Tools of the Trade

When you think of tools of the trade for a cattleman, you typically think of a four-wheel drive truck, livestock trailer, four-wheeler, or a cattle dog. Do you think of Facebook, Twitter or YouTube? Today, the use of social media is becoming increasingly important to agriculture. We need to educate our non-farm friends about our industry and what we do as farmers and ranchers. On Facebook, I write posts about my daily chores on our cattle farm. Sometimes my Dad wonders if I get anything else accomplished. But, he now understands how crucial it is for us livestock producers to get our message out to our friends and consumers. To reach a broader audience, I started blogging to talk about my daily life on a cattle farm. We are the experts in our industry. We need to tell our story. And, we have a great story to tell! We as cattlemen are stewards of the land, we care for our livestock at all times of the day and in all types of weather, and we work hard to provide safe and nutritious beef for our consumers. Cattlemen are proud people. As a 3rd generation cattleman, from a family that has been raising purebred cattle for close to 70 years, I take great care and pride in what I do. It is a job I take very seriously. And, I think this can be said for most farmers and ranchers in the United States.

For those who know me, know the beef industry is a great passion of mine. I have dedicated my life to promote and protect an industry I love and shaped me into the person I am. We need to be advocates of agriculture. I am very passionate about telling the story of a cattleman and of the beef industry. Whether it is blogging about the days on our cattle farm, representing beef producers on the Illinois Beef Association and Knox County Cattlemen's Association, teaching 4th grade students about beef cattle at Knox County Ag Day for Kids, or explaining to my nieces what my Dad and I do and giving them first-hand experiences on the farm, I am an advocate and challenge you to do the same.