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By Amelia Kent 2019. Is. Here. While 2018 brought us some amazing honors and opportunities, it also brought us the most difficult personal challenges I’ve ever faced. I am not sorry to see the end of 2018. The new year finds us wrapping up calving season, and while the winter has been a wet one, we’re grateful that so far it’s been mild.
When discussing with a friend what the first few months of the new year holds in store, we were amazed at how busy the year is starting out. In January alone, I’m attending the American Farm Bureau Convention, Ag Expo in Monroe, and the Cattle Industry Convention. Coincidentally, this year both the AFBF and Cattle Conventions are in New Orleans, so at least I don’t have much traveling to do. Some neighbors pick on me about being as busy as I am, keeping some of my obligations, and spending so much time away. Admittedly, it is hard to be away from the farm too long, but I prepare in advance and my husband and I make it work. Why are these obligations so important to me to warrant investing my time off the farm? I can narrow my motivation for my involvement to a single experience: I attended college near Boston, Massachusetts with incredibly intelligent women who genuinely thought the food chain starts at the grocery store. Nobody needs a reminder of how tough 2018 was to many farmers and ranchers. Between trade renegotiations, consumers being swayed by marketing campaigns, animal rights activists, and anything in between, one could say farmers and ranchers have been catching it from all sides. I was even asked who will save the farmers. The answer is simple: we as farmers and ranchers must save ourselves. We save ourselves by using our voices. If we don’t speak for ourselves, someone else will do so with their own agenda interlaced. My involvement in Farm Bureau is rooted in policy development at both the state and national levels. I also serve on the Louisiana Beef Industry Council and the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, both of which are charged with administering beef research and promotion. Producer groups such as these help farmers help ourselves. Whether developing our voices and encouraging advocacy, conveying our concerns to our policymakers, or connecting with consumers, these organizations inherently benefit all farmers and ranchers. Although my 2019 is starting out busy, I am absolutely looking forward to the new year and the promise it holds. I’m also excited to celebrate AFBF’s centennial birthday, and am eager to see what the next century entails for American agrarians. Amelia Kent and her husband, Russell, raise beef cattle and hay in East Feliciana Parish. Amelia is a past chair of Louisiana’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, is currently a member of the - Partners in Advocacy Leadership program with AFBF, and serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Find them on Facebook at Kent Farms; or on Instagram and Twitter @kentfarms_la.
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By Amelia Kent As a cattle farmer, when asked what I think about the current state of the soybean industry, with a heavy heart a couple of things come to mind. Soybean farmers are in the midst of what’s become the perfect storm – an abundant crop that is putting downward supply pressure on prices, coupled with the double-whammy of the trade war has soybean prices lower than they have been in decades. In much of Louisiana, as well as other regions in the county, soggy weather has dealt the final blow to the 2018 soybean crop by causing moderate to severe damage to the beans.
It is not a good time to be a soybean farmer, especially in Louisiana. A friend told me of having to bush hog a substantial portion of his crop because it wasn’t worth harvesting. I’ve also heard countless stories of soybeans surpassing the damage threshold, being rejected by the elevator, and not having an outlet for the damaged beans. But this is not the first challenging time farmers have faced. I am reminded of the 2014 Farm Bill’s impact on the rice industry as direct payments were replaced with a crop-insurance program that was largely ineffective for rice farmers. Dairy farmers and cotton farmers also faced hurdles from the 2014 Farm Bill resulting from a lack of support to their market, supply and weather challenges. While some farmers were unable or chose not to continue farming in the wake of the 2014 obstacles, many more farmers persevered. Specific to the beef industry, I think back to the Mad Cow scare in 2003. The inspection measures in place caught the cow infected with the BSE prior to that beef entering the food supply. After confirming the diagnosis, a recall was placed on the beef harvested at the same facility on the same day. But the damage to the cattle markets had already been done, essentially halting all beef exports, immediately slashing cattle prices to a fraction of what they were, and ultimately costing the cattle market $4 billion. Over the next few years, I remember watching family and friends slowly overcome their losses. It took the beef industry more than a decade to rebuild export markets. But the beef industry, and its farmers and ranchers impacted in 2003 and 2004 have rebounded from that devastating blow. Over the summer, at a cattle industry meeting, I heard the response and trace-back in that kind of case could take as much as two weeks, but hopefully as little as a few hours or days. In today’s fast-paced tech world, a few weeks is a lifetime and the desirable standard is 48 hours. If you raise cattle, I encourage you to embrace adoption of traceability systems to help