New year focus
It’s an interesting time of year. As the new year begins, we reflect. For the past week, we’ve seen all sorts of topics to consider. Google revealed its “most searched for” line up, like Nelson Mandela, and the Oxford Dictionary shared with us words added to the dictionary in 2013, like selfie, srsly and digital detox (my computer’s Word program is having issues with those first two). Billboard released its top 100 songs on which “Thrift Shop” was first, and People magazine has released its “Most Intriguing” list of, well, people like Jennifer Lawrence.
Now, we’ll all begin making New Year’s resolutions, some based on those reflections. For me, these usually involve improving myself in one way or another, or helping others with needs of which we may not be aware in our daily lives. I suspect that sounds familiar to many, and we all start off with good intentions. We’ll be focused in the beginning, intent on the goal, but as the year wears on and distractions creep in, things might get muddled.
At Missouri Farm Bureau (MFB), the focus of the list is pretty simple and remains clear: Keep improving the lives of farmers, rural Missourians and all Missourians.
In 2013, we focused on national issues like the Farm Bill and the Water Resources Development Act, which, by extension, affect all of us, not just farmers and ranchers. We’ll continue to emphasize the importance of these pieces of legislation as they progress toward passage in Congress and are implemented.
In Missouri, several issues that began in 2013 will continue to be priorities for MFB in 2014. One of those major priorities is the passage of Constitutional Amendment 1, which will be on the ballot in Missouri next fall. It’s an important issue for Farm Bureau as it will give constitutional protection to lawful farming and ranching practices in the state of Missouri.
As MFB focuses on these issues and more, we invite you to join us in educating ourselves on those things with which we may not be familiar as we work to strengthen Missouri agriculture. It’s a brand new year. Let’s see what we can accomplish, together.
(Rebecca French Smith, of Columbia is a multimedia specialist for the Missouri Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization.)
