The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The Wisdom Of Barnyard Bruke
Recently, I have noticed that within the agriculture community there are some that are fairing well, and others who are not because of high priced corn.
$5.00 per bushel corn and $12 soybeans are not the best for the livestock man. At the same time, the grain man appreciates the added revenue. The machinery salesmen finds renewed markets from the grain man and those who sell product to grain farmers are happy for the added revenue.
However, around here in Stronghurst, IL, many people are both, livestock and grain farmers commonly known as grain-livestock farmers.
In the coffee shop, I frequently hear the grain and the livestock man debating our present economic time.
The question, I fear, is how the debates go. Each should have compassion for the other. It reminds me of an incident that happened in our family many years ago. At that time in the middle of the night in a timber behind our house a family of raccoons were fighting.
You've all heard them chattering back and forth making much noise. The activity woke me up. I hate raccoons. I went downstairs, grabbed my double barrel shotgun and two shells and with only my skiverys on, I proceeded to shoot two of them out of the tree as they fought. However, it turns out there was a whole family up in that tree fighting amongst themselves of almost fully grown coons.
I yelled up at my wife and she promptly brought me more shells as I guarded the tree. I then proceeded to destroy the whole family.
Then I calmly went back to the house and awakened all of my children. I informed them of what had happened and explained to them that those coons had just as well remained alive if they had not been fighting among themselves calling attention to their enemy which was me, and I destroyed them.
Had they not been fighting I would have hardly known they were in the timber as I slept. I then told the children this was a lesson I want them to remember their entire lives. That family of coons should have tried to get along. And a family that gets along and sticks together can hardly be destroyed.
But, as they fight amongst themselves they become vulnerable to their enemies.
Our enemies can take on many forms. But primarily one common enemy is one of economics. How do we extract a fair living to accomplish our goals and desires in this life? As we fight with our neighbors, relatives and friends, we waste energy and become vulnerable to that common economic enemy which if it does not destroy us will give us a lesser common state of affairs.
Taking that lesson taught to my children many years ago, I feel it relates to common things within our community. For example, rather than the livestock man complaining of the high price of corn, or the grain man complaining of the high price of machinery, cars or trucks, or the machinery or urban man complaining of the high price of food, we should all be thinking of how we can strengthen our community by strengthening individuals within our communities, lifting each other up rather than tearing each other down individually.
Frequently, as one person pulls ahead of the flock, it is not uncommon to see another out of jealousy tug at his coattails to try to pull him down to the level he perceives to be his proper place.
As for me, I do not intend to be shot out of the tree. And I plan, as much as possible, to work with everyone advancing their cause and fighting their common economic enemy.
See you later,
Barnyard Bruke