control a disease outbreak and because consumers want to know the source of their food. Just as the cattle industry overcame the BSE disaster, and rice, dairy and cotton farmers waded through the impacts of the last Farm Bill, I have faith soybean farmers will make it through this perfect storm to the other side. It is indeed a tough time for soybean farmers, but they are not alone. Amelia Kent and her husband, Russell, raise beef cattle and hay in East Feliciana Parish. Amelia is a past chair of Louisiana’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, is currently a member of the - Partners in Advocacy Leadership program with AFBF, and serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Find them on Facebook at Kent Farms; or on Instagram and Twitter @kentfarms_la. By Amelia Kent Our right to farm is under attack. I’m not talking about from state laws. Think in the context of our social license to farm. We see this threat in varying degrees nationwide, but this is something we, as farmers, need to face head on. In the past few months, there have been 27 lawsuits filed in North Carolina, pitting integrators and their local hog farmers as the defendants in cases where the plaintiffs allege the farms are a legal nuisance to the community and unreasonably interfere with their property. Ironically, the plaintiffs are neighbors who moved into the community of these already-established hog farms. In three of these suits, the juries ruled against Smithfield, which results in putting the farmer out of business and awarding the neighbors several million dollars.
But the neighbors are thinking they’re suing Smithfield, the integrator. A group of Texan lawyers instigated this cascade of suits, weaving racial injustice in the mix. Not long ago, an article crossed my screen titled “Why Do Americans Have Such Contempt for the People Who Feed Them?” If that isn’t direct, I don’t know what is! Reuben Navarrette, Jr., the author, answered “It’s weather and dust. The more I think about it, the more I come back to weather and dust…. Those are the things my parents were so desperate to escape when, as pre-teens in the 1950s, they resolved to one day get a job that let them work indoors.” This article was published by the Daily Beast and actually looked at consumers and farmers in the Central Valley of California, an area that produces more than half the fruits and vegetables for the entire country, with surplus product exported around the world. The author also discusses consumer perceptions of farmers relative to labor shortage and food price. The common answer from consumers was the farmers don’t pay enough to the workers harvesting their crops. Contrary to perception, the daily wage rate for pickers in this area ranges from $200-400, and farmers still have a hard time finding enough workers. I’ve read several articles in the past few weeks written from an urban perspective about farming, but more specifically about the people who are the farmers, and the decisions we make. While I appreciate that non-rural people are giving considerable thought to the challenges we face daily, it is very much so a dynamic of being on the outside of the fishbowl looking in. We face a unique set of career and industry challenges in agriculture. These challenges are numerous, and across many topics. I once heard of a job title as “Special Project Expert.” I joked about that meaning a jack of all trades, and for us I can’t think of a better, single job title! But here’s the thing. Consumers do not understand most of the challenges and struggles we face on a daily basis. But they have the benefit of a cheap food supply – one that is cheaper than it should be and one in which farmers and/or their crops have been vilified. Whether it is biotechnology supposedly causing cancer, regardless of countless other variables, or the carbon footprint of our livestock and the grain they eat enhancing climate change more so than the human impact (the Atlantic published a story saying as much and prompting people to eat beans instead of beef to meet a carbon reduction goal, and some people believe that!), the perception of agriculture as a whole, and the farmers behind the food, is increasingly negative. This is thanks, in large part, to people being increasingly removed from any farm and ranch experience. Our social license to our livelihoods – our right to farm – is being commandeered by the children and grandchildren of those who chose to leave farms to work in the air conditioning. In North Carolina the focus is on hog farms, but poultry farms are not a far reach and are suspected to be in the crosshairs next. This battle is not limited to North Carolina. These social challenges are obstacles for farmers worldwide. Whether you like it or not, we all must add advocacy to that “Special Project Expert” tool box. Amelia Kent and her husband, Russell, raise beef cattle and hay in East Feliciana Parish. Amelia is a past chair of Louisiana’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, is currently a member of the - Partners in Advocacy Leadership program with AFBF, and serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Find them on Facebook at Kent Farms; or on Instagram and Twitter @kentfarms_la. By Howard J. Cormier, LSU AgCenter Southwest Regional Equine Agent We have recently completed the 2018 La. 4-H and FFA Horse Show season, and winners will now go on to compete at the Southern Regional 4-H Horse Championships in Perry, Georgia. As a 4-H instructor, an observer of the 4-H competition, and a competitor myself in the La. Equine Council Ranch Riding event, I want to share some of my observations about what it takes to be a consistent winner.
