Jolley: Five Minutes With Dr. Dave Sjeklocha, DVM, Animal Ag Activist
Dr. Dave Sjeklocha operates a thriving large animal clinic in Sublette, Kansas. That’s his main business. He’s also an animal ag activist but you should read that phrase carefully. He’s pro animal agriculture and a little annoyed at the way we’ve all been portrayed by special interest groups like PETA and HSUS.
As a member of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, he took action. Not content to do what we all do so well – complain about the situation over a cup of coffee with friends who will always agree with us – he decided to help rally the troops and defend the ramparts.
And he makes an unassailable point. If the meat and poultry industries don’t grab the bull by the horns and tell the whole story, those special interest groups will own the stage and continue to frame a one-sided debate in their own well-known terms. Never mind if their arguments aren’t based on even half-truths and their logic is usually as shaky and structurally unsound as an old barn in an Oklahoma windstorm, if it’s repeated often enough, it becomes accepted as the truth.
During the NCBA Convention in Phoenix, Dr. Dave was the moderator of what promises to be a gathering coalition of people and organizations dedicated to telling the general public the real story of animal agriculture. With most people several generations removed from any relationship with farming, there comes a disconnect that anti-ag groups have skillfully exploited.
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We had the opportunity to meet Dr. Dave in Phoenix at this meeting and present at it. He is very passionate about animal agriculture and is working hard to bring a lot of people together on this issue. Stay tuned for more updates from this working group.
Showing posts with label Academy of Veterinary Consultants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Academy of Veterinary Consultants. Show all posts
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
It's Been A Long Week
Today I am in Morton, MN writing this. Stacy and I arrived here late last night. We started yesterday off in Phoenix, AZ. We flew back into Rapid City and then headed east for the 500 mile trip. It's been an exhausting couple of weeks being on the road so much, but the people we get to meet and share our story with makes it worth it.
On Wednesday, we had the privilege of sharing the stage with several wonderful speakers in Phoenix. Dr. Dave Sjeklocha from Kansas, who is the chairman of the Beef Cattle Health and Well Being Committee of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, hosted a meeting to examine how animal agriculture can more effectively deal with the radical agenda of the animal rights groups. It was a fantastic meeting. It was very encouraging to see that so many people realize the threat that animal rights poses to our food producing ability in this country. The room was packed and there was some great discussion that followed the presentations. This is an issue that everyone in animal agriculture needs to be paying attention to. The animal right agenda will do more to shape how you do business in the next 10 years than any other issue out there.
Today, we get to share our story with the Minnesota Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference participants as well as the MNFB Promotions and Education Committee. I will admit that it is hard to go from sunny Phoenix to frozen Minnesota, but the enthusiasm of the people we will be sharing with will be just as high.
Here are a few headlines on the agriculture front that may interest you. PETA's Super Bowl ad was rejected by NBC due to it's graphic nature. Wayne Pacelle says HSUS is ready to take their agenda to Congress and the new Administration. And finally, I saw this article in Newsweek yesterday. I particularly enjoyed all of the hypocrisy it contained, especially from Michael Pollan.
Normally I do most of the commenting on news items I share with you on this blog. Now it's your turn. Read these articles or any others that you have seen this week and share your comments here.
Everyone have a great weekend, and remember, we are one day closer to spring!
On Wednesday, we had the privilege of sharing the stage with several wonderful speakers in Phoenix. Dr. Dave Sjeklocha from Kansas, who is the chairman of the Beef Cattle Health and Well Being Committee of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, hosted a meeting to examine how animal agriculture can more effectively deal with the radical agenda of the animal rights groups. It was a fantastic meeting. It was very encouraging to see that so many people realize the threat that animal rights poses to our food producing ability in this country. The room was packed and there was some great discussion that followed the presentations. This is an issue that everyone in animal agriculture needs to be paying attention to. The animal right agenda will do more to shape how you do business in the next 10 years than any other issue out there.
