I seriously LOVE Christmas (no kidding, I will watch White Christmas and Holiday Inn every other day for a month leading up to Christmas) and New Years because it means some extra time to relax and be around friends and family.

And, I love Valentine’s Day, too, because it gives my husband and I an excuse to spend a little extra money and go out on a date.

But, I really love February for another ”holiday” – National FFA Week!

I have so many wonderful memories of my time in FFA, beginning with my very first Career Development Event (CDE) to my time as an Illinois State FFA Officer – which is pretty impressive for a kid that had no plans of taking an ag class or joining FFA.

You see, when the National FFA Organization allowed women to join the organization in 1969, my mom was a freshman in high school, making her one of the first women to join the Clinton FFA Chapter. Her dad and uncles had been members, too, so when it was time for me to walk the freshman halls of CHS, she wanted to extend the family tradition.

The only problem was, I didn’t. When I was signing up for my first semester of classes freshman year, mom sat at the kitchen table with me and pointed to Introduction to Agriculture and said, “Take that one.”

I politely (or, maybe not so politely – I was a teenager after all) responded with “Um, no way. That is definitely not a cool thing to do.”

But, because my mom was, well, my mom, she won that war and I found myself all signed up for Intro to Ag. However, when I got to school the following fall, I found out that Intro to Ag had been replaced with another elective of my choice because there weren’t enough kids to fill the class.

Whew. Dodged a bullet there.

Only, I didn’t actually dodge a bullet. Because my mom was savvy enough to know that I could still do my record books for partial class credit and that would allow me also to become a member of the FFA chapter, I was still going to become a card-carrying member.

So, I began working on my record books and practicing for CDEs with Mr. Prather (only the coolest retired ag teacher EVER – and any Clinton FFA member will back me up on that one). It wasn’t long before I found out that my mom had been right and I, as usual, had  been wrong.

FFA was cool.

I quickly found out that my favorite CDEs were public speaking and dairy products (not to toot my own horn, but I won the contest two or three years straight. When my sister got to high school, she carried on the tradition and picked up where I left off, winning it herself several times). I also enjoyed horse judging, dairy judging, the soils contest and meats judging. And, I took tremendous pride in my Supervised Agriculture Experience – or record books – competing at the section, district and state proficiency contests.  

But, more than anything, I really enjoyed the people I met. To this day, I’ve met some of my very best friends in FFA.

I spent a whole lot of time getting to know the kids in my chapter (and still hang out with them in many cases) at 8th grade orientation day, or setting up for the FFA Petting Zoo and working during our teacher appreciation breakfast during FFA week.

My good friend, Kirk Builta, ended up being my teammate on section and state officer teams and later became my roommate in college and an usher at my wedding. In fact, another section president, Kristina Grebner, lived in the same sorority I did and read at my wedding. And, my good friend, DeAnna Thomas, was an Illinois FFA member who timidly introduced herself to me while I was state officer. Coincidentally, she overcame any shyness she had to become a farm broadcaster at WMBD in Peoria.

Another friend from Section 16, Amanda Hayes, helped me survive my senior year (in a way only she and I will ever be able to understand), and I found 25 of my very best friends while serving on the State FFA Officer team as a Section President. I also found out that they do, in fact, have a southern accent and say, on a regular basis, ”Bless Your Heart!” in deep southern Illinois - don’t they, Melissa Bramlet?

If that wasn’t enough, I finally found the four big brothers I never had growing up when I was elected a major state officer. To this day, the boys and I still try to get together once a year, just to have fun.

2003-2004 Illinois Association FFA State Officers. Amazingly, I survived my year as the only girl on the team.

The point is, FFA is more than just a class elective. It’s an important part of school’s curriculum, teaching kids the importance of hard work, committment, persistence and leadership. In my case, FFA helped to direct me to my future career path.

So, I guess, you could say I’m indebted to FFA. It shaped me into the person I am today. It made me stronger. It made me a leader. And, it helped to bring out my passion for agriculture. I wouldn’t be who I am today without FFA.

