Guest blog post by Dan Gogerty, communications editor for CAST

The Farm Bureau posted their annual report regarding the cost of the typical Thanksgiving Day meal, and at approximately $5 per person, it seems a bargain. If you compare the menu items to what you’d get for $5 at most fast food places, you’d about have to say, “I’m lovin’ it.”

I looked up the prices for 1961. I was eleven years old then, sitting at a long, crowded table in Granny Faye’s house. She wasn’t much for hosting events, but even after my grandpa died, she kept up the Thanksgiving tradition. Apparently back then she could buy turkey at 35 cents a pound, potatoes at 8 cents a pound, and two cans of pumpkin for 29 cents.

Granny’s two sons both farmed within a half mile of the home place. Farms were closer together then, and these were filled with kids—fourteen between the two families. Most of us were boys growing up under the influence of Moe, Larry, and Curly, but we managed to sit quietly during the prayer, and we appreciated the accordion-paper turkeys and pumpkins that made up the table décor. No one wrote texts or tweets as we shaped our mashed potatoes into lake beds for the gravy. No noon football games on the black and white TV, but cousin Terry might have a beat up pigskin on his lap. We were itching to get outside to play ball—what kid really likes cranberry sauce anyway? A promise of pumpkin pie is the only thing that kept us from bolting.

I have little recall of the meal chatter, but Granny might inform us that turkeys were not always the guest of honor at Thanksgiving. “Back then,” she’d say, “we used to butcher and dress barnyard chickens for the feast. Not much fun steaming and plucking feathers on a chilly morning.” We kids had been present at poultry harvest times, so a cousin might start describing the chicken-with-its-head-cut-off ritual until he was shushed. Grossing each other out was a national pastime for us boys at that age, but the Thanksgiving table was not prime territory for it.

As the autumn sun shone through the large south windows, Dad might point out, “Even though today is perfect for football, we’ve seen Thanksgivings when the ground was covered with snow. When I was about your age, the 1940 Armistice Day blizzard surprised us all. Farmers were caught out in the cornfields, hunters were nearly frozen to death in duck blinds, and chickens were stuck solid to their roosts. No weather forecasts to warn us back then.”

Even at that age, I’d seen a Thanksgiving or two when the creek banks were lined with thin ice, and the morning sun lit up frost that coated woven wire fences and corn stalks left in the field after the harvest. But today had the brilliant light of a slanting autumn sun, and as soon as we hit the yard, it was all pass, run, argue, punt, fumble, and argue some more as we conveniently ignored the fact that someone was cleaning up after the big event. Back then, adults were like benevolent extraterrestrials who usually stayed in their own universe—until chore time.

“The cow needs milkin’,” some galactic overlord would announce. “And the steers in the lot across the road need five buckets of grain and eight bales of hay.” No holiday shopping excuses to save us. The advertizing Madmen of the 60s hadn’t come up with Black Friday Frenzy, which is now morphing into Thanksgiving Day Dilemma. We were bright enough kids, but the word “shopping” was not in our vocabulary, and  merchants back then didn’t even think of hoisting Christmas on us until Thanksgiving was over.

The day was for celebrating family, and the harvest, and kids playing outside in the sunshine or the snow. And the evening was for eating the meal that I liked best—the leftovers. Dark turkey meat, warmed-up dressing with gravy on it, Mom’s homemade bread, a slice of pumpkin pie—living was easy. Until the morning after Thanksgiving.

We’re trudging up the lane toward the yellow school bus that stops in a cloud of gravel dust and dread. In a tryptophan stupor and laden with books and gym clothes, I climb aboard the not-so-magic bus and plop down in a cold seat next to a lanky high school kid with a comb in his pocket and a sneer on his face. Now that’s what I call the real Black Friday.

by dan gogerty (turkey pic from blogher.com; school bus pic from schoolbusdriver.org)

“Musings of a Pig Farmer”
By Larry Sailer

Today I’d like to share some of the things for which I’m thankful.  There’s no way that I can cover everything, and that alone speaks volumes!

First of all, I’m thankful to live in a democracy where we’re afforded the freedom of speech.  I’m thankful for TheFieldPosition.com for giving me a platform to voice my concerns, as well to share why and how I farm with those who are interested enough to read my weekly “Musings of a Pig Farmer” blog.  I’m also thankful for you since you’re reading my post!  ?

I’m thankful for the ability to express my thoughts – this alone would have been unimaginable 10 years ago.  I can still remember my first interview as the State of Iowa Feeder Pig Chairman.  Farm broadcaster Von Ketelsen interviewed me during our last feeder pig show, which we were forced to shut down to help eradicate pseudorabies.  I answered many of Von’s questions with “yes” or “no.”  Such one-word answers should have been the end of my interviews.  Fortunately, Von called me again last week for another interview.  He must still think I have something worth sharing, and I’m thankful for second chances.

