I interviewed a gentleman in Kentucky who locally marketed grass-fed Belted Galloway beef farm-to-gate, as it were. He said he set up his beef cuts at farmers market stands and food fairs but wasn’t having the success he thought he would, even though the customers clearly specified a preference for grass-fed beef. He said simply, “The general public doesn’t know how to cook lean beef.”

Most of us like to think of ourselves as agents of change, right? Isn’t that the “right” answer, the way we want people to see us?

It’s prediction time, when ag analysts and economists will try to predict what will happen this year. So it’s a good time to remind you that they have no idea what will happen. None.

“Don’t cross your eyes. They’ll get stuck that way.” Your mother said it; my mother said it; every mother everywhere said it. The premise was that one action, repeated over time, could have dire consequences.

A few weeks ago, an Ohio producer commented that this was a year like no other. He lamented that he finally took his first cutting of alfalfa July 4 and his second growth, after 30 days, was only 6 inches high and discolored.

As I drove through Yellowstone National Park, I thought, “If those folks would just put down those fishing poles and drive up the road 300 yards, they’d see a bull elk in velvet as inspiring as anything they’ve ever seen.” But they didn’t. The campers kept tossing in their fishing lines, reeling in air, completely unaware of anything not directly in front of them.

I’ve sat through some pretty inane meetings – which someone captured perfectly in a Facebook post depicting a blue ribbon inscribed with, “I survived another meeting that should have been an email.” Nearly 34,000 people “liked” this post.

“Cauliflower is the new kale.” If that statement left you scratching your head, then welcome to the club. The statement is attributed to Stacy Baas, brand strategist and trend-watcher for Earthbound Farm, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.

One of my former farm-wife duties was to be the parts runner from the local dealership, and I hated it.

Me: My husband sent me to pick up a drive head for the mower.

Parts person: What year?