Buzzard's Beat

Does PETA cross a line with new ad?

2012-02-14T12:18:00.004-06:00

picture courtesy PETA

I think the new PETA ad crosses the line and is pretty bold considering it puts a different spin on a form of domestic abuse (disclaimer: I am not saying they promote/condone domestic abuse. So please don't flood my comment stream with stuff about how I am reading into things and exaggerating). I also don't think this type of advertising is successful in converting people to vegetarianism/veganism. It's more for shock value, in my opinion. Read the short article and watch the video by clicking the link below.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/does-peta-ad-featuring-young-pantsless-woman-neckbrace-222920818.html

I can't find the ad on YouTube so hopefully you clicked the link and watched it.

What do you think?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Chipotle Strikes a Nerve with Grammy Commercial

2012-02-13T14:59:00.000-06:00

10:30 pm Sunday: I'm so livid right now, I can't even form a coherent sentence. So I may have to come back and finish this post in the morning.
*********

Monday morning/afternoonish: Ok, I'm back. A good night's sleep and a few deep breaths has me calmed me down enough that now I can at least form sentences and not scream at stupid Chipotle commercials.
If you haven't seen the commercial that aired last night during the Grammy's (I didn't watch the Grammy's but once I saw my Facebook and Twitter blowing up, I went to YouTube and watched the disaster), please do so now, so that you're aware of what I'm talking about.

I can't even begin to explain everything that is wrong with this commercial, but I'll try:

1. Livestock are not raised indoors because farmers are lazy. Quite the opposite actually. As I type this, there is snow on the ground and it's 27 degrees in Kansas and spitting sleet oh and don't forget it's Kansas so it's always windy. If I was a dairy cow or a pig, I'd wanna be indoors and out of the snow and wind.

2. Supporting local farmers is a great endeavor however, there is not always a year-round farmers market that has every grocery item from A-Z in every small town. Without Hyvee, Dillons and yes, the dastardly Wal-Mart, my little family would starve. Transporting food from where it was grown to where it is sold is not evil or wrong. It's called infrastructure and we should be very thankful we have it. Countries in Africa don't have very good infrastructure and therefore have a lot of food shortages and hunger problems.

3. Did you know there is 77 times more hormones (estrogen) in ONE EGG than in a 100 gram portion of implanted beef? I didn't make that up, it's the facts. Antibiotics are used during stressful times in an animal life when the immune system is compromised and when they need to be treated for sickness. Antibiotics on farms are not used irresponsibly or willi-nilli.

4. Farmers and ranchers aren't running factories. To say otherwise is absurd. Producers check their livestock on a daily basis and are always striving to provide the utmost care possible so that the quality of life for their livestock is as best as can be.

Also, did you know that even though Chipotle claims to use local, certified organic products they quite often can't find enough supply to meet their demand and end up using conventionally produced products? They admit it:

“We do, however, face challenges associated with pursuing Food With Integrity. For example, current economic conditions have led to natural chicken and steak supply shortages. It can take longer to identify and secure relationships with suppliers meeting our criteria, and there are higher costs and other risks associated with purchasing naturally raised or sustainably grown ingredients. The growing time for naturally raised meat and sustainably grown vegetables can be longer. Herd losses can also be greater when animals are not treated with antibiotics and hormones and field losses can be higher for organically grown produce. Given the costs associated with natural and sustainable farming practices, and recently due to decreased demand as a result of the weak economic environment, many large suppliers have not found it economical to pursue business in this area.” -- taken from Chipotle's annual report.

Just to clear something up: I have no problem with organic or naturally produced food products. I am very proud to live in a country where I can buy whatever type of food I want: organic, natural, conventional, grass-fed, grain-fed, etc. However, I can't afford those products and quite frankly I know there isn't a difference between them and their conventionally produced contemporaries. However, I don't condemn those farmers who make a living in a way that is different to everyone else. If consumers want to pay higher prices for organic and natural, well then props to those producers who can provide it. All I'm saying is that one isn't better than the other and we shouldn't gang up on each other. We can all agree that Chipotle is definitely not portraying an accurate picture of food production and are also not using the products of which they're so proud to endorse. Honesty goes a long ways with Buzzard.

I haven't eaten Chipotle in five years. Seriously. Mostly because of their marketing schemes but also partly because I didn't really like the food anyway. I don't mean to punish producers who supply Chipotle with food but I just can't support a company that trounces on conventional agriculture so inappropriately and inaccurately. My pride and values won't let me.

There are other great commentaries on this commercial making their rounds on the internet - I encourage you to check them out!

Food Integrity Starts with Marketing Integrity - Daren Williams, NCBA
Chipotle, Your Grammy Commercial Still Doesn't Change My Mind - Crystal Young
http://storify.com/nicksargent/negative-reaction-to-chipotle-grammy-ad
Was Chipotle's Ad Eloquent or Ignorant? - Peggy Lowe, Harvest Public Media

Oh and let's not forget about Willie Nelson. Shame, shame on you for ruining Coldplay's song "Back to the Start" and for continuing to not be a friend of conventional agriculture.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

BOLD with BEEF!

2012-02-09T07:28:00.000-06:00

I love beef and now that I can be BOLD with beef, I've even more jazzed up about my favorite protein source.

BOLD stands for Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet. The Iowa Beef Industry Council has recently brought light to research conducted at Penn State University that showed eating lean beef daily in a heart-healthy diet reduced the 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) by 10%. Also, in the January issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition it was determined that substituting lean beef for white meat – improved heart disease risk factors across the board. Wowza! That's a pretty big deal.

So why all the beef about beef? Because it's February and next week is Valentine's Day!

Question - what is the absolute BEST way to show someone special how much you love them?

Answer - buy them steak.

This is a proven fact and therefore no discussion will be taken about facts. Beef is best. Bazinga.

Also, did you know that it's a leap year? Yep - 29 days and by no coincidence, there are also 29 cuts of lean beef for you to enjoy! My fellow advocate and friend, Jesse Bussard, has written a post about the 29 days 29 lean cuts epiphany and I think you should check it out.

So, directions for February:
1. Eat heart-healthy, lean beef everyday. For a list of the lean cuts, check here

2. On Valentine's Day take your sweetie out to a steak dinner - or buy steak and prepare it at home. That's what the hubsy and I are doing - but make sure you cook your beef to the proper temperatures!

3. Cheer for the Cats in our final few weeks of regular season play. This is also not up for discussion. Please do it (I even said please).

Have a great February and don't forget to enjoy lean, heart-healthy beef daily!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~
For more info visit http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/bold.aspx

Agriculture Impressions

2012-02-06T11:07:00.000-06:00

By now I'm sure you've seen the images of a milk jug or kernel of corn that have ag facts and messages contained within - here are a few to refresh your memory:

This one is probably my favorite. It's gorgeous and these two great men should be given more attention for their visionary leadership.

Not only are these images eye catching but they are riddled with ag facts for you to share with your friends and network! I've started saving them to my info folder so I can spout off agriculture information when I'm needing some conversation fodder!

If you like these images, you can see quite a few more that will inspire you to continue to advocate for agriculture - just log on to Facebook and like the 'AgricultureImpressions' page and you can view them for yourself!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Photo credits given to AGRICULTUREIMPRESSIONS

Super Bowl Commercial Revealed!

2012-02-01T08:20:00.000-06:00

We all know that the commercials that appear during the Super Bowl are supposed to be the best ones every year - they're the most expensive and are usually promoting products like Dr. Pepper, Doritos, Bud Light (which are the funniest in my opinion) and who can forget the E-Trade baby?

But this year there's going to be a new kid on the block in the form of a dairy commercial!

I don't want to spoil the fun so I'll only provide the link to the video here instead of embedding the video below. Or you can wait until Super Bowl Sunday to find out the 'dairy' good news!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

HSUS and PETA - Lover's Quarrel

2012-01-30T07:35:00.000-06:00

photo courtesy

Did you hear the news?! PETA and HSUS are in a spat. But probably not for long - some celebrity like Kim Kardashian (I'll never understand why she's considered a celebrity) will wear a leather cap and then be back in cahoots. However, for now they aren't seeing eye to eye on a very important issue.

Horse slaugher in the U.S.

Remember a few months ago when a bill was passed that reinstated funding for federal inspection of horse slaughter plants? Well, HSUS is totally and 100% against horse slaughter saying that the decline in horse welfare over the past few years, mainly abandonment, has occurred because of economic circumstances. Which is partly true but as www.HumaneWatch.org puts it, "who can predict economic downturn?" On the other hand, PETA is actually the voice of reason in this debate - Ingrid Newkirk, PETA co-founder, recently said to the Christian Science Monitor:

It's quite an unpopular position we've taken. There was a rush to pass a bill that said you can't slaughter them anymore in the United States. But the reason we didn't support it, which sets us almost alone, is the amount of suffering that it created exceeded the amount of suffering it was designed to stop.

I never thought that I would agree with Ingrid Newkirk, not in a million years. However, she hits the nail right on the head. We (agriculturalists) have been saying for the past four years that if there's nowhere to take the horses in the states, they'll just be shipped to Mexico for slaughter and that situation certainly won't be as well-monitored as the U.S. once was. The reinstatement of funding is a good thing for agriculture, for many reasons, which I'll briefly go over again:

1. Horse meat is a delicacy in many countries. The U.S. could once again be a player in horse meat exports to Canada and France

2. The quality of life for horses can improve phenomenally if slaughter plants re-open. No more 30 hours treks to Mexico to be slaughtered in non-USDA plants. Owners, now with an outlet for their unwanted horses, will no longer be cutting brands off their horses and turning them loose on the range.

3. Slaughter plants need manpower to run - manpower comes from men (and women). Men and women who need jobs in a crappy economy. Slaughter plants = job creation.

I definitely side with PETA on this issue, as HSUS isn't about animal welfare improvement. Their goal is to abolish animal agriculture. At least for the moment, PETA is a friend of agriculture (although I'm not sure how long that will last).

To read more of the Humane Watch piece, click here.

Thoughts?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

No Ag Gagging in Florida

2012-01-27T10:40:00.000-06:00

Transparency is important in agriculture. By being transparent and opening our doors, I believe we can continue to narrow the urban consumer-rural producer gap. When we allow people to see our farms, we can put to rest any ill begotten ideas they have about agriculture production.

image from here

That's why I'm thrilled that Florida has turned down the "Ag Gag" legislation which, if passed, would have made any person photographing or videotaping on a farm subject a person to criminal prosecution and imprisonment. This bill was aimed at getting rid of undercover animal rights videographers whose sole reason for employment was to catch bad examples in the act instead of actually helping the animals. But that's for a different day.

While I realize that the bill and it's proponents had farmers' best interests at heart, what kind of message would this bill have sent to the public? We're saying that agriculture has something to hide - which we most certainly do not.

The best way to provide great examples to the public is to do the right thing - be outstanding stewards of our land and animals. An additional option would be to conduct background checks and double-check employment history of all new farm employees. That's a management tactic that should probably already be in action, truth be told.

Iowa is debating the same bill, House File 589, and I sincerely hope it doesn't pass. We need to send a message to the public that we encourage transparency and closing our doors to photos and videos isn't the way to do that. I fear the repercussions would be far outweigh the benefits of this bill.

What are your thoughts?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Australia Day

2012-01-25T06:49:00.000-06:00

Last year at this time, I wasn't yet in Australia but was hastily packing my house after being married only four days previous (post on our anniversary coming soon). Nonetheless, we still heard plenty of hype about Australia day, and many other Australian holidays, while we were abroad.

For those of you who don't know, Australia Day is on January 26th this year and is a celebration of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships (Australia's first populants, besides Aboriginals, were convicts from Europe) and the flying of the Union Jack (flag) by that fleet's leader, Captain Phillip. In essence it's a celebration of the entire country's history, akin to our Independence Day. However, they also have an ANZAC Day which is akin to our Veteran's Day or Memorial Day holidays and is celebrated in April.

Back on track, if you want to read more about Australia Day click here.

The real reason for this post is to bring attention to the food movement for Australia Day that's taking place. Tweets and Facebook posts have been in my feed for a few weeks about 'eating Australian' on Australia Day. Know what that means?

It means eat this:

or a better depiction, this:

image from here

In order to boost lamb sales, producers want Australians to eat Australian lamb on Australia Day (that's a lot of Australia's in one sentence). It makes sense, it's the #1 consumed meat in the land down under and is becoming more affordable (or it was when we left a month ago) through 'price wars' between Coles and Woolies/Safeway which are the two biggest supermarket chains.

Eating products of their own country makes sense and I applaud the marketing efforts being made to promote a home-grown product. Maybe a few Americans should eat lamb to celebrate Australia Day, everyone should try it at least once.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

How Useless would Agriculture Be if You Went Hungry?

2012-01-20T10:27:00.000-06:00

The agriculture world has been abuzz today with the recent posting of an article titled, College Majors That Are Useless, where the generic terms "Agriculture Majors" sits at #1. Sitting at #4 was Animal Sciences and #5 was Horticulture. Oh, where shall I begin?

First off, one cannot major in agriculture. For example at my alma mater, Kansas State University, and most other land grant univerisities, you enroll in a degree program within the College of Ag. Degree programs may include Animal Sciences & Industry, Horticulture, Ag Communications etc. Upon graduation, you may have earned a degree in Agriculture but it is concentrated in a specific area of study.

Does this journalist (I use that term loosely here, because this was horrible, horrible journalism) have any idea who produces his food and fiber or the science behind creating those products? Obviously not. Agriculture produces more than just food - check out this list of ag prodcuts:

-- chewing gum
-- detergents
-- candles
-- photofilm
-- shampoo and conditioner
-- deoderant
-- emery boards
-- cotton clothing (got those cotton commericials stuck in your head now?)
-- glass
-- charcoal
-- medicine
-- wallpaper
-- chalk
-- cake mix

I'd be willing to bet that Mr. Loose (so-called journalist) uses one or more of those items on a regular basis. In addition to all those non-food products, let's not forget that if it weren't for AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL SCIENCE and HORTICULTURE, there would not be a food supply.
Agriculture graduates, regardless of their specific major, are employable in thousands of different job settings. A degree in agriculture is not necessarily indicative of a career as a farm manager. What about agriculture education, academia, meat industry, research, the thousands of veterinary clinics in the U.S., feed processing, ag sales - I could go on and on. Think about the number of agriculture jobs that there isn't even a need for yet? As our population continues to grow, so will our need for producers and people to develop new ways to feed so many people. I would be willing to bet that Terence wouldn't be saying agriculture degrees were useless if he was starving and naked.

There have been a multitude of blog posts and tweets circulate because of this outrageous article. Anna-Lisa Giannini has even created a Facebook group called "I Studied Agriculture and I Have a Job", which already has over 2500 likes. You can also check out these links to other blog posts on the topic:

-- Allen Levine, Dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota wrote a piece of The Huffington Post
-- Food For Thought colleague, Tera Rooney, on the Food For Thought blog
-- An Open Letter to Terence Loose by Rebekah Bowen
-- Greg Henderson of Drover's CattleNetwork, wrote Yahoo! Please Don't Mess with the Goat Ropers

Also, if you want to send your own response to Terence Loose, you can do so by emailing him at tloose7@gmail.com

Let agriculture's voice be heard!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Only in America do we say 'Git R Done'!

2012-01-17T06:46:00.000-06:00

That is a phrase that has made several trips around the U.S. and has become the motto for NASCAR fans, camo-clad hunters, farm boys and several million other Americans who, like me, embrace their country upbringing. In fact, Git R Done was my class motto (there were only 7 girls and 11 boys; we got outvoted).

The twangy, plaid-wearing Larry the Cable Guy made the phrase famous on the Blue Collar Comedy tour and never looked back. His success has been astronomical, with two BCC videos, his own stand-up career, playing Tater in Cars 1 and 2 and most recently, a TV series the History Channel called "Only in America." It debuted last year and just premiered its second season last week. Basically, Larry takes camera crews around to various rural outlets and gives viewers a firsthand look at American rural life. During this year's premiere episode, he visited Alaska to try to bust moose poachers and dropped in on Sarah Palin and her family.

The next episode, which is on tomorrow at 8 pm/C on the History Channel, will be in Wisconsin getting a better look at the dairy and beef industries. The online summary says that, "His first stop is the state's largest dairy farm, where he works every tough job that goes into each glass of milk." Additionally, I'm sure we can expect the usual LtCG antics and humor which will probably spice up the show.

I am not sure if I'll be able to tune in but I'm sure going to try! If ya'll watch, please leave me some comment love and let me know how it goes!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Who Takes Credit for Agriterrorism?

2012-01-13T06:41:00.000-06:00

If you haven't yet heard, earlier this week Harris Ranch in California was the victim of a horrible animal rights activist attack in which fourteen of their trucks used to transport cattle were set on fire and completely destroyed. After news reports surfaced, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) stepped up to take credit for the horrendous acts.

I'm sorry. Took credit?

Generally, people take credit for an accomplishment. This was a malicious attack, NOT an accomplishment. Harris Rach CEO, John Harris, is appalled at the "senseless and alarming attacks" which are, in my opinion, easily classified as domestic terrorism. These actions are unwarranted and unacceptable and I hope that the Fresno County police can get to the bottom of this whole thing.