There are more than 540,300 FFA members celebrating National FFA Week this week who would probably say the very same thing. In fact, to see what today’s FFA members are saying about FFA and what it’s done for them, stop by http://www.youtube.com/ilfarmbureauyouthed to check out IFB’s Youth Education in Agriculture Ag Career Video Contest viewers’ choice picks. They’re pretty cool, too.

In a nutshell, FFA is pretty cool for shaping today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders. So, thanks FFA, for being, well, cool!

Jim Fraley, Livestock Program Director, Illinois Farm Bureau

I grew up on a farm where my Dad fed cattle.  After high school, I raised hogs with my brothers. Each one of my four kids raised cattle as a way to help them earn money for college, obtain some credit history, and most importantly — experience the immense responsibility you accept by being a stockman.

My parents used to have a saying around our house:  “You don’t eat, until the chores are done.” Virtually every dairyman I know, every pork and beef producer, and shepherd all have that same sense of responsibility. It’s a commitment that really is taken very seriously, and is hard to describe to someone who has never had the privilege of pulling a piglet at 2:00 a.m., or baled hay when  it’s 95 degrees in the shade, or taken in the satisfaction of seeing cattle jumping around in a newly-bedded barn.

I do find it quite frustrating to find that the Humane Society of the United States has developed an agenda that purports to improve the well-being of livestock. In this latest case of misguided intents, they have entered into an agreement with a major, national poultry organization to increase the size of compartments for laying hens.  This is a legislative initiative, which really opens up Pandora’s Box. If a producer can fill a niche market for beef that was raised on feather pillows and daily massages, more power to him. But legislating production practices is going down the wrong path. This is something the livestock industry needs to address head on, and fight with all of their might.

That’s it. It’s really simple. Livestock farmers are the most appropriate persons to determine what is best for the livestock placed in their care. They’ve earned it.

Written by a pork producer, the commentary focuses on the most recent ploy by animal rights activists to do away with animal agriculture.

I clicked on the link and read it. Then, I read it again. And, I decided I just couldn’t have said it better myself.

Kudos to Doug Wolf, president of the National Pork Producers Council, for an excellent commentary – and for speaking for the agriculture community!

Top 40 best county love songs? I’m there. Top 100 best one hit wonders? Yes, please. Fashion hits and misses at the Golden Globes? Sure, and oh, by the way - did you see Jessica Biel’s dress? Ewwww.

In other words, if you can provide me a breakdown of almost anything, you can bet I’m going to read it.

So, when a friend of mine posted a link to Yahoo.com’s list of “College Majors That Are Useless” on Facebook, you know I clicked on it.

That’s when I found out that my degree – the one that has afforded me internships, freelance work,  job interviews, two jobs and a career that I very much enjoy – is actually useless.

That’s right. Agriculture degrees topped their list of useless degrees. And, just to make sure that they covered their bases, animal science held the no. 4 spot, with horticulture rounding out the top five.

So, wait a minute. Does that mean I wasted four years of my life in college studying agricultural communications? Actually – I’ve been a student of agriculture all my life. I grew up on a farm and spent a lot of time in 4-H and FFA. So, that must mean that I’ve wasted a whole lot more time than just four years…

Well, as it turns out, whether a degree is useless or not is really in the eye of the beholder – or website.

The same day I found the Yahoo.com article, I also stumbled upon an article – again, courtesy of a Facebook friend’s post - on AgWeb.com that cited the strong job outlook for agriculture (admittedly, the article was written in May 2011, but I think it still carries weight).    

In fact, AgWeb.com noted that while unemployment was well over 9 percent in 2010, agriculture was the bright spot in the job market, with 3,000 new jobs posted each month to AgCareers.com.

Talk about contradicting statistics.

For me, it’s important to point out that the Yahoo.com article did note that jobs in the agriculture sector may not grow as quickly as jobs in other sectors (and that may be true) – but that’s not what makes me and many fellow agriculture degree holders upset.

What really gets me fired up is the fact that the author characterized agriculture degrees as “useless.” I know my degree isn’t useless because it’s putting food on my table (which is quite a feat when you’re married to a bottomless pit like I am). What’s more, agriculture degrees are putting food on the table of Americans across the country.