Everyone has their own ideas about how to succeed, but most winners will agree about some basic assumptions. First of all, it takes hard work. One can win by luck, but that doesn’t offer consistent success. To be a winner means that competitors will dedicate themselves to the goal on a long-term and consistent basis. They must ride when it’s hot, cold, rainy, dry, dusty, late, or early. And they must be willing to lose as they learn. They must be willing to start from the bottom to make it to the top. I always compared winning to climbing a ladder. Almost all individuals climb a ladder the same way- starting from the bottom rung. In my years of coaching 4-H kids and some adults, I have seen the results of winning without effort. It leads to disappointment when the kids expect to win again, and they don’t. If it comes easily, without much effort, the results and euphoria will be short-lived, and the lessons of hard work and perseverance will be missed. The same lessons apply to us as adults. Many times, competitors simply go through the motions of working to win, without having a goal in mind. If you are working because someone else is making you, such as a parent, spouse, or other person, your chances of reaching your goals are greatly reduced. YOU have to want success enough to do whatever it takes to win- legally. That last word has trapped many would- be winners who want to take shortcuts. If winning is the only goal, without self- improvement and character development, the win will be hollow. Just look at the kids who win because mommy or daddy or a hired hand does all the work. It doesn’t mean anything. Anything illegal almost always comes back to haunt to doer of the deed. Getting a reputation as a cheater is worse than not winning. So what about hard work? You must have goals, and a reason to work. You have to study the game or event you are interested in winning. You have to know what to do to improve. You have to take care of details, like grooming your horse, cleaning your tack, proper dress for the event, good nutrition, and knowing the rules. If you feel that you can’t win because the judge is unfair, or the system is rigged against you, maybe you need to try something else. Most judges I know want to reward the best performances, regardless of who is in the saddle. That’s not to say that a sour attitude doesn’t hurt your chances to win. If you are rude or disrespectful during a pre-show clinic, don’t expect the judge to be able to forget that rudeness when you compete. He/she is only human, and will be mindful of your attitude, even before the actual class begins. Ask questions if your performance and results don’t match up. Try to video your run. Ask the judge for his reasons for your placing, if that is allowed. Most times he will be happy to help you, if time permits. Perhaps a friend can point out your mistakes to help you. It’s all about eliminating your errors until your run is flawless. Don’t focus on beating someone else. That can lead to jealousy and ill-feelings. Focus on beating your last performance, and cheer for your rivals, as you hope they will cheer for you when you win. Try to act like a winner, regardless of how you place in the competition. Competition is not easy. You are putting yourself out there for everyone to see how good you are, or how good you’re not. You are opening yourself to critique, and sometimes, to criticism. Most of those who criticize are not competitors themselves. Competitors are traveling the same course you are, even if they’re ahead of you. If they offer advice, consider it and if it can help you. Just because they beat you at one show doesn’t make them a better horseman. It only means they beat you that day. If someone is trying to help you, whether for free or for a fee, it’s up to you to practice. Most coaches want you to succeed. If you brag about not riding or practicing since the last lesson, they will lose interest in helping you, even if you are paying them. Don’t waste their time and yours by not practicing. You will soon lose their support and enthusiasm for trying to make a difference for you. Finally, eat right, avoid bad habits beyond moderation, get enough sleep, and say thank you to those who help you. And by the way, if you only ride to enjoy friends, a pretty day, or a peaceful trail, that’s fine, too. Be safe! Story by Amelia Kent Farmers and ranchers have had the spotlight of national media attention for the past several months, and not necessarily in a positive light. Of course the trade negotiations are a recurring story, whether it’s the impacts of NAFTA or trade wars with China. As our margins are already tight, and we’ve already experienced market declines based on speculation, I hope these trade talks settle in a few short-term battles rather than a long-lasting war. But trade isn’t the only topic bringing attention to farmers and ranchers. Thanks in large part to a Centers for Disease Control Study released in 2016, numerous stories and articles by many of the national and international media outlets have covered suicide rates among farmers and ranchers.
