Blogiversary - The Big 3 and A Freebie!

Three years ago this coming Sunday, I started a blog with this post about one of my favorite agriculture traditions.

And boy oh boy, I had no idea the things that would come of this little ole blog.

Over the past 3 years and almost 300 posts, I have learned far more about blogging and social media than I ever imagined possible. I have gained followers from all walks of life and from all over the world. I have found friendships with people I have never met but feel like I've known a lifetime. This blog prompted my signing up for, and eventual addiction to, Twitter (@brandibuzzard). It has also sparked a journey that led me to my career today, so without any more insightful crap mushy memories, here's a list of things that have come of this blog:

- The development of my writing skills which led to freelancing opportunities with:
    -- Farm Talk
    -- Grass and Grain
    -- DRIVE magazine
    -- SwineWeb.com
- Master's of Beef Advocacy Blog of the Month - August 2010
- Blogging on these other sites - YPC Beef Blog, Food For Thought 
- Social Media Coordinator for NCBA's Young Producer's Council (which led to):
- Co-Chair Communications Committee NCBA YPC
- Featured twice in articles by Chuck Jolley in Drover's Cattle Network -- October 2009 and March 2012
- Featured in a BEEF Magazine article by Jamie Purfeest in the October 2011 issue
- Because of my vocal advocacy of agriculture on this blog and Twitter I was an invited to speak about agvocacy at the Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA) Conference in Adelaide, South Australia in November 2011. There were a lot of different demographics and ideals in the room but I think everyone benefited from the experience.
- The freelancing and blogging experience led to a job with K-State Research and Extension incorporating several of my favorite things into one amazing experience: K-State, agriculture, writing, social media - whammo. Perfect.

The Hardcore Stats

My top 5 all-time posts are:
1. Temple Grandin - HBO Biopic: 4570 views - A post announcing the release of the Emmy award winning film about Dr. Grandin's early years
2. Buzzard's fly, they don't ski: 3469 views - This post was about Ninja and I getting engaged so while I would like to think that 3500 people were concerned with our lives, I am assuming some other search term like "buzzards flying" brought them to that post.
3. Who Are We to Judge Horsemeat: 1791 views - A post about how American's don't set the tone for what other countries eat and we shouldn't condemn those that don't rely solely on beef, pork or chicken.
4. Grillin' Ain't BBQ'in: 1149 views - A surprisingly popular post about how the terms grilling and bbqing are often interchanged and misused.
5. In Honor of Pigs and Pork: 847 views - Again, a post which garnered a lot of attention for some unknown reason. This contains a lot of factual information about pork. It was written during Pork Month.

Where y'all be coming from?

The top ten countries that visit Buzzard's Beat are:
1. United States
2.  Russia (surprising)
3. Australia (not surprising)
4. Canada
5. United Kingdom
6. Germany
7. Netherlands
8. France
9. India
10. Brazil  

Whatcha lookin' for?

The 10 most popular search terms used to find this blog since its inception:
1. Temple Grandin
2. Buzzard
3. Turkey Buzzard (thanks Sharita)
4. Buzzards
5. Horse meat (which I'll not be eating)
6. Fiji (probably stems from posts of this nature)
7. BBQ
8. Buzzards Beat (hooray you remembered my url!)
9. Mini pigs (whaaat?)
10. Trevor Brazile (hahahaha - I love me some Trevor Brazile)
Those that didn't make the top 10 but are still funny were: vet (uh, no), great American desert, school lunch policy, 80s girl, article on global warming and my personal favorite: bone in cow heart (twice!).

Ok - so now to the part that you all really came to the blog for....

A friend of mine makes western jewelry with copper and silver. It's gorgeous - her company is called Silo Silver and you can find her on Facebook. She has generously helped me out with a pair of these gorgeous feather earrings with turquoise and copper to giveaway to one lucky reader. For the fellas, you may not think they'll look good on you but what about that lucky lady in your life???

