Author: Educated Cowpuncher

The mind tends to wander when much is on your mind and so my mind is wandering as I try to write. I wanted to write more about the raw milk legislation in Topeka but Presidential Candidate Bloomberg’s comments that anyone could put a seed in the ground and make it grow set my teeth on edge and then there was that educated idiot with a PhD in Philosophy who showed how idiotic he was. Yeah, that was Jackson Kernion, PhD. who teaches at UC Berkley, that said, “I unironically embrace the bashing of rural Americans, they, as a group, are bad people who have made bad life decisions. Some, I assume, are good people. But this nostaglia for some imagined pastoral way of life is stupid and we should shame people who aren’t pro-city.” Is it just me or are these two men totally ignorant?

How ignorant and arrogant they are, looking down upon the agricultural and rural community, as if they know more than we! They wouldn’t know the difference between a corn or wheat plant as it breaks through the soil. They certainly have no clue how wonderful our life is out in the country as they would be frightened by the wide open spaces, the distance between towns and what would they do if they heard a coyote or an owl? God forbid if they were to step in cow poop! But that is okay, they can keep thinking the way they do and they can miss out on what is best and beautiful with rural living.

They can miss out on the beauty of the sunrises and sunsets, seen without the haze of pollution. They can miss the quiet of the morning as nature and the farm animals wake up from their sleep to start another day. The song birds and the smells of the morning dew kiss the morning air. In the distance a tractor starts and the farmer is off to feed the cattle or work a field as the hired hands move cattle from one pasture to another. There is no time clock in agriculture, just seasons to get work done. Some days are 18-23 hours long and others are cut short due to rain or snow. We are flexible like that in rural America, it is a different beat of the drum than what the east and west coast are accustom to and we like it that way.

The vastness of the Tallgrass Prairie and the Montana skies will scare a city slicker when they are by themselves. They can’t handle that vastness, it is too open for their liking and like the Pioneer women who traveled west and lost their minds when the Kansas wind blew for days on end, these city slickers aren’t tough enough to endure it. I have often said that a country kid could go to the city and survive but a city slicker coming to the country wouldn’t be able to tough it out. We know how to survive and we are proud that we have those skills.

Rural America is more than a lifestyle, it is family. When someone falls ill, gets hurt or dies right before planting time or harvest, we all come together as one to take care of the needs of the one, knowing that one day, if we are in need, our brothers and sisters in Rural America will come to help us, no strings attached. It is community at its best and while it is shocking to some, it is almost an unwritten law of the land, we do what needs to be done.

Rural America feeds the country and the world with our ever increasing scientific improvements and productivity to produce meat and grains that fill the bellies of those arrogant candidates and Philosophy PhD’s. We in rural America and in Agriculture have found better ways to make the land more productive whilst protecting it from erosion, no-till and rotational grazing have reduced carbon emissions while cities still spew the carbon. Just one city in one day can send enough carbon in the air that it would take a 100, 000 head feed lot months to equal. And we are ignorant and make bad choices?

The biggest secret in rural America is the freedom we have that city slickers don’t have. We aren’t restricted by the pavement and traffic lights or buildings that hide the sky from us, we can step out and feel the cool of the grass as we walk barefoot in the yard or as we soak our feet in the cool of a stream or pond. We can enjoy our slower pace of life and see the little things that matter. Simple isn’t stupid, it is without strings attached. We are able to enjoy a life without fear of drive-by shootings or muggings. We gather together for sheep and calf fries and beer or a picnic in the park with the community churches while we listen to the Fort Riley Army Band. Rural America is a Norman Rockwell painting that has come to life.

We in rural America laugh easily. We can laugh when the calf we worked hard to pull and thought was dead, gasps for air and struggles to its feet. We know the joy of watching a foal trying out his legs for his first run and we smile with pride as we watch those first year 4-H kids lead their bucket calf into the show ring for the first time.