A direct quote in the email authored by the activists says:

"We weren't sure how well this was going to work, so we waited until there were news reports before writing this," the statement said. "We were extremely pleased to see that all 14 trucks 'were a total loss' with some being 'completely melted to the ground.'"

The e-mail ended with, "Until next time."

People, pay attention. These so-called activists (I prefer the term agriterrorists) are not playing nice or fair. Apparently, it's common-practice within their circles to start cattle trucks on fire and endanger human lives for the sake of making a point (a poor point, at that). It seems that they will stop at nothing to push their cause. In fact, the United States Department of Homeland Security classifies ALF as a "domestic terrorist organization." Their stated objectives are:

To inflict economic damage on those who profit from the misery and exploitation of animals.
To liberate animals from places of abuse, i.e. laboratories, factory farms, fur farms etc., and place them in good homes where they may live out their natural lives, free from suffering.
To reveal the horror and atrocities committed against animals behind locked doors, by performing nonviolent direct actions and liberations
To take all necessary precautions against harming any animal, human and non-human.
Any group of people who are vegetarians or vegans and who carry out actions according to ALF guidelines have the right to regard themselves as part of the ALF.

These are not the objectives of a sane organization interested in reaching compromise. These are the objectives of extremists, whose goal is get rid of our industry. I am sick of it.

To the so called activists - whoever you are. You have done nothing but inflame the malcontent that the entire agriculture community feels towards you. Before, we just despised how you used money, fancy wording and sensational advertising to push your false agenda. After this malicious attack, you can rest assured that we are even more ticked off than before. You have physically and forcefully attacked our way of life, our livelihood, livestock and families. You have been warned - our efforts to inform society of your true goals and sneaky tactics will increase hundred-fold. I can only hope that the guilty parties are found and brought to justice.

So how do you feel? Are you ticked? I sure am. Leave me your thoughts below.

If you want to read up on the attacks click here, here or here. To read John Harris's full statement, click here.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Keep Families Farming

2012-01-12T06:32:00.000-06:00

We all know that 4-H and FFA are fantastic outlets to get involved with agriculture at a young age, develop skills and find our passions. But most of us developed our interests for 4-H and FFA long before we memorized the creed or participated at our first state fair.

I, along with several hundreds of thousands of young people in the U.S., grew up helping my family on the ranch. Feeding horses, filling water troughs, grooming animals - these tasks were all a daily aspect of my life and through those chores I learned responsibility, discipline and developed my love of the land and animals.

As many of you are aware, the U.S. Department of Labor is trying to pass a law that would prevent children under 18 from participating in or completing the following activities on a farm:

Paid workers age 15 and younger would be barred from operating tractors, combines, ATVs and almost all power-driven equipment, unless they obtain special certification.
Youths under the age of 18 would not be allowed to work at grain elevators, silos, feed lots, livestock auctions or in the transporting of raw farm materials.
Tobacco fields would be off-limits to workers under age 16 due to concerns about a problem called green-tobacco sickness, caused by the exposure to nicotine.
Children in both agricultural and non-farm work would be restricted from using personal electronic devices, including walkie-talkies, while operating equipment.

Anyone who has ever been on a farm knows that parents' #1 priority is safety for their children around livestock and machinery. This law would not only cripple the ability of children to get involved in agriculture at an early age but would also cause difficulty to those families who depend on teenagers to help haul hay, run the combines etc to get their work done on time.

There was a comment period for this legislation but unfortunately, it expired on Dec 31, 2011. However, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran (R), is collecting comments to continue to capture the ag community's concern with this issue. Voice and opinion is critical if we are going to stop this action.

Want to share your story? Head on over to http://moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/keep-families-farming and help keep our traditions of hard work and family in place on the farm.

Additionally, a YouTube video has been produced to help spread the message about Keeping Families Farming.

If you'd like to read the Kansas City Star article about this topic click here.

Help get the word out and share your comments and stories and hopefully we can Keep Families Farming! Tweet, blog and Facebook about it - this is a rather important issue!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

I Love McDonald's

2012-01-04T09:59:00.000-06:00

For several reasons.

While in Australia, I ate a lot of McDonald's food. Not because I had cravings or anything (read: Buzzard is not pregnant) but because I generally didn't like the food in Australia (too many veggies and far too much lamb) so I took a lot of long walks to McD's (known as Macca's) for some world famous fries and 100% Australian beef (that's a topic for later discussion).

Australia's McDonald's did a great job reaching out to consumers and putting a face to their beef and potato producers. In fact, one of my first blog posts after arriving in Australia was about their great agvocacy on packaging.

That's why I'm super excited about the latest marketing campaign by U.S. McDonald's: commercials featuring beef, lettuce and potato producers for the chain. Steve Fogelsong, former NCBA President, is featured in the beef video and throughout the video he talks about passion, having experience and occasionally getting your "butt kicked." He also touches on the quality standards for McDonald's and states that "you can't get great taste without great quality."

In the other two videos, the producers talk about the hard work that goes into farming and how they are continuing a family farm for the 4th generation. The story about how iceberg lettuce got its name also comes up - you learn something everyday!

This is such a fantastic initiative and I am thrilled that McDonald's has stepped up to the plate to make the connection from farm to fork. Obviously, they are doing it for their own accord but the ripple effect that it could have for agriculture is monumental.

So for your viewing pleasure, here are the beef, potato and lettuce videos that are creating a firestorm of buzz among agriculturalists. I hope you enjoy them and share them with your friend!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

You know you're in a farm family when.....

2011-12-28T06:40:00.000-06:00

Good morning and I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas filled with family, food and friends (and kept the reason for the season, baby Jesus, in mind).

Our Christmas at Frobose Farms was relatively normal - opened gifts (for two hours, geesh), Christmas brunch, play new Wii games etc. Of course there are some defining factors that set any farm family apart from their urban contemporaries this time of year.

1. The cattle and hogs are fed before 7 am (they need to eat on Christmas, too) - long before a single gift is touched/shaken/squealed over.

2. You jump out of your chair with pure excitement after you open a brand new pair of coveralls; perfect for bedding cattle, hauling hay, feeding livestock or riding horses through deep snow.

3. As equally exciting as #2, wearing those new coveralls with the new muck boots you bought yourself (on sale at Cabela's) is a primo feeling. Warm and cozy with dry feet. Perfection.

4. After presents and lunch, the hogs must be weighed, walked and rations tweaked in order to prepare for the National Western Stock Show.

5. You dart out to the barn a few times a day to check on these little guys (who arrived on December 23rd).

Simmi X Angus

Purebred Simmi

6. In the midst of all the chaos that's associated with farm life, you spend a few hours frantically rushing around the kitchen preparing side dishes and desserts for Christmas dinner that evening.

As you can tell, we had a pretty busy Christmas and were very blessed to be able to spend the day with each other and got some pretty cool stuff, too!

What was your favorite part of Christmas? Does your family have any special traditions? Did Santa bring you what you asked for?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Christmas Lazy

2011-12-21T05:30:00.000-06:00

We all do it. The final 5-6 days before Christmas arrive and we think, "Crap! I have so many people left to buy for and I'm running out of time." No worries, Buzzard is here to save the day. Here are some of my favorite aggie gifts and stocking stuffers for your shopping pleasure.

- Steak Brander: Know somebody who is an all-weather grill master? I do and I got him this K-State meat brander about 5 years ago! My stepdad loves this thing and uses it all the time!

- Perky Jerky: my husband has a very difficult time staying awake and driving late at night, so I am going to get him some of this jerky that is infused with guarana (that stuff in energy drinks). High in protein and high energy to boot!

For your tech savvy friends, what about a pig USB port or a ceramic pig speaker for your iPod?

And probably my favorite ag gift (which I sincerely hope hubsy buys me but he probably won't since he never reads my blog) is this fantastic t-shirt which describes me to a tee (no pun intended).

I love meat!!

Here's to finding that perfect gift but let us not forget the reason for the season. Let us rejoice our dear Savior's birth so long ago.

Merry Christmas,

~Buzzard~

Who Are We to Judge Horse Meat?

2011-12-05T06:37:00.000-06:00

Last week I posted about the recent reinstatement of federal funding for horse slaughter inspection. As a a member of the horse industry, I can attest to the fact that many horse owners are very excited about this development. For more of my thoughts and the facts behind this issue, read last week's post by clicking here.

A lot of people have said, "We don't eat horsemeat in the U.S. so why slaughter it here?" My question is, "Why don't we eat it here?" A 100 gram serving is a good source of iron and protein and it has less fat per 100 gram serving of beef sirloin.

I am expecting the run of the mill responses; horses are pets, my religion prohibits it, horses are majestic, it's wrong etc etc. Who are we to judge what others should eat? Aren't we as consumers constantly saying how much we appreciate having food choices? This is just another choice that American agriculture can provide to a struggling economy. Furthermore, the U.S. is small percentage of the world population and what we eat doesn't dictate the eating habits of the rest of the world. For example: you'd think things like bacon or grape jelly were pretty run of the mill products, right? Wrong. The U.S. should not condemn those who choose to investigate alternative sources of protein due to income, religion, morals or taste preferences.

For the record, I have NOT tried horse meat but in my defense I've only been presented with the opportunity once while in Germany. Mark my words, I'll try it the next time I have a chance.

If you too would like to try horse meat here is a simple chart that gives a breakdown of the meat cuts.

Lastly, I just want to reiterate that I AM a horse owner and I am in favor of horse slaughter.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Horse Slaughter Funding Reinstated

2011-12-02T06:43:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, some news was announcd regarding the equine industry which, as you know, is very near and dear to my heart.

In 2006, horse slaughter in the U.S. was effectively 'banned' because the funding for plant inspections was cut. All slaughter plants in the U.S. must be inspected by USDA/FSIS and if there is no funding available then there is no slaughter.

Recently, news broke that the Department of Agriculture had reinstated federal inspection money in a November 18 bill. Hallelujah!

Not suprisingly, there has been an uproar from anti-agriculturalists and people who are unfamiliar with the equine industry. Allow me to take the opportunity to lay out some facts:

- Although horse meat is not widely consumed in the U.S., it is consumed and described as a delicacy in countries like France, Canada and Mexico. We (the U.S.) comprise a very small percentage of worldwide population and shouldn't assume that if we don't like something, it's therefore taboo for everyone else. It takes all sorts of minds to make a world go round, folks.

- Horses are expensive - just like other livestock. Expensive to feed, expensive to own and very expensive to have euthanized by a veterinarian. By selling a horse to the slaughter market, an owner could save some money on a euthanasia injection but also contribute to feeding people in France, Canada, etc.

- When horse slaughter was stopped in 2006, horse welfare drastically decreased. Where there was once a market for horses who were past their useful lives there was now an abyss of no hope. It wasn't smart to take your trailer to the salebarn and leave it unlocked because you'd likely find yourself with a few more hungry horse mouths to feed. Others were unlucky enough to walk outside in the morning and find a few horses left in their pastures. And most horrible of all, there were instances where the hide that contained the brand had been cut off, and the horse had been set free - all to prevent the horse from being returned to the owner.

Horse in Nevada whose brand had been cut off

- This reinstatement of funding is holistically a great thing in many ways. Horse welfare will improve and jobs will be created. Job creation? Yes, that's right. Every slaughter plant that opens will employ several hundred people, if not a thousand, essentially stimulating the economy in that region.

These are all points that I have seen time and again be misrepresented or misquoted in the comment stream on horse slaughter articles. Many of those comments are outrageous and unfounded however there is one such mindset that needs to be addressed. On an article on Huffington Post, several comments have touted irresponsible breeding as the culprit of poor welfare. I hope that horse owners view the previous five years as a wakeup call. Equine people, if you can't afford to feed and care for a horse, please don't continue to breed them. If your child only wants one to ride occasionally, please seek out leasing options or buying an older horse - not contacting a breeder to have one specially bred just for your child. These are all strategies that have partially created the situation we are in. This is what a friend of mine said on Facebook and I can't say it any better myself:

"I couldn't be more supportive of the reinstatement of funding for horse slaughter in the U.S. It is desperately needed for our industry. However, those of us that own horses shouldn't just see it as a "garbage disposal" for our unwanted horses; we have to approach the problem up front. This means prudent and responsible breeding practices. Just because you think you want a foal, consider whether this horse will contribute to your lifestyle please! There is a lot more work that goes in to making a well-trained, confident, good horse than you may realize. I support horse slaughter and I support breeding GOOD horses, it's time to focus on the latter." - A. Wilson, cowgirl and responsible horse owner

All in all, this is a fantastic thing for agriculture and the equine industry, in my opinion. What are your thoughts?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Blessings in disguise - Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T00:30:00.001-06:00

It's officially Thanksgiving Thursday in Australia - I spent my turkey day blood sampling hogs and sheep and for Thanksgiving dinner Hyatt, the rest of the research team and I are having chicken and chips from a local shop. Not the classiest but it's as close as I'm going to get to turkey and stuffing this year.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year - I have an amazing husband who gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons when he brought me to Australia. It's been a blessing in disguise because even though I miss Kansas, my friends and family like The Office misses Steve Carell, I know that this experience has brought us closer than we've ever been and I know it's strengthened our marriage. My family and friends have been super supportive of this adventure and have never stopped sending encouraging thoughts via email, facebook, twitter and the occasional Skype call. Additionally, the friends I've made in Australia are top notch. I don't want to think about leaving in 3 weeks because I just can't fathom not seeing them on a daily basis and it pains me. It will be a bittersweet departure from this continent. But we're going to have a blast these last few weeks and cram in many adventures.

This Australia experience also given me the chance to do a lot of research work outside of animal well-being. I've collected blood, urine and fecal samples from more sheep than I can count. I've been able to examine a lot of relationships between swine physiology and nutrition and have learned far more about rumen fermentation than I ever dreamed. So even though it's been over 2 years since I started my master's and I still haven't finished, I know that my Australian experience has made me a better scientist and stockwoman.

As I write this, my family is partaking in our annual pre-Thanksgiving tradition. Tomorrow, they'll sit down and bow their heads thanking our Lord for a bountiful spread (made possible by America's farmers and ranchers #thankafarmer) and make many irreplaceable memories. But I'll be ok because I know that I've had the experience of a lifetime and no one can take that away from Hyatt and I.

Lastly, I give #foodthanks this year because Hyatt says I'm a picky eater of the utmost sort. I hate to say that but he never lets me forget it. I prefer to think I'm an easy pleaser because I like plain and simple foods (no veggies - meatatarian) but apparently that's not the general consensus.

Anyway, farmers and ranchers work their butts off so that I and millions of other consumers can have a huge variety of food choices. Organic, natural, conventional - it doesn't matter what you like because they've made it all possible for the lowest cost in the world; #fact. So today while you're talking about football (gah! I just realized I'm missing the Detroit and Dallas games) and snarfing down turkey and pumpkin pie (two more things they don't have over here) don't forget to be mindful of the farmers and ranchers who made it possible. Those top notch folks will most definitely be working on Thanksgiving to ensure that there isn't a food shortage and that you will continue to have the abundant and safe food supply of which we've become accustomed.

Happy Thanksgiving,
~ Buzzard ~

A+ Agriculture Ambassador - Miss America

2011-10-31T08:06:00.000-05:00

By now I'm guessing that you've at some point heard that Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan, is very pro-ag. She grew up in Nebraska while raising cattle with her family and has stayed true to her roots during her tenure as Miss America. Bravo.

Last week, I talked about the pros and cons of Food Day and mentioned a website called www.realfarmersrealfood. This new website is a partnership between Animal Agriculture Alliance and Miss America which aims to provide the real facts about food production in the U.S. and narrow the gap between the rural producer and urban consumer.

In an interview with AAA, Ms. Scanlan said, "most Americans do not understand the connection between the thousands of family farms across the country and their own dinner. Real Farmers Real Food is a positive reminder for each of us to take time to appreciate the many people who make our safe, abundant, and affordable food supply a reality."
Visitors to the website can:
- Sign a pledge in support of agriculture's diversity and consumer choice
- Read and share an op-ed showcasing American agriculture by the Alliance's current chairperson, Chris Ashworth, a veterinarian and rancher
- Learn about common myths and facts about farming
- View a collection of farm tours on video

The unveiling of the website come just days before Food Day, which was dubbed "a campaign that downplays the importance of modern agriculture and unfairly criticizes the way of life of many food producers" by many in agriculture.
Ms. Scanlan also 'starred' in a one-minute video where she says, "Not everybody farms, but everybody has to eat."

Miss America hasn't just recently begun her quest for ag - she has been featured in many other publications for her efforts in advocacy. Check out these links:
- Fox News Op-Ed by Miss America, Teresa Scanlan
- Why Miss America Support Agriculture
- Miss America Advocates for Agriculture - media interview at Nebraska State Fair
- Miss America Speak to the Benefit of Modern Agriculture

Have I mentioned that Miss America is visiting Kansas in the VERY NEAR future? I haven't - allow me to do so now.

Food For Thought, a grass roots group that I am very proud to be a member of, will be hosting Miss America on November 15 at 7 pm at Kansas State University. She will be the 2011 Fall Upson Lecture Series speaker and will speak as to the importance of modern agriculture to the global food supply. You should definitely be there in McCain Auditorium on November 15! Admission is free and Food For Thought will be conducting a canned food drive to benefit the Flint Hills Breadbasket.