Upon reading these articles, I found myself simultaneously unsurprised and taken aback. Yes, our farm incomes have fallen upwards to 50% since 2013. Some market prices are exactly the same as they were decades ago. The dairy industry is facing a compounded challenge of low prices with an unfathomable oversupply. In a conversation with a dairy farmer, he compared the 1% oversupply that led to the dairy buyout in the mid-1980s, to today’s surplus in excess of 12%. We all know exactly how tough the farm economy is because we live and breathe it every single day. Yet, I was surprised by some of the suicide-rate comparisons. Although the CDC retracted the study and is now recalculating it with more accurate numbers, suicide rates in rural areas are exponentially higher than in urban areas. The study found rates among farmers, ranchers, fisherman and loggers, presented as one group, was more than double that of veterans or emergency workers. When you think about the variables we have no control over, such as volatile markets, weather, or a natural disaster destroying the crop, the stress farmers carry is intense on a good day. Furthermore, the access to mental health professionals tends to be lacking in rural areas. Another hindrance farmers and ranchers face is cultural. Dr. Mike Rosmann, an Iowa farmer, a psychologist, and one of the nation’s leading farmer behavioral health experts, has developed the agrarian imperative theory. Through years of working with farmers and ranchers, he’s concluded people engaged in farming have a strong urge to supply essentials for human life, and to produce these goods at all costs. When farmers can’t fulfill this purpose, they feel despair. The same drive that blesses farmers in good, successful years, exacerbates the struggles of bad years. Dr. Rosmann worked with Sowing Seeds of Hope, which connected farmers to affordable behavioral health services. This program became the model for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), which was included in the 2008 Farm Bill, but not funded. A friend relayed a conversation he had with a young farmer. This farmer conveyed how very concerned he is with the current economic outlook for agriculture, and how overwhelming that stress is. He also remarked that his father views this current situation with the outlook that if they made it through the 1980s farming recession, they’ll make it through this one too – almost a cautious optimism in spite of the younger farmer’s worry. While I was a child in the 80s, through the lenses of my child’s eyes, I do remember how stressful it was for my parents. Now is a very real time we need to be available to our friends, neighbors and peers. If you made it through the last hard time in farming, and now see someone facing this challenge for the first time, lend an ear or offer some words of encouragement. What helped you get through the last struggle? I’m sure those words of experience are helpful to the younger generation. If you’re facing this farming recession for the first time, check on your farming friends. More than likely, you’re sharing some of the same challenges. Those challenges get easier when you know others are in the same situation. Amelia Kent and her husband, Russell, raise beef cattle and hay in East Feliciana Parish. Amelia is a past chair of Louisiana’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, is currently a member of the - Partners in Advocacy Leadership program with AFBF, and serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Find them on Facebook at Kent Farms; or on Instagram and Twitter @kentfarms_la. By Amelia Kent
Over the past few months, I’ve had the honor of presenting at a few seminars. In my first presentation at a grass-fed beef workshop, I used a slide that included the bullets above. As I was preparing for my second presentation focusing on profitability, I couldn’t help but include the same slide again, albeit a bit tangential. You see, the second presentation was shortly after a conversation I had with a dear friend. She and her family grow produce and direct market to their local community through both famers markets as well as a CSA, short for Community Supported Agriculture. CSAs can take on various models, shapes and sizes, but in essence depend upon the local community to help fund their crops on a crop-share design. A household participates in the crop