Much of what the city slickers know about Rural America and Agriculture is from watching television re-runs of Green Acres. We are manufacturers of tools and equipment to make our work easier. We think of better ways to do things with bale wire and duct tape if we have to. We can take an old pickup and string barbed wire up and down steep hills and then go skinny dipping in the pond after hauling hay all day.

If city slickers really understood the philosophy of rural living, they would all want to be like us. Thank God they can’t get their pea-brains to understand the secrets of rural life.

Sorry for such a long title. I just read an article written by Fox New reporter, Tyler Olson that was published today (Februaru 17, 2020). In the article, Michael Bloomberg was quoted as saying: “The agrarian society lasted 3,000 years and we could teach processes. I could teach anybody, even people in this room, no offense intended, to be a farmer.” He continued, “It’s a process. You dig a hole, you put a seed in, you put dirt on top, add water, up comes the corn. You could learn that. Then w had 300 ears of the industrial society. You put the piece of metal o the lathe, you turn the crank in the direction of the arrow and you can have a job. And we created a lot of jobs. At one point, 98 percent of the world worked in agriculture, not it’s 2 percent in the United States.”

Oh boy! I could go in a million different directions and write a book in response to this man’s arrogance and ignorance about agriculture. For instance, the farmer no longer has to dig a hole to plant corn, the lathe operators, welders and engineers have developed things called tractors & planters that are more high tech than cars and a lot of the GPS information that the farmer has to interpret on his farm fields requires more than just being told how to do things. We even use drones & soil chemical reports to help determine where our fertilizers need to be put to maximize our fertilizer capabilities and maximize our investments. Farmers must also know how to market crops, understand how to hedge and how to sell short, we are investors, inventors, we understand how to manipulate genetics and breeding cycles. We spend more time in fields and pastures than we do inside.

Farmers and Ranchers have developed technology and utilize science to produce the safest and healthiest food in the world! We are conservationists because if the land isn’t sound, we can’t produce good food. We set up areas for wildlife to thrive, we are great stewards of the land and city politicians have NO CLUE. Most people think their food comes from the grocery store and can’t understand why we think differently than the east or west coast. We WORK for a living and the gas we pass after eating beans has more muscle than their whole body will ever have. We have calloused hands, feet, sore backs and many of us walk with a limp or are missing a finger, toe or hand. We are lucky to see our families during harvest, kidding, calving or lambing. We pull 18-23 hour days, milking cows twice a day, riding pens and pastures in blizzards to make sure our animals are safe, forgetting about our own safety. We are caregivers of livestock, birthing coaches to cows, sheep, pigs and goats, we are tough and well leathered from the sun. We are the Farmers and Ranchers of America, Proud and Strong but much unappreciated.

Many of us work two or three jobs just to keep farming and ranching. We are perpetual optimists who struggle on when prices don’t cover input costs and ride short waves of prosperity between droughts, floods, fires and other natural disasters. Yet we feed over 150 people plus ourselves. We are so good at producing that sometimes we produce so much that we produce ourselves in to low prices. WE are too efficient yet the world would be in a pickle if the American farmers stopped producing and selling our products.

We believe in working hard for what we earn and we don’t believe in welfare. Some may say farm subsidies are welfare but there is no other industry in the USA that has to deal with Mother Nature like we do. We are at her mercy and she is a violent lady, sending floods down the Missouri that still haven’t gone down from the Spring of 2019 and she may hit us again in the Spring of 2020 thaw. She throws hail the size of dimes to grapefruit that strip our crops right before harvest and she bakes the land in droughts that turn the green to dust. Yet rich career politicians think we are ignorant people. He doesn’t have the testicles God gave a frog to come to Middle America to meet the people who proudly produce his meals. His insults to the factory workers is just as offensive because there will come times when technology will fail and the human who has the skills will fix the problem. Just look no further than NASA and John Glenn’s first flight in space. It took a human calculator to do the math. So too, it will take farmers and ranchers who pass down those things that can’t be taught in colleges, to make things right. We are America’s Farmers and Ranchers, WE ARE AGRICULTURALISTS!

