Time For Change

There was a time when agriculture was beautiful. We have traded beauty for industrial ugliness. Just in the 30 years that I have roamed this earth, I have seen agriculture make so many changes. You used to be able to go to other people's herds and see cows that typified their breeding philosophy. They were different, but they had beauty. Today most herds are all out of the same breeding. America is plagued with deep uddered, chicken chested index cattle. These poor beasts are happy if they live to see their 3rd birthday. Milk per cow, right now, no time to worry about tomorrow. Barns were different. They all had one thing in common though, they were built to last 200 years or more. Today every barn built is the same. Sheet metal and canvas, and built to last 30 years. Why in 30 years the barn will be to inefficient to compete anyway. Names replaced by numbers, dirt by concrete. While the American Farmer rushes to get bigger, meaner, and leaner they are going broke faster and faster. To hell with profit, its production that matters.....That's the cry we hear. So after years of listening to pencil necked geeks from Cornell, who for the most part have never had manure an their boots, how far ahead are we my brothers? After years of selling our products at a loss to the big agri-giants, how much of the food dollar is in our pockets. After years of running to the lairs, murderers, and thieves in Washington for "help", will we ever learn to help ourselves. The time for change is now. If we don't learn to change we will perish. We must rebuild the agriain community, and bring the buyers and the farmers together. We need to take back our industry.