Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. I think my new year's resolution will be to post more. I am going to try at least. I have a smart phone blackberry thingy. I will have to get smart enough to use it though! I also am going to try and be more active advocating for agriculture. It is just not enough preaching to the choir- which seems to be the rut I keep falling into.

Hope you have a wonderful 2011!

'Tis the season

Went and visited the in-laws over the weekend. Checked cows, fed cows, and checked out the horses. Sure is nice to think we only have one two year old to start this spring. It was so long ago that we had tweleve. Plus, the ex-stud makes an awesome gelding.

Here is Snip doing his work.

We are about 75% of the way through this calving season. My FIL has changed to 3 seasons for more branding opportunities, to try and hit different markets, and stabilize his cash flow. It works for them. It is also pretty innovative and helps the sustainability of the place.

Big Ag Business

I have been thinking... Scary huh? OK, so "big" ag business is bad. Little farmers are good. Tractors are bad, garden plots in cities are good. Grass-finishing is good, grain-finishing is bad. So basically, the loudest consumers want us to go backwards about 100 years? Am I understanding this right? We are supposed to go back to the days of each farmer producing enough food for 10-15 people. What are we going to do about the other 130-135 that today's American farmer feeds?

It would be fun to start tearing out fences, season long grazing seasons, and feeding with teams. But what would it do for the environment? Especially if we took out fences around riparian areas, the ones which prevent cattle from loafing in sensitive areas? Hasn't science research the value of rotational and deferred grazing systems? But who cares, we will have quintessential, small, farms, for local consumption.

Sorry, Montana you will no longer be getting citrus fruits, grapes, bananas, etc. The good news is people on the East Coast are going to have a reduction in the amount of beef they eat. Should make all the "red meat is bad" people happy.

Ag-WOW

I see many on facebook posting their Ag-WOW moment. I feel a bit left out. I have never had one of those- Oh My moments or ah ha moments when I truly understood the meaning of agriculture. It has always been a part of my life and the way I lived.

I did have an experience that I am going to call an my AG-WOW for advocacy. I was on a field tour, discussing a grazing system when one of those domestic terrorists from WWP told me how horrible cows were on public lands and that they had no place there. I then listened to a federal agency botantist talk about how historically buffalo were on this range!? WOW! I couldn't believe how misinformed people were about history, ecology, and economics of agriculture. I was truley amazed by the rhetoric and ignorance being spewed from the mouths of college educated scientists, for lack of a better word.

Think about it. These people are considered experts in the field but... We know who the true experts are. Tell others.

Vegan Columnist in South Dakota

I shouldn't be spreading these lies (see link below) but... I thought it would be worth a read to many of you to see why it is important to get out of your comfort zone and defend agriculture. This opinion piece was written by a senior nutrition major at South Dakota State University. If you have the time go through the comments and look at how the ag community at SDSU responded. I am proud of the next generation of college educated farmers, ranchers, and scientists. For the most part, the took a stand based on science not emotion, then included their own personal story about how they cared for animals.

http://www.sdsucollegian.com/opinion/column-healthy-eating-leads-to-a-healthy-person-you-truly-are-what-you-eat-1.1814581

Good Job Nebraska Governor

The Governor of Nebraska has taken a stand for Nebraska's number one industry- Agriculture. He told Wayne Pacelle and the Humane Society of the United States that they are not welcome in his state. He will not compromise with those against the #1 economy in Nebraska.

I think this is great. Too bad California's Terminator didn't stand up against HSUS instead of caving. Instead he is terminating commercial egg production, veal calf, and pork industry in the Golden State.

Liberals

A quote seen on facebook "Liberals are like women~ They make most decisions based on emotion." I started to get fuzzed up about the comparison but then started thinking. My decision was going to based on emotion. DOH! Dang it. Then, I thought about it. It is pretty true. So, how do you deal with women or liberals? It takes a change in strategy.

Instead of discussing the benefits of conventional raised beef; talk about the emotions associated with raising livestock in traditional way. The amount of time, care, and love contributed to the raising of something you know will eventually be harvested. THe feedings of bummer lambs and leppy calves and the care given to an orphan animal.

When you discuss the use of public lands- talk about the wildlife seen on the permit, the family time spent salting and gathering, the beauty and the reduction of fire danger associated with grazing.

Domestic Terrorists

I am starting to think most groups with environmental in their name or mission statement are terrorists or should be treated as such. They threaten the nation's food supply through emotional pleas and misinformed media.

I just finished looking over a stay filed by Western Watersheds Project. The stay is against the record of decision on an allotment-public land. This specific record of decision was based in science for the most part, the RANGE portion WAS the wildlife portion was based on anedoctal and antiquated evidence along with some very conservative grazing to protect a bird that only uses the range for a few weeks.

The allotment holder actual told us "I want to reduce my numbers so this land is sustainable, I need to use it year after year." The WWP representative was worried about pedalstaling by naturally occuring frost heaves. He wouldn't listen to a soil scientist's perspective- it is natural. He wouldn't believe that PROPER grazing promotes biodiversity. He only wanted one thing- to get cattle off of public lands.

THe public lands in question probably triple the amount of land in the arid environment available to raise high quality, nutritious, wholesome food. These lands if properly taken care of flourish under moderate grazing. They also home to threatened species that have moved away from lands which have been retired from grazing.

I stand by my thoughts that many of these groups are domestic terrorists- using non-violent but effective just the same techniques to hurt America and the people which feed the people.

Is there such a thing as veganism?

http://fitperez.com/2010-10-26-interesting-picture

Check out this illustration of what all in our daily lives we can contribute to cattle and by-products. From cosmetics to charcoal cows are a part of our daily life.