Enter by following the instructions on the easy peasy Rafflecopter thing - (Sheridan introduced me to these and they make giveaways so much easier). Entries will close on Halloween - then I'll announce the winner the next day! It'll be a spooky surprise, but not really spooky.

****This giveaway is now closed - the Rafflecopter widget has been removed****

Thanks so much for your loyal readership over the past three years. It's been quite a journey and I've loved it and hope to be able to continue sharing my opinions, sarcasm and passion with you for years to come (did I say years? yikes).

Until next year (kidding, I'll post again before then),
~ Buzzard ~

p.s. the picture above is from my Instagram feed - here is my shameless plug. Follow me - @brandibuzzard!

Dr. Grandin Visits NW Ohio

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!

Which Is More Appropriate: Slaughter or Harvest?

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

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. :)

Hollywood Scientist Set to Appear at Kansas State!

 

 Photo courtesy of http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Sorry for my hiatus in blogging, dear friends.  Last week my project consumed my life and I just haven't gotten back into the swing of blogging regularly.  However, today I've got great news - which you may have already heard about but if not, check it out!

Temple Grandin, PhD, will be coming to K-State on November 9-10 to give two lectures.  The first will be on November 9th at 7pm in Forum Hall in the KSU Student Union.  The lecture is entitled, "The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Look at the Science".  On Wednesday, November 10, Temple will be speaking in the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine in Frick Auditorium and will be giving a lecture about dogs and cat health/welfare.  Both events will be very thought provoking and exciting!

Temple is probably the most functional autistic person in the world and has written several books about how her autism has helped give her insight to how animals behave and possibly, feel.  She has authored hundreds of journal articles and designed over half of the animal handling facilities at slaughter plants in the United States.  Recently, the movie about Temple's life, Temple Grandin, won 7 Emmy awards.  She is a truly amazing person and we're so excited to host her at KSU!

Temple's visit is co-sponsored by Food For Thought and KSU's University Programming Council.  Follow me on twitter for more Temple updates in the coming weeks!

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Temple takes the Emmy's by storm!

Temple Grandin, the movie, won 7 EMMY AWARDS! Last night, the woman who many people don't even know about made a huge impact at the Emmy's.  However, when I googled "Temple Grandin + Emmy's" this morning the first 3 hits were "Temple Grandin wins big, who is she?" 

She is an advocate for autism, diagnosed at the age of 2, and has written several books and journal articles about animal behavior, animal welfare and how being autistic has enabled her to think like an animal.  She has designed over 50% of the slaughter facilities in the United States and travels to all over the world teaching her safe and low stress animal handling methods.

Temple will be visiting K-State on November 9th and 10th to lecture about how austism has influenced her life and career.  Temple's visit is being sponsored and organized by Kansas State University's Food For Thought.  Below is a red carpet interview with Dr. Grandin and five of the seven Emmy's that Temple Grandin, the movie, earned:




TV MOVIE Temple Grandin

(HBO)OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE, MINISERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Claire Danes (Temple Grandin)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION IN A TV MOVIE, MINISERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Mick Jackson (Temple Grandin)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A TV MOVIE, MINISERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
David Strathairn (Temple Grandin)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A TV MOVIE, MINISERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Julia Ormond (Temple Grandin)
I have a feeling that a lot more people are going to learn who Temple Grandin is. Congratulationst to the cast and crew! If you haven't seen the movie, do it - it will change your life.  You can buy it here. Or you can read any one of here numerous books - visit her website for a full list of resources about animal handling and autism.
Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Temple Grandin on DVD

Claire Danes as Temple Grandin

For those of you who wanted to watch the HBO movie Temple Grandin on tv when it debuted in February but didn't have HBO - you problems are solved.  Temple Grandin is now available for purchase online from Amazon for $15.99. Get excited!

The movie received great reviews (see below) and has a current rating of 4.9 stars out of a possible 5. 

