Earth Day Letters On Ag

Every day is Earth Day for ag producers
Posted: Wednesday, Apr 21st, 2010
By Jeanie Wright

Earth Day is tomorrow, April 22. The day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 and is now celebrated in springtime in 175 countries around the globe. Some countries have Earth Week and focus largely on environmental issues and activities.

Taking a day or a week out of the year to focus on the earth and our natural surroundings is a good thing, especially for those whose feet and tires don’t usually touch the dirt. But for farmers and ranchers in Wyoming, who work outside in the dirt, wind, and all types of weather, every day is earth day. Now, I’m sure that some liberal news anchor could find a talking head “expert” to tell us that run-off from fertilized fields and farting cattle are the root of all evil, and in some extreme cases they may have a point. In general, though, agriculture producers in America, and especially in Wyoming, are great stewards of the earth.

Wyoming’s ag producers don’t need a government study or a new law passed to know the importance of taking care of all things natural. These are people who need water as much as they need the blood in their veins. They pray for rain, and when it comes they store it to water fields, livestock and wildlife. Their dirt reservoirs provide riparian areas for water fowl, fish, trees and other plant life. Read More


Earth Day: Time for beef and thanks

By JACK REICH Zap Posted: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 2:15 am

On April 22, millions of folks interested in protecting the environment will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Earth Day is a great time to evaluate how our existence impacts the environment and how we can incorporate environmentally friendly strategies.

Protecting and preserving the environment is something North Dakota farmers and ranchers do every day. Being good environmental stewards is not a new concept for us. It is, and has been for generations, an absolute necessity for our survival on the Northern Plains.

In fact, several North Dakota ranchers have been recognized nationally for their efforts. These families manage rotational grazing systems that make the best use of available forage, while improving the soil and the root structure of plants. They manage their land to provide wildlife habitat. They recycle nutrients, converting sunshine, rain and forage into beef and recycling the nutrients found in manure as fertilizers. Read More

With this being the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, many farmers and ranchers this is a great opportunity to help teach people about what they do and why their work is so important. Standing on the sidelines while anti-ag groups also use Earth Day to claim farmers and ranchers are destroying the environment is a disservice to the agriculture profession and especially to the consumers who deserve to hear the real story from the real people doing it. There are opportunities every day to introduce yourself and educate someone about food production, we can’t be afraid to take advantage of them.