by purchasing a produce box on a weekly basis on whatever the farm is picking that week. The crop seasons are variable, but usually consist of several weeks per season, and multiple seasons per year, climate allowing. Just as on other farms, these farmers are continuously planning crop varieties, soil health and planting rotations to allow for maturity and picking, and marketing their crops. While CSA is still an unfamiliar term to many in agriculture, this model has been around for a few decades, and an intrinsic benefit to all of agriculture is the sheer number of consumers with whom this one farmer is reaching. The same can be said at farmers markets as well. What on earth did we talk about that made me think of that slide? My friend is also involved with Farm Bureau and was telling me about a few conversations she’d had recently that frustrated me. One of those conversations was with an acquaintance who farmed in a conventional crop setting. In that conversation, that person didn’t realize that my friend’s farm is a legitimate farm with some of the same challenges as on other farms. This person also acted threatened by niche farming, with the perception that niche farmers generally are disrespectful to other types of farming, including those that are larger scale and market their crops in conventional outlets. Thanks in large part to my friend’s patience and willingness to participate in this dialog, some of the air was cleared and it sounds like the other person gained an appreciation for other types of farming. Another past conversation my friend shared with me was at a farmers market, where some of her friends were asking her quite critical questions about Farm Bureau. Some of this dialog included accusations that Farm Bureau and other industry organizations are not hospitable to smaller-scale farmers and those who participate in niche marketing, and that these groups only focus on “big ag.” Thanks in part to leadership training, my friend’s patience once again persevered and she was able to answer these questions and clarify some misperceptions and even invited them to a meeting. Did you know the average size of a cow herd in the United States is 40 head? Did you also know that the livestock advisory committee within Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is one of the largest advisory groups? An inherent benefit of smaller farms is more votes from those with an agricultural perspective. In a society in which those engaged in agriculture represent less than 2% of the population, these agricultural perspectives are incredibly important. I read an article describing how farmers’ social license to farm is under attack, as seen in rural votes against farms and processing facilities in North Carolina, Kansas and Oregon. When the majority of voters do not understand what we do on a daily basis, it is up to us to educate them and reinforce our social license to farm, ranch, and responsibly tend to our daily business. That same conversation with my friend about her encounters troubles me because we’re all in this social challenge together. Most people in our society are at least two and three generations removed from any farm experience. We need to present a solid front representing agriculture, though we may farm and market our crops differently. If we want respect from our communities, we must respect our fellow farmers first. Amelia Kent and her husband, Russell, raise beef cattle and hay in East Feliciana Parish. Amelia is a past chair of Louisiana’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, is currently a member of the - Partners in Advocacy Leadership program with AFBF, and serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Find them on Facebook at Kent Farms; or on Instagram and Twitter @kentfarms_la. By Howard J. Cormier, LSU AgCenter Southwest Regional Equine Agent The successful horse sale last month at the Gray Ranch is a refreshing sign of a strong horse market. A few things struck me about the horses being offered for sale there. Even though this is a ranch operation where horses are raised almost totally in the pasture, the sale horses were all clean, with manes, tails, hooves and hair coats properly groomed. The horses that were ridden in the sale ring were under typical, working ranch saddles and tack, with no bling or chrome, but the horses themselves were healthy and presentable.
