Rural Missouri - May 2023 - 5

Missouri
RURAL
Volume 76 | MAY 2023 | Number 5
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Caitlin Whaley, VP communications
cwhaley@ruralmissouri.coop
Jim McCarty, editor
jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop
Paul Newton, managing editor
pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
Megan Backes, creative director
mbackes@ruralmissouri.coop
Zach Smith, field editor
zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop
Angie Jones-Wheeler, designer
ajones@ruralmissouri.coop
ADVERTISING:
Mary Davis, production manager
mdavis@ruralmissouri.coop
573-659-3400
National Advertising Representative:
American MainStreet Publications;
611 S. Congress St., Suite 504; Austin, TX 78704
CONTACT:
Rural Missouri
2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-659-3423 info@ruralmissouri.coop
Postmasters: Send address changes to Rural Missouri,
2722 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, MO
65101. Subscribers: Report change of address to
your local cooperative. Do not send change of address
to Rural Missouri.
Advertising standards: Advertising published in
Rural Missouri is accepted on the premise that
the merchandise and services offered are accurately
described and sold to customers at the advertised
price. Rural Missouri and Missouri's electric
cooperatives do not endorse any products or
services advertised herein. Advertising that does
not conform to these standards or that is deceptive
or misleading is never knowingly accepted by
this publication. The acceptance of all advertising
shall be in the sole discretion of the editor.
Rural Missouri (ISSN 0164-8578) (USPS 473000)
is published monthly by the Association
of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, 2722 E.
McCarty Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101, Caleb
Jones, CEO/executive vice president. Individual
subscription rate: $12 per year or $25 for three
years, taxes and postage included. Group rate for
members of participating RECs $3.24, plus taxes
and postage, paid from equity accruing to the
member. Delivery as specified by subscriber. If not
specified, delivery will be by periodical class mail
at subscriber's expense. Periodical Class postage
paid at Jefferson City, MO, and additional mailing
offices. Copyright 2023, Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives. Call for reprint rights.
Circulation of this issue: 581,752
RM | PERSPECTIVES
Dressed for reliability
by Caleb Jones | cjones@amec.coop
have never been considered the
classiest dresser on the block.
In fact, when my wife and I were
dating, I firmly believe Lindsey
thought I was colorblind. Maybe she
saw a diamond in the rough, maybe it
was pity - I've never asked and she'll
never tell.
I
Most of my fashion-forward clothing
style came from growing up on a
farm. A good pair of boots kept your
feet dry when you stepped in that
mudhole. A pair of leather gloves
saved your fingers pulling barbed
wire. A cowboy hat kept the sun from
burning your face, ears and neck,
all at the same time. And those old
bib overalls had more pockets than I
could count to hold spare parts, tools
and everything else.
Surviving on the farm meant having
the right gear to do the job, along
with a place to put it.
Nobody said much about my
clothes when I was attending the College
of Agriculture, Food and Natural
Resources at Mizzou. After all, most
of my buddies grew up in rural Missouri
and dressed just like me.
It was a different story when I
graduated and moved out to Washington,
D.C. It took me a little time
and a lot of help, but I traded in my
boots and bibs for dress shoes and
suits. Part of getting the job done
meant having the right attire, but I
sure missed all of those pockets.
Fashions come and go, but some
things never go out of style. I learned
that just like a good pair of Big Smith
bibs, a well-tailored suit in charcoal
or black worked for just about any
occasion.
These days it's fashionable for
electric utilities to have a row of solar
panels spotted in what was once a
farm field. I've got to wonder if those
panels will go the way of bell-bottoms
and leisure jackets when someone at
Missouri S&T invents a technology
that will be more reliable.
If reliability is that timeless charcoal
suit, then anything we can't
count on 24/7 is a lot like those
I may not be the best dresser but I know
what to wear to a John D. Hale Band concert.
skinny jeans I see being sported
at Mizzou games. I'd say the most
important thing your electric cooperative
does is make electricity available
for you to use day or night, in sunshine
and in rain.
If you turn on the TV at any given
time, there's a good chance you'll see
a story about some blackout going on.
The one place you don't hear about
blackouts is in rural Missouri. That's
because, while it may not look fancy,
your Missouri electric cooperatives
are " dressed " for reliability. Most of
the electricity our cooperatives supply
comes from coal plants, gas plants
and hydroelectric dams.
While many electric utilities are
shutting down these plants, we have
realized that's not possible without
putting your electric reliability at
risk. That is not only dangerous, it is
unacceptable.
The next time you hear about a
blackout, remember this - while they
may look good, skinny jeans won't
hold a good pair of fencing pliers.
Caleb is the executive vice president
and CEO of the Association of Missouri
Electric Cooperatives and a member of
Boone Electric Cooperative.
MAY 2023 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 5
http://www.facebook.com/RuralMissouri https://www.instagram.com/ruralmissouri https://www.youtube.com/ruralmissouri/ https://co.pinterest.com/ruralmissouri/ http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP
Rural Missouri - May 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - May 2023
