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Gilt-free living
By Ken Root I'm thinking of putting in a "catalog burning stove" to heat my house this winter. That's how many slick paper flyers arrive in my mailbox every week. They have things I don't need, and some I had no idea were for sale. So I regularly put them into the newspaper recycling bin--except for one. It came from Heifer International, with a return address of Little Rock, Ark. If they were trying to sell women's clothes, I'd advise against both the name and location. The concept is to solicit donations that will be used to buy young female animals of many species and distribute them to poor people around the world. Those who receive them agree to pass on an offspring to another family. "Paying it forward" takes on a tangible agricultural reality. This is not a new concept, as it was utilized in rural America in the post World War II years to propagate quality livestock and expand ownership among 4-H and FFA members. I remember family stories of my brother receiving a Sears gilt as an FFA project. It is a remarkably simple system that starts with a foundation animal that delivers offspring. The first generation female progeny is "given" to individuals who have shown they are worthy to raise an animal with supervision from family and adult leaders. The first breeding of the gilt, heifer or ewe is provided by the sponsor and the only requirement is that the pick of that litter (or the first bovine female) be given to another worthy youth to extend and expand the program. In our rural society, it was a privilege to receive one of these animals and an obligation to complete the cycle. The impact on some was greater than others with stories of this animal becoming the foundation female for a herd or that the proceeds of the project paid for a college education. It was an incentive to move people forward, with the work being done by those who would ultimately benefit most. A special animal was given special care. Veterinary services and quality feeds were often used for the first time. When you do the math on this form of distribution, it's amazing how quickly a single individual can turn into hundreds. The Heifer International organization states this as their strategy: To "pass on the gift." As people share their animals' offspring with others--along with their knowledge, resources, and skills--an expanding network of hope, dignity, and self-reliance is created that reaches around the globe. The Heifer International organization has a website that provides an abundance of information. They are religion-based but show support from many denominations. The board of directors is named and their finances show that they raised $89 million dollars last year and spent $77 million, with $13 million going to fundraising. Overall, the charity seems to wash with others of similar size. From an agricultural perspective, the gift is not food for today; it is hope for the future. It is an encouragement to the poor farmers to improve their own condition without stepping beyond the bounds of their culture. The Heifer International organization provides goats, pigs, sheep, rabbits, ducks, geese, chickens, bees, llamas, water buffalo and, of course, heifers. Each of these may be propagated forward with a near term benefit of food and fiber. Last week in Des Moines, the World Food Prize was awarded and the past winners from its twenty-year heritage came back to be recognized and to celebrate the success of the program. These scientists and organizational leaders come mostly from African and Asian countries where people are many and food is scarce. Their contribution has been to develop technologies or create infrastructure so people can help themselves. Food aid is encouraged as a means to save those displaced or distressed by famine and war. But the primary goal is to provide better genetics, technology and infrastructure to allow farmers to break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient and even prosperous. The Heifer Project claims to have helped 8.5 million families in more than 125 countries since its inception in 1944. In one human lifetime, beginning at the end of the greatest worldwide trauma in recorded history, they provided a means for farmers to help themselves, restore their health, increase their wealth and reclaim their dignity. The Heifer International website is: www.heifer.org and if you want to see a version of the catalog, without getting it in the mail, add: /catalog to the address. Editor's note: Ken Root is now celebrating his 34th year as an agricultural professional. His career began as a vocational agriculture teacher then turned to agricultural broadcasting and writing as well as environmental consulting and association management. He was the original host of AgriTalk (1994-2001) and now is lead farm broadcaster for WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa. Date: 10/25/07
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