In celebration of National Ag Week March 17 to 23 and National Ag Day March 19, here’s some thoughts on what agriculture means to me.
I remember being in elementary school and wondering why all my other classmates didn’t have chores to do, livestock to feed and didn’t get to spend their time on the tractor in the field. Many were so far removed from ag, they had no earthly idea what had to take place to get their food on the table. I knew and it meant everything to me.
I was jealous they didn’t have to do the things I had to, but I was also aware they were missing out. They didn’t get to see the beautiful sunrise or sunset from the field. They didn’t get to watch the baby calves run and play. They also didn’t get to experience taking a full wheat truck to the local elevator and drinking that ice cold grape soda on the way back to the field for another load of wheat.
Now that I have my own children, it’s even more important for them to understand what agriculture is and what it means to the rest of the world. My kids know where their milk comes from, and it’s not just the grocery store. They know the beef in the freezer once had a name and was shown at the county fair. They both know the hard work it took to get that market heifer finished. From weighing and dumping feed in the bunk to making sure the animals have clean water and a dry place to lay. They learned the importance of keeping the livestock cool in the heat of a Kansas summer.
More than once I’ve heard them educate others on what they know about agriculture, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Kylene Scott can be reached at 620-227-1804 or [email protected].
