I'm Taking a Seat

Listening in to a meeting about the Veterinary Feed Directive
at our local auction market.
I was the only young producer in attendance.

If you aren't at the table, you aren't part of the conversation.

That mantra is heard often throughout society during presidential elections and debates but have you ever taken the time to consider how your voice can affect everyday activities in your community or your professional interests?

Jennifer Latze, a phenomenal writer and outright awesome person, recently penned an article in the High Plains Journal titled, "Where Have All the Members Gone?" in which she discusses the need for young people in agriculture to pay our dues (literally, with money) and attend industry meetings and events. After all, the discussions taking place at local, state and national agriculture organization meetings are those that will shape policies, procedures and trends for our industry for several years to come. Jennifer hits the nail right on the head when she says, "Today, the average age of the American farmer is 57 to 58 years old. We need to not only think about who’s going to take his place in the field or on the ranch, but also who’s going to take his place in the grassroots organization he’s spent a lifetime supporting." It's my generation's responsibility to ensure that the time, sweat and efforts that have been devoted to improving agriculture for the past 30-40 years aren't wasted away by a lack of leadership or involvement.
Read more »

To My Fellow Women in Agriculture: Be Better, Ladies

It's time to have a serious talk about girl power. Don't worry, I won't be discussing abortion, birth control, gay marriage or any similar topics. This is about being a woman in a male-dominated industry: agriculture. I am not the only woman talking about this topic and I better not be the last. Every woman in agriculture should be talking about this. I read a post by Kate at Uptown Farms yesterday which led me to attempt to organize my thoughts on the topic of being a woman in agriculture. To be honest, I'm mad that I even have to address this because it's 2015 for cripes sake!

I have been involved in agriculture my entire life. As a child, I was raised to be seen and not heard, which is something I have struggled to break since entering the professional world. As I headed off to college and later, the real world, I realized that if you are seen and not heard, you are not part of the discussion and you are often not seen as valuable. This is especially true for women. Ladies, how many times have you had a great idea you were afraid to share because it might be deemed "stupid" only to hear another colleague suggest the same thing and have it be met with adoring cheers and applause? There goes another missed opportunity. Or, how many times have you been snarked on by other women in your office/class/community because you are successful, outgoing, doing a "man's" job, a stay-at-home mom or any other ridiculous reason for resentment and animosity? While one of the aforementioned actions can be blamed on ourselves (Speak up! Lean in!), the other is what I am ticked off about today. Stop with the snark, ladies.

It's time to stop talking about how men hold women back in the workplace and start focusing on how women tear each other down. This conversation stems from a thread I was reading in a private Facebook group where a farmer's wife/farmer/farm wife was upset and had taken to her peers to vent. She was frustrated because a young female seed representative with a "bouncy ponytail" rode in the combine with the farmer husband for 45 minutes or so talking about seed, yields, harvest etc. This woman was upset that the seed rep didn't check with her before having a meeting with her husband and generally, the passenger seat of the combine is reserved for the wife.

Had I not known better, I would have thought I was living in the 50s due to the blatant criticism thrown on the seed rep who was just doing her job. Would this wife be criticizing a male seed rep for getting in the combine for a few trips around the field? No. Not at all. Would the wife be frustrated that a male seed rep hadn't first checked with her before meeting her husband. Absolutely not. One person even commented that she hadn't had a date night with her husband in forever yet a female seed rep gets 45 minutes with the farmer. Did I miss something? Did the seed rep break your date session? Were you riding in the combine and your husband kicked you out in favor of the seed rep? No. That is not the case. What happened is a pure and simple case of jealousy that turned into a stream of scornful statements towards a woman doing her job in a man's industry. I certainly hope the ponytail bedecked seed rep isn't a member of that group on Facebook so that she can't see all the nasty things women were saying about her. I was absolutely sickened by some of the comments.

Would those women want that harsh criticism thrown on their daughters, nieces, sisters, mothers or granddaughters for doing her job? Doubtful. Social media makes it easy to sit behind a screen, from the safety of our home and criticize the crap out of each other and say things we wouldn't say to anyone's face. Well, come to my house and I'll tell you the same things I'm writing:

Grow the hell up, folks.

