Another Clayton Wyatt learns the hard way tale.

[Faster horses]

nr, you done good!!! I have been in this industry since I got married in 1963 and I never would have thought to do what you suggested

I am armed and ready now though.

Thanks for your input. You contribute a lot to ranchers.net, and all of it is good. I think you are a rancher at heart!! :wink:

 

[mp.freelance]

I'll have to reply to my reply.
Maybe what could be said to those you think are being denigrating to the
ranching/farming jobs:

"Well, you've worked to feed your whole family of (let's say) 5 people every day
but in ranching I've raised food for over (100?) folks a day all my life. (I have no idea what the large number would be but, anyway, that might give them pause to think.

OR you could ask them a series of questions. Questions based on the science of animal husbandry for example:
"If you had to raise your own meat which of these grasses would be acceptable and which would not. Which has the highest protein level?
How would you know your cattle have scrapies? What are the symptoms and treatment? What about...(all the other illness/birthing problems)?"
Or questions about the business end of ranching, "when would you sell and how would you figure the profit margins..."
Or questions about govt regs
Or questions about whether they knew all the skills needed to fix all the tractors, trucks, balers...or had the strength even to do them...
Or weather problems "How would you solve the problem of getting water to your cattle in below freezing weather?"

Those and better questions you could think up would stop any person unaquainted with ranching dead cold in their tracks. If they say "I'd just call the vet or a mechanic" you could fill them in on the cost taken away from the profit. It might be a verrrrrry interesting conversation come to think of it :lol: :wink: :!:

Hey, how about picking a fight with one of those "city folk" today and letting us know how the conversation goes. I'd love to hear what they answer to the ranching questions. Be prepared for a HUGE side-step or back-peddling!

I'm sorry if you misunderstood - I don't think YOU are being condescending whatsoever. Also, I'm not a rancher, but a reporter who writes about farming and ranching. So, I'm a "city person" and am pretty well acquainted with a lot of city people's attitudes. I'm not getting upset about jokes - coming from Polish heritage, I've heard a lot of them. Nonetheless, I think there is widespread condescension toward agriculture by city people, unless of course it's "organic" and then people tend to over-idolize it, which is still a form of being paternalistic.

I suppose it also has to do with a person's definition of a "city person." In my mind, it's a yuppie hipster hanging out downtown, so I guess I was being too broad in my definition.

 

[nr]

"In my mind, it's a yuppie hipster hanging out downtown, so I guess I was being too broad in my definition."

LOL. I don't believe most of the folks living in cities come under
the definition of "Yuppie Hipsters hanging out downtown"! :lol: hehehehe- really had to laugh at that one. Sounds like you are hanging around too much with the Yuppie Hipsters and need to broaden your base. It is probably safer hanging with the sushi crowd, but really not representative.

 

[mp.freelance]

Well, I try to avoid downtown Portland if I can.