Sold my small herd in North Texas

[Mark Reynolds]

After 23 years of working for a conservation district where I had to work with the NRCS became very cynical about them. This last week of issues with the fire and experience with federal employees raised that level once again. When you have to give people "free money" to get them to follow your advise how good was that advise to start with?

I get what you are saying and I see it all the time. Too many of us have a personal agenda and/or bias or are there just for a paycheck and refuse to put in more than the minimum, or offer 'all' options as the employee "doesn't like" a particular practice. I strive to get past all of that. There is another factor as well, and that is the number of different aspects of agriculture that the NRCS has a hand in, which is EVERYTHING. Well, there is NO WAY I can know everything. I know grazing and the components of grazing well, although there is some overlap with other things that I am good, but not great. Fencing is one of those. I can find the answer if I don't know. I'm good at forestry. DO NOT ask me about engineering or crops. I probably know enough to help you get the building put together and then have it fall down a month later or enable you to plant a 20 acre field of some commodity crop ant it will never come up. I do know about cover crops and annual forage crops though. The key here is that I know I don't know, I know where to get help, and I will make sure the producer gets help. There are those of us that will pretend we know the answer, or don't know and won't try to find an answer for the producer.

There have been a couple of NRCS 'problems' presented on this forum that I have addressed in other states that the local NRCS employee was being difficult, unresponsive or wouldn't help. That gives the NRCS a black eye. I don't like my employer getting a black eye and I try to help where I can.

@Dave, I understand you being cynical. There are rules and budgets we have to follow that don't always work the best. Also, believe it or not, there is only so many producers a single employee can service when they cover an entire county, or even 2 counties.