2023 kicked off with a bang for me, as on Jan. 2 I had the honor of addressing the Tennessee Cattleman’s Association. I have now spoken four times for the association in the past six years and each time I find a tremendous amount of inspiration. This year was no different.
It has always been apparent to me that the state cattlemen’s associations in the southeastern part of the United States do a fantastic job of including the youth, the next generation of these state meetings. In fact, the Tennessee Cattlemen hosted a series of youth activities at their convention in Lebanon, Tennessee. Directly after my presentation I was challenged by a couple of young people in green 4-H jackets because I had given a tremendous amount of attention to the blue and gold FFA jackets during my speech, but I had completely shunned the green jackets.
I was quick to share with Delia Merchant, a member of the State 4-H Council, that I hadn’t intentionally overlooked the green jackets in the audience, and I was extremely appreciative that she brought it to my attention. Honestly, I do find it interesting that the blue and gold is so dominant in capturing your attention but for some reason the green jackets simply do not pull you to the 4-H young leaders present. I believe that is a great discussion for another day.
On the other end of the spectrum, I am most intrigued by the number of old timers in Tennessee that just seem to be those folks you want to sit down with and just listen to. Honestly everything in this part of the country has shifted since the tobacco lawsuits and the corresponding settlements, but it has certainly played a role in the increase of beef cattle production.
For those that may not be aware, beef cattle production is the No. 1 agricultural revenue supply in Tennessee. Most may be surprised to learn that the state has roughly 900,000 head of cattle. That is a significant number because it is truly a cow-calf and stocker cattle state without much finishing.
The other aspect that you must appreciate about this region of the country is that it is legitimately the Bible Belt of America. Yes, I was asked several times how I was sitting with the Lord while attending such events. I honestly think that is why I so enjoy coming to this part of America because these folks challenge you to make sure you are who you say you are. I think that’s a good thing.
In closing, I can’t imagine a better place to start off the year than with the great folks of Tennessee and everything they stand for: honesty, putting in a good day’s work and faith in the Lord to continue to take care of his creation. Without question, one of the challenges they have is that the word is out that Tennessee is a great place to call home. The number of folks who are migrating to this state is concerning for all these good old boys that have been here for seven-plus generations. This leads to the same answer that we have everywhere we go today in the U.S.: If we appreciate what we have then we must volunteer to be vocal in order to keep what we love or it will quickly erode away.
Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the views of High Plains Journal. Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.LoosTales.com, or email Trent at [email protected].