I attended the hearings at the Kansas State capital yesterday (12th) and today (13th of February). The hearing yesterday was quite surprising as the proponents of the sale of raw milk on the farm ban, had little data and that data was 2007 and older. Most of what we heard from that side was rhetoric that attempted to make raw milk look like it was more dangerous than smoking cigarettes. Even the Kansas Department of AG employee that was there to give expert testimony could not come up with up-to-date data. The opponents however, were loaded to the gills with data. I also believe we gave strong and compelling testimony and after speaking with the Chairman, he is of the opinion, I believe that the ban proposal will die in committee. The labeling of raw milk is where we have to get serious.

I returned to today’s hearing with data on illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths due to consumption of milk (both pasteurized and raw). Data in the report from the CDC shows that while Raw milk consumption had higher hospitalizations, it was Processed milk that had more deaths. This blows the argument that raw milk is more dangerous to consume. But the SB 308 isn’t about the data, it is about labeling of raw milk. The statement that has been proposed to put on labels is as follows: THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS UNGRADED RAW MILK THAT IS NOT PASTEURIZED AND, AS A RESULT, MAY CONTAIN ORGANISMS THAT CAUSE FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS, ESPECIALLY IN INFANTS, YOUNG CHILDREN, OLDER ADULTS, PREGNANT WOMEN AND PEOPLE WITH WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEMS.

As you can see that is a much longer warning for raw milk than what you would find on a package of cigarettes which are a KNOWN illness causing product. I argued that the wording of this label has some issues; “UNGRADED” is the first issue. If a dairy is in compliance with the Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, then it qualifies as grade “A” milk as milk is not graded at the processing plant. I also argued that the requirements for the label be of the same sized font as the LARGEST font on the container. Being the smart arse that I am, I printed off the warning the same size as a large Highland dairy cottage cheese container and taped it to the container(Photo at the top of this blog). There was no room for nutritional information, serving size and name of farm. I also argued that the label was too wordy.

I spoke with several Senators after the hearing and got very positive responses and was thanked for going the extra mile with the data and research I provided. So, this ain’t over yet but we may be able to help re-write the label and help with setting up an inspection process as well.

Lessons learned in this whole process: 1.Our Kansas Senators and Representatives WANT our input. We need to call and if possible, visit with them face-to face. They are very approachable and eager to listen (the ones I spoke with). 2. We all need to be involved in what concerns us. 3. Use your passion to put your point across and use humor and visual aids (I used Moo-Moo and Gabby stuffed animals of a cow and goat that I set on the podium while I spoke. That brought giggles and smiles.). 4. Have data to back up your argument. 5. When in hearings, first thank the Chairman and those on the committee before you give your statement. 6. Speak up and into microphone and don’t be nervous. 7. Keep your statement short and your written testimony can be much longer. 8. Be open minded and keep your manners.

I had a great time doing this and am eager to help the Ag & Natural Resources committee find a good solution that is agreeable to all involved. Government does work but WE the PEOPLE MUST be involved in the process.

Everyone is buzzing about Nancy “that San Francisco Treat” Pelosi and what she did with the copy of President Trump’s State of the Union Address. I am beyond fuming about the stunt myself as she showed more than contempt for the President, she was shoving it in the face of the Americans that President Trump honored during his speech! She also showed that no American Citizen is worthy of recognition, we are all slaves to her ilk and agenda. Enough is enough, she needs to be removed from office IMMEDIATELY!

It is my understanding that she also committed a crime by tearing that speech up. 18U.S.C S 2071. Section 2071 says whoever willfully destroys government documents can face three years in prison and or a $2000 fine. We all saw her fumbling with the speech as the President spoke. Even some photos show that she had planned on doing this act prior to the end of the speech as tiny tears can be seen in the photos. This is a premeditated act of criminal behavior by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This act is enough to call for her immediate REMOVAL from her position and from serving in the House of Representatives ever again. Call your Representatives and Senators to demand her removal. I know I did just that today.

