theHword.com

Recently these words came to mind as I was attending a conference; passionate, knowledgeable, progressive, generational, excitement, stewards. I even jotted them down about a month ago while listening to a presentation.

I was attending the Nebraska Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference in Scottsbluff, NE. My husband and I are part of a committee through Nebraska Farm Bureau that gathers young farmers and ranchers once a year for a conference. This is a chance for young producers to network with others from around the state, attend workshops, listen to speakers, and even learn about the area through tours.

Last year, this conference was held in Hastings at the Quality Inn. Being centrally located, we had a great turnout of participants. Hastings was a phenomenal host city; we even had Kool-Aid and Eileen’s cookies for a break. It doesn’t get any better than that! Well, moving the conference out west was not without hesitation. Would everyone come?

Well, the young producers of the state came, and shared, and laughed. I am continually blown away by the quality of people this conference brings together. I walk away from this so proud of our profession and determined to do my part to make sure this profession is around for generations to come.

Ok, so what is my part? I am still working on that. Just agreeing to write for the H-Word seemed to be a stretch for me. I described it as being out of my comfort zone. I have a lot of work to do when it comes to voicing my opinion; I am one of those “don’t rock the boat” kind.

In the pit of my stomach, deep down, I feel a need to speak out. We were encouraged by a speaker to do your ripple. This means to stand up, be a voice, and let that truth spread outward. The truth is producers care. This includes those that raise crops, to cattle, to pigs to everything that is on our grocery shelves. Producers care about leaving their land and profession to the next generation. They care about quality of product. And they care about their animals. They are stewards of God’s creation. They care about the land.

There are other opinions out there, and lately, those opinions seem to be getting louder and stronger. It seems to be more prevalent in media that agriculture is painted in a negative light. It hurts to hear this. There are documentaries and articles in magazines that show case someone’s opinion about agriculture. This type of information plays on society’s emotion and creates fear.

I see something very inspiring when I see what is going on with young farmers and ranchers in this state, other states and even those here in Hastings. Producers young and old; there is one common thread; we care. As Americans we have the safest, most affordable food in the world. As producers we need to stand up and tell the truth and tell our story. We have allowed other people to tell our story for too long. Maybe I’m starting a ripple.

About the author: Kristi Weeks

Kristi Weeks is mom to a busy 5 year old boy Aiden, and a busy 2 year old girl, Brynn. She and her wonderful husband, Ryan live and farm in Juniata, NE. She cherishes getting to be a stay at home mom and having the opportunity to help out on the farm and be with her kids all day. Krisit is also the co-coordinator of the Hastings MOPS(mothers of preschoolers) group and she and Ryan stay active with Adams County Farm Bureau and Nebraska Farm Bureau. Kristi enjoys working out, finding new recipes, spending time with family and friends, golf and Husker football.