Hopefully, having such an influential and well-spoken advocate for agriculture will open many people's eyes to the truths about agriculture. For more information on Miss America's visit to K-State, feel free to contact me or any other Food For Thought member. Hope you'll be able to make it.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Salute to Pork Producers

2011-10-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

Do you know a person who works in pork operations who consistently puts in extra effort to make positive contributions to on-farm processes? I thought so.

Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to recognize and reward those key industry players who go the extra mile in order to exceed expectations? Well, Pfizer Animal Health has created an opportunity for you to do just that.

Through November 30, you can nominate an exemplary pork industry employee for the Fostera: PCV Salute to Producers. Two winners will be awarded a $1000 cash prize, an all-expenses paid trip for two to NYC to the Pfizer Animal Health headquarters and will be recognized at the Fostera PCV Higher Standars Awards Ceremony.

Have someone in mind? Head on over to www.PfizerPork.com/SalutetoProducers and nominate your outstanding pork industry employee. You can nominate as many people as you feel deserve this award so start cracking!

Fostera PCV (porcine circovirus) is a newly developed single-dose vaccine that helps prevent PCV2 viremia. For more information on Foster PCV, the Salute to Producers or Pfizer Animal Health, you can visit www.PfizerAH.com.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

image from here

The Facts on Food Day 2011

2011-10-24T08:36:00.000-05:00

Friend or foe?

First off, let me say that I applaud an initiative that seeks to narrow the gap between rural producers and urban consumers. That is the whole point of advocacy and a national day that recognizes global hunger, environmental sustainability and the continued humane production of livestock is a giant step in the right direction. Food Day, which is today, is striving to do that through the following six principles:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2. Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big-agribusiness
3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4. Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

All of these principles are written with good intentions and I agree with most of them. However, does anyone else have a problem with the wording used?

Alarms are sounding with #4 at the mention of "reforming factory farms." I wholeheartedly agree with protecting the environment and animals, however, the negative connotations that accompany 'factory farming' are counterproductive to this initiative. I won't list here what the Food Day website is touting because it was just another form of propaganda that will serve as a poor influence to consumers who want the truth. However, if you wish to read it for yourself here is the direct link to the six initiatives.

The truth is that farmers and ranchers practice humane methods in raising livestock 24/7/365. Food Day is everyday to the rural American producer and they don't need a declaration from Washington to tell them so.

I'm not the only person who thinks #2 and #4 are whack - check out this piece from Drover's CattleNetwork. Additionally, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance doesn't fully condone the #4 "as all farms, large and small, should keep animals healthy... Large does not mean bad."

My final issue lies with the partners in Food Day - there are about 60+ and they range from state organizations like The California Endowment, to health organizations such as National Association for Health and Fitness. But the partners who really caught my eye were:
- Farm Animal Rights Movement - www.farmusa.org - they self proclaim, "national nonprofit organization working to end the use of animals for food through public education and grassroots activism." They are also behind meatout.org.
- Humane Society of the United States - www.hsus.org - I don't think I have to inform you of their goals.

Additionally - Michael Pollan, author and self-proclaimed food expert and Wayne Pacelle, President of HSUS, are on the Food Day Advisory Board.

Now, obviously Food Day isn't out to abolish animal agriculture and I'm not saying that's their goal. This is just my gentle reminder that you can't always judge a book by its cover. Unless it's The Hobbit and then you can go ahead and judge away because that book is fabulous!

If you want to learn true facts about food production and connect with the people who produce it, head on over to www.realfarmersrealfood.com or ask a producer.

I hope that you will treat every day as a real Food Day, by thanking farmers and ranchers when you have the chance. Don't fall for misinformation just because it is nationally recognized. Take the time to suss out the info on your own and ask questions - don't fall for a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Until next time - thank a farmer!
~ Buzzard~

Why's the Barn Red?

2011-10-19T07:33:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered why every single barn you see is either red or used to be red?

Me neither.

But then today I stumbled across an interesting tidbit of info on Yahoo!. You can thank my habit of clicking embedded links and an incurable affinity for quirky info for today's post.

http://whoknew.news.yahoo.com/who-knew/red-barns-26979922.html#crsl=%252Fwho-knew%252Fred-barns-26979922.html

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Bacon's Debut at Racetrack

2011-10-12T08:20:00.000-05:00

Are you a bacon fan? Me too and I miss it tremendously down here in Australia. They have bacon of course, but it's nothing like our good ole' corn fed, hickory smoked, crispy American bacon.

Sidenote: I've noticed after being in Australia that Americans really like to combine sweet and salty flavors -- I love bacon and syrup, for example.

Anywho, the Charlotte Motor Speedway has their own take on the sweet/salty flavor combo, the "funnel bacakonator." Yes, a funnel cake with strawberry and chocolate syrup and bacon pieces all over. The writer of this article isn't sure of combining strawberry flavored syrup with bacon but I can confirm that strawberry jam and bacon on toast is to-die-for.

Here is a picture of the amazing creation, courtesy here:

I'm drooling at the sight of it.

What's your favorite bacon creation? Check out these posts for more bacon on Buzzard's Beat.

http://buzzardsbeat.blogspot.com/2010/07/bacon-do-i-smell-bacon.html

http://buzzardsbeat.blogspot.com/2011/04/do-you-have-phb-in-baconology.html

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Live Export Ships

2011-10-11T09:32:00.000-05:00

You may have read my blog posts about the Live Export Ban in Australia and the conditions that led to its initiation. If you haven't, you may want to familiarize yourself with the issue. Read this first and this second.

Ok - now that you're caught up. Hubsy and I have had the privilege of being hosted in Perth for the past six days - he was asked to speak at the APL/CRC Pork Roadshow so we've been socializing with western Australian swine producers, attending dinners and doing a little bit of sight seeing. On Saturday we went whale watching with some family friends and saw two of these: one docked and one at sea.

Live export ship docked in Fremantle, WA, AUS.

Live export ship on the Indian Ocean - Fremantle, WA, AUS.

I tried to zoom in and see if there were any animals aboard but I couldn't really tell and hubsy couldn't either.

It was interesting to actually see a live export ship up close - the trip from Perth to Indonesia takes about a week and a local cattle producer told us that the goal is for the cattle to not have any shrink. They said, for the most part, that they reach this goal often. It's one thing to hear and talk about something, but quite another to see it in person.

What's your opinion on the live export issue in Australia?

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

101 in 1001 Update

2011-10-06T08:55:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's been quite a while since I last gave an update on my 101 in 1001 so I thought I'd do some blog filling and catch you up.

Since my last update, the goals I have completed are:

5. Go to bed before midnight every weeknight for two weeks -
This was really hard because I'm a night owl but I managed to pull it off by scheduling it the same time as Hyatt's project when I was getting up at 5-6 every morning to weigh, sort or slaughter pigs.
38. Consolidate/forward all email accounts down to 2
24. Refrain from purchasing any item of clothing, accessory or footwear for 1 month - today is one month since I purchased anything and I am in Perth currently and likely won't buy anything while I'm gone soooo... success!
51. Muster the courage to play blackjack in a casino - preferably win - Only won about $20 total and then lost it all back but still, yay me. This was in Calgary when I attended the ILC 2011.
59. Find the perfect cocktail dress - color insignificant I may have gone overboard - I now have two. A grey one and a black one. Here is the black one:

At my bff Rebecca Tokach's wedding (rehearsal dinner) with two great guys. This picture doesn't do the dress justice but you'll have to trust me on this one.

57. Scuba dive somewhere exotic - Great Barrier Reef 7/2011

This is me and the hubsy after diving the Great Barrier Reef. To read more about that trip, click here.

69. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the SAME DAY - Lamington National Park - 6/2011

I'm not an early bird, so this was difficult but it happened on our roadtrip with Andy, Mandy and Kristen to Queensland. Read more about that trip here and here. This was in Lamington National Park - I didn't get a sunset picture but take my word for it that I was awake for that occasion.

70. Attend an opera, symphony or musical - Love Never Dies 9/2011

Hyatt took me to see this opera the day I got back from the states. Read more here.

25. Eat 5 exotic/uncommon foods (Thai seafood 4/12/2011, Tofu Steak 5/2011, Kangaroo 6/2011, Crocodile 7/2011, Octopus 7/2011) -- Crocodile is chewy but good. Octopus is mediocre, at best. KANGAROO IS FREAKING AWESOME - as good or better than venison.

and these are the goals that are currently in progress:
9. Celebrate one of life's little achievements once/month for 12 months (1/12)
12. Watch 5 movies that Hyatt loves that don't interest me (Apocalypse Now, Papillon)
27. Call /visit my grandparents once/month for 12 months (3/12)
29. Attend 6 of Kristy’s sporting events/school events/4-H stuff - (Bourbon Co. hog show, Bourbon Co. beef show - these were on separate days so they are separate events)
49. Pay off my small credit cards - Maurices, Victoria's Secret
55. Face 3 fears (claustrophobia 7/2011, heights 8/2011)
58. Create a wardrobe I love. (This is defined as a closet full of clothes I am equally happy to wear). This will be complete when my closet is full - it's currently about 1/2 full ;)
68. Purge and donate old clothes from closets at least three times (1- 7/2011)
72. Learn how to make Grandma’s fried chicken, chicken n’ noodles and divinity candy -- Grandma taught me how to make fried chicken and I practice the art when I got back to Aus. Hyatt loved it and I must say it was purty tasty.

77. Volunteer once/month at a breadbasket, food pantry or other comm. service 6 times (5/2011 - Red Shield Appeal;)
79. Donate 25,000 grains of free rice through Freerice.com (4010)85. Say 'I love you' EVERY day for entirety of 1001 days
88. Attend church once/month for 12 months (6/12)90. Read the books from this list98. Post every day for 1 month on From Oz to Aus - I've posted 22 days in a row - another 8 days and this one is done!
In summary:
Goals completed- 14 (it seemed like a lot more than that)
Days until end of 1001 - 824

Practical People = Practical Solutions

2011-10-05T08:10:00.000-05:00

While waiting to pick up cow manure at the Royal Melbourne Show yesterday, I was reading the newspaper. I ran across an article about farmers being upset with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for taking a more extreme stand on recent animal welfare issues in Australia. In the past, RSCPA has claimed to be the 'middle ground' but farmers have recently had their doubts. In an attempt to bring them back to that middle ground, farmers have started vying for positions within the organization.

There was a really great quote in the article that applies to animal welfare issues in the United States just as much, if not more, as it does in Australia.

"We need practical people who understand animal welfare and production agriculture. The fear is that if we're dictated to by people who don't understand producing food, we're living in the ideal world instead of the real world." -- Victorian Farmers Federation President Andrew Broad

As agriculture advocates, we need to be sure to voice our opinions and positive ideas to avoid allowing organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) from spearheading legislation that is harmful to America's hardworking farmers and ranchers.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Herds of Hope

2011-10-03T09:13:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned on another blog, I've been working as a livestock assistant at the Royal Melbourne Show for the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria. Thus far, I've scooped a lot of manure and answered the phone. It hasn't been too strenuous.

The breeding cattle show has been going on all week, so we've been fielding frantic phone calls, setting up panels, taking down panels, preparing exhibitor packets, shoveling manure etc. While doing some paperwork stuff I found a informational pamphlet for Herds of Hope.
Herds of Hope is a fundraising initiative for the Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) in Australia. If an exhibitor chooses to do so, the proceeds of selling her show steer or lamb will be donated directly to the RMHC. The program started in December 2010 so it's fairly new but has been utilized at quite a few shows in Australia. Charities like RMHC usually focus on collections in urban areas but this is a great way to reach out to rural populations and get them involved.

Additionally, Herds of Hope is sponsored by the Australian Beef Industry Foundation, Cargill Beef Australia, Elders Rural Services, MAC, Allflex Australia, Rural Press and McDonald’s. So not only can individuals get involved, but larger corporations are also stretching their financial legs and stepping up to the plate.

The important thing to point out here is that the livestock showing industry is not even in the same universe as the United States show industry. For example, a fellow livestock assistant was bragging about how, last year, the top steer sold for $7,000 at the sale. Now, I am not turning my nose up at $7,000 because I'm a broke, newly married grad student in another country living off of a stipend. However, $7,000 is just a drop in the bucket compared to how much money the champion steer at the National Western Stock Show would bring. Hell, the Grand Champion Barrow at the Ohio State Fair brought $41,000. Can you imagine how much money would be raised forcharities if each exhibitor pledged just 1% of their sale income?

Before you start criticizing me for recommending that 4-H kids donate theirhard earned cash willy nilly, remember that I showed for 13 years, so I knowthe gratification of a sale check. I understand that livestock are expensive tobuy, care for, groom and feed. Throw that in the mix with the cost of travelingto shows, entry fees, hotels and food - it's not a cheap hobby.

I think that Herds of Hope is a great program here in Australia and that asimilar program in the states could be very successful. Does anyone know of asimilar program that I've accidentally overlooked?
Just some food for thought.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

p.s. - in case you were wondering, that's a Murray Grey bull on that poster. They're one of my favorite breeds of cattle, btw.

So God Made a Farmer

2011-09-23T10:27:00.000-05:00

Surely ya'll remember Paul Harvey? He was a well-known radio broadcaster with a very distinguishable voice who was famous for his tagline, "The Rest of the Story."

In 1978, he was apparently a guest speaker at the 1978 National FFA Convention and he gave a speech called, 'So God Made a Farmer'. A family friend emailed me this video that has set pictures to the words of that speech. It's quite inspiring and makes me proud of my family's agriculture heritage and Hyatt's family's production background.

I think you'll enjoy it too.

Until next time,~ Buzzard ~

Delving Further into Antibiotic Use

2011-09-19T08:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday!

As a brief follow up to this post, I found a podcast about antibiotic use in food animals from the AVMA media website. In this podcast, Dr. Scott Hurd, an associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine at Iowa State University, discusses quantitative risk assessments of antibiotic resistance in humans. He does a really great job of explaining the issues and concerns in laymen's terms.

To listen to the podcast, click here. If you can help me learn how to embed podcasts in my future posts, please email me (bbuzzard13@gmail.com).

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Antibiotics Safe for Livestock Use

2011-09-15T09:44:00.000-05:00

Just like we've been sayin' all along...
The Government Accountability Office released a report that stated there isn't sufficient evidence to warrant a study into a link between antibiotic use in food animals and antibiotic resistance in humans. Did you get that? Here, I'll say it again.

GAO said "these data [collected by USDA] lack crucial details necessary to examine trends and understand the relationship between use and resistance."

Haven't pork producers been saying this for quite some time? In a www.meatingplace.com release, NPPC has noted that pork producers have long been in compliance with responsible antibiotic use with veterinary supervision in order to keep their animals health and pork safe.

Need some more info? Read the whole piece here.

image from here

And if you're new to the antibiotic use scene, here are some crucial facts to help you better understand antibiotic use.

Antibiotics are given strategically – administered when pigs are sick, susceptible or exposed to illness.

Using antibiotics strategically ensures that the safest meat in the world ends up on America's dinner tables.

Only antibiotics approved by the FDA are used to treat pigs.

Human safety is a key component when considering animal antibiotic approval.

• Withdrawal times, or the number of days an animal must be removed from antibiotics before entering the food supply, ensure that antibiotics are not present in the animal’s system at the time of slaughter.

Do you have comments about this issue? Are you excited about this news (as I am) or does your opinion differ? Let's converse! Leave me a comment below!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Wordless Wednesday: Cute Babies

2011-09-14T07:07:00.000-05:00

Spring has sprung in Australia and there are tons of these little boogers running around. How freakin' adorable are they?

At some point in this year, I'll get back to my regular posting schedule which is more than two posts per month.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Remembrance - 10 years later

2011-09-11T07:34:00.000-05:00

I remember where I was this fateful day, 10 years ago. I was sitting in Oral Communications listening to Mrs. Hopper when our principal came in and whispered to her the news. I don't know what he said but I could tell by the look on her face that it wasn't good.
Next period. Spanish II. Mrs. Weldin switched on our classroom TV to show us what was going on. The clip of the first plane's crash into the North Tower kept replaying, over and over. I prayed I'd never see anything like that again in my lifetime. Then the clip of the second plane crashing in the South Tower was shown. Over and over.

As our country struggled to deal with the staggering blow that had just been dealt, a small southeast Kansas high school held a moment of silence for the families affected and lives lost.

"A date which will live in infamy" seemed just as fitting in 2001 as it did 60 years earlier.

Today, let's cast aside our differences. Be a proud and supportive American, even if you don't agree with the war, we can all agree that the 9/11 attacks were sinister and driven by a deep hatred of our country and as such, a forceful rebuttal was necessary.

A sincere message of gratitude to all past and present servicemen and women for all they have done, and will continue to do, for our freedoms and rights. Don't like the war? Fine. Be mindful and appreciate the fact that you can express that dislike publicly and not be imprisoned, exiled or shot.

God Bless the victims and families of 9/11 and God Bless America.