But, that’s not the only thing that gets to me. The Yahoo.com article describes an agriculture degree like this:

“Still, if your idea of a good day is getting up with the sun and working till it sets as an agricultural manager, a degree in agriculture might be your calling.”

From that line alone, it’s plain to see that the author of the article – Terrence Loose – doesn’t have a clear view of the bigger picture. To him, an agriculture degree can only be used for farm work and managing a farming operation. 

When discussing the impossibility of earning money with a horticulture degree, we get an even clearer picture:

“If you like the farm life, but aren’t all that keen on all the whining and clucking of an animal farm, perhaps a degree in horticulture is growing on you.”

Proof point that those of us holding agriculture degrees must have sifted through four years of undergraduate work (and maybe additional years of post-graduate work) to put on a pair of bibs, a straw hat and chase chickens around the barnyard.

In reality, an agriculture-based degree is much more than an education on cows, sows and plows.

According to AgWeb.com, jobs posted to AgCareers.com ranged in industry type, including agronomy, biotechnology, and equipment and machinery. All jobs that appeal to a large audience of job seekers and all jobs that are based in agriculture and can be obtained with some kind of agriculture degree.

What’s more, the jobs posted required a wide array of educational levels. A whopping 47 percent of jobs posted required at least a bachelor’s degree, while 24 percent required an associates diploma.

When it comes to agriculture, the choices are many and job opportunities broad. Sure, my career lies in communications, but I graduated from an agricultural college within a land grant university (GO ILLINI!) and the word ‘agricultural’ appears prominently before the word ‘communications’ on the degree hanging in my office. And, since I was offered a job before I graduated – all because of my agriculture knowledge and experience and my ability to write  - I’m pretty sure my four years earning an agriculture degree weren’t useless at all.

And, I’m not the only one. How about a shout out to all of those agricultural business, technical systems management, crop science, agricultural economics and agricultural and biological engineering students and grads out there? Chances are, if you’re already in the workforce, you aren’t sitting on the front porch, chewing on a stalk of wheat.

*Note: I found out Thursday evening that I wasn’t the only ag grad who was fired up! If you’re a Facebook user, check out the page, “I Studied Agriculture & I Have A Job.” The page was started Thursday afternoon, just after the Yahoo.com article was published, and now has nearly 2,500 fans!

Every other day, it seems, another article is published condemning modern production agriculture, farmers and the food we produce.

I don’t know about you, but frankly, I’m getting pretty tired of it. Especially, when farmers work so hard to produce an abundant and, most importantly, safe food supply.

Despite that, open season continued with another recently published article - this time from The Atlantic - titled, “The Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Food.”

Ugh. I didn’t even have to read author Ari LeVaux’s story to know we were in for it again. Just like Bryan Walsh’s TIME Magazine article – “Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food” – agriculture was in for another inaccurate, but very damaging, bashing.

Still, as we have in the past, members of the agriculture – and this time, also the scientific – community worked to set the record straight. One of the best examples of this is Bill Horan’s commentary, ”An Antidote of Truth for The Atlantic’s Misinformation“ featured on www.truthabouttrade.org.

Of course, the article referenced the gross misinformation in author Ari LeVaux’s story, but, more than that, it included examples of the ensuing backlash from the scientific and agriculture communities.

As it turns out, websites, blogs and publications across the U.S. quickly took aim at LeVaux and his inaccuracies and, well, scare tactics of citing cancer and diabetes as possible “side effects” of GMOs.

And, this time, there was a happy ending – LeVaux was forced to eat his words and own up to the shoddy reporting. LeVaux apologized for “many unfortunate errors” in the article and published a revised and toned-down version of the original article.

Unfortunately, the article was still published, and more misinformation about agriculture was spread. But, at least we as an industry were able to own our message and provide with author with the correct information – and, as it seems – a wealth of it.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is backlash at its best.

In fact, AFBF even dedicated one of their breakout sessions to discussing the farm bill and what farmers can expect now that the super committee tasked with cutting the federal deficit has failed.

AFBF Senior Director of Congressional Relations, Mary Kay Thatcher, provided farmers in attendance with some interesting information regarding the farm bill — and it certainly wasn’t all good news.

