Musings of a Pig Farmer
by Larry Sailer

You know the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words?”  Apparently some pictures are worth several thousand words!

When I posted this picturesque farm image on my Facebook page last week, I had no idea that it would strike such a cord with some of my friends.  This one photo prompted one of my Facebook friends, Janice Person, to pen a couple of blogs about it.   She even created her own thought-provoking photo.  Here’s an excerpt from JP’s personal blog:

At the end of the day, it’s hard to feel removed from something that not even your grandparents felt a connection to… that’s something we share whether we’re urban or rural. We share a deep interest in wanting our children to have the best the world can offer but maybe our perspective guides us to think of those things differently. We all value relationships with the people we count on day in and day out and almost all of us could find room for a few more friends at dinner time.

If farmers continue to view city folks as removed from the reality farmers know and city folks continue to see farmers as insulated from today’s world, can we move the conversation forward on things we all care about? Or do you think by taking some of the initial steps to understand the other’s perspective…. by focusing on the fact that we don’t understand things from another person’s point of view or by trying to see the world from where they sit, do you think we may change our own way of thinking?

My abbreviated response to Janice was this, “That is a great point, and it’s why I have said that farmers must first listen.”  By listening to Janice and others who share similar viewpoints, it helps me see things from a completely different perspective.  Listening helps create understanding.  My sentiments were shared by Anne Burkholder (aka Feed Yard Foodie), who posted this comment May 24 on Janice’s blog site:

Janice, you are so very right – thank you so much for sharing. We must all “listen to understand, instead of listening to respond.” Empathy is a powerful tool and a good conversation cannot occur without it. I spent the first 22 years of my life in a city and the last 15 on a farm in rural Nebraska. Urban dwellers and rural folks have more in common than they sometimes think. At the very least, we all are interested in “where our food comes from” and that is certainly an important reason to have a good conversation that results in both of us learning from each other.

If you find this dialogue interesting, I’d like to invite you to read Janice’s full post on Just Farmers entitled, “Any Benefits from a Change in Perspective?” You might even feel compelled to join in the conversation!

Yesterday, strong storms made their way through the Northeast, Iowa territory.  The band started at Hawkeye and moved up to Ossian bringing within 50 to 60 mph winds.  Nearby farm sites and fields didn’t fare well in the storm.

I give this advice to farmers wondering what to do next after large storm events take their toll on growing plants:  The main thing to do right now is wait.  Wait for the corn to grow out of the injury.  Wait to spray until the plants have recovered to avoid herbicide damage.  Most importantly, continue to keep an eye out for diseases and consider a fungicide application later on in the growing season.  Baby those plants and do all you can to save yield as they continue to develop.

Musings of a Pig Farmer
by Larry Sailer

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of celebrating?  Many people may think “cake and ice cream.”  I have to admit that I most often think “pork” first – more specifically grilled pork.

Grilling pork means a feast for our family, and that’s how we spent Mother’s Day and my wife, Janice’s, birthday last weekend.  It’s also how we plan to celebrate our 30^th wedding anniversary and my birthday today.  (Yes, my birth date and my wedding date are one in the same.   When you get married on your birthday, you never have an excuse to forget your anniversary!)

We have had a lot to be thankful this week.  My seed is all in the ground, thanks to great help from my family over the past week.  Our youngest son, Corey, took a few days of vacation.  He’s a conductor for the Union Pacific Railroad but enjoys spending a few days every spring driving tractor.  My grandson, Devin, had a week-long break between the end of his spring semester at Iowa State University of the start of football practice / summer school.  He also had a blast running the tractor, and I was also glad for his help doing hog chores.  My granddaughter, Jessie, and grandson, Darin, helped do some yard work.

Many hands make light work, whether you’re farming or grilling.  Last weekend my grandsons, Devin and Darin, helped me grill approximately 300 pork burgers for Mort’s Water Company of Latimer, Iowa. As we were flipping patties, I couldn’t help but think once again how government regulations could impact my farm.

We must keep a close eye on the Department of Labor’s proposed regulations that could limit the extent to which the younger generation gets involved.  We must follow the Farm Bill debate as it, in a lot of ways, dictates how we farm.  We must also keep a close watch on organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that try to influence how we produce the safety, most abundant food in the world.  Americans also enjoy one of the most economical food supplies in the world. That’s not just my opinion, it’s fact.

Regulation, specifically over regulation, costs money.  Duplication of laws and regulations creates added expense for government, businesses, farmers and even consumers!