Posts filed under ‘Featured Farmers’
Busy Time Preparing for the Winter
From Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch:
Fall is a busy time on a ranch. We’ve weaned all the calves, vaccinated them and they are settled in and eating well. Soon they will be moved to a pasture that we save all the grass for the calves to eat in the winter. We’ve moved the cows to winter grass and are in preparation mode for calving. We are only 45 days from having our first calf.
Right now, my days are filled with record keeping, sending in weights and information about the calves born last spring to the American Angus Association for use in their data calculations, and feeding cattle. In Kansas, very little grass grows in the cold temperatures. There are a few varieties that can maintain a nutritious, healthy green color, but most grass is dead and dry and has very little nutrition in it. Like an athlete, a cow’s nutrition is closely observed! If she is fed right, she can handle the cold Kansas winter temperatures, as easily as the 100 degree days in summer. So we calculate her energy needs for various situations and feed her appropriately.
Fall is a time when she has relatively low energy requirements. She is pregnant and I need the calf to continue to grow and develop, without getting too big. But she is not nursing a full grown calf anymore, and she has no need to gain weight if she ended the summer in good condition. More important is clean water in the fall.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a new Flip Ultra HD video camera as a prize for being a finalist for the Ag Woman of the Year. I had to make a 3-minute video of myself advocating…but first, I had to play with it! Here is my first video: I took it while I waited for the water tank to fill in one of our winter grass locations.
I can’t end a blog post during this time without encouraging you to vote for me for the AG CONNECT Ag Woman of the Year! So click on the link and check out my video and, if you are so inclined, cast a vote (or 50 a day) for me!
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
AgProud Christmas Giveaway
From Agriculture Proud:
December is finally here and with it comes the Christmas Holiday. I want to say a sincere Thank You to everyone who has followed my efforts to share my story of food production. Thank you to everyone who has commented on posts, shared links, and offered many words of encouragement. I would like to return the favor with a Christmas Giveaway.
Thanks to the great folks at Langston’s Western Wear I am giving away a free pair of boots and a great discount code to help you with your Christmas shopping (and maybe even buy something for yourself)!
Justin Boots have always been some of my favorites and now I am excited to share these great boots with you. Not only can you enter to win a pair of Justin Bent Rail Boots, but you can use the coupon code “agproud” to receive 20% off orders of $100 or more online at Langstons.com. Offer expires December 18, 2010.
What?
- The giveaway is for any pair of Justin Bent Rail Boots.The winner will be able to pick the boot of their choice from the Bent Rail line – Men’s or Women’s.
How can you enter to win? Choose any of the following:
- Submit a photo that describes why you are Agriculture Proud via email (agricultureproud@hotmail.com), or via the I am Agriculture Proud Facebook group.
- Subscribe to post feed and comment on any AgProud post through Thursday, December 16th
- Write a post on your site to describe why you are Agriculture Proud and leave a link in the comments on this post.
- Use the #AgProud hashtag on Twitter to describe why you are AgProud
- Follow @Langstons on Twitter
- Like the Langston’s Western Wear page on Facebook
- Multiple entries are permitted
When?
- The entry period for the giveaway is Monday, December 5, 2010 through 11:59pm Thursday, December 16, 2010.
- The winner by a random drawing from qualifying entries will be announced the afternoon of Friday, December 17, 2010.
Get started on those entries. I look forward to the comments and photo submissions. Remember to use the coupon code to get a great discount on your Christmas shopping.
Source: http://agricultureproud.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/agproud-christmas-giveaway/
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
From Agriculture Proud: Paul is Ag-Thankful
Here is today’s ag-thankful post from Agriculture Proud, as part of the Ag-Thankful series this past month!
Farmers are often focused on market prices and staying profitable. Getting a good price for your product is the only way to stay afloat in the agriculture business. Decisions are made concerning the best time to plant, the best time to wean, the best practices to stay viable. We are farmers. We are producers. It is not just our livelihood, but our life as well. It’s easy to forget the impact we have on the rest of the world.
A few months ago, my wife and I ventured from the farm for a little sight-seeing in Philadelphia. There was a lot to see! Mainly, crowds of people all rushing to their incredibly diverse jobs in an incredibly hectic city. On the same block as our hotel, we found the Reading Terminal Market.
See more at: http://agricultureproud.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/paul-is-ag-thankful/#more-802
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
From Agriculture Proud: Brandi is Ag-Thankful
In honor of Thanksgiving and the start to the holiday season this November, we have featured some posts from Ryan Goodman‘s Agriculture Proud Blog. All month of November, he’s been featuring guest bloggers that explain why they are Ag-Thankful. These posts have been very insightful and uplifting. It’s nice to see what many people are thankful for and why! Here’s one from Brandi Buzzard, who we have featured on our blog multiple times. Enjoy!
