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'Cause I careBy Trent Loos Someone recently pointed out to me that I "sure seem to have a lot of causes." Actually, I feel like I only have one cause--the human race. Indeed, I spend a great deal of time working to benefit the Houston E. Mull Memorial FFA Cattle Drive because that is about improving the opportunities for young people in agriculture. Yes, I do wear a pink shirt, rag or ribbon every chance I get but that is simply to remind people that one woman every three seconds is diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2007, I once again spent a little bit of time working to bring a greater awareness to what is really happening with tribal youth on our nation's reservations. The Rosebud Sioux Indian reservation in South Dakota is producing a generation of kids with no hope and a stymied pride. All of these causes have one common denominator--people that need to know that other people truly care about them. As we charge into 2008, there is one more cause that I will be spending more time on than ever before. For about two years, I have been encouraging my radio listeners to wear a red shirt on Fridays. This simple gesture to our nation's troops shows that we appreciate the sacrifices they have made in the past 228 years. In no way, shape or form am I claiming to be the source of this tribute. A few years ago, I did uncover that at the end of World War II the Women's Auxiliary of the VFW supported wearing a red shirt on Friday to say thank you to the troops who were returning home. I was speaking in Portales, N.M., at the New Mexico Ag Expo several years ago. In my audience were several soldiers from the Cannon Air Force Base. When I finished my presentation, a soldier walked up to me and said thank you. He was thanking me for educating him about agriculture but also informed me that everything I just described about our nation's ignorance about agriculture was paralleled by our military ignorance. Yes, at that moment I realized that the two industries most vital to our nation's security, agriculture and the military, are the two groups that the average citizen knows the least about. That sent me searching to find a way to bring greater awareness to not only the military but more importantly to the individual American Citizens who have guaranteed our freedom. We call them soldiers. In October, I had the great fortune to meet Ed Gaston, CMSgt of the AR Air National Guard, while speaking at the Arkansas Cattlemen's Convention. After my speech, he walked up to me, stuck out his hand and said thank you. In his hand was a coin that he discretely handed to me. Without looking at it, I stuck it in my pocket until I had time to take it out and look at it. It said, "Chief's Award for Outstanding Performance." I realized that this was not just some coin. In fact, now I have learned the entire history of the Air Force coin challenge. Any Air Force personnel can tell you that you never get caught without your coin. The history of the coin stems from a story of survival and perseverance of the human being dating back to World War I. Later that evening, I looked up Sergeant Gaston and asked him about the coin. He informed me that he has been in the Arkansas Air National Guard for thirty-five years. In that time, he has presented approximately 50 coins and I was the first civilian to earn that honor from him. Ironically, as I write this, I just received an e-mail from MSgt. Frank McGrath at Whiteman Air Force Base, thanking me for the promotion of Red Shirt Friday and my support of the troops. A friend of mine from Kansas, Bill Broadie, who happens to be a Vietnam Veteran, has taken the concept of Americans in Agriculture Supporting the Troops to the next level. Bill has just received 501(C)3 status for his organization called the All American Beef Battalion. They are collecting donations and will buy steaks for the troops with the funds. We believe that, in the calendar year 2008, the Beef Battalion will feed every single American soldier a beefsteak. This is another simple gesture to let them know that, no matter where they are in world protecting our freedom, we are thinking about them and supporting them. More information about this endeavor can be found at www.SteaksforTroops.com. Here is the moral of the story for 2008. We will continue to face great challenges in food production through resistance to technology and livestock site development. I, as an American citizen, acquired a greater appreciation for what the United States soldier does for me by meeting a couple of them myself. It was not some highly funded public relations campaign or some hired consultant with a wish list of promises. It was the individual soldiers themselves. The answer to the question that we all seem to be proposing around the meeting table is that simple. Don't let the tail wag the dog any longer; don't hire someone else to do your public relations; get out and meet as many people as you can in the new year. You are the best tool for teaching the American public what you produce and how it makes their life better. Why? 'Cause I do care about people! 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. 1/7/08 Date: 1/3/08
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