Friday, March 19, 2010

Michigan: Where's the beef?

I love American-made vehicles. When I have a tough job out at my East Texas ranch I know I can depend on my American-made truck to help get the job done. With this in mind, I appreciate the good people of Michigan where our nation's auto industry is based.

However, I have a real beef with their state's governor. Sink your teeth into this: she has declared this Saturday "Meatout Day" in Michigan. Her proclamation encourages residents to not eat meat and try recipes made solely with fruits and vegetables. It gets worse. This day falls on National Agriculture Day. That is a real slap in the face to her state's livestock producers.

According to the National Agriculture Statistics Service, in 2008, cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry and other animals accounted for more than $750 million in cash receipts for the state of Michigan. That is an important economic engine for a state that is going through some tough economic times. To tell the citizens of Michigan to avoid eating meat is like telling people to stop buying Ford or Chevy trucks or cars.

I am an equal opportunity agriculturalist. I know fresh vegetables taste great with a big steak and you can't have pork chops without applesauce (unless of course you drown them in some GO TEXAN BBQ sauce). Research has shown eating a balanced diet that includes meat, fruits, vegetables and grains is healthy. So all of you out in Michigan, stock up on some meat this weekend and throw yourself a NCAA basketball watch party. While you munch down on those tasty meats, cheer on my Texas A&M Aggies. We can use all the help we can get. Whoop!

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