By Marie Meis
Thursday night, in the Elgin High School gymnasium, there was a celebration of all things agriculture.
The occasion was the 49th annual Elgin FFA banquet. Awards were handed out, new officers installed and a special presentation was made featuring Trent Loos.
This sixth generation agriculturist spoke to all those present about the importance of educating those who don’t understand the agriculture industry. He explained that with so many people working against the industry, it’s our job to work together to educate them.
Loos explained that it isn’t a rare occasion for someone to come up to him and ask if he is a “real cowboy”. This gives him an opportunity to educate the public on what those in agriculture are doing. Many are very accusing, saying things such as our meat products are filled with unhealthy hormones. Loos said our meat products are safe, and many of the “scientific claims” can easily be debunked.
Another of Loos’ main points was that it is those in agriculture’s job to educate the consumers about what they are eating. It’s very important to remember that even though you may just be one person, you can make a difference. It’s hard for producers to feed the world when the consumers are working against them.
The room was filled with laughter during the duration of his speech. He was entertaining, as well as educational on the importance of spreading the word of agriculture. Mr. Loos received a very deserving standing ovation at the end of his speech.