From Agriculture Proud:
I’m Ag Thankful because I love to eat. A lot; especially meat and potatoes. My deep love affair with meat and starch is made possible by one lone group of people. America’s farmers and ranchers. You see, I currently don’t contribute to the GDP. I don’t produce anything. However, I consume constantly. If it weren’t for the hardworking farmers and ranchers of our nation, who work 24/7/365 in order to provide me with an abundant safe and healthy food supply, I’d be left to eating Ramen three times a day which is a rather large step down from meat and taters.
I’m Ag Thankful because agriculture has employed my family for the past 60 years and will provide me with a career in the somewhat near future. Buzzards weren’t made for concrete and sky scrapers – we long to be in the country, working with the land and livestock. Agriculture and food production have enabled us to work in an industry that we love. Going to work every morning isn’t feared; it’s embraced.
Lastly, I’m Ag Thankful because being an ag kid has supplied me with many of the life lessons, skills and morals that have made me who I am today. Example 1: While owning and showing 4-H animals is fun, the truth of the matter is that livestock are for consumption – the ‘circle of life’ was learned at the tender age of 5. Example 2: If you want something, you’ve got to work for it. Whether it’s raising calves, growing crops or earning a degree, nothing worthwhile in life comes easy– that needs little explanation.
Agriculture has not only made me who I am but it continues to provide me with new and exciting opportunities as well as feed me! That’s called a hat trick in the sports world.
Brandi Buzzard is an Animal Science Graduate Student at Kansas State University. An avid Blogger, rodeo competitor, and proud advocate for agriculture. Thank you so much Brandi for sharing your thoughts.
Want to share your reasons for being thankful for Agriculture this month? Send Ryan Goodman an email with your post (agricultureproud@hotmail.com). Stay tuned during the month of November for more great guest posts from those are Ag-Thankful.
Source: http://agricultureproud.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/brandi-is-ag-thankful/#more-753
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
Jesse is Ag-Thankful
From Agriculture Proud:
I’m ag-thankful for many reasons. Growing up my family was always involved in agriculture. I’m thankful that as a kid I got to spend the summers at my grandparent’s farm helping take care of the cattle and with the farm work. My grandfather, a farmer his whole life, taught me more about responsibility and hard work than I could ever learn from a text-book. When I think about it now, my constant involvement in agriculture either through family or friends was the main driver in my decision to pursue a career in the agricultural industry. I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. I’m happiest on the farm and I’m thankful that I’ve always had the opportunity to do what makes me happiest.
I’m thankful that I’ve never had to worry about having food on my table. My family has always raised our own beef cattle and every summer we have two large gardens. My mother canned vegetables from the garden and every year we butchered a steer for freezer beef. To this day, I can go home and know where every bit of food on our table comes from.
Coming to college, my interest in agriculture expanded and I’ve become aware of many issues confronting our industry. It’s made me thankful that I was able to be brought up with the knowledge of how and where my food is produced. I’m also thankful I’ve had the opportunity to go many places and meet many people who have been influential in my life by choosing agriculture as my chosen field of study.
Being a part of agriculture is more than just a job, it’s a responsibility to humanity. Without agriculture our world would not have been able to develop to the level it has today. Through both the hard-working ethic of the agricultural community and scientific innovations we have enabled human civilization to expand and develop into the amazing society we are today with countless opportunities available to each and every one of us. I’m thankful to know that by being involved in the agricultural industry I am helping to make this a possibility. I take this responsibility seriously and strive to do my best each and every day to inform people about current issues in our industry and tell my story.
There are a countless number of reasons I could give you for why I am ag-thankful, these were just a few. It would take me forever to tell you each and every one. I hope that by sharing these reasons I have helped you to feel a little more ag-thankful as well. Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts and have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Jesse Bussard is an Agvocate, cattlewoman, Penn State Animal Science student, and can be found on Twitter. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Jesse! Be sure to send me a message to Agriculture Proud if you are interested in making a guest post this month (agricultureproud@hotmail.com).
Source: http://agricultureproud.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/jesse-is-ag-thankful/
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
Top New Twitter Hashtags for Farm Topics
From JPlovesCotton:
I just realized that there are quite a few hashtags we are using in the ag and farm community on Twitter that aren’t on the post I previously did. And since hashtag use isn’t always well understood, it seemed like it may be helpful to some to pull together a short list as a resource.
A fun unofficial logo by Alec Winmill (@Al_Winmill)#agnerd – Things that you must be deep into ag and sometimes ag social media to enjoy sometimes are better shared. Lots of fun here but also useful tips.
#agblog — I wrote a post about this one when the idea came to me but it is basically a place to put first-person ideas that are published to blogs. With the number of farm bloggers we have, its a busy tag!
#agmobile — Out on the farm working in the field? Well snap a quick photo and tag it with #agmobile. Gives a great feel for what’s happening on the go.
