeing every fascit of the industry she is excited about a future in agriculture.
If our kids are fed up with hearing there no opportunity in agriculture, maybe it is time sit down and think about this. It is mind set, you get what you expect and for far too long now we have expected things to be tuff. We have expected our kids to leave, and they have.
I know the response will stream in. Trent you are living in a dream land if you believe kids should come back to the farm. It not uncommon for a college graduate to receive a $50,000 salary right out of school. No farm can compete with that. Is that what it is about? Do those kids have more to show for there work than the kids who have returned? What about the most important reason to return. The opportunity to raise the next generations where they learn about the cycle of life. Where they learn responsibity at a young age. Why do you think those kids are so highly recruited by industry? Because they have been taught the important things in life. When did all that take a back seat to a salary.
I have met hundreds in the past seven days speaking in five states. Two things don’t leave my mind. How proud I am to be a part of industry that produces young people like Sarah Bradbury. The other is a statement by Bill Abrahamzon from Calendonia, MN. Bill is the husband of Carol who runs the beef ambassador program.
At the conclusion of the day Bill and I were sitting around solving word problems. One problem we encountered while in Sheridan, WY was ranches selling for prices outside of ag values. We heard stories of grass ranches selling for in excess of $2000 per acre. Ranches that it would be tough to make work at $200 per acre. Why? Who is buying these ranches at that price? People who live in big cities. People who have become wealthy in a world most of us living in agriculture wouldn’t trade for anything.
So Bill posed the question. If living the meger lifestyle we do in such a bad thing, why do all of these people with surplus money by our land so they can be like us? I for one think it is high time we start telling the next generation there is more important things in life than how much debt it takes or what the bank charges for an overdraft. The time is now because obviously others want we have been trying to get rid of.