Hers (Temple) is a tale that could be easily be played up for drama, intrigue and weepy reconciliations, but this narrative is loyal to Ms. Grandin’s credo: emotions are secondary to tangible results. And the result is a movie that is funny, instructive and also intangibly charming.

Go out and get your copy today - I am ordering mine tomorrow (PAYDAY)!

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Less Talky Talky

Temple Grandin, in her book "Animals in Translation", talks about a government program in the 1960's that eradicated screwworms.  If you don't know what a screwworm is take a look.  They are the larvae of a fly that lays its egg in the wounds, cuts, bites and scratches of animals.  After they hatch, the maggots come out and eat the animal alive.  They're disgusting little creatures and will kill an animal, or human if not taken care of quickly.  This is what it can do to your livestock.  Anyway, the USDA put sterile male screwworms in little chinese food paper boxes and dropped them out of airplanes all over the Southwest and Western regions of the U.S., even Mexico.  When the flies got out they mated and voila! eggs that never hatched were laid in wounds.  There hasn't been a screwworm case in the US since 1982.  That story is a great example of action taken by the government.

Today, there is a lot of talking going on with the government.  Talk about how to make ag more sustainable. Talk about how to feed the world in 50 years. Talk about how to make meat plants more humane and safe.  Policies are being enacted that don't have a lot of scientific background but lots of smoke and lights instead.  Instead of talking, let's act.  Instead of saying "no mistakes can be made in a meat plant" (which is impossible) make meat plants more humane by setting standards that can be met, like 95% of all animals must be stunned correctly on the first try.  Work on feeding the world in 50 years by allowing farmers and ranchers to continue using current practices that work (ex. antibiotics).  Instead of inhibiting beef production with regulations on air emissions from cows (in my opinion: stupid) or regulating antibiotic use in swine that prevents disease AND allows us to produce lots of high quality pork at a low price, protect our industry from nay-sayers like PETA and anti-ag-activists/lobbyists like HSUS.  Policy should reflect the wants and needs of the population that is being represented.  That doesn't seem to be happening anymore. Let's stop talking and start doing and keep feeding the world in a safe, healthy and efficient manner.  

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

p.s. I suggest you read Animals in Translation - it's about animals and Temple wrote it. How can it be bad?

Know your product!

This past week, I was in Denver for the National Animal Science Meetings (not the National Junior Angus Show).  I was presenting a poster on one of my animal behavior and well-being projects about swine restraint and blood sampling.  While National Meetings was very exciting and filled with opportunities: networking with industry leaders, talking to professors in my area from other schools and having Temple Grandin tell me how much she liked my poster (sorry, I had to throw that in there!), there was also a lot of time for fun and exploration of Denver.

We (Rebecca Tokach, Mandy Myers and I) had a blast exploring the shops, restaurants and piano bars of downtown Denver.  We even made an appearance at Coyote Ugly - they likely won't forget us soon.

But this post isn't about shopping or piano bars or the Bare Minerals makeover I got, it's about knowing the product you're sellling.  On Tuesday night, Becca and I had the pleasure of having dinner with Don Boggs - Associate Dean of the KSU College of Ag.  We all go waaaay back. Anyways, we were eating at Big Game - a restaurant with great food, lots of big screen tv's and wild game on the walls and menu.  It's a trifecta.  Unfortunately, their service isn't up to speed with the menu.  We asked our server what a hangar steak (placement pictured above) was, expecting him to tell us the correct answer in order to sell us a $30 steak.  He informed us that he wasn't sure but he thought it came from the outside muscle of the backleg. Seriously?  The hangar steak hangs between the rib and the loin (hence the name).  I don't want to pay $30 for a steak that comes from the semimembranosus (outside of backleg) - roasts are what come out of that part (except for round steak, which isn't the most tender cut).  What he should have said is "I'm not familiar with that cut, let me go check and get back to you."  He did come back and tell us where it was from but he made himself look stupid and we didn't buy the steak.  We ended up getting the NY Strip - a great alternative.  Aside from the ineptitude of the server, the meal was actually awesome.  I would recommend Big Game to any Denver traveler.