#agproud — This one is a great tag. If you are proud of what is happening in agriculture, Ryan Goodman has created the hashtag, Facebook page and blog that brings you together with other like-minded folks who are proud to be part of agriculture.
#agedu and #ageduchat — Teachers and other educators who are focused on agriculture education or include agriculture in their coursework use these to trade ideas. The chat session is held the first and third Sundays from 7 p.m. to 8:30 and are moderated by @AgEduChat (which is Drew Bender (twitter & blog) and Amanda Sollman (twitter & blog).
There are a few days of the week that a few folks have set as themes. Since I have a decidedly cotton thing going on, I enjoy #TextileTuesday but I see some of the corn crowd using #cornsTALKwed too.
Some of the hashtags included in that previous post that are still useful include #agchat/#foodchat, #harvest10/#plant10, #farm, #ag, #oink/#moo, #thankafarmer and I use #farmersROCK or #cottonrocks on occasion (really anything with rocks on it). Tim Zweber is a fellow creative hashtagger as well…. never know what we will come up with.
What ag hashtags have I missed that you find useful?
Source: Top New Twitter Hashtags for Farm Topics
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
Jenn is Ag-Thankful
Picture this:
You’re sitting in the middle of a pasture, and you can’t see a fence for miles. What you do see is belly deep, green grass, waving softly in the breeze. You see a big, wide, river-turned lake, that contrasts its pretty blue waters with the green of the grass in a most enticing way. There’s black-hided cows and newborn calves surrounding you. You feel sunshine on your back, a good horse underneath you, the sound of nothing but cattle munching on grass, the occasional bawl of a baby as it looks for mama, or the cry of a hawk as it hunts above you. No cars, no airplanes, no trucks, no trains, no boats; no motorized vehicles of any kind.
More often than not, that’s my office. I get to play cowgirl everyday, here, on a third-generation run, cow/calf operation.
People ask me why I am glad to be involved in agriculture and I tell them- it’s in my blood. After all, daddy did grow up a Kansas farm boy. To love the land is in my soul. It’s who I was meant to be. I was born to be astride a horse, taking care of the land, making the most of each animal that is given to our care.
And that, my friends is really the nuts and bolts of ranching, after all. Our job is to take the best care we can of each cow, of each calf, of our misfit yearlings, of each mare, of each foal until which time they leave our care.
Come snow, rain, wind or sunshine, our job is to make sure they’ve access to water, and grass, or hay if it’s snowy and cold. That they can live the life that any cow or horse would die to live. And I mean that in the best possible way- they desire to be free, just like we do. To graze freely, water when they want, and kick up their heels when the first norther blows through. There’s really so much in the world of agriculture that is intangible- it’s hard to capture in writing.
I find gratification in caring for the animals and the grass that feeds them. Seeing a content cow or horse is something that you can’t really grasp unless you have been there. There’s nothing so amazing in the world as to move a herd of pairs to a river pasture, watch mama run to the river to water (because river water is their first choice around here!), see the baby lie down and witness mamas coming back to find them and when they do put their heads down and go to happily grazing away while baby sleeps.
Grateful doesn’t begin to describe how fortunate I know I am to live this life. Until you’ve made a living off the land, it’s a hard thing to comprehend. But if you’ve raised a garden, or chickens for meat or eggs, you have a good place to start. Satisfaction of a job well-done at the end of the day is a great reason to be Ag-proud and thankful for the life we get to live.
I can sleep each night knowing that in the fall, when we send our calves off to grow up at either a feed-lot or a wheat pasture, that they’ve lived a happy, drug-free life and that they’re going to make a yummy steak or burger for someone someday. That if someone were to buy them and want to finish them as organic or grass-fed beef, that they’ve had the best possible start in their lives. And it’s because we do our best to operate in harmony with Mother Nature.
For the animals, the land, and the history that goes with it, I am eternally grateful.
Jenn Zeller is a professional horseman and lives with her cowboy, who is a third generation rancher, on his family’s ranch in South Dakota (http://thedxranch.com) where they raise black angus cattle and registered quarter horses. You can find her on Twitter @thesdcowgirl, or read about her adventures on the ranch at her personal blog http://thesouthdakotacowgirl.com
Want to share your reasons for being thankful for Agriculture? Send an email to Agriculture Proud with your thought (agricultureproud@hotmail.com). Stay tuned during the month of November for more great guest posts from those who are Ag-Thankful!
Source: http://agricultureproud.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/jenn-is-ag-thankful/#more-749
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
National Diabetes Month: Eating Healthy During The Holidays
From Winners Drink Milk! at Indiana Dairy:
The Holiday season is right around the corner and what comes with the Holidays? …Food. November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and is the perfect time to start practicing healthy holiday eating strategies, especially if you have diabetes. You don’t want the holiday spirit to take over your body (and your blood sugar level) for that month and a half stretch between Thanksgiving and the New Years.
