| Bright Ideas! Brighter Future! Common sense prevails |
 May 04, 2012 By Jody Lamp news@geringcitizen.com |
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 Chalk a big old “W” in the “WIN” column for agriculture this past week, folks! Common sense prevailed in Washington when the United Stated Department of Labor, under heavy pressure from farm groups, dropped an effort barring children younger than 16 years old from driving tractors and most other powered farm equipment. Also under the proposal, those younger than 18 would not have been able to work in feed lots, grain bins or stockyards including routine cattle ranch activities such as vaccination and hoof trimming or work alongside anyone other than their parents. Now, with that said, no one in agriculture had been advocating to put children in danger. Certainly, there needs to be a level of common sense and safety on the family farm too. But even after some revamping, the Department of Labor proposal still would have exempted children who work on farms owned by their parents or legal guardians, from helping on a farm belonging to extended family, such as an uncle or grandparent. Instead, the Department of Labor now has opted to pursue educational training through 4-H, American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union and the Future Farmers of America. This collaboration will hopefully help prevent or "reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices," which was the reported original intent of the proposed rules. Nebraska Congressman Adrian Smith has stated that he welcomes the U.S. Labor Department's decision to abandon its proposed rule, calling it a "major victory for farmers and ranchers." “This is a major victory for farmers and ranchers in Nebraska and across the country. Just as it seemed the Labor Department would move forward with its terribly misguided rule, common sense has prevailed." -Rep. Adrian Smith, 3rd District Proud of Our Young Ag Agvocates I had an opportunity to follow up with University of Arizona agriculture education major student, Buddy Moore, after last week’s “WTF? Day II -"WTF? Where's the Food? Without the Farmer?" Ironically, or not, it was the same day the U.S. Department of Labor revoked their proposal. Moore, who was raised in a small Arizona farming community and is a former Arizona FFA state officer, said the WTF event there was highly received. With the support of local and statewide growers, Arizona Beef Council, and Arizona Farm Bureau, the students handed out 500 educational flyers; 200 packages of Arizona Grown pecans; 300 cheese sticks from the United Dairymen of Arizona; and 100 beef sticks from our own farm on campus. “We had great response from the general public,” Moore said. “The Arizona Ag Industry helped us out greatly and we have already gotten offers of support for the next one!” He noted that the University of Arizona has an undergraduate population of more than 40,000 students. Moore said the call to have a WTF? awareness day there was mainly in response to the weekly articles in the college’s newspaper that consistently put a negative look on agriculture or contained misinformation. “I, and a group of like-minded students, felt that Ag needed a louder more powerful voice within our community,” Moore said. “We realized by working together with others, we could make a difference.” Moore said he wanted the general public to realize the true diversity in agriculture, not only in the people, but the many commodities and common every day goods the public takes for granted. “We are not just sows, plows, and cows anymore,” he said. Well done, Moore, and hats off to all the students who participated across the country last week to advocate for agriculture! Your efforts made a difference! Next Week’s Sneak Peak: My Day With Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan! By the time you read this week’s column, I will have spent a day here in western Nebraska filming a public service announcement promoting the new American documentary film, the Wheat Harvest Movie. Read about Scanlan’s continued efforts to speak out in support of American agriculture and how she helped Maryland-based independent filmmaker, Conrad Weaver of ConjoStudios, LLC, promote the film and share the story of where our nation’s food comes from and how it is produced. |
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