According to AFBF, now that the 2012 farm bill will be drafted in a more traditional fashion, it may not even be finished before the close of 2012 and may stretch well into 2013.

That also means that more cuts may be made because, according to Thatcher, many politicians consider agriculture to be the low-hanging fruit from which federal funding can be picked.

Now, before you say that this is a traditional everyone-is-out-to-get-agriculture post, consider this: The agriculture community is more than happy to do its fair share when it comes to helping reduce the federal deficit, as evidenced by the proposal the House and Senate Agriculture Committees submitted to the super committee.

According to AFBF, agriculture’s fair share of decreasing the federal deficit would be about $6.7 billion. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees’ proposal to the super committee would have cut $23 billion out of agriculture-based programs like direct payments and conservation — significantly more than agriculture’s fair share.

To get that $23 billion, direct payments were eliminated and conservation programs were reorganized and reduced. However, the agriculture committees’ farm bill proposal did include crop insurance and allowed for new programs like ARC and STAX — both shallow loss programs aimed at supporting farmers when times aren’t so good. But, under a more traditional farm bill drafting process, these too could be greatly reduced or eliminated, which leads most people to question what that will mean for farmers.

But, the real question isn’t what will happen to farmers — because most farmers can already answer that question. Most consumers — or at least the talking heads on network and cable TV — believe that farm supports serve only to help wealthy farmers with large operations get richer. They say, when it comes to farm supports, we should rip the Band-Aid off quickly and get rid of all farm supports at the same time. After all, ripping the Band-Aid off quickly will mean it will hurt less, right?

Unfortunately, commodity prices won’t always be high, the weather won’t always be agreeable and operation costs will continue to go up. Those variables affect all farmers, not just the wealthy, which means that farm supports serve to aid all farmers and not just the wealthy.

The real question is what will happen to the farming and rural communities in which those farmers live. Because, aside from supporting farmers, farm supports also aid rural and farming communities.

Like the old adage says, farmers are actually cash-poor. Farmers receiving payments from crop insurance or the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) don’t just bury the money in the backyard, stash it under the mattress or stick it in a cash-bearing mutual fund.

Farmers receiving payments from farm support programs put that money back into the community. They use that money to buy tractors from local dealers or make equipment repairs at local businesses. They use that money to improve their operations or invest in the future. They buy seed form local dealers, fertilizer from local cooperatives and even pay off outstanding bills.

In most cases, the money farmers receive from farm supports really serves to stimulate the economy of rural America — a point proven when many rural and farming towns weathered the recession better than many other areas.  

In the end, ripping the Band-Aid off quickly will hurt more than just farmers — it will hurt rural economies, too.

Jim Tobin, Illinois Association FFA Vice President

Production agriculture has always been a dangerous part of our industry. However, it is an absolutely crucial piece of modern agriculture as well. Although I understand the concerns about child safety, I would like to remind those unfamiliar with production agriculture about the importance of hands on experience for our youth.

I personally did not grow up on a farm, but being involved with the FFA and growing up in an agriculturally-driven area, I soon learned how production agriculture works and why it is so important not only for my community but for people all over the world.

With the proposed child labor laws, the way of life in rural America will be changed forever. Agricultural practices have been handed down from generation to generation and the youth of America often times develop a life-long passion for agriculture by working on a local farming operation.

A good friend of mine grew up in town with little exposure to the world of farming. Early on in his high school career, he was hired by a local farmer to do some odd jobs, but within a few months he was taking on more and more responsibilities and by the time he graduated he was working full-time, managing the farm and has hopes to own and operate his own beef cattle operation in the years to come.

This is a perfect example of how hands-on learning and experience can not only be beneficial to teaching youth about agriculture but is absolutely essential. Safety has and always will be a concern on the farm, but talk to anyone who has spent significant time with machinery, livestock, etc., and they will tell you that safety is always the number one concern and that the best way to stay safe is to learn smart practices from those with experience. Taking away the opportunity for youth to work on a farm not only robs them of their opportunity to learn how production agriculture operates in a safe and efficient manner, but it always has potential to deliver a fatal blow to an ever-growing population that will rely on an enthusiastic, experienced, and educated group of agriculturists to feed them in the generations to come.

