Here’s three real but accurate hashtags that would describe the last three weeks of my summer.
#FarmBillFail
After watching the House originally fail to pass its own farm bill legislation, I’m sure that like me you were wondering, “What, if anything, can get done in Washington these days?” Compromise just doesn’t seem possible.
We’ve included in this issue a map showing how every member of Congress voted on the supply management provisions that were included in the farm bill. (See InFocus , Mr. Chairman and Kirk Kardashian's article for additional coverage.)
Interestingly, the day before the farm bill first failed, one member of Congress from Georgia suggested trying to preemptively avoid the recently ever-looming dairy cliff by changing permanent 1949 farm law, which must be patched in order to avoid its market-crushing $51-per-hundredweight parity-based payments.
The amendment failed. But House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas’ comments about it revealed the mind of the Republican caucus. He said of the proposal:
“Maybe the 2013 farm bill should become the permanent law to give us at least a realistic, modern thing to come from, but that’s probably a discussion for a different amendment.”
Those comments seem to reflect what some have said about the next farm bill to pass being “the last.”
#WatusiCattle
The cover story for this issue came from a recent visit to Paul Rovey’s dairy in Glendale, Arizona.
( Click here for more details about the field day results that interested me there.)
While at the dairy, Rovey suggested I take a look at the Watusi cattle he is famous for breeding. Longstreet, a near-decade-old Watusi steer, was on display. I even got to ride him.
#BrokenBone
If you’d met me recently and went to shake my hand, you’d notice the finger brace on my broken right index finger. (You might also have noticed if you got an email from me and found any misspelled word that needed to contain the letters y, h and n. In the last sentence, that would have been most of those words.)
In the world of modern medicine, I’m sure it’s a minor injury. However, as a journalist who types nearly all day, it feels like a season-ending injury.
Make sure to read our Mechanics Corner article . Perhaps the precautions often shared on this page might help you prevent a mechanical injury like mine.
Enjoy the rest of your summer. What’s left of it. PD
Walt Cooley
Editor
Progressive Dairyman
