Green Cows, Quags, and Mummies
an interview with Dr. Lowell Catlett
by Ken Root, SICKLE & SHEAF editor


 

Dr. Catlett’s message is simple: “Differentiate or die.”

When Dr. Lowell Catlett speaks to conventions of farmers or agribusiness leaders, you can literally hear the silence as each person is held at rapt attention by his dynamic delivery and fascinating phrasing. As he speaks he grimaces and shoves his long arms outward, approximating the reach of a professional basketball player. His voice goes alternately from shouts to whispers as the audience rides the intellectual, emotional and humorous highs and lows of his theatrically delivered remarks.

His speaking style is a cross between Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart and former Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz. He devotes much of his discussion to “futurism” and explores leading edge technology that is often unfamiliar to his audience. In the early 1990’s, Catlett gave a speech titled: “Green Cows, Quags and Mummies”. He proposed that genetic engineering could someday modify a cow to the point that she could use photosynthesis directly in converting sunlight to milk and that an extinct species, the Quag, might be reborn by cloning preserved DNA. He further predicted that nano-robots will be injected into the human body to kill cancer cells. None of these concepts have yet been accomplished, but each has become more plausible as science has advanced.

Catlett now delves into explaining the future use of information in our society and cites examples of the younger generation’s ability to “network” with a cell phone. He delights his audience when he tells of his own difficulty in carrying a cell phone and calls himself “low-tech” but says he enjoys playing the game on the phone he now owns.

Catlett is a past National FFA officer from Dalhart, Texas, and graduated from West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M). He was initiated by Alpha Gamma Rho while serving as adviser for the AGR Chapter at New Mexico State University. He is a professor of Agricultural Economics at NMSU in Las Cruces and is one of the university’s most dynamic thought leaders. Undergraduate students clamor to get into his classes and emerge with a broad knowledge of the changing world. He has been awarded the highest honors of the department on numerous occasions.

The following interview with Lowell Catlett gives his perspective of Alpha Gamma Rho, today’s college men and the pathway he followed to his current position.


Tell S&S about your youth. Where were you raised, what interested you, what were your greatest achievements?

Catlett: I was lucky enough to be raised on a farm and ranch near Dalhart, Texas. I, of course, didn’t recognize it at the time. In my youth I saw nothing but hard work in a life involving production agriculture. To be sure the work is often hard, but the other rewards—a job well done, a sense of belonging to a very noble industry, the rewards of producing food, the value of working outdoors in nature, are difficult to see and understand when very young. I don’t regret leaving production agriculture because I wasn’t very good at farming and ranching. My dad encouraged me to pursue what I loved so I went to college for no other reason than to find out about other careers.

Everything interested me, and still does. My love of astronomy came from the clear panhandle nights when there was nothing else to do but stargaze. My love of plants, animals and the land came from the farm and ranch, but my love of learning came from my vocational agricultural teacher, Ike Trimble. Ike had the rare ability as a teacher to inspire you to not only learn, but to not be content with the status quo. He made you want to be a better person. The community of Dalhart supported school activities. The men and women in the community made students feel important and I think that is the real value of many rural communities—connecting business, school and life together.

I was active in FFA and was fortunate to be able to serve as both a state officer in 1966-67 and a national officer in 1968-69. Ike Trimble pointed the way and made it possible for me to be part of the FFA.

How did you become an AGR? Any people to recognize and where did you go to college?

Catlett: I graduated from West Texas State University with a
B.S. in Agribusiness. West Texas was a wonderful place with many great teachers.


The Dean of the School of Agriculture, Dr. Charles Smallwood, was one of my role models.

He took an active interest in all students and made W.T. a great place to get an education.

I was fortunate to have excellent teachers in college, but the one that had the most influence on me was Dr. Kenneth Wendland. Dr. Wendland was an outstanding professor—a gifted teacher and mentor.

I was not involved with any fraternity as an undergraduate. I became
involved with AGR when I became an adviser to the local chapter at New Mexico State University.

As a young graduate, what did you wish to pursue?

Catlett: I wanted to become a lawyer that worked on agricultural and natural resource issues, but towards the end of my undergraduate degree I decided I would rather go to graduate school than law school (graduate school offered an
assistantship and law school offered an extra three years of extra college loans—being an economist I picked income over expenses!!!) Graduate school convinced me that I really loved teaching and research so I never made it to law school and instead took a job as a professor.

You have been recognized as an inspiring undergraduate teacher. What is it about teaching the younger Ag majors that you like or that you feel is important?

Catlett: I guess I am always trying to do for others what Ike Trimble did for me. Ike took a raw country kid and added value by opening up a whole new world to me. Teaching is about adding value to people’s lives. I simply try to open their minds to the wonderful world before them, especially in agriculture.

What’s on the minds of students today? Did Sept. 11 change their thoughts or actions?

Catlett: Students want interesting and challenging careers. My generation simply wanted a job, but students today want the job to be more meaningful than a paycheck. They are very willing to move, work long or crazy hours and in general do what it takes to get the job done—if they know why it is important. Students are no different than the general population when it
comes to 9/11—the world is more uncertain now, but none of us are sure how that impacts us.

What message are you bringing to your audiences?

Catlett: Differentiate or die.

Everyone wants something that is unique to them—cars, food, education, entertainment, or banking. Schools, governments and businesses that learn to offer unique services will be the most successful.

I have been helped throughout my career by wonderful teachers, friends and colleagues. Young men and women that learn the importance of helping others and in turn being helped by others will be more successful and will make a
more meaningful contribution to society. AGR is one of the best ways that young men can learn the power of a brotherhood of people helping each other.
 

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