Nebraska's Got What it Takes

I'm generally not a huge Nebraska fan - I'm usually one of the loud, obnoxious KSU fans yelling 'KEEP THE RED OUT!'  But not today. Today, I'm a Cornhusker fan, because the Governor of Nebraska is making it very clear that HSUS is not welcome to enter the northern state.

This past weekend, at the Nebraska Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference, Governor Heineman asserted that if HSUS attempts anything, they're (HSUS) going "to have to fight for your life." Heineman also went on to state that HSUS will not find a single elected state official to back a ballot initiative and the largest cities in the state (Omaha and Lincoln) will be looking to farmers and ranchers for leadership.  I'd bet that the producers of the state will be more than willing to accept that challenge.

The 1.8 million people of Nebraska should be very proud of their state leadership and theirselves. If HSUS does attempt ballot initiatives they'll have quite the fight ahead of them.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Marshmallows = Meat

I was perusing Yahoo! the other day and came across this article, "10 Foods that Vegans Can't Eat" and my interest sharpened.  I knew that vegans can't eat meat, dairy or fish but did you know that things like red food coloring, which is derived from certain insects, is also on the no-no list?  I didn't -- I have pasted the highlights of the article in this post or you can click on the link and read its entirety for yourself.

1. Meat - duh.
2. Fish and shellfish - duh, again.
3. Dairy products - because they're made with milk which comes from cows.
4. Eggs -- eggs are produced by chickens, which are animals, and are therefore taboo.

Here is where it gets interestiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

5. Honey -- comes from bees and insects count as animals... I guess.
6. White sugar -- didn't know this but according to PETA some sugar is processed using bone char.  Bone char is used to give sugar it's white color. Guess ya learn something every day.
7. Most BEER! - due to the fact that most beers are filtered using gelatin from fish bladders, egg whites or seashells.
8. Some breads - because they may contain milk or eggs.
9. Marshmallows - no s'mores for the vegan community, bummer. Why? Because marshmallows contain gelatin made from some parts of animals like skin or bones.  Fun fact? Most junk food is vegan even though it is extremely unhealthy.
10. Mayonnaise and other salad dressings - they contain egg yolks.

I imagine it would be very tedious work to shop for a vegan and probably very expensive. Good think the husby and I are carnivorous!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Leaky Mouth Syndrome - Educate Yourself First

(graphic courtesy of http://www.wesoldbooks.com)

Props to Natalie Morales of The Today Show who told Suzanne Somers that she didn't have 'doctors as experts' to back up Somers' claim of antibiotics in meat causing 'leaky gut syndrome, lupus and MS'. Morales also pointed out that there is very little scientific proof backing up Somers' claims. Morales is 100% correct and Somers' should educate herself before she tries to educate the American public.

I won't repost the video here but if you click the link you can view it for yourself. Antibiotics in animal agriculture are constantly misunderstood and unrightfully get a bad rap. These are the FACTS about antibiotics in animal agriculture:

 - Veterinarians are involved in decisions regarding when to administer antibiotics.
 - Antibiotics have a withdrawal period that, depending on the antibiotic, can range from 20-60 days. The antibiotic is not administered within the 20-40 days prior to slaughter; this means that the antibiotic has been out of the animals system and in no way affects the consumer.  Meat and food products are tested for residues and if found the meat is removed from the food supply chain.
 - The FDA approves antibiotics only if they meet the following criteria:
    - The antibiotic is safe for the animal and environment
    - Edible products produced from the treated animal is safe for consumers
    - FDA 'Guidance 152' specifically addresses human health concerns due to antibiotic resistance from use in food animals.

Farmers and ranchers care about the food produced from their animals because it's the food they feed their families. They wouldn't do anything to their animals that could potentially harm the food supply. Now that you know the facts, you can share them with your friends, families, readers and colleagues.

Suzanne Somers needs to consult real doctors and read up on her literature and scientific sources before writing her next 'best'-seller.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

post script -- decided to include video. It's appalling but everyone needs to see it in order to realize the level of intelligence that is influencing the nation's food decisions.

Mission: Angel Food Cake -- COMPLETE!

As I write this, I am sitting in a hotel room in Manhattan, KS with three of my best friends after a busy day of wedding decorating, rehearsal and drinks out with family. It's my last night as a full-fledged Buzzard, and I'm having difficulty dealing with the reality. Boom.

Anyway - the last time I posted, I had completed 15 of the required 30 cakes. I baked a few more cakes between then and last week.  At 2:30 a.m. this Friday morning, I finished the last of cakes.  Tonight, at our rehearsal dinner, I present 5 cheesecakes and 3 angel food cakes which catapulted me to the 30 mark!  I have no idea if I'm headed to Fiji in 3 weeks, but the mere fact that I completed the challenge against Hyatt's predictions makes me feel awesome!

Feast your eyes on the heavenly dessert bar!

Getting married tomorrow -- hello January 22, where did you come from?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Fashion Forward Farmer

I'm not super fashionable -- most days I wear jeans, boots and a t-shirt...sometimes even a dressy t-shirt.  But what I do know is that today's farmer can be couture while shoveling manure and feeding cattle.

 It's snowy and muddy outside so you'll definitely want some good, waterproof barn boots.  How about these?

