“Because that’s how it’s always been done” is a terrible phrase. Everything about it goes against the grain of improving upon the work for which we are responsible. Innovation is stifled and progress is delayed because of such expressions. If farmers lived that way, they would still be putting seeds into the ground by hand one by one. If farmers never adapted to changing practices and technology, the world would not have the abundance of food, fiber and fuel it enjoys today.  more

I grew up in Dallas County; however, I now live in California and have for many years. I would like to express how much I enjoy reading the Buffalo Reflex each week. My husband, a California native, enjoys the editorials and all the other articles, also. more

I graduated in 1979. I lived through the ’70s during my school days. Today, many everyday 1970s objects are considered out of fashion or extinct. So let’s look at consumerism from the eyes of that kid who wanted to grow up, have a wood-paneled living room, and eat as many Lifesaver Cremesavers as she could manage. more

Isn’t it scary that our political leaders can pick which incidents they choose and make criminal offenses of them. I guess it depends on who is involved, but it is definitely used as a political ploy. more

A couple of weeks ago, my wife, Carol Ann, and I made a trip to northeast Missouri for her to check up on one of her public administrator’s wards and visit with the MAC (Missouri Association of Counties) immediate past president, who is the county clerk for Scotland County. We experienced something along the way that got me to thinking and comparing a portion of the drive to the facets of life. more

Before this latest freeze, I thought I felt a touch of spring in the air. more

As the legendary college football coach Lou Holtz once said, “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.” Last week was the annual legislative spring break, marking the symbolic halfway point in the 2023 spring legislative session. Looking at the first half, we saw progress on a number of Missouri Farm Bureau priority issues.   more

Though I’ve yet to settle on what I want to be when I grow up, I’ve never wanted to be anyone other than me. more

Monday morning, the 20th, I looked and my front yard was full of robins — dozens of them. I had always heard that seeing the first robin was a sure sign of spring. Here is what one Internet site said, “Some people believe that the robin is a promise of new beginning and renewal, just like how plants begin to grow and bloom in springtime. Seeing a robin may encourage the observer to make positive changes in their life, let go of any grudges and follow their dreams.” Whatever the belief, it was absolutely amazing to see that many robins. more

The 1955 American country song written by Jerry Reed starts, “If God is willing and the creek don’t rise …,” which was the song that played over and over in my head on Friday as a group of crazy women in purple and red hats made a pilgrimage to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. more