We’ve all heard, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”  Pretty straight-forward thinking, spread the risk, diversify.  It’s a basic principle of financial investing and the key theme of a risk management workshop.  There is, however, an alternative.  As the American literary genius (this blogger’s opinion) Mark Twain put it in his book Puddn’head Wilson, “put all your eggs in one basket and WATCH THAT BASKET.”  I guess if you think about it, it’s the only other alternative to not putting all your eggs in one basket.

Now I’m not talking about the business of your farms or ranches.  If you’re a fulltime rancher you probably have other sources of income besides cattle.  Speaking for my family we generate revenue from timber, sod, hay, citrus groves, etc.  If you’re a part-timer you obviously have another job.  Or maybe you're involved in the cattle industry in some other way; sales, research, teaching, etc.  What if the “basket” I’m talking about is our way of life, our industry?  All my eggs are in that basket and I intend to keep it safe!  Keep it safe from media snakes and government varmints.  Keep it safe from rabid extremists like HSUS and PETA.  Some of them want to pluck an egg right from you, scramble it up and have you watch them eat it.  Others are waiting for you to take a little siesta.  And some will clumsily step into our basket.  Nonetheless, without watchful eyes our bounty will diminish.

Are you watching the basket?  Would you like to raise your brood where you were raised?  Do you want to continue to roost each night right where you are now?  Are you a free-range chicken???  Now I’m getting carried away, but seriously, do your part – WATCH THAT BASKET!