Women's Bogs - they come in fun colors like green paisley, chocolate flower, sky and autumn.

Don't feel like wearing the same ole same ole brown coveralls? No problem. Check out these colored coveralls from Rod's

Now you're a fashion forward farmer! So go throw on some work gloves, grab a shovel and get to muckin those barns!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Don't Judge Me Based on Your Ignorance

A fellow Food For Thought member pointed this video out to me today -- it's been floating around Facebook and YouTube for a few days but I've been cutoff from technology and am just now seeing it.

For your viewing pleasure "HSUS meets an average cattleman" - it pokes fun at HSUS (which I deem warranted) but also contains tons of valuable beef production information.

Hope you enjoy it -- it's absolutely hilarious!


Video courtesy of wt94j on YouTube

This will be a busy week for me (the wedding is Saturday) but I'll try to keep the blog updated!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

A Glimpse into the House of FroBuzz

So I've been promising a post about the FroBuzz trailer for quite some time -- that time is now. 

***Disclaimer*** -- the trailer has been painted since these pictures were taken so it looks much nicer.

 Having a little BBQ at the FroBuzz casa

Our lovely yard decoration -- the only thing we put up for Christmas.

Our neighbors are really nice but they have some character flaws -- these were their yard decorations at Christmas.

I don't have any pictures of the inside of the FroBuzz trailer, but it's about the size of an office cubicle so you can use your imagination!

Planning for the FroBuzz wedding is in full force -- 10 more days!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

p.s. -- Look for an exciting new blog update in the next couple weeks - I think you're gonna like it!

Beets, The Office and Agritourism

Question: What is one of the best sitcoms of all time.
Answer: The Office

I love The Office - for Christmas, I received seasons 1-4 on DVD and spent the last four days watching them while I planned for the wedding. Obsessed, I know.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear some positive agriculture commentary during season four.  Dwight K. Schrute, owner of Schrute farms, highly supports agritourism.  Visitors to Schrute Farms get to see live table making demonstrations, drink beet wine and take tours of the fields and farms. While this farm doesn't really exist, props to NBC for promoting agrotourism.

For those of you who haven't seen the episode, below is the specific clip.



Obviously, Schrute farm is not the best example of agritourism but I thought it was awesome to see one of my favorite shows be up to date with agriculture.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Vegetarianism is in my blood...

Sort of.

I have a cousin who, a few years ago, decided she wanted to become a vegetarian.  She adopted this lifestyle because she had a some friends who were vegetarian and had given her some information about animal welfare and cruelty. While she did read the information, she didn't explore all educational resources before making her decision.

She continued this lifestyle for two years before returning to her carnivorous ways. When I asked her why she reintroduced meat to her life she said that she had forgotten why she had given it up.  She also said she didn't believe the same things anymore, and didn't see any point in continuing with something she no longer believed.

This is a great example of how sometimes trying something for yourself is more influential than simply reading some pamphlets. If I liked any vegetables besides green beans, corn and potatoes I would try to eat only vegetables for a week.  Maybe I should only eat those three things for a week and see how I feel.....interesting.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Be SMART in 2011

It's that time of year again when we all resolve to workout 6 days a week, go to church every Sunday, call our parents more and save more money.  We're all guilty of making those resolutions and most of us are guilty of letting them fall by the wayside a few weeks into January.

This year, why not resolve SMARTly -  specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely resolutions.

Last year, these were my resolutions:
1 - Get in shape by going to the rec and doing the Gutz and Butz workouts --> important for looking good in a wedding dress!
2 - Keep my 3.7 GPA in grad school -- study for stats and put in at least 20 hours on my seminar presentation
3 - Maintain close relationships with friends who are no longer in Manhattan -- via Facebook, texts and snail mail (I'm not so great at talking on the phone, sorry).
4 - Continue to work hard to maintain and improve the great relationship Hyatt and I have
5 - Find a house in the Manhattan area and decorate it with both western decor (for me) and outdoor/hunting decor (for the Ninja). Pics will definitely be provided as this process takes place
6 - Move my horses to Manhattan so I can get them in shape and get back to my passion -- rodeoing!
7 - Stay close to family by going home as much as possible

The only ones I achieved and stayed true to were...drumroll............... 2-5.  Which were all pretty easy.  The hard ones (work out, move horses to MHK, find time to go to SEK) resulted in lack of time/effort due to gradschool (and I hate working out).  This year my resolutions have changed - they're now SMART.

1 - Spend 15 minutes every day (including weekends) advocating for agriculture via Twitter (follow me @brandibuzzard), blogging and Facebook.
2 - Have a date night once per week with the Ninja regardless if it's a movie, dinner or a game of Scrabble.
3 - Send an Australia update email to friends and family every two weeks to keep them informed of life down under.
4 - Defend for my Master's degree before school starts in January 2012 - accomplish this by updating manuscripts and my literature review weekly while in Australia.
5 - Cook one new recipe per week (I got tons of cookbooks as shower gifts, thanks to my family for that hint).
6 - Increase my knowledge of agriculture current events through daily reading periodicals, journals, online newsletters and local and world news.

I challenge you to set SMART resolutions that you can stick to this year.  Make sure to steer a few towards agriculture to help you grow as an informed consumer, producer and agvocate.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~