We Are Big Ag

Bear with me today, friends.  I feel a need to get out my soapbox.

I try very hard to keep most of this blog light.  I like to show the human side of agriculture in my writing.  Yes, I could spout facts and figures all day to the masses, but studies have shown that the human connection has just as great, if not greater, an impact upon the masses than all the infographics in the world.

I could tell you that raising cattle or crops today is more efficient than years past; that we produce more beef and feed on less land mass while using less water and creating a smaller carbon footprint.  I could explain all of this until I'm blue in the face.

Would it make a difference?  Sometimes I wonder.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him think drink.

I recently spoke with someone who watched a food related documentary and then proceeded to inform me about all the ills of the world that were caused by our hideous food supply, including but not limited to the beef industry and 'big ag'.

I cannot even begin to list all the inaccuracies that were presented to me regarding the documentary.  That is another lengthy post for another day.  The other part that stuck out to me was the negative connotation regarding the beef industry and big ag.

That is me.  That is my family.  We are big ag.

We bust our butts to grow a great product and then we eat that product just the same as everyone else.  We don't keep the good stuff in the back for ourselves and sell consumers a load of junk.  We create a safe, sustainable, quality product that we are proud to eat and proud to share with the world.

The next time you think about big ag, think about this little guy that just crawled off a tractor and baler with his dad and is terribly filthy and needs to nap.  Greater than 96% of farms and ranches are family owned.  That means all over the country there are kiddos learning the ropes from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  They are riding around in feed pickups, on tractors, four wheelers or horseback and learning how to feed the rest of the world, even those that seem to despise us.

The next time hear someone complain about our food industry, make sure they remember all the little ones that make up big ag.