I have a friend who has mentioned she is afraid to wear polyester around me. She manages a cotton gin. She should be.

That may sound harsh and lacking in grace. I do not fall short in the understanding that a person can wear what they like. I also know that in segments of the apparel market, it is hard to find 100% cotton products.  

I am repeatedly told by, "You don't know how hard it is to find women's clothes with any cotton, much less 100% cotton.”     

Yes, I understand. And, you must understand that I think that the most attractive thing a person of any gender can wear is a clean, white button-down shirt – cotton of course. A nice white t-shirt is good, too.

I'm sure my style choice is influenced by my background. But I will always support our American ag industry and their products. Farmers don't produce polyester.

I am a food and fiber activist. I'd rather eat, or wear American grown. I don't blink when I see fresh leafy greens in the wintertime because I know they probably came from Yuma, Arizona.

I know we have a thriving U.S. greenhouse industry, so I don't look away when I see red tomatoes or bright peppers in the produce section in December. But I do check country of origin labels.

I am suspect of stone fruit in the wintertime and usually look to see where the beef I purchase comes from at least when it's identified.

We have the most productive food and fiber economy in the world, and it pains me that the rest of the country does not see it the way we do in rural America. I get angry when I see state law makers and regulators doing their best to destroy their most productive industry by overregulating crop protection products, enforcing unnecessary labor constraints and underdelivering needed water. We need checks and balances, but excess regulation only hurts Americans.

My heart is warmed when I see pro-farm advocates swarm an issue and make changes for the good of ag.

This summer Burger King posted an advertisement targeting methane releases in cattle, implying that bovine flatulence (methane) is destroying the environment.

Advocates of the ranching industry pounced. Of course they used real science to demonstrate that: one, it wasn’t the farts, two, the release is inconsequential compared to other sources, three, the industry had reduced emissions while production has gone up, and finally, research at Fresno State could not determine that feeding the cattle lemon grass, as Burger King intended to do, would decrease the herd's propensity to break wind.

Burger King pulled the ad from most of their social media spots. It was a victory for our advocates. There needs to be more of that.

My bottom line - support American ag and check your labels.