In addition to learning how to better communicate my message, over the years I’ve become a better listener.  Helping farmers and ranchers be understood by the folks, who are far removed from the farm, keeps me motivated.  I’m thankful for technologies like the Internet, iPads, computers and Smartphones that allow me to make friends across the globe.  Thank you, my social media network!  I feel blessed to talk with and learn from people all over the world – from my home office.

Advocating is just one of the challenges facing us in agriculture.  Every year presents new hurdles, whether they’re regulatory or weather-related.  This past year has been no different.  Lack of rainfall caused the 2012 crop conditions to decline week after week.  Yet, we raised a crop!  I am very thankful to have had the yields I did with the very short amount of rain that fell.

Last but certainly not least, I am thankful for my close family.  We’ve made it through another year with only minor bumps in the road.  Some of those bumps seemed big at the time, but looking back, you all handled things pretty smoothly.  A heartfelt “thank you” to my wife, Janice, for putting up with me for another year and for allowing me to spend time agvocating when I could be working on her “Honey Do List.”  (Janice, I promise to try harder next year!  Maybe I’ll even get that waterfall built in 2013.)  I also want to thank my kids and grandkids for helping me on the farm and for giving me so much pleasure as I follow their lives.  Thirty-five years ago, I never thought that would never happen!  I am truly blessed by all of you.

Thanksgiving gives us time to step back and reflect.  I hope you’ll take the time this week to say a prayer and count your blessings, too!

Now that the 2012 election is behind us and government officials are returning to work, new regulations are threatening agriculture.  I’m hearing the Farm Bill will be tied to something, perhaps conservation.  It’s as though farmers will destroy the world if we’re not threatened with something severe enough to make sure that we comply!

Actually, I find it ironic that regulators believe the proverbial stick will be more effective than the carrot when most farmers take great pride in being stewards of the land.  This whole idea of tying any conservation practice to some type of support is not a threat to me – or the great majority of farmers and ranchers.  Conservation is one of our top priorities anyway.  If we don’t take care of our land and soil, it’s not going to produce for very long.

I will admit that “back in the day” I did enjoy plowing the soil in the fall.  Plowing was a task where you could see what was getting done.  Turning the soil black and covering up corn stalks in preparation for next year’s crop was fun.  It was even fun 20 years ago, and the tractors we used then weren’t nearly as warm as those we use today.

As much as I enjoyed farming, I also realized it was a practice that I needed to reconsider.  That’s why I first tried no-till farming in the 1970s.  At that time, the types of equipment and weed control options available didn’t favor no-till farming.  We also didn’t s today’s higher-yielding seed technology, so I kept different types of minimum tillage practices.

I switched to no till about 5 years ago, but this fall I had to do some deep tillage because of effects from the drought and the fact that I use a lot of natural manure.  But even with this tillage pass, the ground is covered by a thick layer of organic matter and is protected from wind and rain.

Bottom line: It doesn’t take a government threat to make farmers do what is right.  Doing what’s right just comes naturally to farmers!

Musings of a Pig Farmer
by Larry Sailer

It’s election day!  Hopefully, you’ve made a list of the issues are most important to you and have studied how each candidate stand on agriculture. The rural vote is extremely important given such a close election.  The Farm Bill, ethanol and estate taxes are just a few of the hot-button issues with farmers.

Because I’m truly concerned about how the outcome of this election could affect my livelihood, I’ve spent quite a bit of time this fall answering questions from members of the media.  Reuters talked to me by phone. Fox News came to my farm during harvest.  I also spent parts of three day during fall harvest with a video crew from the NHK network from Japan, which I understand is comparable to our public TV.

It amazed me how these media found an old hog farmer in North Central Iowa, so I asked.  A producer from New York said he listened to an interview I did with National Public Radio.  Fox Network said my name kept popping up during Google searches.  Oh, the power of the Internet!

NHK collected hours of video for a documentary about our political process.  It seemed to me that these Japanese were more interested in the politics shaping our future than many of my fellow Americans!  They asked me about my concerns and why I believe there is a need for compromise.  Over the course of three days, I answered many of their questions.   They wanted to know how the Farm Bill affected my farming operation and how my crop insurance worked.

The Japanese also wanted to know how I work with my elected officials, so I contacted Rep. Annette Sweeney.  Annette was very gracious and came to my farm, so she could be a part of this interview.  Annette’s farming experience, combined with her position as Iowa House Ag Committee Chair, made for some great discussion.

As you can see in my video, we had a fun time.  This segment aired last Thursday on Japanese TV.  While I haven’t actually timed it, it appears they used about two minutes from the hours and hours of videotape.  So was it worth it? You bet!  It was a great experience talk with people from another part of the world, who had a totally different perspective than mine.  It also reminded me how fortunate American are to have the right to vote.  Remember, exercise your right to vote today!

[youtube]http://youtu.be/L1OjHo2rF1o[/youtube]