Eating during the holiday with diabetes can be challenging. What foods should you avoid or eat less? How will the foods you eat affect your blood sugar level? Enjoy all the typical menu items of a Holiday dinner. Just plan accordingly and understand the importance of balance. Here are some tips to help stay festive and healthy without being stressed over every nibble.
Think ahead. Try to anticipate the kind of food that you’ll encounter at a party or dinner. For instance, if you know that your mom is making a favorite pie for dessert, plan your meals and medication during the day accordingly so that you can have a slice. You don’t have to deny yourself if you think ahead. If you’re really concerned that there won’t be food at a party that you can eat, consider eating a snack beforehand.
Another good alternative is to bring a dish with you that you know you can eat. In general, consider reducing sugar or using a sugar replacement in sweets and use pureed fruit as a substitute for fat in baked goods. Your host will surely appreciate the gesture, and you’ll be able to relax knowing that you won’t go hungry.
Strategize. Eat before you go to dinner. That way, you’re not famished and ready to grab the first unhealthy thing you see. You can count on your favorite staples to be on the table – macaroni and cheese, stuffing, mashed potatoes, buttered rolls, all high-carb foods that will affect your sugar level. Be prepared to know what you will eat before you grab a plate. Roasted turkey breast is a great, low-fat protein.
Handle the sweets. This is where it may be a good idea to bring your own dessert. There’s bound to be holiday cookies, cupcakes and pies, goodies that may be too rich and sugary for you, even in small portions. Carry such healthy desserts as angel food cake and fruit cups to fulfill your cravings. Unsweetened cranberry sauce is also an option.
Exercise. After stuffing yourself plan to go for a walk to burn off the extra calories. In fact, fit in as much physical activity as possible during the holiday season. Make it a family activity and make it fun. Exercise helps stabilize your blood sugar level.
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
The Motivation behind the Practice
From Food for Thought:
Have you ever asked a football player why they love to play football? Or asked a cowhand why they love to rope (ask me!) or inquired of a teacher their motivation to mold young minds? If so, chances are you’ve heard one of the following responses:
- It’s fun
- I don’t know what else I’d be doing
- I just sort of fell in to it.
- I love being a ________ (insert beloved career here)
Ask any farmer or rancher why they produce the nation’s food supply and they’ll most likely tell you a combo of 1 and 4 “I love farming and I can’t imagine what I’d rather do more.” America’s farmers and ranchers work around the clock to make sure we have an abundant level of choices in our healthy and safe food supply and they do it all with care and respect for the land and animals. Just ask Kevin Hinke, cattle producer here in Kansas. A Kansas Farm Bureau video gets the 411 on Kevin and his motivation to farm.
As always, if you have questions about your food and where it comes from – just ask! Farmer and ranchers aren’t mysterious creatures in hiding – they go to church, school, football games etc. Got a question about grass raised vs. conventional beef – flag them down and ask away! You just might learn something 
Until next time,
~Buzzard~
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
Source: http://bloggingfoodforthought.blogspot.com/2010/11/motivation-behind-practice.html
It’s Time to Do Something Different
From Agvocates for Agriculture:
I’ve been talking a lot lately about the Farm American Project. One of the reasons that I’m so excited about it is because the goal is to promote the Farmers and Ranchers that grow the food we eat. For years we’ve had commodity specific programs with a very narrow focus of emphasis. These programs certainly have their place and I am a big supporter of them. However, I truly believe that we need to embrace this program because it will promote the individuals in our industry.
We’ve seen the need to humanize farmers and ranchers for quite some time now yet it seems that very few have implemented strategies to accomplish it. Farm American is in a unique position to get it done. This project would allow 160 million consumers to meet the farmers and ranchers that grow all of their food.
No matter what we raise or how we raise it, consumers want to meet us and learn more about us. We all win when consumers get that chance.
Some people and ag companies have looked at this project and thought it’s not worth the effort. Here’s what I know for sure, the past strategy of thinking that there are groups of people that don’t need to hear our story has put us in this troublesome position. That means we have to think in new ways and move in new directions to have our voices heard. We can’t be scared, we have to be confident. The ag companies that step up and help make this a reality will prove themselves to be the true leaders in ag business because they will recognize this as an opportunity. It will be clear that they intend to be partners with Farmers and Ranchers for generations to come.
I want my children to have the same opportunities that I had to be involved in agriculture. In order for that to happen we need to let consumers know who we are and why it’s important that we are here. The opportunity is being given to all of us to get that done. It only remains to be seen who will take advantage of it.
It’s time to work together.
The opinions expressed in the above post represent the thoughts and feelings of the blogger, and not necessarily NYFEA as a whole.
Source: http://advocatesforag.blogspot.com/2010/11/its-time-to-do-something-different.html
