June 6, 2022
Agvocating
Advocacy is sharing and promoting something that is important to you. Whether it be advocating for fair treatment, an organization, or even a way of life, advocating makes people aware of what you stand for and why it is important. Agriculture seems to have become a target by the nonagricultural public, often broadcasting false allegations against farmers, ranchers, and companies involved. Frequently, it is not malicious in nature but sprouting from ignorance of the industry. It is important for those who know the truth to stand up for agriculture and protect it the best way they can. Often called “Agvocating”, a play on words to promote those who are advocating for agriculture, these activists use many resources to help educate the public about the industry. Agriculture is a broad subject allowing many ways to capture an audience and relate it back to their everyday lives. Everyone must eat so one of the easiest topics to bring up is food. Although sometimes controversial, it is bound to strike up a conversation. With all the technology available it is very simple to agvocate.
Some ways you can “agvocate”:
- · Incorporate factual posts into your daily social media presence
- · Bring up the importance of agriculture in daily conversation
- · Vote for propositions and officials that benefit agriculture
- · Become a member of agriculture organizations
- · Recruit members to join agriculture groups
- · Present exciting agricultural topics to the younger generations
- · At work display “fun facts” relating to agriculture
- · Research and stay up to date on agricultural news
- · Attend events where you can put your message out to diverse groups of people
- · Introduce the importance to your friends and family
The methods to agvocate are endless! Implementing just one strategy can make a small difference and a small difference can lead to big changes. With little daily effort you can become an active promoter of the agricultural industry and fight to educate the misinformed.
-Teighlor Cross, Intern 2022
June 10, 2022
A Basic Guide to a Safe Horse Purchase:
With horses selling at record highs, finding an affordable candidate that fits your needs can be a challenge. From an embryo transfer to a geriatric companion, the value of a horse ranges greatly depending on many factors. Bloodlines, performance history, conformation, color, current use, health issues/maintenance, and sex to name a few, all play a role in the price. The options are endless so narrowing down your selections will help eliminate some of intimidation and impulsiveness the search can bring.
The best way to start the process of purchasing a horse is to explore your financials and set a maximum amount you are willing to pay. This maximum price should include any prepurchase exam, trial period, transportation, or document fees. After establishing a threshold for cost, create a list of attributes that you can and cannot tolerate. Doing this will give you a great starting point to reduce prospects.
Once a maximum price and requirements are decided, begin your search. If you are using a website, often there are search filters which are great tools for streamlining your results. When speaking with a consigner be upfront about the requirements for your purchase, this can save not only your time, but theirs as well. Ensuring consigners understand you are committed to your desired qualifications will better allow them to show you fitting options, provide resources, and possibly help search.
When you do find a horse fitting your requests be sure to take all the steps you can to ensure a safe and fair purchase. Unfortunately, people sometimes lie, because of this it is beneficial to have a nonbiased veterinarian conduct a prepurchase exam before money is exchanged. These prepurchase exams should be calculated into your maximum price before your initial search, preventing you from going over your budget. If after the prepurchase exam the horse still fits your requirements, the next step is to write up a contract. Many purchasers opt to do a trial period to confirm the horse meets their needs. Terms of this agreement should be discussed with the consigner and put into the contract to ensure both parties are safe from liabilities.
Following this basic guide can help ensure a safe and less stressful search and purchase. Keep in mind that just as every horse is an individual, so is each buyer and seller! Patience and planning make for a happy purchase!
-Teighlor Cross, Intern 2022