Jim Tobin, Illinois Association FFA Vice President

…Well, actually, she still uses this phrase when I need a little attitude adjustment – and I’m 27.

Anyway, as my mother says, “A little hard work never hurt anyone.”

And that is just lesson no. 1 of 2,487,925 I learned growing up on a farm.

Consequently, if you’re interested, lessons no. 2 and no. 3 are don’t put up hay in shorts – even though it’s probably 110 degrees - and never, EVER wear flip flops when you’re leading a 1,000+ pound animal. Amen.

Anyway, I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to grow up on a farm and work in the agriculture industry.

In fact, since I was little kid, I spent my time on my family’s farm, working with the paint horses we raised. I cared for my 4-H and FFA projects, training my own horses and showing them to make money. And, if I wanted a mare to raise a baby out of, I bought her with my own money.

Trust me when I say, the above paragraph alone is proof (and gives just a fraction of the examples) that growing up and working on a farm can prepare kids for life by teaching them some of life’s most important lessons:

• Hard work definitely pays off
• Persistence and patience go hand-in-hand – and are vital to success
• Effectively managing your money and budget are the key to your future
• Treating your animals with care, dignity and respect makes for a happy and beneficial partnership

I also grew up working with dairy cattle. The only thing is, those dairy cattle were at my grandpa’s farm.

And, here’s the kicker: If the current proposed revisions to the Agricultural Child Labor Provisions are to succeed (and I were still considered a youth), I wouldn’t have the opportunity to work with and show the dairy cattle that sustained my mother’s family for more than 60 years just because they were my grandpa’s cattle on my grandpa’s farm.

That’s right. Under the new rules proposed by the Obama administration, the Department of Labor would end most youth labor exemptions that currently exist in farming by denying work to anyone under the age of 16, unless the farm is owned by their parents and one of the parents is directly overseeing their work.

What’s more, most 14- and 15-year-old workers would be prevented from operating any tractor, all-terrain vehicle, milking machine (see, I told you – problem), or lawn mower.

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating for 5-year-olds operating a power take-off unit. In fact, there are current exemptions that allow children under the age of 16 to operate equipment only if they have completed a 24-hour safety course, typically provided by organizations like the state Farm Bureaus or through Cooperative Extension offices.

However, current rule changes would create and require a 90-hour course that could only be taught through government-run secondary and/or vocational schools. Talk about increasing cost to the taxpayer. Not to mention, any untrained youth would not be allowed in the proximity of any motorized or electronic device during the course of their work. Not allowed in the proximity. There goes baling hay in the summer or working with the GPS in the combine.

And, as I mentioned earlier, it would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from any and all acts of animal husbandry (if the milking machines clause didn’t get me first, this one would).

That makes it pretty hard for some kids to work with their 4-H and FFA projects – especially if they don’t live on the farm where their projects reside.

As you might expect, the Illinois Farm Bureau opposes the proposed revisions to the Agricultural Child Labor Provisions. Of course, as an organization, we support existing provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act that set standards for youth employment on the farm – because restrictions on certain hazardous jobs are essential to the safety of our children.

And, we support safe working conditions for children and adults. After all, our kids are working on the farm, too.

How do the kids affected by this rule change feel? Well, we can provide that answer, too. Next week, we’ll have a guest post from an Illinois Association FFA State Officer. Trust me, he can tell just what kind of damage this proposed rule change will create.

And, the story stayed quiet…for a while. But, since it hit the mainstream media earlier this week, there’s been quite a bit of talk about whether equine harvesting is a good or bad thing for the U.S.

Before I start a firestorm with my opinion on the topic, it’s important to provide some background on the issue – something that most folks who are only too happy to share their snap judgment opinions don’t care to look into.

Prior to 2006, there were three equine harvesting facilities operating in the U.S. – including one in northern Illinois - with most of the meat produced being shipped overseas to countries where people regularly consume horse meat.