~ Buzzard ~

Airborne Beef Promotions

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

In light of all the questionable hype going on with Chipotle, I thought it would be nice to share a positive story about beef.

This past weekend, I had the honor of standing up with one of my best gals in her wedding. En route to the wedding, on one of many flights I've had over the past month, I sat next to a woman who told me she only ate beef when she ordered hamburgers. I thought this was odd, so I asked her why and she shared with me that her mother had served her overdone, tough and unflavorful flank steak for the duration of her childhood. I spent the next hour sharing easy, delicious beef recipes with her. I even told her where she could get a really good steak in Kansas City (Ruth's Chris Steak House, Hereford House). So, in honor of the anonymous consumer and Labor Day, I am posting a flank steak recipe that is so crazy easy, your toddler could prepare it.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Recipe (via www.simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients
2 pounds flank steak
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Method

1 Score the surface of the steak with 1/4 inch deep knife cuts, about an inch apart, across the grain of the meat. Combine the marinade ingredients. Place steak and marinade ingredients in a large freezer bag. Coat the steak well with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

2 Using olive oil soaked onto a paper towel, coat the grill rack of your grill with olive oil. Preheat the grill with high, direct heat. The grill is hot enough when you hold your hand about an inch over it and you can only hold it there for about a second.

3 Take the steak out of the marinade bag and sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. The salt and pepper will help form a savory crust on the steak. Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill. Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side. Half way through grilling on each side, turn the steak 90° so that you get more grill marks.

4 Flank steak is best eaten medium rare; well done will make it too tough. When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat and to keep the steak from drying out, and let rest for 10 minutes.

5 Make very thin slices, against the grain, and at a slight diagonal so that the slices are wide.

If you want, you can take the excess marinade and bring it to a boil, simmer for several minutes, and serve with the flank steak. Great also with salsa or horseradish sauce.

Hope everyone had an awesome Labor Day weekend with your friends and family.

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

ILC 2011 - Calgary

2011-08-16T15:17:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

It's me - Buzzard. You've probably forgotten who I am since I haven't blogged in almost a month. Cripes.
So take this as my sincere apology for sucking at blogging.

Ok - moving on. Last week I had the amazing opportunity to attend the International Livestock Congress in Calgary, AB, Canada. Myself and 19 other students from across the world (U.S., Australia, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela) went on tours of the beef business in Alberta. Monday and Tuesday involved tours of an embryo transfer facility, Feedlot Health Management Systems (where I met a fellow K-Stater), the Cargill beef processing plant and Harvie Ranching.

Remember Jill Harvie? She is a member of the Five Nations Beef Alliance - here is a look at their video from 2010. I finally got to meet her - she and her family are doing such great things at their ranch and in the beef industry.

On Wednesday, the ILC group attended the Canadian Cattlemen's Association annual conference. We heard a lot of commentary on the economic situation of the United States and Canada, foreign relations between Canada and the EU, and new ideas for marketing beef products in grocery stores. It was a very informative session but I have to admit, there was a gloomy outlook for the U.S. economy.

I would highly encourage any students (senior in undergrad and up) to apply for the ILC program next year.

Feels great to be blogging again!

Until next time,
Buzzard

Wordless Wednesday: Falling in Love with the Australian Outback

2011-07-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

The beauty of the Australian outback has become excessively addictive.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Guest Post: Kevin Pearia, USDA Loans

2011-07-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

Hello blogosphere - today may be the first of many guest posts on Buzzard's Beat. Ya'll might enjoy what other people have to say way more than what I write so..... we'll see.

Today's post is brought to you by Kevin Pearia of USDAloans.com. If you have questions about this post, please feel free to contact me and I'll hook you up with Kevin's contact info.

Financially Responsible Way to Obtain/Refinance the Farm Life Once exclusively available to low-income farmers, USDA loans help even moderate-income farmers finance a home. Despite the fact that non-farmers may be eligible for USDA loans, the program remains a popular choice for livestock farmers. For those looking for a new property where they can also raise livestock in low-stress environments, USDA loans may be a perfect financing option.

Farmers who raise livestock understand improving the quality of life improves the quality of the product. Farmers should also be able to improve their quality of life with a housing upgrade that won’t cost a fortune. That’s where USDA loans come into play.

As part of the Rural Development Program, USDA loans lessen the financial burden of purchasing a home. When farmers choose to finance through a USDA loan, they save money they can funnel into their livestock operation.

One way USDA loans reduce the fiscal stress of home buying is by eliminating the down payment. It’s rare to find a financing option with this perk, but USDA loans flaunt it. In turn, it allows farmers to save tens of thousands of dollars right off the bat. On top of that initial savings is the possibility of getting the seller to cover some of the closing costs. Alternatively, it’s possible to include legal fees, closing costs and the guarantee fee in the loan.

The funding fee for USDA loans is a miniscule 2 percent. When the fee is included in the loan, USDA loan borrowers may have a loan worth 102 percent of the home’s value. Regardless of the loan’s size, it comes with fixed interest rates and no private mortgage insurance (PMI) for as long as 38 years.

For livestock farmers who love their property but would like to make some improvements, USDA loans can still help. Construction, repairs, renovations, purchases and refinances may be eligible for USDA loans.

These loans can only be used in eligible areas per the USDA’s requirements. Basically, areas that may be eligible are in the open country or towns, cities or villages with fewer than 25,000 people. The latter areas must also be without sufficient credit for mortgages to low- and middle-income families, and be outside a Metropolitan Statistical Area. Chances are good that farmers running a low-stress livestock operation are within these limitations.

                However, there are financial requirements too. The USDA requires borrowers to have an income that is no greater than 115 percent of the area’s median income. Per the size of the family, the property to be purchased must be reasonably sized and the family’s current housing has to be inadequate. The USDA determines such factors.
                USDA-approved lenders also like to see:
                -credit scores of at least 620;
                -debt-to-income ratios no higher than 41 percent;
                -and PITI (principle, interest, taxes, insurance)-to-income ratios no higher than 29 percent.

Thanks to Kevin for being my guest blogger for the week!

Until next time,

~Buzzard ~

Wordless Wednesday from Down Under

2011-07-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

These guys (and girls)

...get to live here. Gorgeous, huh?

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

MFA - Report Animal Cruelty ASAP not ASACP

2011-07-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

ASACP meaning - as soon as conveniently possible.

Yet another animal cruelty video has been released by Mercy For Animals (MFA). Again, I am outraged at the treatment of the pigs in this video and there is absolutely no excuse for this type of treatment. I feel the need to draw attention to some key points that need to be made.

1 - This is NOT how all farm animals are treated. Unfortunately, one bad apple provides a horrible example for the rest of the industry. Videographers don't focus on well run farms - they prey on farms such as the one featured in the video.
2 - Farmers and ranchers have a vested interest in the health and wellbeing of their animals. Producing a safe, healthy product in a humane fashion with low-stress practices is the number one priority.
3 - I find it extrememly frustrating that this footage has been sitting around for at least three weeks before being released this week. How do I know this? A 'Note' that was posted on Facebook about three weeks ago clued me in that something was going to be released soon (the note has since been taken down and I will not reveal it's source/author).

If videographers find animal cruelty - they should report it immediately. Not when it is convenient to their timeline or fundraising efforts. How many animals continued to be abused between the time the footage was collected and the day the video was released? The animal cruelty is abominable but standing by and doing nothing, and allowing that type of treatment to continue is just as abominable.

What are your thoughts on the issue? Again - I in no way condone animal cruelty and I am appalled at the images in the video, however, I feel that the videographers, undercover or not, should have reported the cruelty much more quickly than seen in this case.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

image from here

HSUS and United Egg Producers are Uniting

2011-07-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

If you thought you smelled ballot initiatives in the air - you were right. The United Egg Producers and HSUS have decided to work together to achieve, through a federal legislative initiative, the following objectives:

-- Require a moratorium at the end of 2011 on new construction of unenrichable battery cages -- small, cramped, cages that nearly immobilize more than 90 percent of laying hens today -- and the nationwide elimination of barren battery cages through a phase-out period;
-- Require phased in construction of new hen housing systems that provide hens nearly double the amount of space they’re currently provided;

-- Require environmental enrichments so birds can engage in important natural behaviors currently denied to them in barren cages, such as perches, nesting boxes, and scratching areas;

-- Mandate labeling on all egg cartons nationwide to inform consumers of the method used to produce the eggs, such as "eggs from caged hens" or "eggs from cage-free hens";

-- Prohibit forced molting through starvation -- an inhumane practice that is inflicted on tens of millions of hens each year and which involves withholding all food from birds for up to two weeks in order to manipulate the laying cycle;

-- Prohibit excessive ammonia levels in henhouses -- a common problem in the industry that is harmful to both hens and egg industry workers;

-- Require standards for euthanasia of hens; and

-- Prohibit the sale of eggs and egg products nationwide that don’t meet these above requirements.
If passed, this legislation would be the the first federal law relating to on-farm treatment of any farm animal. If you'd like to read more about this potentially devastating legislation click here and here.

My 2¢: I am 100% for humane treatment of farm animals however, I believe that hens raised in battery cages can have just as good or better welfare than those who live in cage-free environments. Additionally, labeling a product 'cage-free' does not necessarily convey excellent well-being but rather just indicates how the animal was raised. A wide sweeping federal law is also not going to cure every so-called 'problem' associated with battery cages. Remember the backlash and consequences that occurred after horse slaughter was banned?

What are your thoughts?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

image from here

National Fried Chicken Day!

2011-07-06T11:47:00.000-05:00

I love love love fried chicken - I can prove this. Go to my Facebook or Twitter profile and read the 'about me' section. Fried chicken is mentioned - twice.

This food is so great, it deserves a post of its own. I make mine the old fashioned way, just like Grandma Buzzard does - dip it in egg, flour and spices then fry in a cast iron skillet. Yum! Serve it up with mashed taters, gravy and a glass of ice cold milk and you've got yourself a meal! I made some just the other night because I was having a huge craving.

What's your favorite fried chicken recipe? Share in the comments section, please. I'd love to try out some new recipes!

p.s. - UPDATE: I love fried chicken so much, we served it as the meal at our rehearsal dinner. Hubsy didn't have any say in that!
Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

image from here

Vegetarian Lifestyle Doesn't Always Mean Healthy

2011-07-01T08:46:00.000-05:00

I like to read the headlines on Yahoo!....a lot. That's where I find a lot of my fun nutrition and health facts. Recently, I found this gem: 10 Diet and Exercise Myths That Pack on Pounds. Guess what #8 is? “Myth: Becoming a vegetarian will help me drop a size.”

Thaaaat's right - ceasing meat consumption does not make one automatically lose weight. Why? Many vegetarians substitute cheese and dairy to get their protein, which also provides the daily requirement for calcium, however, dairy products generally have more fat than lean meat. That alone can work against one's weight loss goals significantly.

I've pasted some key elements of the article below:

Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet, explains common vegetarian beginners’ mistakes that may cause weight gain. Vegetarian “types” to avoid becoming:

Cheese-aholic vegetarians: They cut out meat from their diets and turn to cheese as a protein source. But cheese is a high-calorie, high-fat food and should be eaten in moderation.

Faux-meat fixators: All they eat is boxes of frozen faux meats, such as soy chicken nuggets, vegetarian sausage links, and veggie bacon strips. These products are okay once in a while, but they are heavily processed and can have a lot of sodium, resulting in bloating and water retention.

No-veggie vegetarians: A lot of vegetarians don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. They eat only grains, beans and veggie burgers, all of which can be high in calories.

Same-meal-minus-the-meat vegetarians: These people eat the same meals they did before, but without the meat. If they’re not replacing the protein, they’ll probably have a ferocious appetite and may be missing out on essential nutrients.

“Vegetarian” food label fans: These people find any recipe or packaging that contains the word “vegetarian” or “meatless” and then overeat that food. They often wind up taking in too much junk food. Be aware that the word “vegetarian” is not synonymous with“healthy” or “low calorie.”

Blatner recommends replacing meat with beans in recipes for an easy, healthy—and inexpensive—protein source. She advises new vegetarians—and those who want to dabble in a vegetarian diet—to start having fun with vegetarian recipes. “Find ones you like that you’re going to keep eating. Enjoy the journey of it.”

So if weight loss is your goal, don't automatically drop meat and expect to drop pounds as well. Consulting a nutritionist or dietitian is the best way to build a diet program that is best for you.

Are you a cheeseaholic? Or a meataholic? Vegeholic? What food could you absolutely not live without?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

**Disclaimer: I have nothing against vegetarians, I have several friends who don't eat meat. However, sometimes the myths that have become associated with giving up meat need to be dispelled.

Image from here

Dr. Grandin Visits NW Ohio

2011-06-29T07:29:00.000-05:00

As you know, I'm a pretty big fan of Temple Grandin; evidenced here, here and here.

About 3 weeks ago, Temple visited Ohio for the Northwest Ohio Autism Summit in Bowling Green. The night before, she visited a farm in Cygnet, Ohio to talk to producers and consumers -- while there she held an animal handling demonstration and spoke about transparency in agriculture.

Respected animal scientist visits Cygnet farm: foxtoledo.com

The event was sponsored by the Wood County Beef Producers, Farm Bureau, Great Lakes Family Farms, Ohio Cattlemen's Association, Ohio State University Extension and Bowling Green State University.

It's great to see producers reaching out to the community and opening up their farms for tours. Have you ever been on a farm tour or if you're a producer, have you ever held a farm tour? I hope that when hubsy and I finally have our own place, we will be able to open our doors to the community.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Fun factoid: the first interviewed speaker, Dan Frobose, is my father-in-law. He is one of many Wood Co. Beef Producers. Additionally, one of my sisters-in-law, Hannah, is seen stuffing her face with a bbq sandwich!

101 Update

2011-06-27T08:34:00.000-05:00

Ok, first off -- I've decided that this blog needs more personal info. So while most Australian/marriage/random posts will end up on my other blog, this one will start having more posts like this, this and this.

Now that I've scared you away from the blog for all eternity, it's time to get down to business. I started my 101 in 1001 on April 11, and since that was almost 3 months ago I've decided it's time to update you all on my progress. This also doubles as motivation for me to get my butt in gear on some of this stuff.

Items Completed:
23. Don’t chew on fingernails for 1 whole month -- Actually, on July 1st it will be two whole months. See?

34. Publish an agriculture article in HPJ, KLA or publication/newspaper of similar demographic -- I am currently authoring a twice-monthly column in both Grass and Grain (Manhattan, KS) and Farm Talk (Parsons, KS).

I'm very excited and very blessed to have this opportunity -- look for me in your next issue!

37. Join learnersdictionary.com Word of the Day to broaden my vocabulary - DONE.

39. Post 3x/week for 1 month on Buzzard’s Beat -- I completed this one in April and May 2011. There was a lot going in agriculture in the states and luckily I was able to document a lot of it. Thanks to all my readers who commented posts.

92. Go see a sporting event that I've never watched before -- Completed on Easter Day when Hyatt and I went to an AFL (Australian Footy League) game with our friends Dean, Maree and their daughters.

Items in progress:

12. Watch 5 movies that Hyatt loves that don't interest me (Apocalypse Now)

25. Eat 5 exotic/uncommon foods (Thai seafood 4/12/2011, Tofu Steak 5/2011)

27. Call my grandparents once/month for 12 months (2/12)

79. Donate 25,000 grains of free rice through Freerice.com (4010)

82. Start/keep journal for 12 months (1/12)

85. Say 'I love you' EVERY day for entirety of 1001 days

88. Attend church once/month for 12 months (3/12)

90. Read the books from this list

So what do you think? Do I need to step up my game and accomplish some more stuff? I think so - tapping into motivation pool. Now.

Do you have a 101 in 1001? What are some of your favorite goals? I want to hear your ideas!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard~

Gaga's #MeatDress is Moving...

2011-06-24T08:29:00.000-05:00

to Ohio.....

Remember the #meatdress craze last year at the VMA's? Well, Lady Gaga is in the news again for her infamous style. LG's meat dress is going to be on display in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio as part of the "Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power'' exhibit. The exhibit started June 16 but I'm not sure when it concludes.

The dress that started it all....

Since LG broke out the stunning ensemble, similar dresses have been seen all over the world. Check these out! Some have even put a new spin on the meat dress.

Interesting accessories...

Image from here

It has a nice cut....

Image from here

and my personal favorite...

Image from here

The impact that one person can have on culture, fashion and society is absolutely astonishing and a little bit inspiring.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

No Cowboys without Kansas

2011-06-22T08:54:00.000-05:00

I was born in raised in Colony, Kansas and if I have my say, I'll be buried in Anderson County Kansas. I'm exceptionally proud of my home, The Wheat State, and love coming across headlines that praise my great state. I love it even more when my rodeo and Western background are highlighted, which is exactly what I found in this article by Becky Tanner of the Wichita Eagle.

I've posted the whole article below -- I smiled most of the time I read it -- like I said, I'm very proud to be a cowgirl from Kansas :) I've highlighted my favorite parts below. Please, please, please read the whole thing, it's fantastic. Even if you're not from Kansas, it'll make any Westerner, cowboy or cowgirl puff up with pride.

