Rural Missouri - September 2019 - 5

| PERSPECTIVES

A showcase for agriculture
by Caleb Jones | cjones@amec.coop

t only takes a few seconds at the Missouri State
Fair to bring all the memories rushing back. I
think it's the aroma of cotton candy, corn dogs
and, yes, manure from the livestock barns that
does it for me. Whatever it is, I'll never forget the
many summers I spent showing pigs and cattle at
the state fair.
I'm sure it's the same for other farm kids who
made the annual pilgrimage to Sedalia after a year
of raising livestock. Some of the best memories I
have of growing up center around sleeping next to
that prize pig along with my brother and sisters.
That 15 minutes in the show ring is built upon
months and months of hard work. Getting up early
to feed before school started. Rushing home after
football practice to make sure all was well. Mending fences, baling hay, tearing a pair of blue jeans
and earning callouses: These are all a way of life for
thousands of farm kids whose work hopefully culminates in a trip to the state fair show arena.
The hard work of raising an animal for show is
something only a farm family can relate to. For an
increasing percentage of the population, their only
connection to agriculture is in the meat and dairy
aisle of their grocery store.
That's why the Missouri State Fair is so important these days. Along with the rides, shows, fair
food and other attractions, the fair gives our friends
from the city an opportunity to understand what
goes into making that pound of bacon and hamburger patty.
You can better appreciate a Burgers' Smokehouse
ham biscuit after you've seen the Grand Champion
Ham on display in the Agriculture Building. Kids
whose only experience with wheat and corn is in
the breakfast cereal bowl can learn how these crops

are raised while playing in "sandboxes" filled with includes employees from Missouri electric cooperthese grains.
atives who teach fairgoers how to make the most
Missouri's Pork Producers and Cattlemen put from their electric service.
their finest cuts of meat to the test in two of the
Many states have moved away from promoting
best restaurants in the state during the fair. No trip their rural roots at their state fairs. I'm proud that
to the fair for me is complete without eating at the the Missouri State Fair is still a showcase for agriPork Place and the Beef House.
culture. If you missed this year's fair, mark your
The best part of eating at these restaurants is calendar for Aug. 13-23. I'll see you there.
meeting the people who raise our food. I have spent
many hot afternoons myself serving fair attendees
Jones is the executive vice president and CEO of
representing the Moniteau Cattleman's Association. the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives.
Both eateries are staffed by
friendly Missouri farmers who
toil in the fields so you and I
can eat.
From the beginning Missouri's State Fair has been
all about agriculture. Gov.
Mike Parson pointed that out
during the Governor's Ham
Breakfast. The annual event
brings elected officials of all
parties under one tent where
the focus is on agriculture.
When the event is over urban
and rural lawmakers alike
roam the fairgrounds learning
about the issues facing Missouri's farmers.
They often end up at the
Missouri's Electric Cooperatives Building, which again
hosted many meetings for
farm and rural organizations.
I am proud that Missouri's
electric cooperatives continThis is our show board that we used when showing pigs and cattle at county fairs and the
ue to sponsor the state fair.
Our outreach to rural people Missouri State Fair. The sign was restored by close family friend Tony Bollinger.

GUEST COLUMN

Mizzou wants to Win It Right
by Jim Sterk | info@ruralmissouri.coop

n behalf of Mizzou Athletics, I would personally like to invite you to experience the
new-look Faurot Field this fall, as our new
South End Zone Facility is a game-changer for not only our coaches and student-athletes,
but for our fans, too. As a Rural Missouri reader
and electric cooperative member, you can purchase
single-game tickets at a discounted rate as a membership benefit. Please visit www.mutigers.com/
mizcoop to order using promo code MIZCOOP.
It is my honor to serve as athletic director at
the University of Missouri, and I'm looking forward
to another exciting year of Mizzou Athletics, as I
believe all of our programs are poised to achieve at a
very high level. As you know, the SEC is the nation's
toughest conference, and for Mizzou to continue
growing its 20-sport program, we must continue to
increase our Tiger Scholarship Fund support and
grow our season ticket base across all sports.
Our Win It Right vision for Mizzou Athletics is
built upon the core values of Respect, Integrity,
Gratitude, Humility and Together, and we continue
to enjoy unprecedented academic and athletic success thanks to the outstanding work of our studentathletes, coaches and staff.
The classroom achievements of Mizzou's student-athletes continued in 2018-19, as they produced the top two-semester grade-point averages in

school history with an overall record 3.125 for the Women's Swimming & Diving (23rd, NCAAs) and
fall 2018 semester and a record spring term 3.11 Volleyball (23rd). Mizzou Wrestling also swept the
Mid-American Conference regular-season and tourmark.
All-told, more than 60 percent of MU's nearly nament titles for the second-straight year.
Administratively, we continue to position Mizzou
550 student-athletes achieved a 3.00 mark in the
classroom each semester. Some 337 student-ath- Athletics for future successes.
Ground was broken in March 2018 on the largest
letes earned University Dean's List honors for at
least one semester, 286 were named to the SEC campus construction project in school history, the
Academic Honor Roll, including 86 selected to the $98 million South End Zone Facility, Mizzou Football's new den that will open ahead of
SEC First-Year Freshman Honor Roll,
the 2019 season. The Tiger Scholarand 101 completed their Mizzou Made
ship Fund saw a $17 million increase
journey by earning their degrees.
over the previous year en route to its
After finishing a school-record
third-highest year ever in total cash
33rd in the Learfield IMG Directors'
and pledges of $40.7 million.
Cup standings in each of the past two
The department also entered into
years, Mizzou placed 51st in 2018-19,
a partnership with the City of Columwhich was still a five-place improvebia to build a new championship cross
ment over its average finish of 56th in
country course that opened in August
the award's first 25 years, and 15 of
and continues to build upon its suc20 programs were represented in the
cessful partnership with MU Extenpostseason either as teams or individsion in outreach to the state's citizens
uals.
through its Ambassador program.
Mizzou Football, which played in
Jim Sterk
Thank you for your support of Mizback-to-back bowl games for the first
zou Athletics, and we hope to see you
time since the 2013 and 2014 seasons,
was one of six Tiger programs to finish among the this fall at Faurot Field cheering on Coach Odom's
nation's Top 25 as it was 23rd in the final Col- Tigers to victory!
lege Football Playoff rankings to join Wrestling
Sterk is director of athletics for the University of
(sixth-place, NCAAs), Men's Swimming & Diving
(11th-place, NCAAs), Women's Gymnastics (17th), Missouri-Columbia.
SEPTEMBER 2019 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP

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Rural Missouri - September 2019

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