The Beginning

 This morning I was on Facebook and I followed a link to a YouTube video from The Ellen Show. I admire Ellen DeGeneres and the messages that she speaks to society, but I was actually quite shocked by what I was about to watch. The video was of Ellen being interviewed about being a vegan. She said that she was a vegan for about 8 months, and then went back to eating cheeseburgers and steaks. But, after forcing herself to watch the video “Earthlings,” she had been vegan ever since. She even had a vegan wedding when she married her wife Portia.

Here's Ellen's Vegan Story

I was in complete shock. Ellen. Ellen! One of my favorite TV stars was a vegan! I still don’t know what to think of this. I mean, I’ve heard of other famous people being vegans. Carrie Underwood, famous country singer, is a vegan and a member of PETA…and I don’t support her because of it. But Ellen????

Still in complete shock, I followed the link from that YouTube video to the website that “Earthlings” can be viewed on. The video is one hour, 35 minutes, 42 seconds long….and I could only watch 28 minutes before I had enough. The entire video was a complete LIE of the agricultural industry. I grew up around agriculture. I’ve been involved in the direct production of sheep, cattle, and hogs…and I’ve never seen anything more disgusting in my life. The video made ME want to become a vegan!

But then I realized: none of this is true. Yes, dirty, inhumane factory farms exist…but they represent the smallest percent of this industry I live for. The beef that’s produced to feed the world is safe. It’s healthy. It’s cared for because the American farmer has values. The American farmer lives his life with honor to raise his cattle, just like he raises his family. God created men and women to tend for his land and everything in it. Genesis 1:26-28 says, Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” The American farmer lives his life for God, so why would I want to become a vegan?! Just the thought is ridiculous.

I remembered having a similar experience in high school when my health class during my junior year was forced to watch the movie “Food, Inc.” Once again, the video was about factory farms and how agriculture is dirty, torturing to animals, etc. I thought, “anyone who believes this garbage is stupid!”

Looking at it today, I was wrong. I’m the stupid one. I’m the agriculturist that lets the population watch these videos, without responding and showing them the truth of the incredible American agricultural industry. Why is it so easy to find negative videos about “factory farms” and “livestock abuse,” but I can’t find a single video showing the true, loving side of the livestock industry? It’s probably because farmers are busy saving the world. They’re busy feeding me. But, those of us who are involved directly in the agricultural industry just look at these videos as ridiculous…and we just brush them off our shoulders. Well, NOT TODAY!

As an American agriculturist, I pledge to educate my society about agriculture. That is why I’ve just created this blog. I’ve always loved writing to express my thoughts. I love agriculture. So why not put the two together? I look forward to sharing my many passions with you, and of course, God’s Beauty of Agriculture.

The American Farmer