Everyone knows the saying “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”  Kind and encouraging words can breathe fresh air into a person’s heart, giving them the desire to work even harder and do a better job, wherever they are.  Over the last several years, however, it seems like this saying has been replaced by the attitude of making sure to let people know where you disagree with them.  All you need to do is spend a couple of minutes watching the news or scanning social media to see there is a lot of criticism around.  I thought this would be a good time to let you know how much I appreciate you and the effort you put in to make our world a better place.

I appreciate the care and concern you have for the animals on your farm.  Animal activists will tell you that livestock producers are ruthless and treat their animals inhumanely.  But I know the hours you spend in the cold, rain, and snow, feeding animals that wouldn’t have anything to eat otherwise.  I know about time spent checking on cows during calving season, and the late nights spent helping a heifer have her first calf.

I know the many hours spent out in the heat, sweating to produce the hay that will be needed during the winter.  There are also many hours spent working to take care of the health needs of your cows and calves.  And the time spent protecting your animals form the various predators that lurk around the farm.

I appreciate the environmental efforts you put forth.  There may be groups that say cattle are destroying the environment, but they don’t realize the important role you play in improving the environment. The work that is put in to seeding and grazing management to save soil.  You seed clovers to take advantage of nitrogen fixation, decreasing the need for applied fertilizer.

Often you don’t get credit for the carbon dioxide you are responsible for taking out of the atmosphere and putting into the soil through leaf and root growth.  You are the ultimate environmentalist, since everything you do depends on keeping your soil fertile and productive.  It is a long-term effort that often goes unappreciated.

I appreciate the effort you put into to learning the best methods for sustainability on your  farm. You read articles, attend meetings, and have many conversations to find ways to improve what you do. Put simply, you are the reason I have a job. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

You play a key part in producing the food that feeds the world.  Your farm takes a product that has no human food value and turns it into a high quality protein that helps the survival of everyone on our planet. The process is absolutely amazing, and you have worked to make it more efficient and sustainable. 

There may be times that you feel like you are getting beaten up in the media, unfairly criticized because you choose to raise cattle. It may not mean much, but just know I see you.  And, I appreciate you.