So you are not a farmer. But I would suggest that you have a big interest in the farms that dot the countryside in our area. In fact, they are one of the most important economic assets we have. And you are interested as one who may enjoy a good dinner that comes from the products off those farms.

Sure, you want good food and enough of it to enjoy and avoid being hungry. Because of the interest in agriculture from you and I who don't farm, we sometimes think we should be able to tell farmers how they should run their business, even when we don't really know anything about farming.

So this is creating more and more of a problem that can affect our food supply down the road. People who live in town and don't know anything about agriculture can tend to form impressions based on emotions rather than facts. And when we have groups using emotions to influence us through the media and other avenues, we have a serious problem.

For example, we have animal rights groups that would like you to think that all farm animals should have the same level of care you give a loved cat or dog. They do this by finding unfortunate, isolated examples of farm livestock abuse, then applying those examples to all farms and livestock.

What we really have on our farms is a level of care that exceeds any time in history. But lack of understanding about what is good livestock care is rampant among folks who never set foot on a farm.

Our dairy farmers, for example, spend a lot of money and time to keep there cows and young stock healthy and productive. Today's modern dairy farms, however, call for barns that are not warm like they were 40 or 50 years ago. Rather the cooler barns keep the cows healthier with fewer disease problems.

Cow comfort is a top priority. Many barns allow the cows to roam freely, eat when hungry and have water always available. Stalls are bedded with sand on many farms and this is like letting the cows lay on the beach. Other farms have put in water beds or use sawdust or chopped straw. Sand seems to work best.

So if you drive by a dairy farm with the barn's plastic sides rolled in the winter, you know the cows are protected, comfortable but the barn is just warm enough to keep water pipes from freezing.

A few of the isolated examples of livestock abuse may center around small livestock or horse farms. Situations where the owner may have moved out from town and doesn't understand what it takes to feed, water and provide shelter for the animals. Or with some one out of a job and not enough money to buy the necessary feed.

Many of the horses in our area are pleasure horses and fun to ride or take to shows. But they take care regardless of the weather or the economy. Some owners say that it is not easy to sell an unused or unwanted horse today.

Here in Ohio we will soon have a state appointed committee that will be establishing standards of livestock care that will be passed by our legislature. This committee of experts will know what Ohio agriculture is like and will set fair standards for the state.

Frankly we won't need groups like the Humane Society of the United States coming in with their own agenda, saying they are smarter than Ohio people, and trying to tell us how to take care of our animals. Don't fall for their slick talk! If they knock on your door and want you to sign some kind of petition, just tell them "no thanks".