StrojanHerefords
Well-known member
My thought on government agents is you get what you pay for. If the agents were truly good at what they do, there is a far bigger stand of timber waiting for falling in going into business for themselves.
Possibly. But tell me, do you think you pay a lot on taxes? If you think so, then do you consider the government agents expensive for you? As for the stand of timber I'm looking for, I consider other things as well besides the size of the stand of timber. I will admit though, 'quality control' in the government sector isn't what it is in the private sector. As I stated earlier, some of us are worth our weight in gold (and I'm overweight ) others among us aren't worth a plugged nickel.My thought on government agents is you get what you pay for. If the agents were truly good at what they do, there is a far bigger stand of timber waiting for falling in going into business for themselves.
You hit the nail on the head with extension agents, and to a lesser extent federal government ag personnel. 'Extension' in of itself covers Sooooo many different aspects of the rural lifestyle (can't think of a better explanation), that it is impossible for an agent to be an expert in everything extension covers. Horticulture makes up a large portion of what extension is about, so does livestock. Both of those components are very diverse unto themselves. There in lies the problem. Extension can't possibly employ an 'expert' in every component of it's existence in every single county. Most counties only have one extension agent. Agents from different counties with different expertise should work together to serve their county. Our previous extension agent was a horticultural expert but worked closely with the neighboring county extension agent who was a livestock focused agent. Everyone with a livestock interest at that time knew they could easily get livestock help from extension. Well, the local extension agent retired and was replaced by an agent focused on agribusiness. This new agent saw (and sees) the county as 'his' territory and thinks other agents should mind their own business and serve only the people in their county. The new agent has effectively ostricized the public and will not let neighboring agents help with anything this newer idiot of an agent knows nothing about, including livestock. The livestock owners within the county no longer get any help from extension despite the fact that the agents that could and were helping them haven't retired, relocated, or changed their focus. It's all the new guy's fault.When I was young our county had one county agent and a secretary headquartered at an office in the basement of the courthouse.
Some years later they built a new building on the outskirts of town, and now have several agents and all kinds of meetings and functions at the building.
A lot of it is either 4H, or stuff to do pertaining to various "apparently ag related community programs" which they have an agent for that.
The trend seems to be hiring young agents that invariably don't stay in any location very long.
For quite a while our years back our agent was one of my retired ag teachers.
When he retired from the county agent position he was replaced by a young guy that was more into horticulture than animal agriculture. I always thought that was a wrong move, but then after a few years they gave him the title of horticulture agent and hired another ag agent that I kind of knew through being friends with some of his family in another county. He was actually raised in a farm and had cattle.
Now both of those agents are gone to other locations and I haven't met the new one.
Unfortunately, a lot the folks in those jobs only have practical experience with livestock or crops through their college, and the college farms are different in some ways than those of actual working farms.
From my understanding isn't there a board or at least someone over the extension agent that folks could take the issues with that rogue agent too? That was kind of alluded to by one of our agents a few years ago.You hit the nail on the head with extension agents, and to a lesser extent federal government ag personnel. 'Extension' in of itself covers Sooooo many different aspects of the rural lifestyle (can't think of a better explanation), that it is impossible for an agent to be an expert in everything extension covers. Horticulture makes up a large portion of what extension is about, so does livestock. Both of those components are very diverse unto themselves. There in lies the problem. Extension can't possibly employ an 'expert' in every component of it's existence in every single county. Most counties only have one extension agent. Agents from different counties with different expertise should work together to serve their county. Our previous extension agent was a horticultural expert but worked closely with the neighboring county extension agent who was a livestock focused agent. Everyone with a livestock interest at that time knew they could easily get livestock help from extension. Well, the local extension agent retired and was replaced by an agent focused on agribusiness. This new agent saw (and sees) the county as 'his' territory and thinks other agents should mind their own business and serve only the people in their county. The new agent has effectively ostricized the public and will not let neighboring agents help with anything this newer idiot of an agent knows nothing about, including livestock. The livestock owners within the county no longer get any help from extension despite the fact that the agents that could and were helping them haven't retired, relocated, or changed their focus. It's all the new guy's fault.
The NRCS suffers somewhat from the same problem, but they don't cover quite the diversity of interests that extension does, and they are slightly more networked.
I would wager to say there is someone or a board, but figuring out who to take the issue to probably isn't known by many at all and your primary contact, the rogue agent, isn't likely to be very helpful. Probably the best route to find information on this process would actually be to contact an agent in an adjoining county.From my understanding isn't there a board or at least someone over the extension agent that folks could take the issues with that rogue agent too? That was kind of alluded to by one of our agents a few years ago.
By the way I saw an article from our local paper a few days ago about how one of the schools was going to have a weeklong program through the extension office called Progressive Agriculture Safety. From what I could tell it had zero to do with actual agriculture.
I will add, sometimes the people of the community are the toxic side of the equation too. This community here is as toxic as they come even within the rural community which is generally the pick of the litter.I would wager to say there is someone or a board, but figuring out who to take the issue to probably isn't known by many at all and your primary contact, the rogue agent, isn't likely to be very helpful. Probably the best route to find information on this process would actually be to contact an agent in an adjoining county.
As for the 'Progressive Agriculture Safety' program, that doesn't necessarily surprise me. Sometimes agents (and pretty much anyone/everyone) geta a mandated task form a supervisor. The problem is, the agent knows nothing about the task. That could be what happened here.
Almost sounds like you are suggesting it's the farmer's fault (not knowing who to contact)I would wager to say there is someone or a board, but figuring out who to take the issue to probably isn't known by many at all and your primary contact, the rogue agent, isn't likely to be very helpful. Probably the best route to find information on this process would actually be to contact an agent in an adjoining county.
Most people that work for the government are not going to (do) anymore than they possibly have to, and government does not always attracted the most talented people.
You don't always get the best and brightest when it comes to government is what I'm saying. Every now and then there are exceptions, but those seem to be few.And if that's what you expect and it is the way you treat people, rhat may be why you get what you get.
Maybe I've been lucky, but even the reluctant agents I've met have eventually come around and been valuable.
I've had that experience with the Post Office and DMV... But with some work I've had much better luck with extension agents.You don't always get the best and brightest when it comes to government is what I'm saying. Every now and then there are exceptions, but those seem to be few.
That's been a constant thru out this discussion.But with some work I've had much better luck with extension agents.
Maybe it's a case of some people being harder to work with than others...That's been a constant thru out this discussion.
Hint: It SUPPOSED to be the other way around. They, are supposed to work with us. It's their JOB!!
But, perhaps it's just an example of the Peter Principle.
We have a family friend that worked for the Post Office. He was lazy as could be; even lighting a fire under his butt would not speed him up. Oh and he was one of those guys that knew it all. He was very smart, but at the same time dumb as a post.I've had that experience with the Post Office and DMV... But with some work I've had much better luck with extension agents.