 

 Women in agriculture have a right to be involved in conversations that affect our ranches, farms and livelihood. It's been a decades-long struggle for women to climb out of the kitchen and into the workplace, to get those top leadership spots and to become seen as industry leaders, while also juggling family roles and responsibilities. We had to earn our power and fight for equality with men in feed companies, trade organizations, the sale barn, the pasture - I mean, we weren't even allowed to be members of FFA until 1969. How many ag leaders were overlooked in that 41 year span because they were women?! Are we really going to turn on each other while doing the jobs and filling the roles we have fought so hard to earn?

I am a woman in the male-dominated beef industry. I wear boots and a blazer when I speak at conventions and to groups, I have one-on-one meetings with men all the time and I can carry on a conversation about corn harvest, fat cattle prices and policy regulations affecting the beef business. Then I turn right around and am the traditional wife that cooks, cleans and plays an equal role on our own ranch. It is possible to do both and be respected by women and men for the variety of roles that we play. My husband doesn't question the business trips I take, and I don't question his. Because we trust each other. Plain and simple. My recommendation to the original jealous farmer's wife would be to talk to your husband, not the internet. My recommendation to the seed rep is to keep rocking that ponytail, get in the combine and earn that promotion.

 

It stops now. Stop putting down other women because of your own insecurities. If you're feeling jealous, insecure, uncomfortable etc. ask for help. Talk to a friend. Talk to your partner. Don't blame your feelings on another woman. You don't know what path she walked to get to where she is and you don't know her story. Like my friend Janice says, be a builder and not a destroyer.

An interesting thing about women: we have the ability to say some really empowering things but also say some very hurtful things. Both the kindest and nastiest things that have ever been said to me came from a woman. Have I criticized women? Yes. I recognize and own this. Clearly I am criticizing several right now in this post for their antiquated viewpoints and sexist comments. However, I can work at being better every day. I can choose to continue complimenting, encouraging, inspiring and invigorating my fellow women in ag. I can choose to engage in positive conversations rather than tear each other down. I can CHOOSE to be a better person. So can you.

Be better, ladies.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

This post has featured a multitude of strong women who I am proud to have as friends and family!

Wordless Wednesday - In Love with Baby Calves!

Who doesn't love a baby calf? Several of my friends would attest that baby calves are the cutest baby animals on Earth but I tend to think every baby animal is the cutest so I shouldn't be a judge.

Oops! That's a little border collie - not a little calf. Hi Cricket!

What is your favorite baby animal?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

National Ag Day - Kansas Ag Day

Today is National Ag Day and, equally important, it's also Kansas Ag Day!

Agriculture is important to everyone - farmers and ranchers produce our food and fiber so today I'm posting some of my favorite photos that embody what I think about when I imagine Kansas agriculture.



Good stockmanship on display. Calm cattle are safe cattle.



Some mama Longhorn cows coming in from pasture to eat



"I love you small, I love you big, I love you more than a baby pig"



A pretty barn on a cold day in Kansas



Hungry horses crowd around a bale of hay



A hayfield near my house on an early summer evening

What does agriculture mean to you? When you think of farmers and ranchers - what images come to mind?

 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Why is Big Ag Bad?

As the great-grandchild of European immigrants, I am extremely proud of my ancestors’ ambitions to start a new life in America, the land of opportunity. My grandpa and grandma started their small family restaurant in Kansas City in the 1960s and with hard work eventually expanded to a larger venue. Before long they had two restaurants, the original in Kansas City and a new shop in Lake Ozark, Mo., and Ken Baker’s Restaurant became a hotspot for families and some of Kansas City’s best fried chicken.

It seems as if bigger is better, right? My grandparents, along with many other business owners, are heralded for managing their stores successfully, growing and changing with the times, and expanding their enterprise. However, it appears that farm and ranch families are not held to the same standards as many other industries and embracing technology, sustaining a livelihood and improving efficiency are only selectively celebrated. "Big Ag", the term anti-efficiency activists like to use, is bad.