This is just part of good salesmanship. It could also be called good showmanship. Showmanship is not only presenting your horse in a show ring situation but presenting your horse well whenever you want to make a good impression. As the 4-H Horse Show season approaches, it is a good idea for kids to know how to properly set up a horse. Adult leaders and parents helping kids need to know what showmanship is, too, if they are to teach the youngsters. Nothing belies the knowledge and skills of a person more than how they train and present their horse to others. If a horse is walking all over the owner, pushing them around in a disrespectful manner, and is unclean, ungroomed and unfit, there is much less chance to make a good impression. One of the first things most knowledgeable buyers look for is structural correctness. It’s hard to see the feet and legs on a horse that won’t stand still, or walk out straight, or lead at a trot. A horse must be able to be set up squarely with feet placed under it on all four corners. You can teach this to any horse by setting its feet up a few minutes each day. You can do this while brushing, saddling, bathing or in the normal course of the day’s events. It’s easy to simply ask the horse to place its feet squarely each day before you take the halter off to release the horse, whether in the stall or in the pasture. You can do this from the halter, without touching the feet or legs, by leading it up or back, and releasing the pressure when it moves a foot in the right direction. The easiest way is to pull down slightly to signal the horse that you are focusing on the rear legs. Move only the near side hind foot. As soon as the horse takes a step in the right direction, release the pressure, and lift the lead up to signal the horse that it did the right thing. Focus only on the left rear leg, unless the right is totally out of position. As the horse learns that it will not get a release until it moves that one rear leg, it will begin to move it back and forth, searching for the spot where it will be released. If it doesn’t move or try, back it up, then lead forward again. They figure out what you want by your persistence and consistent asking. After the back is in good enough position, meaning squarely placed under the horse and even with the other back leg, then start working on the front feet. Lift up on the halter to signal that you want the front feet to move. When they are close to being even, quit by releasing the halter pressure. It’s o.k. to pet to let the horse know it did the right thing (as long as you’re not in the show ring). Tap the leg with your boot if the horse doesn’t make any effort to move. When it moves, quit. Do a little each day until the horse understands what you want. This is all part of groundwork. Did you ever think that your horse sees you as the herd leader? It needs your acceptance and approval to be part of the herd, even a herd of two. It seeks safety in the herd. If you are too demanding, it will either ignore you, or always be focused on other horses in the herd, instead of giving you its full attention. Did you ever consider how you greet your horse when you go out to feed or ride? Do you acknowledge your horse by a simple touch on the nose, or a pat on the neck? Some will dismiss this as baloney, but remember that this horse is looking to you for support and safety. A simple hello in any way you choose is natural for the horse. It’s what horses do with each other. (By the way, horses don’t give other horses treats!) Master Horseman program participants learn the value of proper groundwork in class. But it’s not something you do only in the class setting. It’s something you live daily, each time you interact with your horse. You strengthen or erode the respect your horse has for you, and vice versa, by how you interact with it, how you demand respect, and how you release and reward by taking pressure off when the horse does the right thing. It takes a lifetime to be a good herd leader, but it only takes a moment to decide that it’s worthwhile learning. Once you learn the value of “dancing” with your horse on the ground, you won’t ever go back to how you were before. It not only makes your horse look good, but it can make you a better horseman, and it is especially important to teach kids and their horses at an early age! Rather than simply showing the horse who is boss, we need to be a leader that our horses depend on to make them feel safe and protected. By Howard J. Cormier, LSU AgCenter Southwest Regional Equine Agent Many people, young and old, dream of being a horse trainer. Images of rearing horses or an equine friend racing up to the owner waiting at the fence have wide appeal. The reality is that horse training takes years of learning, tons of patience, and the ability to overcome frustration when the horse just doesn’t “get it.” Buying a horse and teaching it to be a good riding partner is challenging for any level of experience. There is an old saying that goes “green on green makes black and blue,” meaning that an inexperienced “green” rider and an inexperienced “green” horse results in bruising and more serious injuries. Sadly, getting a young horse that can grow up with a young child is foolish, to say the least, and dangerous, to be more realistic.
So, what is a parent, adult or youngster to do if they have a passion for horses and want to get involved? My best advice is to find a reliable friend or trainer whom you can trust. Trainers can certainly fit that bill, but remember that not all trainers are reputable, so shop around. It’s wise to start with an older “broke” horse. The term signifies an equine that has been used for years and has proven that it will not buck, rear, run off, spook or become aggressive with an inexperience rider. Those horses can cost more, but it will be cheaper than a hospital visit or long term medical bills. There are many sources of help in the internet. YouTube is full of video clips about horse training, but you still need someone to interpret what is being shown. I suggest that a person visit horse shows, trail rides, auction barns, ranch sales and trainers to get some ideas before they commit to buying their first horse. Learn all you can to protect yourself, and limit your investment. Start slowly with a modestly priced horse, and accept the fact that you will trade up as your skills improve. 4-H horse shows will be coming up this June, and that’s a good place to talk to parents and kids about how to get involved. Remember and understand that all horses kick, bite, step on you, and can push you out of their way. That is simply their nature, so don’t hold it against them for doing what Mother Nature has instilled in them to survive. Safety is important for all, but more so for small children that are more easily hurt. Prepare for the first horse by studying. Know how a horse thinks, how it defends itself, what it eats, how much shelter it needs, what health care needs are, and the cost of tack and equipment. Consider the cost of saddles, halters, buckets, waterer, hay, feed, pasture, and trailer and truck. What about fencing? Barbed wire is inexpensive, but can be deadly if a horse runs into it at a full gallop. So many things need to be considered that it might be overwhelming, but if you have a real passion, it can be a lifelong love that is truly enjoyable. Facebook has many pages and groups that can provide much information. Check out sources of information, and use whatever means will help you make informed decisions. Contact me if you have specific questions, and I will be happy to try to help you. Hcormier@agcenter.lsu.edu By Amelia Kent The wheels of change may move slowly in Washington, D.C., but involvement on the local level can steer the direction of legislation at the Capitol. That may seem obvious with the 2018 Farm Bill, but you can also make a difference when an idea could literally have bicycle wheels rolling over farmland, through pastures and into the paths of logging trucks.
