BE OUR GUEST: COWBOYS FOR THE NINETIES

Mike Kasten of Millersville is president of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association.

The cowboys I met are...survivors, people who respect the earth and soil and, it seems to me, truly appreciate the very essence of life.

Kenny Rogers, from the introduction to "Cowboy Tales: Western Classics from American Masters"

For many of us, our image of cowboys and their work comes straight from the same medium that brings us old John Wayne movies television. It's a situation that leads to popular images of cattlemen that are often far removed from reality.

The fact is, cattlemen today often wear business suits as well as jeans and ten-gallon hats. They've traded their dusty ledger books for computers. And they can be found not only out West, but also up North, down South and even here in the Missouri heartland. But one thing hasn't changed their reverence for the land and their commitment to preserve and protect it for future generations.

Still, old myths tend to die hard, causing some environmentalists to wonder if cattlemen are keeping up in the environmental arena. And unfortunately, the information that would help Americans better understand modern cattlemen often is not heard because most cattle producers tend to their business quietly, as they have for generations.

Particularly in Missouri, where agriculture plays such a vital role for our economy and future, it is important for residents to understand that today's cattlemen can themselves quite properly be called environmentalists. In fact, a Missouri cattlemen was just selected as one of seven national recipients of the National Cattlemen's Environmental Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding conservation achievements made by modern cattlemen.

Terry Littrell of Thompson, Mo., a producer who has employed cutting-edge innovations in erosion prevention and crop rotation, is a part of a tradition of conservation and environmental stewardship that often doesn't come to mind when most of us think "cowboy." But cattlemen were the original conservationists. Because of both their love for the land and the practical need to properly maintain the source of their income, cattlemen were caring for land, water and wildlife long before such causes became fashionable.

Today's cattlemen continue that tradition. For example, a nationwide survey conducted in the fall of 1990 indicated that eight out of ten cattlemen have areas on their farms or ranches that support wildlife populations. Also, many cattlemen are so concerned about soil and water quality that half of them routinely conduct soil and water tests on their operations.

As times continue to change, those of us in Missouri agriculture are beginning to realize how important it is to let people know how our work helps preserve and protect natural resources. The environmental stewardship of modern cattlemen is not the stuff of John Wayne movies, but it is the reality of today's Missouri "cowboy."