Today, we get to share our story with the Minnesota Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference participants as well as the MNFB Promotions and Education Committee. I will admit that it is hard to go from sunny Phoenix to frozen Minnesota, but the enthusiasm of the people we will be sharing with will be just as high.
Here are a few headlines on the agriculture front that may interest you. PETA's Super Bowl ad was rejected by NBC due to it's graphic nature. Wayne Pacelle says HSUS is ready to take their agenda to Congress and the new Administration. And finally, I saw this article in Newsweek yesterday. I particularly enjoyed all of the hypocrisy it contained, especially from Michael Pollan.
Normally I do most of the commenting on news items I share with you on this blog. Now it's your turn. Read these articles or any others that you have seen this week and share your comments here.
Everyone have a great weekend, and remember, we are one day closer to spring!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
On The Road
Stacy and I have a very busy schedule for the next couple of weeks. We will be speaking in several states including Delaware, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Arizona. That is if the weather and the airlines cooperate.
We leave tomorrow to attend the Regional Women in Agriculture Conference in Dover, Delaware. They are expecting a great crowd and we can't wait to share our thoughts with them. From there we fly to Bismarck to attend the ND Farm Bureau's Young Farmer and Rancher conference. They have a very strong program in North Dakota and we are excited to speak to them. After being home for a day, we fly out to Phoenix. We were asked to attend a meeting being hosted by the Academy of Veterinary Consultants to share with them what we have been doing to promote agriculture. They are having several speakers there to discuss the challenges facing animal agriculture and to look at the best ways to communicate the truth about our industry.
Returning home after only a day and a half down there, we will jump off the plane and into our outfit to head to Minnesota. Their Farm Bureau Promotion and Education team are having a meeting in conjunction with the Young Farmer and Rancher conference. We have the privilege to visit with both of them while we are there. We have some great friends back there and are looking forward to meeting new ones.
Finally, we will be headed to Sacramento, CA for the American Farm Bureau Federations Young Farmer and Rancher Leadership Conference. Stacy and I serve on that committee and can't wait to see our Farm Bureau friends from all over the country.
With all of the traveling ahead of us, I may not be able to post on this blog everyday. But please keep checking back. I will do my best to keep the information flowing for you.
I have really enjoyed keeping this blog and enjoy hearing from those of you regularly read it. Keep the comments coming and let me know if you hear of an issue that you think I should post.
Your Friend in Ag,
Troy
We leave tomorrow to attend the Regional Women in Agriculture Conference in Dover, Delaware. They are expecting a great crowd and we can't wait to share our thoughts with them. From there we fly to Bismarck to attend the ND Farm Bureau's Young Farmer and Rancher conference. They have a very strong program in North Dakota and we are excited to speak to them. After being home for a day, we fly out to Phoenix. We were asked to attend a meeting being hosted by the Academy of Veterinary Consultants to share with them what we have been doing to promote agriculture. They are having several speakers there to discuss the challenges facing animal agriculture and to look at the best ways to communicate the truth about our industry.
Returning home after only a day and a half down there, we will jump off the plane and into our outfit to head to Minnesota. Their Farm Bureau Promotion and Education team are having a meeting in conjunction with the Young Farmer and Rancher conference. We have the privilege to visit with both of them while we are there. We have some great friends back there and are looking forward to meeting new ones.
Finally, we will be headed to Sacramento, CA for the American Farm Bureau Federations Young Farmer and Rancher Leadership Conference. Stacy and I serve on that committee and can't wait to see our Farm Bureau friends from all over the country.
With all of the traveling ahead of us, I may not be able to post on this blog everyday. But please keep checking back. I will do my best to keep the information flowing for you.
I have really enjoyed keeping this blog and enjoy hearing from those of you regularly read it. Keep the comments coming and let me know if you hear of an issue that you think I should post.
Your Friend in Ag,
Troy
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