But, in 2006, Congress effectively outlawed equine harvesting in the United States by making it illegal for USDA inspectors to be present in equine slaughter plants.

And they did it despite warnings from equine professionals, breed associations and veterinarians across the country. They did it based on misinformation, pushing and prodding from activist groups – and because when most congressmen and women think of horses, they think of Mr. Ed. 

In fact, according to Sue Wallis, a Wyoming state lawmaker and vice president of United Horsemen, the federal ban devastated “an entire sector of animal agriculture for purely sentimental and romantic notions.”

As most horse owners and organizations predicted, the elimination of equine harvesting in the U.S. lead to serious unintended consequences for the industry. 

Following the cessation of equine slaughter, the value of horses across the country plummeted. Before, buyers purchasing horses for slaughter plants helped to establish a base price for other horses. But with no base price, all horses were devalued almost immediately, making it extremely difficult for owners to sell their animals. 

Add to that extra hay, feed, facilities and veterinary care (during a recession, no less) for horses that owners were unable to sell and it was a hard first year for most horse owners. When asked to choose between horse expenses and living expenses, many horse owners chose the latter, leaving many horses in the U.S. neglected and starved. Worse yet, an estimated 138,000 horses spent increased time on trucks bound for slaughter plants in Mexico and Canada – both countries that still harvest horses for meat. In fact, the number of horses sent to Mexico - a county that does not have as stringent inspection or humane standards as the United States – increased more than 600 percent.

Finally, after five years with rock-bottom sale prices, neglected and starving horses, equine sanctuaries filled to the brim and, in some cases, owners turning horses loose because they could no longer care for them or sell them, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on equine slaughter. Its report detailed many of these “unintended consequences” stemming from the cessation of equine slaughter.

Which brings us back to Nov. 18 when Congress and President Obama finally lifted the ban on equine slaughter – and gained a few surprising supporters.  

Of course, most equine and farm organizations across the country are standing behind Congress and President Obama. Among many other organizations, the Illinois Farm Bureau supports the full funding of federal meat inspectors for equine harvesting facilities, allowing humane harvesting operations to reopen and provide an end-of-life alternative for horses.

As a horse owner, I find myself backing the president’s decision, as well (it was surprising to me, too). But, here’s the shocking one:

PETA has jumped on the equine-slaughter-in-the-U.S.-is-a-good-thing bandwagon, too.

Yes, I’m talking about People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. If you need proof (it’s okay, I didn’t believe it either) you can check out the article posted at the Christian Science Monitor. 

I never thought I would say it. Shoot, I’m sure farm and food animal organizations like the Illinois Farm Bureau never thought they would say it, either, but we agree with PETA on this issue.

Allowing equine slaughter plants in the United States to reopen and process animals is a step in the correct direction to righting the wrong Congress began in 2006.

“Honor to the soldier, and the Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause.  Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”

                                                                                 Abraham Lincoln

Most of can think of someone – a family member, friend, classmate, acquaintance or community member – who is currently serving or has served in the U.S. Armed Services.

There are thousands of them. Some serving in the Marines (which, coincidentally, celebrated its 236th birthday yesterday), some in the Army. Others chose to dedicate their time in the armed services to the Navy, Air Force or even the Coast Guard.

Yet, despite the fact there are five branches of the armed services with thousands of young men and women serving our nation - and with thousands of veterans in each of those branches - many of us take for granted the freedoms we have.

What’s more, we take for granted the sacrifices our servicemen and women make as they serve their country, just like COUNTRY Financial employee, Kelly Kilhoffer. We tend to forget that these brave men and women chose to put their lives on hold to serve their county, not knowing whether they would have the opportunity to return to their wives, husbands, children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters for upcoming holidays and birthdays. 

Worse yet,  many of us take for granted many of these brave men and women lost their lives to make all of the freedoms we enjoy today possible.

In the end, we are proud to be Americans today because of their current and past service.

So, on this Veterans Day, make sure you take time to thank those that made your way of life possible. Thank the veterans that didn’t receive a homecoming parade, but served their country selflessly anyway. And, thank the soldiers that are currently serving overseas, striving to protect our freedoms and make our country as safe as possible.