Ideal of the Cowboy Lives on in Kansas

Becky Tanner

“The typical cowboy. . . . . . is a bad man to handle. Armed to the teeth, well mounted, and full of their favorite beverage, the cowboys will dash through the principal streets of a town, yelling. . . . This they call 'cleaning out a town.' " — Kansas newspaper, 1882

But Kansas gave the Old West everything iconic that westerners hold dear: The boot. The hat. The cowgirl.

The Marlboro Man, Matt Dillon, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Buffalo Bill, Billy the Kid.

Lee jeans. Sheplers. And songs.

But while the evolution of the West began from Kansas, it seldom draws the recognition of other states. “The challenge for Kansas is that we are not the only western state out there,” said Jay Price director of the public history program at Wichita State University.

“Texas can be western, New Mexico is western, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado — all these places claim to be western and in some ways pull it off better than we can and are certainly able to market it more,” Price said. “We are simply not the only jeans in town when it comes to being western.”

Perhaps, after nearly a century and a half, the Old West has become a state of mind.

“Anymore, Kansas seems to be like a border state. When people think of the Old West they think farther west,” said David Flask, director of Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita.

But, Flask said, there are people out there who know Kansas was the cradle of the Old West. “The international tourist knows exactly where we fit,” Flask said. “They are big Old West fans and have done their research and know we are the Old West.”

Kansans? Not so much.

“The biggest population that we have the hardest time convincing is the people who live here,” he said. “For a long time, if you were western, it meant you were backward. The goal was to promote us as a big, modern place with airplanes as opposed to capitalizing on our history.”

Talk with enough rural Kansans, though, and chances are the Old West still resonates.

Jim Hoy, director of the Center for Great Plains Studies at Emporia State University, remembers the shock he had the first time he gazed at a map of the Old West and Kansas wasn’t included.

“They’d just wiped us out,” he said. Blame Hollywood. Blame marketing campaigns.

Think about all the old westerns: Dodge City’s Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke” rode with mountains as his backdrop; Kevin Costner’s “Dances With Wolves” had Kansas fort names, and even the lead character, Lt. John Dunbar, was a real Kansan, but the movie was filmed in the Dakotas.
And, the Marlboro Man — Wayne Dunafon, from a ranch in northeast Kansas near Wamego and Westmoreland — became an American icon from 1964 to 1978 when he wore a long shearling duster, chaps and a Stetson hat.

“Those icons of the West wouldn’t be without Kansas,” Hoy said. “There wouldn’t be the cowboy, the boot or the hat. The cowboy was born on the dusty Chisholm Trail.”

The world is plenty full of faux and wannabe cowboys. The 1950s and 1960s brought with them TV shows such as “Gunsmoke,” “Bat Masterson” and “Wyatt Earp.” The 1970s brought in the “Urban Cowboy” look. For some Kansans in their 50s and 60s, that look took a permanent hold, Hoy said.

“There are pockets out there, like in Arizona and Utah, where every CPA and dentist wears a cowboy hat and boots but has never been close to a cow,” Hoy said. “But the Flint Hills, Smoky Hills and western cowboys of Kansas don’t make a splash.

“They are the real thing.”

Making legends
Perhaps no other figure in American history is as romanticized as the cowboy. Hero. Loner.

He and his trusty horse traversed a handful of trails from Texas to the Kansas prairies with cantankerous Longhorn cattle.

It wasn’t until after the Civil War that the East Coast in particular was demanding quality beef. With the advent of railroads, supplying it became easier.

In Kansas, the heyday of the long cattle drives was from the late 1860s to 1887. The first cattle traversed the Chisholm Trail into Kansas in 1867.

The cowtowns that developed — Abilene, Wichita, Caldwell, Newton, Ellsworth and Dodge City — had rough and rowdy reputations.

In these towns, men such as Bat Masterson, Jack Ledford, Mike and John Meagher and Wyatt Earp developed their reputations as gunmen.

But on the prairies, cowboys lived and breathed. They still do.

The cowboy way
Look almost anywhere in Kansas and the American cowboy is alive and well.

They wear the clothes. Their faces and necks are tanned and weathered, their hands callused and rough. They may hang out at livestock auctions, the local co-op, Tractor Supply and Orscheln, but more likely than not they are just out there doing their jobs.

John Schmidt of Pawnee Rock was 5 years old when he broke his first horse. “He was a colt. I was messing around with him, sitting on him, rode him in the creek without a bridle,” said Schmidt, now 57. “My folks saw that and decided it was time to break the horse. They brought out a cowboy. He saddled him up and rode him and said ‘this horse is already broke.”

When he was a kid, Schmidt outgrew plenty of cowboy hats and boots. Five decades later, his wardrobe hasn’t changed much. He wears the hat, the chaps, the spurs and boots with cow manure on the toes and heels. He drives a pickup truck whose front seat is so littered with the tools and medicines he needs to doctor cattle that no other human can fit in.

More often than not that mud-splattered pickup has a livestock trailer connected to it and his favorite horse, J Bar, saddled, waiting inside.

Schmidt farms, but his preference is being a cowboy.

“It’s just freedom,” he said. “People talk about when you are on the back of a Harley going out and riding as freedom; but for me, freedom comes when you are on the back of your horse and checking cattle. It’s early morning and the grass is still damp. It gives you a peace of mind. It’s a way of life.”

Any cowboy knows, there are different breeds of cowboys. There are feedyard cowboys — and cowboys that still ride the open range and are rodeo champions in their spare time.

Rodeo champion
By the time he was 6, Randy Peterson was herding cattle from the back of his horse. His daughter started going with him when she was 3.
He’s a third-generation Flint Hills cowboy. He runs several thousand cattle on the Buck Creek Ranch near Cottonwood Falls. This year, Peterson is once again vying to be the world champion in Ranch Rodeo events. His team has qualified the last eight years in a row.

Being a cowboy is what he knows. “That was just what we did,” said Peterson, 45. “The thing about it is you learn to be somebody who is going to get the job done with whatever it takes to do it. When we go doctor a calf, you don’t leave until it is doctored. I’ve seen some people go out and the calves will start running off — and they don’t get them. We’re not like that.

“There’s not enough hours in the day,” he said. “I always see these people who live in town, who always seem to got a lot more money than I do. They go to work at 8 and get off at 6. And we are always working from dark to dark. I never did think that part was very fair, but that’s life.”

On Thursday morning when rain clouds swept over parts of Kansas, Peterson was out moving hay. He was wearing wet clothes as he talked into his cellphone. He’d stayed up late the night before baling. His jeans, boots and hat were all drenched.

“I did take my spurs off to haul the hay,” he said. He got the job done.

Singing cowboy
What would the Old West be without music — without Roy Rogers, the Sons of the Pioneers and Gene Autry?

“Tennessee” Jim Farrell grew up in Tennessee, but moved to Kansas. He owns his own recording studio and is the harmony vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the Diamond W Wranglers.
He says the mystique and work ethic of the American cowboy started in the 1860s on the cattle trails to Kansas.

The cowboy way, Farrell said, was and still is all about integrity, doing your job and staying independent.

“It’s about doing the right thing when no one is looking, knowing what you are supposed to be doing and sacrificing your time, desires and goals to make it happen,” Farrell said. “The true cowboy code has to be that way or nothing would have gotten done.”

When the first cowboys traversed the trails, Farrell said, those virtues were quickly branded into their mindset.

“A lot of these kids had never been away from mom. Dad may have been killed in the (Civil) War and the boys had to be the breadwinners,” Farrell said.

“They saw that if you worked hard, you could be successful and you could make $50 to $75 when $200 would buy you a house and land. One of the things that freed the cowboy was that he could be on his own, away from society and still be okay.”

When he was growing up, Farrell said, he was drawn to the cowboy way first by its music, and then by its simple, philosophical code of conduct.

Every day he wears the clothes, hat and boots of a cowboy. He believes in the cowboy philosophy and way of life.

“The cowboy way is like a force of nature,” he said. “If you have integrity and do the right thing, treat people well and take care of your job to the best of your ability, then that is what I think the cowboy is still admired for.”

---

To me, being a Kansas cowgirl means being independent, determined and tough through hard times. Rodeo is a time honored tradition; one thats roots run deep and are based upon true American values like hard work, integrity, camaraderie and honesty. It is absolutely a way of life.

What does being a cowboy/cowgirl mean to you? What are some of the things you think of when you hear the word 'cowboy'?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard~

image from here

Feedsack Giveaway

2011-06-21T07:28:00.000-05:00

No, not here. I am not artsy craftsy in the least bit (well, I wish I was but God didn't bless me with sewing skills or patience) but my blogger friend and fellow agvocate Crystal Young, over at Crystal Cattle, is having a giveaway. Her friend, Sarah, from The House That Ag Built, has provided a feed sack bag to be given away! I used to have one of these and I absolutely loved it! They are really eye-catching and very durable. This isn't a picture of the exact bag but it gives you an idea of what one looks like. Great aren't they?!

Would you like to enter? I thought so - head on over to Crystal Cattle and check out the giveaway rules (the actual bag is pictured there). I would wish you all the good luck in the world but I'm hoping to win myself so..... I'll wish you a little bit of good luck.

Just out of curiosity - how many people out there would participate in the steps required to win a giveaway on Buzzard's Beat?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Image from here

Fresh Markets

2011-06-20T07:36:00.000-05:00

On my other blog, I posted about the Queen Victoria Market and how cool it is to buy all of our produce fresh. It's also a chance to get some good bargains - Hyatt and I have become first rate hagglers with the fruit vendors.

Look at all this great stuff we got a few days ago!

- 1 HUGE butternut squash
- 1 very large parsnip
- 2 red peppers
- 1/2 kilo of mushrooms
- a whole bag of roasting potatoes
- 1 medium pineapple
- 1 kilo of pears
- a punnett of GIGANTIC strawberries -- Look at the size of these things!

That is a normal sized sticky note. And that strawberry has since been demolished.

All of that great fresh produce cost us less that $14! It was a steal.

Are there fresh markets near your home? What's your favorite vendor with which to haggle?

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Father's Day

2011-06-19T02:34:00.000-05:00

Father's Day isn't celebrated in Australia until September, but being as how I'm a red-blooded American, I'll be 'celebrating' today. Obviously, I can't be there to spend time with Podge, but I sent him a card and hopefully he's received it.

This is the first time in 10 years I haven't been with my dad on Father's Day and it's pretty rough. To tell you the truth, most holidays are rough down here without my parents, friends and family. Anyways, I wanted to post a few of my favorite pictures of my dad and I (he'll probably never read this post because I don't think he even knows about this blog), but since most of my pictures are stored away in SEK, this one from the FroBuzz wedding will have to suffice.

He and my mom gave Hyatt and I a dream wedding - we had a blast.

How are you celebrating Father's Day? Grilling out? Going fishing?

Miss you, Podge!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

$40 Million Dollars Has Vanished

2011-06-17T08:43:00.000-05:00

Now that I have your attention....

Have you ever had the opportunity to sell your ranch for $40 million and then, overnight, that opportunity is gone, kaput, vanished?

Cattle producers in Australia's Northern Territory know exactly what it feels like in light of the recent export ban resulting from a video of cattle being severely mistreated in and Indonesian abattoir. I highly suggest you read my post on NCBA's YPC blog, watch the video and then come back here - it will only take 10 minutes and I swear, it's worth it and so extremely relevant.

Now that you've read all that (seriously, if you haven't you NEED TO DO IT), let's get back on topic.

As I was saying, live exports to Indonesia (and only Indonesia) have been banned for at least six months but could last for a whole year. There are several cattle stations that had been in negotiations to sell for sometime and since the ban, those negotiations have stopped and all offers have ceased. There is even a case where one Australian company had completed several months due diligence on a property but, upon hearing of the export ban, backed out before submitting a final offer. Yet another station, worth approximately $40 million, was in the final stages of the sale only to have the bottom fall out.

The North Queensland Register's Matthew Cranston states that "A halt to live exports prevents owners from selling their cattle and generating cash. Without revenue the properties lose value in the same way office towers do when they have no tenants. They may also struggle to pay bank debt, raising the prospect of defaults."

This is a serious issue affecting cattle ranchers not just in northern Australia but in the southern states as well. The market will likely be flooded with beef that had been destined for Indonesia and beef prices will fall. Of course, consumers will be happy but this comes at great detriment to producers all over Australia.

What's your take on this issue? Do you think government officials took the right steps or did they act in senseless haste? Would love to hear your feedback!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

photo from here

Grillin ain't BBQ'in

2011-06-15T08:19:00.000-05:00

It's summertime (at least it is in the States) and that means two things: hot weather and cooking outdoors. I've been jealous of the countless facebook statuses I've read that have been talking about BBQ'ing with friends, going fishing and having a good time. But did you know that most people are falsely claiming to be BBQ'ing? Yep, that's right - they're lying. Sort of.

The terms BBQ and grilling out are used synonymously to describe cooking food on a grill. However, BBQ and grilling aren't the same thing. Technically, (according to this article by Troy Black, Big Book of BBQ) "BBQ'ing is long, low, and slow. The low temperature and the resulting length of time the meat is cooked allows for the food to soak up the smoke and rub flavors, and to become very tender and moist. Think ribs, pork shoulder, and brisket as barbecue."

BBQ'ing

My Uncle Jere, Aunt Daisy and their BBQ team, UFR Smoke, make a mean brisket. They slow BBQ'd the brisket and pork for our wedding and I think we got more compliments on the food than we did congrats on our big day!
Grilling, on the other hand, is the method with which most people are familiar. Being able to cook a variety of food such as burgers, chicken, steaks, veggies, and seafood, hot and fast is what draws many people to the grilling arena.

More commonly practiced, grilling.

Regardless of what you're cooking this summer remember to observe proper cooking temps and have a meat thermometer handy! Burgers should be 'Safe and Savory at 160', steaks and pork chops should be cooked to 145 and chicken should be heated to a toasty 180 (all temperatures in Fahrenheit).

What are some of your favorite grilling or BBQ dishes? I'm pretty partial to Uncle Jere's brisket - it's hard to beat!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

E6 Ranch Suffers the Consequences

2011-06-10T08:12:00.000-05:00

Whether you care to admit it or not, we're all probably at least a little bit happy about this news update. Regardless of who committed the cruel acts at E6 Ranch, someone needed to be charged and punished for the inexecusable acts.

About two weeks ago (yes, I am this far behind on my blogging) Dairy Herd Network's email newsletter informed me that seven people, including ranch owner Kirt Espenson, had been charged in the E6 Ranch case. Bravo. Espenson was charged with Class A Misdemeanor animal cruelty (he wasn't engaged in the acts on video) and the six employees charged with felony animal cruelty. If found guilty, which in all actuality should and probably will happen, the felony charge carries a two year jail sentence and the misdemeanor charge is a one year jail stint.

Nathan Runkle, executive director of Mercy For Animals, said "We hope that this case and the action by law enforcement sends a strong message to the dairy industry that animal cruelty will not be tolerated." Espenson told officials that he had fired four employees over the horrible acts and hired a professional trainer to lead training programs in humane handling and proper euthanasia.

Thus far, I've been unsuccessful at finding out a court date, as dockets weren't available for most of July and August. But I'll be sure to keep the blogging world updated on the goings on of this case. It's essential that the world knows that farmers and ranchers don't tolerate or condone this type of behavior and that it is not the norm in our industry.

What are your thoughts? Do you think justice is being served appropriately? I'm anxious to hear feedback on this one.

Until next time (I promise it won't be another 8 days before my next post),
~ Buzzard ~

EPA's Over Regulation

2011-06-01T08:08:00.000-05:00

I got this video from my Ohio Ag Net daily newsletter - and if you can't laugh at this then you're probably not a big fan of the normal content here on Buzzard's Beat.

It's hilarious and attention grabbing - perfect. I hope it inspires you to contact your Congressman/woman and let them know about your blues. This video came from the BeltwayBeef channel on YouTube - for more great stuff, head on over there and check it out.

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Hope that beef worked

2011-05-26T18:46:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I run my first distance race since 2003. Holy wow, that was a long time ago.

As I mentioned here, I'm running a 10k and although I don't have a Team BEEF jersey (yet), I'll still be sporting my I Heart Beef shirt with a big purple powercat on it! I hope all the beef I've been chowing down on will help me cross the finish line under an hour.

I haven't trained much the past two weeks because I've been grading essays and working on my thesis so wish me luck!

Until tomorrow,
~ Buzzard ~

Farm Aid Rocks n' Rolls in to Kansas City

2011-05-26T07:22:00.000-05:00

Yep, you heard right. Farm Aid is rolling into Kansas this summer -- August 13 to be exact. Farm Aid was started in 1985 and historically has had the goal of raising money for American's family farmers and ranchers.

The annual event's founder, and main attraction, is the ever popular cannabis smoking, long hair sporting Willie Nelson. Nelson, along with his pals (and fellow board of directors members) John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Neil Young, will be raising money for family farmers at the new Livestrong Sporting Park in KCK.

I love that these high profile celebrities are continuing to embrace the farming way of life and are on board to help preserve agriculture. I found this statement on their website:

Independent family farmers are the pillars of their communities. They grow high quality food, are active in civic life, and are essential to the economic vitality of both their hometowns and the nation. As stewards of the land, family farmers work to protect the soil, air, water, and biodiversity in addition to producing high-quality, healthy food for everyone.

