We are here now

The people I have the great fortune of meeting, is the answer. The question seems to be coming much more frequently, why? Why do I spend so many nights on the road traveling. International Poultry Expo, National Block Bridle meeting, National Cattlemen's Beef Association meeting then a five stop road tour through Nevada and California with Lucy Snyder. Snyder Livestock has a bull test feedlot near Yerington, Nev., and we just completed a road show hosting several meetings in the two states inviting local cattlemen in to discuss the future of the beef industry.

Snyder Livestock is pioneering some new territory in beef production as they have installed the latest technology in feeding cattle by monitoring daily intake on an individual animal basis. While I feel I could go on and on about the newest technology in food production something else happened at the last meeting in Sierra Valley, Calif., that will stick with me forever.

I had the great fortune of meeting Attillio Ganespci, the son of a Swiss immigrant. Attillio proudly told me that he will turn 98 years old in April. His veterinarian Dr. Randy P. Walstrum was the person who introduced me to Attillio and Dr. Walstrum quickly told me that Attillio is the one who still runs the head gate at the ranch when they work cattle. He stills drives a tractor feeding cattle. Trust me no one would ever guess this man is nearly a century old.

Obviously I wanted to visit with this man as much as possible during our short encounter. There is so much wisdom in a generation that we are losing every single day and I fear we don't have enough of it captured in print or audio for the future generations. I had to ask Attillio what he considered the secret to life. The simple things he told me, particularly the people you choose to spend your time with. Then he launched into this story about the time he first met his wife. He got the Model T stuck because he drove down the wrong side of the fence. His wife's brother was summoned to assist by hitching a team of draft horses and pulling the Model T out. Attillio said his wife was more than just a little upset that he made the wrong choice but he told her, "Honey we are here now."

About that time his son Jim walked up and told me that was dad's motto in life. He never worries about the events that have led up to the current situation but rather shows up and deals with what ever life hands him. Any of you that really know me realize I feel like I have just met my kindred spirit. I think it was my own definition of a cowboy that I had shared at this meeting that really got Attillio fired up.

Frequently on airplanes I am ask if I am a real cowboy, my response is always the same. "Well if your definition is the same as mine then, yes." My definition of a real cowboy is anyone who is willing to follow the spirit that resides within themselves to see a task to completion and then willing to accept the responsibility of the end result.

Writing this I am sitting on an airplane next to a lady who was just telling me about her college age daughter. She indicates something that I also believe to be the case. We sure spend a lot of time worrying about what we can't do instead of spending more positive thought time about how good things are and how we make it better.

I do not have one shred of doubt that Attillio Ganespci has lived a long happy healthy life because he woke up every single day and said, "Today is going to be better than yesterday."

We need to remind our nation's youth that it will always be the simplest things in life that bring us the greatest pleasures and the easiest thing all of us can do is to control our own mental attitude.

Yes as I travel this country telling the story of technology paving the way to improve human lives I will never overlook the greatest asset we have in this country. The people we stand shoulder to shoulder with telling the world, we are here now.

Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com.

B

8

2/19/07

1 Star WK

Date: 2/15/07

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