Over the past few weeks I’ve met with Congressman Ralph Abraham’s staff. These visits are especially timely as the Farm Bill was going into markup the same week as most of these meetings. The first was a lunch with Congressman Abraham’s staffers and some neighbors in East Feliciana Parish. I was invited as I’ve participated in meetings like this before, both in Washington, D.C. and in Louisiana. The topics of discussion at this meeting included trade concerns, Farm Bill progress, arbitration clauses in contracts of all kinds, and a proposed bicycle path that could disrupt agricultural operations. Congressman Abraham is a great supporter of Louisiana agriculture and already has strong insight and positions on our trade concerns and the Farm Bill. He is the only member of Louisiana’s delegation on the House Ag Committee and he has personal farming interests. At this meeting we were able to bring to the staffers’ attention our concerns relative to arbitration clauses and the negative impacts this potential bike path would likely present, given the proposed route. You may be thinking, what harm can a recreational bicycle path have? The proposed route spans more than 300 miles from the Texas state line to the Mississippi state line, running parallel to U.S. Highway 190 and La. Highway 10. The bike path would not be on these major highways, but would run along smaller state roads and highways. I am familiar with these roads. I also know the agricultural commerce in our area. That's why I can envision a nightmare for Louisiana’s timber and livestock industries should there be a collision between a bicycle and one of our trucks on these rural roads with no shoulders. The same could happen with grain trucks or tractors hauling sugarcane in other parts of the state. After we presented these two new topics of concern, we also asked if there was anything they needed from us in the district. Their response was, “an opportunity to visit with constituents in the district.” How timely? Later that week, there were two local Farm Bureau annual meetings. I had the opportunity to introduce one of these congressional staffers at both of these meetings. At the end of one meeting, dairy farmers and grain farmers alike approached Congressman Abraham’s staff asking for more information about the Farm Bill, and discussions regarding Title I and Dairy. Their requests were taken down, and early the next week, the Congressman’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Ted Verrill, contacted me to ensure these requests were addressed. Verrill also asked if there were other issues of concern from our local farmers. I share with you this experience because it is a prime example of how staying informed at the local level can influence discussion on Capitol Hill. The congressional visits to Washington, D.C. are important and have their place. But communication with constituents about their concerns is equally, if not more, important. Involvement at the local level does indeed impact discussions and policy decisions at the state and national levels, and keeps the wheels turning in the right direction. Amelia Kent and her husband, Russell, raise beef cattle and hay in East Feliciana Parish. Amelia is a past chair of Louisiana’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, is currently a member of the - Partners in Advocacy Leadership program with AFBF, and serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Find them on Facebook at Kent Farms; or on Instagram and Twitter @kentfarms_la. By Howard J. Cormier, LSU AgCenter Southwest Regional Equine Agent We recently reviewed tips on building a 50-foot round pen for horse training. The next logical step to consider is how to build a riding arena. The time you spend planning will be important later for the life of the structure.