Below, you can hear Dave Matthews give testament to the importance of family farmers and healthy food from healthy land.

Favorite part: if you want healthy food, you go to the people who make healthy food from healthy land.

Tickets have already gone on sale and can be purchased at TicketMaster. For more information on Farm Aid, check out their website.

Will you be going to Farm Aid 2011? Do you think Nelson, Mellencamp, Young and Matthews are suitable spokespeople for agriculture?

Until next time
~ Buzzard ~

Oprah's Big Goodbye, Farewell, Adieu

2011-05-24T07:29:00.000-05:00

Will agriculture benefit from her departure?

Oprah is by no doubt one of the most influential women, nay, people of the 20th and 21st centuries. Over the past 25 years, she has affected America's lives by suggesting books, lifestyle choices and health advice. Additionally, one cannot ignore the countless people she has helped through her Angel Network efforts -- the woman is truly amazing and daytime television is never going to be the same.

I'm not going to miss her.

For all the good Oprah has done for the mind, body and spirit of millions of Americans over the past 25 years, there is one group that was overlooked by her good deeds and words. America's farmers and ranchers. Now, in her defense, I cannot find an episode where Oprah said, "Farmers and ranchers are bad people" however, with episodes like this, this, this and this she's not exactly waving the 'I Love Ag' banner.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with society wanting to know where their food comes from; I highly encourage informed food choices (hence the purpose of Buzzard's Beat and this blog, too). However, the people telling that story need to be the farmers and ranchers themselves. Michael Pollan may be a food expert but he is most certainly not a health, agriculture or farming expert. Neither are Kathy Freston or Alicia Silverstone -- all celebrities who have been guests on Oprah during one of her 'go-green, eat veggies and save the earth' shows.

I have read many books from Oprah's book lists and have several times cried while watching her reveal a new home to an underprivileged family. I most recently let tears flow when she had five women on the show who shared how they helped deliver a lifelong jail sentence to the man that knowlingly infected them with HIV. Will I be crying when she says her final goodbye tomorrow?

Not a chance. Oprah's absence will no doubt leave viewers searching for a new source of health and food information, that I for one will be thrilled at the opportunity to fill. Are you going to step up and be that resource?

Where do you weigh in? Do you think agriculture will benefit from Oprah's departure? What are the chances that a pro-ag celebrity will take the spotlight on daytime television? Any ideas for who will be the next talk show queen (or king)?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Headlines...

2011-05-20T20:26:00.000-05:00

Ok - I read a lot of online newspapers and newsletters every day -- more than the average person if I had to guess. I get my updates from MeatingPlace.com, FeedStuffs Foodlink, Animal Ag Alliance, Drovers CattleNetwork.com, the Dairy Herd Network, the Humane Society of the United States (keeping a watchful eye on the enemy), Pork Network, BEEF Daily, the Phil Reid Beef Blog, Ohio Ag Net, Science Digital and a few others. Add in the NY Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Yahoo! and Yahoo!7 (Australia's Yahoo) and MSN and MSN7 and I've got quite a bit of reading on a daily basis. As I'm reading I'm constantly thinking, 'Oh, I should blog about that' but I can't possibly blog about everything like I'd like to, so instead I have listed below sofe of the most interesting agriculture articles I have read over the past few days. Some are about policy, food and health, education, animal agriculture - you name it. I hope you enjoy!

Farmed or Wild? What is the best salmon to buy?

Tennessee Establishes a Farm Animal Care Coalition (FAACT)

Is Skim Milk Making You Fat?

Curriculum Should Focus on Readin', Ritin' and Ranchin'

$2 Million Michigan Lottery Winner Defends Use of Food Stamps

What do you guys think? Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future or would you rather I continue to create my sarcastic, opinionated and fact filled posts on a regular basis?

Let me know what you're thinking!

Until next time
~ Buzzard ~

Meeting Ag Tweeps Down Under!

2011-05-19T21:25:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, Hyatt and I had the privilege of meeting Grahame Rees. Grahame is the co-owner and operator of KLR Marketing, a program that, among other things, educates producers about how to successfully market their livestock and protect their equity, in Loomberah, NSW.

Grahame briefly spoke to us about his Low Stress Stockhandling schools and invited us to attend one in November, which we'll probably end up doing. Grahame uses principles that were established by Bud Williams, well-known and highly respected cattle handling expert from Alberta, Canada who has just recently moved to Independence, Kan. Bud and Grahame focus their schools on stimulus-response animal handling which is a different school of thought than behaviorist Temple Grandin.

Bud was the developer of the 'Bud Box' which you can see being utilized below. The K-State beef feedlot has a bud box that I have used several times and I truly appreciate it's simplistic, yet effective, nature.

It was really great to meet Grahame, who is a fellow ag tweeter, I can mark him off the long, long list of agriculture tweeps I want to meet. We're really looking forward to seeing him again in November and we promised that if he ever came to Kansas he could stay for dinner!

To learn more about Low Stress Stockhandling or KLR Marketing you can visit any of these sites and be sure to follow Grahame on twitter (@peneena).
- www.klrmarketing.com.au
- www.lss.net.au
- www.campfirecoaching.com
- www.grahamereesblog.com

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Scientists Care Too

2011-05-16T07:19:00.000-05:00

I recently read an article titled, "In Animal Testing Debate, Fur Still Flies." It addresses the treatment and welfare of laboratory animals like rats, monkeys, guinea pigs, dogs and many more species. Many people are opposed to animal testing because not all animals fall under animal testing policies and being a 'guinea pig' (pardon the pun) for pharmaceuticals and other products is not the most glamorous of lifestyles. The fact of the matter is that animal testing enables us to have, among other things, vaccines, antibiotics, chemotherapy, joint replacement and bypass surgeries.

I would also like to bring to light that scientists who utilize animals for laboratory research give those animals the utmost care, just like a farmer does his livestock. While here in Australia, I've had the chance to do a lot research with sheep and most recently, I helped perform fat biopsies on some crossbred ewes. The surgery was not unlike one that would occur in a regular hospital.

Each surgery used a new set of sterilized surgical equipment and lots of sterile surgical guaze.

The area where incision will be made is shaved, then cleaned with iodine and alcohol and finally, treated with an analgesic so that the sheep won't feel any pain.

During the surgery, covers are placed around the area and the scientists and researchers wear surgical gloves so the entire process stays clean. In this picture, Hyatt is suturing the tiny incision that was made to collect the sample. After he has finished the sheep will be treated with antiseptic to ensure that no infection ensues.

Regardless of your position on animal testing, you should know that research animals receive special care and are not treated badly. Scientists and researchers care about the animals that have been entrusted to us; just like farmers and ranchers.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

A New Spin on Guinea Pig

2011-05-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

That guinea pig in the pet store window isn't just for Susie's birthday anymore. Pig farmers in Australia have been utilizing the little munchkins to help decrease the occurrence of savaging piglets in piggeries.
Quick animal behavior lesson: Savaging of piglets, when a mother pig attacks her piglets usually injuring but sometimes killing them, is a well-documented behavior most often seen in first litter gilts. While it's been genetically selected against in U.S. swine herds, it still sometimes occurs in Australian piggeries. It is thought to be related to the hormones associated with parnutrition and unfortunately there is no vaccination or cure for this horribly bizarre condition.

Back to the guinea pigs - some Australian pig farmers have begun putting guinea pigs in farrowing crates with the mothers prior to birth in order to desensitize gilts to the presence of small, wriggling, noisy piglets. When the mother is exposed to the stimulus of sharing her home with an small animal, farmers have reported that the behavior is drastically reduced, meaning less piglets are maimed or killed by the gilts.

I'd hate to be a guinea pig in Australia....

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

People Other People Don't Think About

2011-05-10T08:03:00.000-05:00

Farmers and Ranchers

Megan H., a Michigan middle school student, was faced with the task of writing a letter to a group of people that don’t receive much attention from the rest of society. Megan, bless her little heart, chose the Michigan Farm Bureau.

Have a look at Megan’s simple but extremely heartfelt words. Not driven by corporate schemes, profit margins or an animal rights agenda, her thoughts were that of a thankful consumer who truly appreciates the daily triumphs and tribulations of American farmers.

(I have copied Megan’s letter exactly as she wrote it).

Dear farmers,

Thank you for everything, that you do. It must be hard to wake up each morning and work in fields, or taking care of animals. You must be tired after a whole day of working and you work mostly for food for US! Thank you again for all of your hard work. Without your hard work the world would not be the same. Our class is writing to people who we think that other people don’t think about. I choose to write to the Michigan Farm Bureau.

Sinserly,

Megan H.

To hear the narrated version of Megan’s letter to Michigan Farm Bureau, click here.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Weekly Words of Encouragement

2011-05-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

It's finally Friday (in the states, it's actually 1 am here in Australia) and since we 're usually run down, beat up and sometimes emotionally drained on Friday I wanted to instill some hope into my readers hearts and minds.

This one comes from an advisor friend of mine who I deeply respect (he didn't say it originally, he just shared it with me).

"Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and a miracle fiber called courage." - George S. Patton

I am in major need of some courage over the next few days and this quote jumped out at me. This will probably become a weekly feature because grad school is draining me.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Miranda Agrees with Us!

2011-05-03T08:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, a funny/cool/coincidental thing happened: Crystal Cattle and I blogged about the same topic but used different sources to deliver the same message. How cool is social media?

Anyway, Crystal featured a quote on farm animals not being pets by one of my all-time favorite artists, Miranda Lambert. I won't repeat Crystal's words but encourage you to go check out what she and Miranda had to say about cows, pets and the circle of life.

Miranda Lambert: Some animals you feed and some that feed you.

Move Over Lassie, Bessie's Moving In

2011-05-02T08:25:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy: www.dudelol.com

The abhorrent acts at the E6 Ranch have caused a tremendous uproar among the animal agriculture and animal rights crowds. Squabbling about whom should be punished, the timeliness of the video’s release and legislation that would forbid undercover videography have been rampant across the World Wide Web. I’ve been relatively active in the ‘comments’ section of many articles and have also been fielding comment traffic on this blog. One topic that seems to be resurfacing time and time again is the supposition by anti-agriculturalists that farm animals should be treated like dogs, cats and other household pets. Below are some comments highlighting these thoughts (commenter’s names have been omitted):

We gain much more by being responsible stewards of the lands and raising beautiful legumes and vegetables. Farm animals should be kept as pets only. This would create a better world for all of us.
- ‘Who Will Protect the Animals’, Mark Bittman

I imagine a large percentage of your readership, if they look deep in their own hearts, have at various times questioned the standard industry practices which cause physical and mental pain to creatures that have done nothing to deserve it. Many of you have at sometime in your life made the connection that a cow, pig, lamb, or even a chicken, have the same primal desires as the pets you relate to as family. It must be very difficult to find yourself in a livelihood that over time has accepted practices that are more and more cruel in order to improve the bottom line. I wish each of you strength to rediscover your innate kindness, and offer it to those most at your mercy.
- Five minutes with Nathan Runkle Executive Director of Mercy for Animals, Chuck Jolley

While I’ll ignore the blatant accusation that agriculturalists, particularly livestock farmers, have lost our ‘innate kindness’, I would like to broach the subject of ‘farm animals are pets.’ That just isn’t true.

I showed livestock in 4-H from the age of seven to twenty and while I’ll admit forming a bond with my animals, I fully understood that pigs are for pork, cattle are for beef and chickens end up on the Easter Sunday dinner table. Am I a black hearted person? NO. I’m an agriculturalist and future producer who knows firsthand the importance of meat in any diet. Ninety-seven percent of the U.S. population eats meat and that meat comes from American farmers and ranchers.

Hyatt and I were recently Skyping with my sisters-in-law, who show cattle and hogs in Ohio, and asked how the hogs were doing and of course we asked if any names had been chosen. The youngest daughter said, “Breakfast, lunch and dinner.” These girls take care of their animals by exercising, grooming, cleaning their pens and feeding them daily. They practice exemplary animal care and do, in fact, very much love their livestock. I know this because I’ve witnessed their tears as they say ‘goodbye’ at the state fair. However, they know that livestock are for meat consumption. If not for meat consumption, then why are they here?

Before I go on, and further anger a few readers, I want to reiterate that farmers and ranchers provide the utmost care for their livestock because it's the right thing to do. The incident at E6, while extremely unfortunate and horrible, is a rare incident and should NOT be considered a standard for the rest of the animal agriculture industry. There is no room in the industry for inconsiderate care as seen in the MFA video and it should be very clear that farmers and ranchers are just as outraged as consumers at the blatant disregard for animal well-being.

Let’s imagine that farm animals are indeed intended to be domesticated pets. What exactly are we to do with them when their lives end? Where do we house them – in the backyard? One must wonder if the individuals advocating for cattle as pets understand how expensive it is to raise and feed a single bovine. The economics of raising livestock as pets simply don't add up.

Furthermore, while I completely agree that we all should include fruits, veggies and whole grains in their diets, I know that meat is a more efficient way to obtain the daily requirements of protein and certain vitamins and minerals.

For example:
- Half the daily protein you need in your diet comes from only 3 oz of beef. If it’s 3 oz of lean beef, only 130 calories
- It would take 6 times as much peanut butter to get the same amount of protein as you would from one 3 oz piece of beef.
- Beef is a good source of essential vitamins and nutrients.
     o  Zinc - brain and immune function
     o Iron
     o Protein – builds muscle; helps fuel active lifestyle
     o B6 – energy
     o B12 – energy
- You'd have to eat 8 stalks of celery to get the same amount of iron from 1 - 3 oz portion of brown sugar cured ham.
- Beef and chicken have almost no carbohydrates. Of the few cuts of pork that do contain carbs, each cut has less than 3 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
- There are 5 cuts of chicken that have fewer calories from fat than 1 ear of sweet corn.
- One sweet potato contains more calories than one 3 oz serving of roasted pork tenderloin.

Calorie comparisons for 25 grams of protein in different foods:
Peanut Butter - 7 tbsp – 670 calories
Black Beans 3- ½ cup servings – 374 calories
Raw Soy Tofu – 1 ¼ cups – 236 calories
Cubes Lean Beef – 3 ounces – 180 calories

I hope that these nutritional facts have provided some insight into the importance of meat in our diets.

In closing, I’m sharing a quote from a VERY reliable source that will be the subject of a later post. For now, I think it sufficiently sums up the purpose of livestock on Earth.

Genesis 9:3 - The Bible
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.

Get ready for some controversy on Buzzard’s Beat, folks.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

I Am Second - Trevor Brazile

2011-04-28T07:28:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I, along with several thousands of rodeo fans, are huge Trevor Brazile fans. What's not to love? He is an 11 time World Champion and holds the record for most All-Around titles ever won with 8. He is a well-known poster boy for being a family man, he's obviously very skilled with a rope and even better.... he gives glory to God for all of it. I saw this video early last week and by the time it makes it up on my blog, I'm sure it will have been shared many times. But whatevs, it's my birthday in the states and he's my favorite so I'm sharing it again. I hope you enjoy it.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Agvocacy Down Under - Sheep, Swine and Poultry

2011-04-27T07:27:00.000-05:00

There are way more sheep here than people - 3.5X as many sheep. In June 2008, the sheep population was 80 million while the current population of Australians is 22.5 million people. Australians eat a lot of sheepmeat - there is far more sheepmeat in the supermarket than either pork or chicken. Beef still reigns supreme, at least on the shelves :) Anyway, in my last post I said that Hyatt and I had been to the biggest livestock in Australia, the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. That was the beef edition; this is the sheep, swine, poultry and consumer information edition.
As with beef, there many posters explaining animal care procedures, nutrition information and details about how hard farmers and ranchers work.

I really like this one that explains that chickens aren't dual purpose - certain breeds are for meat and others for laying eggs.

When we ventured into the swine barn we had a few reactions: 1) there are hardly any hogs here 2) there are a lot of people here learning about hogs!

This little dude was trying to pet a pig - shame on his father for denying him that

simple pleasure of life.

Back in the Food Farm building, children were running amuck learning about different aspects of food production. There was a 'collect your own hen eggs' station (sorry, no picture), a cooking station where people were making sausage and then there was this fun interactive learning station.

Some kids having fun on the "Livestock Learning Wall"

Is our red meat industry important to all Australians? --> YES!

I would have taken many more pictures of the Food Farm but unfortunately I haven't yet learned how to pack a camera charger for a roadtrip - so both cameras (yes, I have two and yes, I forgot both chargers) died. So sad. Didn't get any pictures of the Opera House either.

Agvocacy Down Under - Beef Edition

2011-04-26T07:54:00.000-05:00

Two weekends ago, my hubby and I traveled to Sydney for the Royal Easter Show. To picture this event, think of a state fair in any well populated state. Ohio is pretty comparable as would be California, except the number of show hogs at Sydney was significantly lower than the States.

Although it rained the entire day we were at the Royal Easter Show, we still had a great time. We strolled through the cattle barns, the hog barn (singular) and of course went through the shopping area (although it was nothing compared to the shops at state fairs and stock shows at home. *sigh* I miss western couture).

