More Country By The Day

by Michele Boy | January 4, 2024

We spent the week on the road and in Arizona for several days at a national livestock show.  
I am writing this as we are driving home, and, as the roads become two lane highways and less and less traffic I am smiling. I have come to love wide open spaces more and more. 
I admit the last few years, I have been in and around Syracuse and rural areas, so, I have missed a number of technological advancements. 
In Phoenix, we saw self- driving cars, I got food from a delivery service, and rode in my first Uber.  There wasn’t much room for pickups, hitches, or trailers in parking lots. 
City life is different - Lots of people, and I realize I have become more rural over the years. 
As we drive around the country with a livestock trailer many people stop with smiles and questions. Some reminisce about growing up on farms and having their own animals. One man asked why we call them livestock instead of pets and I explained we help feed the world healthy, nutritious, quality food. I asked if he was a vegan because I didn’t want to offend him and if he chooses not to eat meat, I am fine with that. It is his choice. 
At a fueling station a woman was anxious and nervous saying she was reading a book about the pony express but they gave no details about the care of the horses on the trailer. Her assumption was they weren’t cared for. She wanted to know where they defecated. 
We are never bothered by questions. In fact, we were happy to ease her mind. How do people learn if they don’t know? 
My column is titled Main Street USA because I feel like rural Main Streets of America are vastly different than large, urban, metropolitan cities. Both are great. Both have their place. But we have such a disconnect that it is hard to understand each other. 
I thought about why the woman was concerned for the animals. She likely believed that livestock is generally not cared for well.  
I will be honest and say I have seen some poor animal husbandry. However, it is the exception not the rule. 
As we raise our livestock in our small towns across America, proud to feed the world, I am happy to see 4-H and FFA continue to grow our future. When you stop to think about ag education in our communities, what does it look like? 
In Syracuse, FFA has become more  active now and gaining ground. Many children are involved in 4-H here and we hope to grow that too. 
What does that look like for our future generations? I would like to see it grow. 
Some small towns are dying but ag has helped ours grow. Yet, some in our own community are removed from farming, ranching, and gardening. I for one am very removed from gardening lol. 
But as we move forward, many are banking on cultured meat grown in labs. I will leave that decision to you. For me and my family, livestock and teaching our daughter the values that come with it are our priority. 
As the new year begins, perhaps take a moment to consider what ag in our local community’s future looks like. 
We are headed to Denver for the National Western Stock Show. So, if the door to my office is closed sometimes, I’m either out interviewing for stories, running errands, or helping grow another youth in agriculture. 
For anyone who knows my personal upbringing, this could be the most hysterical thing you read all year. No one saw this coming. Happy New Year! May it be a blessed one.