Chalk me up as one of those who didn’t get overly excited about the dust regulations that the Environmental Protection Agency proposed under the Clean Air Act. I know that the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) worked feverishly on this issue for quite some time and warned us all about the difficulties this measure could create for rural America.

Troy Marshall 2, BEEF Contributing Editor

February 25, 2011

1 Min Read
Stupid, Maybe; Crazy, No

Chalk me up as one of those who didn’t get overly excited about the dust regulations that the Environmental Protection Agency proposed under the Clean Air Act. I know that the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) worked feverishly on this issue for quite some time and warned us all about the difficulties this measure could create for rural America.

And it wasn’t that I didn’t believe NCBA, but I certainly never took the time to call my legislators either. It all seemed so absurd to me. I just couldn’t fathom how – with all the real issues we have to deal with in this country – that discing a field or hauling cows down a gravel road would be something anyone could consider a health risk.

Yes, the proposed regulations seem ludicrous to people like us who understand life in rural America. However, the people dreaming up these types of regulations aren’t stupid; they just feel they’re doing the right thing by protecting us from ourselves.

It may seem to those of us who operate in the country that these people are crazy, but it’s a grave mistake to think that way. These folks are uninformed and don’t know it; that’s a far more dangerous situation than simply being crazy, especially when they have the power to act on their ideas.

About the Author(s)

Troy Marshall 2

BEEF Contributing Editor

Troy Marshall is a multi-generational rancher who grew up in Wheatland, WY, and obtained an Equine Science/Animal Science degree from Colorado State University where he competed on both the livestock and World Champion Horse Judging teams. Following college, he worked as a market analyst for Cattle-Fax covering different regions of the country. Troy also worked as director of commercial marketing for two breed associations; these positions were some of the first to provide direct links tying breed associations to the commercial cow-calf industry.

A visionary with a great grasp for all segments of the industry, Troy is a regular opinion contributor to BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly. His columns are widely reprinted and provide in-depth reporting and commentary from the perspective of a producer who truly understands the economics and challenges of the different industry segments. He is also a partner/owner in Allied Genetic Resources, a company created to change the definition of customer service provided by the seedstock industry. Troy and his wife Lorna have three children. 

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