But perhaps the most enthralling part of the whole day was the "Food Farm" where I saw some full-scale agvocacy efforts - check out these pictures!

I love these - food comes from animals. Fact.

There was a similar board for western, northern and eastern cattle ranchers also. The boards described what cattle producers do each month through the year. There were also facts that explained the importance of crossbreeding and heterosis.

Although this barn was aimed primarily at school-age children, the banners featuring beef producers and their way of life were especially targeted at audience the members who vote and buy groceries. By informing adults of conservation efforts, animal wellbeing standards and the hardships associated with livestock production, the Food Farm coordinators

I'll post more later about agvocacy in sheep and swine production, fun ways to learn about where food comes from and various pictures from our trip to Sydney! Stay tuned {insert cliffhanger}

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

My Legs Might Fall Off

2011-04-25T07:04:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official. I am running my first race since 2004 on May 29 of this year, the Sri Chinmoy Running Festival. I'll be running the 10k (does this count as two 5k's?). I started training on Saturday and I thought my legs were going to fall off on Sunday, I was so out of practice.

In order to train for this momentous occasion I'm going to be eating a lot of delicious beef. Beef, as you may know, is chock full of zinc, iron and protein and provides the energy needed to fuel a healthy lifestyle. Beef is also a good source of B vitamins which are essential for cell metabolism.

Additionally, there are 29 cuts of beef that qualify as 'lean' by the USDA, meaning they contain less than 10g of total fat, 4.5g or less of saturated fat, and less than 95mg of cholesterol per serving and per 100 grams. Some of these tasty lean choices are the 95% lean ground beef, sirloin, flank stank and T-Bone.

I'll be running almost everyday and doing toning exercises on non-run days so in order to fuel all this activity you can be sure I'm going to be consuming heaps of lean beef! I recently became a member of Team BEEF (formerly known as Team ZIP) and I'm very excited to run and show off my TEAM BEEF jersey which I hope to be receiving in the mail before the race. Check out the sweet jersey I'll be sporting!

Image courtesy http://teamzip.ning.com

Any of you experienced runners have any advice for me? I'd welcome your suggestions!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Engagement Chicken and Easter

2011-04-24T08:51:00.000-05:00

Today was our first Easter as a married couple and usually for Easter, we join the rest of the Buzzard clan at my Grandma and Papaw's house for ham, mashed potatoes and the best fried chicken in the world.

Not this year. This year we're in Australia and I was in charge of Easter dinner. I accidentally found a recipe for Engagement Chicken on a Yahoo! blog. According to the author of the blog, the recipe is named Engagement Chicken because there have been several young women who made this dish and then a month or two later their boyfriends proposed. Something to do with it being the type of homemade meal their mom would make.

Recipe is below:
Engagement Chicken
Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons—including 1 sliced for garnish
1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch fl at-leaf parsley)

1. Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fi tted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.
3. Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)
4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast- side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.
6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken— this is the “marry me juice.” Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Here is how it ended up - super juicy but not much to look at because I didn't want to spend $10 on garnishes. But Hyatt said it was delicious :)

That's a lemon sticking out, btw.

Post lemon-removal:

And Hyatt carving the bird :)

Total cost of our meal?
Chicken - $5.32
Green beans - $1.00
Lemons - $2.50
Total cost of meal: $8.82 for two people = $4.41 per person. AND we had leftovers :)

I am not sure how I feel about this domesticated wifey-ness thing I've got going on. Strange.

I hope that you all have a special Easter, wherever you are, and that you take time to remember the real reason for Easter. To celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Best wishes for a blessed holiday.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Earth Day is NOT Every Day!

2011-04-22T07:26:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of the year again when we all resolve to recycle more, consume fewer non-renewables and to ride our bikes to work. Yes, it’s Earth Day and the media storm leading up to now has been full of “Every day is Earth Day for farmers and ranchers” messages on Twitter, Facebook and blogs. So why aren’t I writing a similar post? Because in fact, every day is NOT Earth Day. Tomorrow won’t be Earth Day, tomorrow is Saturday and I’m going to the zoo to see a koala and Sunday is Easter. Easter and Earth Day don’t share the same date, duh.

The fact of the matter is that every day isn’t Earth Day so why do we pretend that anything is different today? Farmers and ranchers practice environmental conservation every single day of the year so, ipso facto, today is nothing special (except for that it’s Good Friday, that’s very important). Just another day on the ranch (you see where this is going).

Take for example Tom Price, a 6^th generation hog farmer in Ohio. Ninety-nine percent of the manure from his farm is combined with yard trimmings, composted and then used for flower beds in neighboring communities. Located near a river, Price says, “We do everything in our power to keep it as clean as possible because that river is drinking water for people south of us. We have a great deal of responsibility to put clean water into that river so that those people drinking water get the cleanest water possible.” Price says that filter strips play a vital role in managing runoff by slowing down the water and filtering out contaminants. Click here to learn more about Price’s hog farm and compost facilities.

Cattle ranchers are working hard to maintain a steady supply of safe, wholesome beef for a growing world while preserving and reducing their impact on the environment. For example, according to research by Washington State University, from 1977 to 2007 beef producers have lowered the carbon footprint generated from producing 1 lb. of beef by 14%. And they’ve done it using 15% less water and 11% fewer fossil fuels. Two words: efficiency and technology. For more facts about beef and sustainability, you can check out BEEF Magazine's resource page.

Finally, EPA studies show that U.S. livestock production accounts for less than 2.4% of total GHG emissions. In fact, EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, on a recent farm tour in Iowa stated that “What I learned is that there is a lot of innovation going on. This innovation is aimed at making their business more efficient and has a benefit for air quality and water quality.” Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture also stated, “The farmers and ranchers we visited with today - and hundreds of thousands like them around the country - are our nation’s first and finest conservationists. They understand better than anyone that you cannot continually take from the land without giving back, and they have taken incredible strides to protect the land they rely on.” The nation’s leaders are sitting up and taking notice of the agriculture industry’s efforts at environmental sustainability.

So while you’re driving around this weekend to visit family during Easter (which makes me extremely jealous of you, btw) remember that Earth Day 2011 was nothing special or extraordinary – it was just another day on the farm for the hundreds of thousands of American farmers and ranchers.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Still No Excuse: Owner of E6 Ranch Steps Up

2011-04-21T05:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I posted about the recent release of an undercover video by Mercy For Animals of E6 Ranch in Hart, Texas. Not much has changed since then - the video is still horrific, I'm still outraged that anyone would treat animals that way and unfortunately the video is still receiving views. However, what has changed is that the ranch's owner, Kirt Espenson, is stepping up and taking the heat for the events that have taken place on his ranch- he isn't passing the buck or blaming the undercover videographer.

Trent Loos, agriculture advocate, public speaker and radio personality, states that it's not fair to condemn someone without knowing the full breadth of the situation. That is also a part of responsible journalism. I agree with that statement and admit that I, like others in the media, may have jumped to conclusions about the integrity of the owner and management of E6. Loos interviewed Mr. Espenson to get the truth on how he feels about the release of the video and how he plans to remedy the situation. In the interview, which you can listen to here, Mr. Espenson openly takes responsibility for the actions of his employees and states that new employee training is going to be put into place so that every last person is well trained in animal handling and euthanasia in order to ensure that this type of incident never happens again. I don't know Mr. Espenson, but after listening to the interview I truly believe that he is sorry for how the animals were treated and that he will work his butt off to make sure that it never happens again.

As an animal wellbeing scientist, I have ~~little~~ no tolerance for poor animal handling - especially in the euthanasia arena. That goes for the undercover videographer (who is seen in the video using a hammer to euthanize calves) and especially the employees. Euthanasia of the calves in the video was necessary as they had suffered from frostbite which was causing them to lose their limbs however, a hammer does not meet the criteria for humane euthanasia: quick and as painfree as possible.
I truly hope that you will listen to the entire interview because Mr. Espenson also addresses antibiotic use on the ranch, which was brought up in the video.

So - take away from the past two days, the video, the interview and my posts:
-- The treatment in the videos was bad and inexcusable. I truly hope that the employees (and the videographer) are punished. If that means jail, so be it. Like I said, inexcusable.
-- The owner, Espenson, is fully aware of his responsibility on the ranch and to animal wellbeing standards and plans to put new animal care training programs in place.
-- The treatment in the video is not the norm - it is the minority and as such should not be used as a descriptor of an entire industry.
-- If you want to know more about animal care, ranching or farming - let me know and I'll hook you up with a producer near you who would love to show you around the farm.

One last thing -- this is a fact sheet about humane euthanasia of cattle and calves from the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. This is something about which all farmers and ranchers should be well educated. Nature is cruel, but we don't have to be.

I hope that I have been helpful in reporting the news about the video, interview and facts of animal wellbeing and euthanasia. As always, if you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

No Excuse

2011-04-20T07:13:00.000-05:00

I just viewed the recently released undercover video from Mercy For Animals. I'm not going to share the link on here because the video brought me to tears and I am outraged that anyone would treat animals that way. But if you must see it, search 'Mercy For Animals calves' and I'm sure you'll be able to find it.

I can't say that I'm thrilled about undercover video footage - because you never see the thousands of honorable, decent farmers and ranchers who are doing the right thing in terms of animal welfare. But, I truly hope that the employees at the featured farm are punished to the full extent of the law and I must thank MFA for revealing the blatant disregard for animal welfare and complete absence of morals by the management and employees of said farm.

If you want to see how animals are and should be handled, with care, check out these farmers on twitter, Facebook or their blogs. They all practice humane animal production practices and openly invited visitors to their farms.

Mike Haley, Haley Farms
Ray-Lin Dairy
Ryan Goodman
Debbie Lyons-Blythe

Please contact them, or me, if you have any questions about animal care or production.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Is 'Involuntary Conversion to Protein' PC Enough For You?

2011-04-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

In today's animal agriculture society, it's nearly impossible to go a single day without overhearing a conversation, reading a newspaper story or watching a news release about animal welfare.

Let me start off by saying that I don't really care for the term animal welfare because many people tend to confuse it with animals rights - which is wrong. I prefer animal well-being, but that's not what this post is about. Yes, I know you're anxious to find out, but first please familiarize yourself with the definitions below.

Animal rights (animal liberation) - the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings (Taylor, Angus. Animals & Ethics).

Animal welfare - the physical and psychological well-being of animals. The term 'animal welfare' can also mean human concern for an animal's welfare or well-being (Hewson, Caroline J. 2003). I'd like to point out that farmers and ranchers believe in animal welfare/well-being, and do so by providing humane care and supervision to livestock to ensure a safely produced and consumed product. However, very few, if any, farmers and ranchers believe their animals should be afforded the same rights as humans.

Ok - you know the difference now, right? Great. Moving on.
As with all things, the way a person words or speaks a phrase can strongly alter the connotation. For example, in the animal science world, a hot button issue is the harvest vs. slaughter terminology debate. Meaning, when animals are ready to be sent to the packing plant and rendered into savory, delicious meat products, should their death and passage into the afterlife be labeled as with other food sources like corn (harvest) or as what is really occurring (slaughter)?

I recently conducted a survey on Twitter of what is preferred and here are some of the replies I got back.

As you can see the agriculture industry is rather divided on this topic.

Temple Grandin, world renowned animal behaviorist, has said, "We are slaughtering these animals. We are raising them for a purpose," and I have personally had a conversation with Temple where she said, "We harvest crops, not cattle." So, it's safe to say that Temple is pro-'slaughter'.

However, many other agriculturalists prefer 'harvest' because when chatting with a consumer foreign to the agriculture industry, 'harvest' is much friendlier to the ears and conveys a more appealing visual image. I understand their point - harvest doesn't scream the direct killing (i.e. blood) of an animal but subtly allows it to creep into our minds as an afterthought. "Oh, animals are harvested. How nice."

There are also many people who prefer the term process however, regardless of the jargon used to explain what happens to an animal before it becomes the scrumptious main feature of my dinner, it's critical to realize that animal well-being must always be at the forefront of slaughter/harvesting facilities and practices. The terminology doesn't matter if the care isn't present.

I'll save my opinion on this one for another day (or maybe you've already deduced what I prefer); what I'm really interested in is YOUR opinion. Leave a comment and tell your friends, what do you prefer? What do you say in your daily conversations? I'm really anxious to hear what comes from this.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

After-thought: Above, I said Temple is pro-slaughter. She is highly in favor of using the word 'slaughter' but stresses that the practice should be low stress and humane. Just wanted to reiterate that. :)

Do You Have a Ph.B. in Baconology?

2011-04-14T07:03:00.000-05:00

Are you a bacon lover? I sure am and boy, do I miss American bacon. It's just not the same over here in the land down under but, I digress.

This evening, I was catching up on some reading and saw a post on www.meatingplace.com about the Android phone market coming out with a new application...... FOR BACON!

In the new app, Baconnection, (which has already been launched and can be downloaded for a mere $0.99 - can you say 'bargain'?) users will be able to peruse bacon facts, play a bacon game (where they will earn “bacon badges”) and download recipes.
Reader's Digest Association, the company responsible for the amazing new app, noted that "players will aim to connect ordinary ingredients to bacon recipes in 6 steps or less, earning Bacon Badges along the way, such as Super Swine, Porker, Swinestein, Piglette and Boss Hog. With Bacon Bits Trivia, players can become Baconnoisseurs or earn a Ph.B. in Baconology."

Holy crap. I can't wait to get back to the states and get a Droid. Please, if you download this, message me and let me know how utterly epic it is.

Oh, iPhone users, it will be available to you soon. But not soon enough.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Alaska. Rocks.

2011-04-12T08:04:00.000-05:00

For many reasons, this being one of them:

but also because Alaskan Congressman Don Young (R) recently refused an award from HSUS. Rep. Young said, "HSUS are hypocrites, plain and simple, and I will not join them by accepting this award." It cannot be said any better than that. To read the entire press release - click HERE!

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Buzzard's Got a Brand New Bag!

2011-04-11T07:16:00.000-05:00

Well not literally, even though I'd love to have this one.

but alas, I don't make enough to afford the strap on that thing.

Anyway, my James Brown inspired title is referring to the brand spanking new look of Buzzard's Beat. Do you like it? I hope so - the folks over at RV Designs hooked me up with a sweet new header and cleaner, more crisp look - easier to navigate, more eye appealing and check out that mischievous looking buzzard up there! Whooeee!

I've also added some new pages to the blog - look up there underneath the search bar. See those tabs? Those are chock full of information for your reading pleasure - a 101 in 1001 goals list, a books to read list, About Buzzard (in case you want to know more about lil ole me) and a library of agriculture videos for all to see!

So go ahead, look around. You know you want to and if you don't mind, tell your friends.

As always, thanks for reading and I'll catch you on the flipside!

Until next time (probably tomorrow),
~ Buzzard ~

Can You Spot the Feedlot Beef Producer?

2011-04-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

I am in the midst of compiling a master list of agricultural information and agvocacy videos to be posted on this blog as a separate page so that they're easy to find for anyone who may be looking. This undertaking has entailed many hours of asking fellow agvocates for their favorite videos and conducting a lot of YouTube research on my own.

Today, I saw one titled "Inhumane Feed Lot Beef vs Humane Grass Fed Beef". Sorry, I refuse to provide a link to this video because I think it's a crock of manure- not because I don't believe in grass fed beef (I've been eating a lot of that over here in Australia) but because this is a prime example of what NOT to do to your fellow producer. Last I checked, feedlot beef producers treated their animals humanely and provide the utmost care to the cattle, just like every other cattle producer. Cowboys ride pens every day to check for sick animals, ranch hands practice low stress production methods to avoid alarming and hurting cattle, sick cattle are cared for on an individual basis and feedlot nutritionists formulate rations specifically for the cattle herd's nutritional requirements. All of these feedlot employees treat cattle humanely because it's the right thing to do.

Do me a favor. Look at the photos below and pick out the producer providing the best care.

Did you pick the right one? I sure as hell didn't because I couldn't tell which was which - because it doesn't matter whether the rancher is a grass-fed or grain-fed advocate, as long as the animals are treated well and the end product is safe, wholesome and healthy.

Beef producers are constantly trying to navigate through a gauntlet of challenges: environmental conservation, high commodity prices and animal activist scrutiny add stress to a producer who is always striving to produce a safe, wholesome product for the American consumer. They don't need their colleagues and peers nagging at them also. The beef industry, as with all agriculture entities, needs to stick together for better or worse- grass fed, grain fed, organic, natural and conventional CAN coexist in harmony. Throwing each other under the train isn't going to feed the 6.3 billion people that are currently populating planet Earth.

As is said in the Bible, "Love one another, as I have loved you."

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

PETA's Extreme Agenda

2011-04-05T08:56:00.000-05:00

The most recent addition to PETA's crazy list is a Sin Tax on meat. That's right, a sin tax. If you don't believe me, read it for yourself.

PETA puts meat in the same category as alcohol, cigarettes and gasoline - because they allege that meat imposes “health and environment costs from using animals for food." Bologna, I say.

In this blog post, Chery Day, of Day Angus, corrects many of the misconceptions about production agriculture and meat. Cheryl does a great job of refuting PETA's outlandish claims with proven scientific facts.