The US Senate and House Switchboard number is 202-224-3121 and you tell them your State and which of the two Senators or Representative you wish to speak to or they can give you the number directly, the numbers all start with a 224 or 225 prefix. You can also go to a web page called United States Senate and you can look up your Senator’s phone number that way. This is probably the easiest way to find the right phone number and set it on speed dial on your phone, I do.

The President was acquitted by the Senate, so we are going to seem any type of attack that the Democrat/Socialist/communist party can come up with now. They’ve already spent the last four months on Impeachment and they have no intentions of doing anything to help the American Citizenry until they get rid of President Trump. The problem is, President Trump is the only thing holding the Democrat/Socialist/Communists back from going after We The People. Trump is protecting us and he is the only person capable of handling this kind of attack but he IS doing this for US, the People of the United States of America.

Okay this is an issue that needs action! Kansas Senate Bill 300 repeals the ability for dairy farmers to sell RAW MILK off the farm. This bill is in place to set up Senate Bill 308 which requires all raw milk that is sold, to be labelled. In other words, you would now be able to sell raw milk off the farm as long as it has a label that states the following: “This product contains ungraded raw milk that is not pasteurized and, as a result, may contain organisms that cause food-borne illness, especially in infants, young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.”

For years, I have, and other friends have bought raw milk from dairies. We usually take our own containers and fill them up at the dairy. We have known the risks and we accept those risks, WHY do we have to have that milk labelled? Will we have to resort to having our dairy farmer put a label on our container each time we fill up at the farm? How silly is this?

People who buy raw milk and raw milk products from our local dairy farmer know the risks and dangers of consuming raw milk. We aren’t stupid, in fact, we are probably more educated than most on the risks. Is it necessary to put our dairy farmer up to spending more money to have labels printed off to put on milk containers?

Don’t be surprised when you find out who actually requested this legislation; Kansas Dairy Association!!! I am sure they had their reasons as SB 308 allows dairy farmers to advertise, where they haven’t been able to advertise with the current legislation. However, somethings aren’t always simple. There are people in the Kansas Dairy Association (KDA) who are also on the board of the DFA (Dairy Farmers of America cooperative) which is where most Kansas dairies sell their raw milk. The DFA has paid Kansas farmers low milk prices and as a result, some farmers are selling raw milk and making more money selling direct to consumers. Could it be that those KDA members that are on the board at DFA be introducing this legislation to stop the little guy from selling raw milk off the farm to the customer? Makes you wonder.

I have a friend who is a dairy farmer. The farmer and makes about $21 for ever 100 pounds of milk (milk is sold by pound not by gallon due to the butter fat content) and in addition, has started making some exotic cheeses and raw milk yogurt (Yummy!). By selling the products they make, they are getting $178 per 100 pounds of milk, which really helps out the farm and could be very profitable. Let’s just say that the raw milk products are helping keep the farm solvent. The dairy is working on products right now, to figure out what will sell best. They know that they will have to have a nutritional label for the products and will have to pay for testing, so they can get the nutritional information. To add the warning to each product would require a huge label and will cost much more for the label. So where is the common sense in all of this?

ONE: The raw milk customer knows the risks of drinking raw milk and also know the benefits.

TWO: Requiring labels on raw milk would mean customers would no longer be able to bring their own containers. Which means the dairy has to buy containers (more expense)

THREE: Most dairy farms don’t have to advertise their raw milk as their milk is sought out by those who want raw milk and they are aware of dangers of drinking it.

Four: The Right to Farm is being limited.

Five: Big Corporate intrusion on limiting farmers sale of product.

The hearing in Topeka Kansas on SB 300 will be February 12th. The hearing on SB 308 will be on February 13th. IF you want to voice your opinion on this, you must sign up to testify and provide the Committee Assistant with your written testimony at least one day prior to hearing and you need to have TWENTY copies of your testimony to share with those in the hearing. To get on the agenda, you must contact Judy Marks at 785-296-7353 to get the time and room number of the hearing. I probably will be going. Want to join me?