First, where will you put a large item such as an arena? Regardless of the final size, you will need to allow for the flow of traffic, both automotive, tractors and farm implements, horse trailers, and livestock around the site. Assume that you will need to haul sand to build the footing, so plan for a large dump truck to enter and exit without tearing down a fence. Also, plan to get a tractor with some type of grooming tool in and out on a regular basis — every couple of days at least. If your gate and egress area is too small, expect frustration and maybe damage to the fence. Will roping calves be unloaded and loaded? What about unbroken horses, colts, or breeding mares? Do you need a side pen to funnel them into trailers? As you consider the size and placement, consider the drainage. Flat ground is not the best, neither is turtle-backed land. Turtle-backed, or crowned, land that is higher in the middle will end up being flat after several years of grooming. In addition, the water will drain to the sides, where most of your riding might take place. Over time, the rain will carry the soil and sand from the crown to the sides, and it will be flat, which will not allow rains to drain off and dry quickly. The ideal spot is slightly higher on one side than the other to allow water to drain. It is true that the higher side will erode, and the lower side will get deeper over time, but that is still the best of both worlds, if you happen to have land that has a slight grade. How big you build the pen depends on how big your budget is. The bigger the pen, the more cost in fencing and sand. You will need to add sand over time because it actually wears out and blows away. Try to make the pen big enough to be able to lope and run a horse without danger of falling in the corners. I would say 100 feet by 150 feet is a modest size for most applications. Bigger is better, if you can afford it. Again, it will depend on how much room you have. Let’s talk about materials. You will need fence posts, which could be pipe or treated lumber, spaced about every 8 feet. Do not use landscape timbers. They will rot in a few years and need replacing. Four-by-four-inch treated posts are more expensive but will last much longer. If you can afford pipe, so much the better, but consider how you will attach the rest of the fencing. Can you weld, or can you afford someone to do that task for you. You can use corral panels, or cable, or even hog wire to form a barrier. Wood is pleasing to the eye, and you might need it for the top and mid-section. But unless you plan to use treated lumber, wood has limitations, such as cost, longevity and safety. In addition, if you keep horses in the arena at times, wood invites chewing, which leads to cribbing. That is a bad vice that comes from boredom. How many gates will you have? Gates allow you to practice sidepassing, and opening and closing them, which improves the usefulness of your horse. What about shade? Will you ride mostly in the late afternoons, after work? Trees close by will provide shade, but they might also develop roots that will make a horse stumble. Some trees, like sycamore, drop big leaves that clog up the tines on a harrow. Ideally, tall mature trees that are some distance away will provide late afternoon shade, without the negative effects. Trees also allow you tie a horse close by while you ride another. Consider a viewing stand of some kind so a coach can sit and teach the kids or other adults. Consider some type of raised platform with a bench or a couple of lawn chairs so you can see over the fence. Five feet high is probably a good average. Less than that might promote jumping out of the pen when the pressure from inside gets too high. Too high is unnecessary and adds to the cost. Having electricity is a big plus because you can then plug in a PA system, camcorder or a box fan. A luxury? Yes, but a very practical one. What about wind damage to walls? It is a disagreeable chore to try to straighten big sections of fencing after a storm. The more wall you put up, the more it will catch and be damaged by wind, especially hurricane force winds for a couple of days. Last, but certainly not least, consider the top (lighting) and bottom (footing) needs. Can you afford to put up a few big lights or many smaller ones? You’ll need tall poles to maximize the reach of the lights and a source of electricity. Sand is necessary to improve the footing. I suggest scraping the grass off before you add any sand. It will take less sand to cover the soil properly, and will improve traction and cushioning. Unless you add a lot of sand, it will still be slippery after a rain. You want to avoid disking or tilling deeply, as the sand will move deeper into the soil profile and seem to disappear if you work it too deeply. Work as often as necessary to keep grass from getting established. Try not to gouge the sand out of one area when working it because that will make a slick spot or a deep spot where the sand is moved, and could lead to tendon injuries. Finally, plan on how you will work the arena. A four-wheeler, UTV or garden tractor might be adequate to keep the sand loose. The most important thing is to work it often and not let grass and weeds get established. I hope that I have given you some ideas that will help you make smart decisions. Finally, the bad news. If you do have an arena, that knocks out your excuse for not being able to ride and improve your horse. Oh well, I’m sure we can come up with some other good ones. Happy riding! |
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