I hope this PETA nonsense frustrates you as much as it does me.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Local Support

2011-04-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

While watching a meat vs. tofu cooking show (meat won) a commercial for Aussie Farmers Direct flashed on screen. Intrigued, I went to their website and checked it out.

The program offers free delivery services for fresh Australian food products such as milk, fruits, veggies, meat and bread. Customers obviously must pay for the food but the delivery charge is free. Prices are comparable to grocery store prices but are a bit more expensive than going to the local market.

For customers who desire to have fresh food straight from the farm, this is a great option.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

photo courtesy of http://www.aussiefarmersdirect.com.au/

Shouldn't Need Another Reason to Thank a Farmer but I'll Give Ya One

2011-03-31T07:16:00.000-05:00

Today is Give Thanks to Agriculture day so I thought it would be appropriate to shine light on one of MANY reasons why I'm thankful for American farmers and ranchers. Never before in my life have I been more thankful for American farmers and ranchers and all they do as I am now. American's have the luxury of extremely low food prices - in fact, we spend less than 10% of our disposable income on food. Indian families (in Asia) spend roughly 50% of their income on food and Japanese families spend about 20% of their income on food annually. We have it pretty easy in the good ole U.S. of A. Over here in Australia foods like pork, beef, apples and butter are twice the price as the states'.

An affordable, safe and wholesome food supply is continually made possible because of the willingness of our farmers and ranchers to adopt new production methods, their devotion to working long, tiresome hours and their never quit attitudes. So if you haven't already done it today - please, go Thank a farmer or rancher and be grateful for the industry that feeds the world. I guarantee they'll appreciate your kind words.

Until next time
~ Buzzard ~

How Ronald Scratched Angus' Back

2011-03-28T09:13:00.000-05:00

'You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' is an adage used in many business settings today. The thought that entities could be mutually beneficial to one another has caught on quick in today's society. Just take a look at McDonald's and the Angus breed. Today I was in McDonald's for a quick burger before heading home on the train and noticed the sign for the Grand Angus burger - sounds delicious right? That's the point.

The Australian Grand Angus burger

Across the U.S. and now Australia, Angus has become the breed of cattle that society associates with hamburgers. This bodes well for both parties - McDonald's Australia experienced sales up to 400% greater than forecasts after the launch of their Angus line. In the U.S., the Angus burger accounted for a 2.2% increase in sales after the introduction of the premium burger line. On the cattle side, consumers around the world are now putting a 'face to the name' in terms of knowing where their food comes from. The Angus breed is getting a lot of face time with the new line of fancier burgers. Think about it: consumers see the Angus brand name flashed across their screen during a McDonald's commercial and hopefully their interest sparks in the beef industry. They do a little bit of fact finding to learn more about beef production, discover that farmers and ranchers take utmost pride in the care of their livestock and BAM!, a beef industry supporter is unveiled.

Think about what the impacts on other livestock industries could be if other restaurants were to brand their products with breed names. Famous Daves could introduce Berkshire Gold pulled pork sandwiches and what if Nando's marketed Dorset kebabs? Oh, the publicity those breeds would get! Instead of talking about the changing climate or the kids, commuters might be overheard "Wanna do lunch today? I've been dying to try a Berk Bun!"

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Life Update

2011-03-25T07:14:00.000-05:00

I know that I said personal stuff would be on my Oz to Aus blog but not everything is related to Australia so you guys get some daily life stuff too. Sorry.

The blog is undergoing some changes, if you haven't noticed. I screwed up the design and can't get it back to the original plain Jane I had before. So I am doing some revamping, adding some features and hopefully within the next month the overhaul will be finished. I'm adding some new things for you to (hopefully) look forward to:

-- 101 in 1001 - courtesy of Crystal Young I have been inspired to achieve. something.
-- A new blog design - with nice graphics
-- Tabs - more info about me, my goals, aspirations and possibly an online portfolio

Ok, so I thought there were more changes to list than that but apparently not. Wish me luck during the transition and as always, thanks for reading!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Better in Texas

2011-03-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

Image courtesy of Texas Department of Agriculture

While I don't necessarily believe the adage that "Everything's bigger and better in Texas" they are doing some great things in terms of agvocacy and consumer education.

While perusing the Texas Department of Agriculture website for jobs (I will eventually have to get a real job and might as well start looking) I came across this cool campaign the TDA is promoting, "Agriculture is YOUR culture."

The campaign is aimed at informing and educating the public through videos about Texas agriculturalists and farmers, agriculture quizzes, fact sheets and recipes. There are also significant efforts aimed at making clear the connection between producers and consumers. Animal care, environmental stewardship and food safety are heavily highlighted and there is even a page where you can submit your story about agriculture.

Head on over to http://www.texasagriculture.gov/culture/index.html and check out the 'culture'. I applaud Texas for reaching out and making an effort to narrow the gap between producer and consumer.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Do You KNOW Hunger?

2011-03-21T07:48:00.000-05:00

Image taken from www.tysonhungerrelief.com

KNOW Hunger is Tyson Foods new campaign to increase awareness about hunger in our American communities. Tyson recently conducted a survey through the Food Research and Action Center which focused on addressing hunger on the national and community levels. The 3 main takeaways from the survey were:

One in four Americans worries about not having enough money to put food on the table at some point next year.
Americans across the country do indeed see hunger as a signficant national problem; one that deserves our support.
Despite perceiving hunger as a serious national problem, most see hunger as less of a problem in their own communities.

As the one of the most affluent countries in the world and one that supplies many developing countries with food aid, I find it appalling and sobering that we as a nation don't see what is happening right here at home. Tyson is thankfully, stepping up to the plate to do something about it. They're donating a million pounds of Tyson products in 36 cities across the country. While this donation will by no means solve the hunger problem in the U.S. it is a bold start. JBS enacted a similar initiative in Colorado by donating 16,000 lbs of beef to the Food Bank of the Rockies during the Annual Cattle Industry Convention in Denver, CO. You can read more about that donation here.

I applaud both Tyson and JBS' efforts to end hunger here at home. You can do your part by donating canned goods and nonperishables to the local food bank in your community. In Manhattan you can donate to the Flint Hills Breadbasket and in Topeka the Randel Food Ministries Food Pantry.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Another Baxter Black Post

2011-03-18T08:02:00.000-05:00

If you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty big Baxter Black fan - evident here, here, here and here. I was even lucky enough to meet him at Cattle Industry Convention in Reno, Nevada in 2008.

Baxter and I and some friends in Reno

Well, Amanda Radke has similar feelings about cowboy poetry, Baxter and his colleagues. In a recent BEEF Daily blog post, Amanda talks about the importance of 'Saving Cowboy Poetry' and the people who so eloquently talk about the Western way of life. She also opens up discussion on whether or not GOP budget cuts should be enacted, thereby eliminating funding for events such as the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV (close to the hometown of one of my good friends). There is quite a discussion brewing up in the 'comments' section of Amanda's blog - head on over and share yours.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

I'm Kansas Ag Proud

2011-03-15T06:17:00.000-05:00

I'm very proud of my home state, Kansas and am super excited for Kansas Ag Week. Kansas has a rich agricultural background and is a major producer of our nation's beef, wheat, corn and sorghum supplies. This week, agvocates across the state will be celebrating Kansas Agriculture. Join us this week in your social media venue of choice for tweets, blogs and discussion about Kansas Agriculture. The schedule is below:

March 14 Topic—General info about Kansas agriculture

March 15 Topics—Kansas has a strong agriculture history. The tradition and way of life of farming is passed through generations and shape the rural culture.

March 16 Topics—How does Kansas agriculture support the Kansas economy?

March 17 Topics—Agriculture conserves natural resources.

March 18 Topics— Kansas farmers use technology in a variety of ways to make their farming and ranching activities more efficient and save money.

For more information on Kansas Ag Week feel free to visit the Kansas Department of Ag website, follow @KansasDeptofAg on twitter or contact any Kansas agvocate. Hope to see you on the web!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

So, you're going to be a vet, right?

2011-03-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Photo courtesy of America's Horse Daily

If you've ever told anyone that you're an animal science major, graduate or in the animal agriculture industry - chances are you've been asked this question "So, you're going to be a vet." And more than likely you've said, "No, I'm not pursuing a veterinary degree" (not because there's anything wrong with being a vet but because there are far fewer veterinarians than other animal agriculture career options - and vet school is REALLY HARD).

Well, if you're not going to be a vet what are you doing in animal science? Let me explain. On the way back to the ML yesterday on the train (click here to find out exactly what the ML is) I was reading the newspaper and ran across these atrocious gems in the 'Overheard on the Train' column:

Girl 1: I really can't eat anything vegetarian.
Girl 2: Why? They're made of vegetables.
Girl 1: Really?
Girl at Red Rooster: Can I please have a Rooster Roll, but instead of rooster can I have chicken?

The aforementioned examples exemplify exactly why I am an animal science student passionate about advocating for all of agriculture and educating an increasingly 'disconnected from ag' public about the farmers and ranchers who feed the world. While I would never eat a vegetarian dish, I think it is abominable that some people do not understand what they are eating or are not making educated dining choices.

It is my duty as an agriculturalist and animal scientist to strive to preserve agriculture's timeless traditions and inform people where their food comes from. That's why I'm an animal science student.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Vegans Can't Get Inked

2011-03-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

That is, if they want to maintain their true vegan lifestyle (although, I give insight to how it's impossible to actually be a vegan in this post).

Tattoos aren't edible but the ink does include some animal products. WHAT!? Yep, you heard me right. In addition to calcium, copper, sandalwood, brazilwood and other compounds, tattoo ink also contains animal bone burnt to charcoal and glycerin made from animal fat. Add that to the list of items made with animal by-products. We really do use everything except the oink and moo!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Extremists in Iowa

2011-03-03T20:00:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, this picture is true of most activist videographers

Iowa Representative, Annette Sweeney, has recently submitted to the Iowa House of Representative H.F. 431 which will help "agriculture defend against activists who gain illicit employment on farms and in processing facilities in order to obtain undercover videos", according to Animal Agriculture Alliance.

Videos that are released by activists are often misleading and contain footage that has been edited for shock value. Additionally, footage is often delayed from release until such time that the activists can create a big splash. This usually occurs around holidays where meat demand is most likely to decrease if negative marketing were to occur (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas). Activists that participate in animal abuse should be held accountable for their actions - standing by and videoing so that footage can be released does not excuse the immoral act of animal cruelty. Farmers don't condone animal cruelty and it should be stopped immediately on the rare occasions that it does occur.

Animal Ag Alliance is encouraging other states' agriculture stakeholders to thoroughly explore options for introducing similar legislation to their government representatives. You can read H.F. 431 in its entirety here.
Hopefully, this legislation will pass in Iowa and serve as an example to other states that misleading footage that negatively affects agriculture and farmers can be prevented.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Heineman Speaks Out

2011-03-03T07:55:00.000-06:00

I'm becoming a pretty big fan of Nebraska - not their football program but of their Governor, Dave Heineman, and his devotion to the preservation of the Cornhusker state's agriculture industry.

At the Governor's Ag Conference on Wednesday, Heineman discussed the need for 'common sense legislation from the Environmental Protection Agency" and again expressed his motivation to combat any action that the Humane Society of the United States may take in Nebraska. "The simple truth is that this is an organization that is anti-agriculture and they're out to destroy the number one industry in the state. We are going to fight them we are going to defeat them," said Heineman. I like this man. To see a video clip of the conference click here.

Other topics at the Ag Conference included international food demands and alternative fuel production.
Side note: I am thrilled to report that earlier this week the House of Representatives voted to block funding for EPA's greenhouse gas regulations in 2011. Yippee!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

The Bachelor: Farm Style

2011-03-01T02:25:00.000-06:00

We get about three channels from our bunny ear antennas here in Melbourne. Fortunately, they come in very clear and one is the equivalent of NBC in the U.S. The other night, we were flipping through and ran across this gem:

The Farmer Wants a Wife is a new twist on the bachelor/bachelorette - I've only seen one episode but so far it's hilarious. The picture from above is from the previous season; this season there are 5 or 6 guys farmers and 1 girl farmer.

Farmers host 2-3 dates of the opposite sex while engaging in normal agricultural activities. The episode I saw featured one male farmer taking two girls fishing and another farmer harvesting potatoes (by hand) with two girls in heels and leggings. They looked cute but I'm sure you can appreciate the obvious humor.

I think this is a great twist on agritourism - dig a potato, catch a fish and fall in love. Perfect.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Hello from Down Unda!

2011-02-28T17:59:00.000-06:00

We have safely arrived in Australia after a glorious honeymoon in Fiji – it was tough to leave. I mean, seriously who would want to leave this?

We spent a lot of time our first two days grocery shopping. There is some amazing agvocacy for meat and dairy here. Funny and thought provoking – check it out.

Our first meal in Australia? McDonald’s of course…. Look what I found in the ¼ pounder box!

All good stuff.

If you’re interested in our Australian adventures head on over to From Oz to Aus – that’s where all the funny/satirical stuff will be posted.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

For those of you who are interested....

2011-02-21T10:16:00.000-06:00

in keeping up with what will be going on in Australia, I have created another blog to document our adventures and what is sure to be the experience of a life time.

From Oz to Aus

will be where you can read all about our new life in Australia. I thought long and hard about whether or not to post the updates here on Buzzard's Beat, but I realize that there are some readers who dont' give a flip about my personal life and therefore, to be fair to them I have funneled all personal life posts to a new blog.

No doubt, the posts will be more often and hopefully funnier. Buzzard's Beat will continue to have agricultural news, science based stories and be full of my opinion :)

I'd love to hear your feedback on this! Still on the honeymoon right now...in Fiji. Be jealous

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Give it a rest

2011-02-17T07:53:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to think about how to convey to society that in the food vs. fuel battle that is corn and ethanol - FOOD WILL WIN! I learned this as a junior at Kansas State in Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh's Ag Policy course. The demand for food will always prevail over the demand for alternative energy sources. Instead of attacking corn, corn syrup and ethanol as the source of all evil and the reason for all the pain and suffering in the world, let's look past the smoke and mirrors that sensationalist journalism creates and jointly realize that agriculture and corn producers are not evil.

I'll let my good friend, Baxter Black, take center stage on this one - he puts it just right.

On the Edge of Common Sense - THE CORN ATTACK - Baxter Black, DVM

In the last few years we have watched an increasing attack on corn. The skewed reasoning is: corn syrup is available, reasonably priced, and good for the average person, therefore; it must be bad! This is the kind of logic that has been applied to farmed salmon, Big Macs, lower taxes, capitalism and pasteurized milk.

I’m sure this same kind of reasoning was applied to earlier “civilizing” discoveries such as air conditioning, the steam engine and fire. In the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan, © 2006 it was noted that “too much” corn syrup can make you fat, reduce the popularity of competing vegetables like beets and wheat straw, AND someone can make a profit on it!

In the book FIRE, © 5286 BC, the author noted that “too much” fire could cause global warming, reduce your ability to withstand the cold, and someone could likely invent matches and make a profit!

Too often, in the long-established profession of the Luddites, Nay-Sayers, and, otherwise unemployed columnists, their motives can be found by “following the money.” To sell a book or theory, wacko as it may be, you must first find a trend, discovery, or product that is well-known and well-liked. Then you make a persuasive observation casting doubt on the safety, ecological impact, availability and/or the morality of its use. The purpose is to create a problem where none exists; i.e., wild horses, hormone implants, preservatives, oil drilling the tundra, pesticides, irradiation of food, hog confinement sheds, Alar in apples and antibiotics in cattle. Look at what a waste of common sense and money has resulted from the discovery of BSE…in one cow in the United States! It was a fear monger’s feast!

So while lettered experts, authorized “mullers”, activists, and writers are trying to portray corn syrup as some evil substance, others of their kind are searching for easy prey so they can be the “nay-sayer de jour”…Potential headlines:

“Burnt toast, a carcinogen suspect!” “People who lean have a tendency to fall over!” “Carrots used as weapons in Arctic battle!” “Could bovine dewlap be related to snood shrinking in turkeys?” “Should Holsteins sue the Dairy Improvement Association for the Chick-Fil-A ads?” “Is Tractor Fantasy Dangerous?” “Can Tolstoy save your Marriage?” “Packers blame the tennis ball shortage in New Zealand for the drop in the beef market!”

The corn attack has stimulated discourse on why we eat so good, have so much cheap food, and can feed the world’s hungry if need be. The majority of this discussion has been among non-producers, non-scientist and journalists, wherein common sense, economic impact, scientific validity, and overwhelming acceptance are not on the table.

Michael Pollan in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma caused a ripple. He put corn syrup on the stage for its fifteen minutes of fame. But, as Lincoln said when his dog swallowed an Indian head penny, “This too shall pass.”

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

and the FroBuzz honeymoon is in...........

2011-02-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

FIJI

I love my husband. It wasn't until we were looking for our gate in LA (after a 5 hour flight from Detroit) that I found out where we're headed. WOW - freakin' Fiji. As you read this post (which I wrote while excitedly waiting for our flight to paradise) I'm on a plane headed to palm trees and warm water. Jealous?

I have a few blog posts that will go up between now and our arrival to Australia, but not many. Sorry folks - paradise is calling my name :)

I love my husband.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~