Servers need to know their products -- it upsets customers when you don't know what's on your menu.  Not knowing the cuts of meat on your menu could cause people to avoid your restaurant, turn vegan or jip you on the tip.  Restaurant owners: please start making menu training mandatory for all servers.

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

"Nature is cruel but we don't have to be" - Temple Grandin

Well, I just finished watching 'Temple Grandin' and it was fabulous.  It solidified my desire to work with her on both my Master's projects and also attend CSU to pursue my PhD.  If you missed it, it will be on HBO again at 10:45.  You can look up a program schedule for the next two weeks by visiting HBO's site.

It not only tells the story of one of our industry's greatest pioneers, but it's a deeply moving and inspiring story of overcoming all odds and 'opening doors' to new challenges.  She encourages us not to be cruel like nature and since we raise cattle for our consumption we owe them some respect.  We owe it to be humane to them.  I strongly encourage all agriculturalists, producers and consumers to see it. I'm going to watch it again in an hour and a half! 

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Don't Forget Temple!

A looong time ago, I posted about the HBO movie 'Temple Grandin' that was going to be released soon ('Temple Grandin - HBO Biopic' 11/17/09).  Well soon means this Saturday, February 6 at 7pm on HBO.  I repeat, Saturday February 6th at 7 pm.  The movie displays Dr. Grandin's life from high school (when she was expelled) to the creation of Grandin Livestock Handling Systems.

Dr. Grandin is a professor at Colorado State University (CSU) and a pioneer for the livestock industry, designing over 1/3 of the world's livestock handling systems.  She has written several books, hundreds of articles and speaks to conferences and universities on a regular basis.  In fact, she will be in Manhattan, KS for the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare.  Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend because I'll be on my way to South Africa - but that's for another day. You can learn more about the Beef Cattle Welfare Symposium and how to register for it by visiting this site http://www.isbcw.beefcattleinstitute.org/.


Goodbye and don't forget to turn your tv to HBO this Saturday, February 6th at 7pm for the movie 'Temple Grandin'
 
Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Temple Grandin - HBO Biopic

Temple Grandin has been changing the livestock production industry for the past 25+ years. She has basically written the book on handling facilities and reducing the amount of stress animals undergo in the harvesting phase of production. One of the most highly functional autistic people in the world, she overcame her disorder to write numerous scientific papers and books about safe handling practices, give insight to parents with autistic children and start her own consulting business. Among her most popular titles are Thinking in Pictures, Animals in Translation and Emergence: Labeled Autistic. She is currently an Animal Science professor at Colorado State University and is highly decorated for her work and progress in the industry. She is the founder of Grandin Livestock Handling Systems and, to date, she has designed over 1/3 of the livestock handling facilities in the world.

To honor Dr. Grandin's conquer of autistic obstacles and her numerous industry accomplishments HBO has announced a February 2010 release of the breakthrough biopic Temple Grandin - Thinking in Pictures. Dr. Grandin will be played by Claire Danes (The Family Stone, Shopgirl, Romeo + Juliet) whose spot on depiction of Dr. Grandin's autism has been described by Grandin's assistant as "so convincing, it sent shivers down my spine." The film will highlight Grandin's life through the 60's and 70's - from her expulsion from high school to the establishment of Grandin Livestock Handling Systems.

I have yet to see a trailer for the movie but it is safe to say that this is a must-see for anyone in the animal agriculture industry. The movie highlights the life and achievements of one of the pioneers for animal welfare and activism. The above picture is Claire Danes in costume with the 400 lb. mechanical calf used in the film.

For more information on the movie or Dr. Grandin's biography you can visit theses sites.

Dr. Grandin's interview about her upcoming biopic: http://beefmagazine.com/cowcalfweekly/1031-temple-grandin-hbo-biopic/

Dr. Grandin's autobiography: http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2006-Ei-La/Grandin-Temple.html

Until next time

~~Buzzard~~