...................STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann

 UNL Extension Educator,

 Webster County

October 20, 2011 Edition
Oh my goodness, where do I start this week. There is so much going on. I think it prudent to start with wishing all of the kids, wearing the good old Blue and Gold, the very best as they attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. I believe this is the 84th National FFA Convention, and they expect more than 55,000 people to be in attendance. I looked at the program and it is, like usual, an outstanding array of speakers, workshops, tours, career booths and everything that makes for a great opportunity for these young people that have an interest in agriculture. It is nice to see that they now provide live streaming and television coverage of the convention. The televised convention is accessible real time via computers, iPads, iPhones, Android and BlackBerry mobile devices by going directly to: http://www.ihigh.com/. A schedule for both internet and RFD-TV coverage can be found by going to the following site: https://www.ffa.org/Events/NationalFFAConvention/Highlights/Pages/default.aspx.
I always looked forward to taking my students to National Convention even with all the work and responsibility that it brought. I still hear from former students how they enjoyed the experience and how they remembered those trips and the camaraderie with fellow students from not only their school but from across the state and nation. All but the last two National Conventions that I attended, as an FFA member myself or as an advisor, were in Kansas City - and what great memories those were! I see that the theme for this year’s convention is “I Believe”. I think that is very fitting as one of the first things my freshmen did each year was to learn and recite the FFA Creed, which of course started out with “I believe”, and in today’s world we have to believe, and even more importantly that our young people believe - that the future is bright in agriculture, and in fact it is probably brighter than it has ever been. But we have some challenges.
As I regress to a former time in my life, I think back to the power of the words in that FFA Creed. Let me throw out some of the key phrases as I remember them. “I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds, achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.--- I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.--- I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of progressive agriculturists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toil.---In being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me.---I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.” We have always been based on tradition in producing and marketing the product of our toil. We are the original environmentalists. We are the original care takers. We efficiently feed the world.
I think this is part of the reason that I am so concerned about outside influences who think they know better how to care for our animals and how to work our land then we do. They try to intimidate and govern people to do their bidding and to adhere to their agenda--and not to the traditions and best management practices that are innately instilled in all of the young people that I had the opportunity to work with. Those young people are now influential and productive members of society, many of them working in the agriculture industry in some form or other. In my years of teaching, I always encouraged my students to speak out, to stand up for what they thought was right, to utilize their upbringing and stand on their integrity. They knew what was fundamentally right and wrong, and knew the values of hard work and husbandry of the land and the animals upon that land. I really believe that those students embodied the very words and intent of that FFA Creed.
It initially angered and then saddened me to see that one of our state’s farm based organizations invited the Humane Society of the United States to come to our state and help enable this animal rights group, whose full intent is to cripple or destroy the animal agriculture industry. HSUS has done this by getting their foot in the door in other states, especially those that have a ballot initiative – which Nebraska does have. They have had profound negative effects on animal agriculture in those states that have succumbed to the HSUS lobbying, bullying, and intimidation, all in the quest to force their agenda on those that do not believe in their way, which is a Vegan life style. Unfortunately the Nebraska Farmers Union is the vehicle by which this extreme group has pushed its “well financed” foot in the door, even if many of their members don’t agree.
Wayne Pacelle, CEO of HSUS, has said that “HSUS doesn’t have, at this time, an animal agriculture ballot initiative designed for Nebraska.” I don’t trust him or the HSUS, but maybe he isn’t lying….he now has lackeys right here in Nebraska that seem intent to do his bidding. This has worried me for several years, ever since I have been watching them and what they are doing in our fellow agricultural states. That worry is coming to fruition. I firmly believe that the “fox is now being welcomed into the chicken house” – by our own people. Now more than ever we have to be proactive and be ready to defend those “best traditions of our national life, and then exert a positive influence in our homes and communities which will stand solid for our part for the inspiring task of protecting our livelihood and the very life blood of our state.
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/me