For example, does society condemn Coca-Cola for being big? Or is Whole Foods publicly denigrated for commandeering the organic market? Michelin, Goodyear and Firestone, for their huge tire empires, are never reprimanded for their firm grasp on the tire industry. Why is it ok to be profitable, self-sufficient and efficient in nearly every other industry in the world but not food?

Bo Stone, one of the U.S.F.R.A. Faces of Farming of Ranching, recently shared his thoughts on this paradox on CNN’s Eatocracy blog and on World Food Day, October 24, the Food Dialogues panel focused on answering that very question. Panelists included the executive director of the Center for Science in Public Interest, a Bloomberg news reporter, food pundits and farmers.

In agriculture, the viewpoints are varied and information is commonly misconstrued but the efforts of MBA grads are often not unnoticed. I encourage all of those involved in agriculture to read Bo’s piece, watch the Food Dialogues video and critically evaluate how you can convey that "Big Ag" isn’t bad.

 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

 

Disclaimer: I wrote this for the Masters of Beef Advocacy newsletter that went out earlier this week but I liked it so much I had to share it here too. It's applicable to more than just MBA grads!

Decorating with Meat

Well, maybe not literally.

But it's no secret that the Ninja and I love meat and livestock. So much that we decorate a lot of surfaces and rooms of our house with those themes in mind. Here are just a few examples of what we're rocking right now but it change every few months because I get bored:



A Tribute to the Stockman - a gift from one of Hyatt's sisters

 



This little piggy was a gift from our pastors in Australia

 



I gave the Ninja this print as a Christmas gift in 2011 to remember our time in Australia. It's called Shearing of the Rams by Tom Roberts (1890) and he loves it so much that it's the only thing that stays up year-round. Also, the photo is not crooked, the frame hanging on the wall is and I didn't notice it until now. Don't judge.

We have the livestock decor taken care of but my weird completely normal facscination with meat has led me to pursue meat decor for the whole home, not just the kitchen. Waaay back in June or July, I created a Pinterest board titled "Beef, Pork and Meat Home Decor" and I've been meaning to blog about it ever since that time. Today is that time.

It only has about 10 pins but I am constantly searching for more. I cannot choose just one favorite but this one is in my top three:

Meat. Yes It's Meat. Dictionary Page from Whisker Prints on Etsy

I am hoping to keep finding awesome pieces of art like the porterhouse print and add them to our collection of meat and livestock stuff. Here is that pinterest board if you'd like to take a look - Beef, Pork and Meat Home Decor. Also, if you find any great stuff, let me know! I'm always open to new ideas!

Do you combine agriculture and decorating? How so - link up below and share your thoughts!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

 

National Ag Day in Kansas

National Ag Day  - whoo hoo!  Across the U.S., thousands of farmers, ranchers, agriculture students and leaders are celebrating the rich heritage that is American Agriculture. Whether it be wearing a green farming t-shirt, handing out beef samples at the local grocery store or promoting agriculture via social media outlets, everyone in ag is doing their part today.

Which leads me to explaining how I'll be spending part of my National Ag Day. I'm very honored to have been invited to sit on a panel of producers, professionals and leaders for a Dialogue on Kansas Agriculture at the State Capitol in Topeka today - and boy am I nervous!

The other panelists:

Dr. Mike Apley, Kansas State University
Doug Hofbauer, President and CEO of Frontier Farm Credit
Bob Petersen, Executive Director of Kansas Agribusiness Council
Jay Garretson, Farmer
Diana Floyd, RD, LD, Kansas Department of Education Child Nutrition Consultant

I'm overwhelmed at the years of knowledge and industry experience that I will be surrounded by but it will very exciting to share ideas and thoughts with the other panelists as well as the audience.

We'll be answering questions regarding animal welfare (I hope I get one of those - that's my thing), food safety, education and technology, environmental stewardship and many other various ag topics.

You can get involved too! Greg Akagi, farm broadcaster for WIBW, will be the moderator and was fielding questions via Twitter yesterday to ask the panelists. It's probably not too late to get your question in - Greg's handle on Twitter is @GregAkagi.

I hope you'll listen/view the panel - it might hit some nerves, it might stir up emotion but it will definitely be promoting agriculture and be informative for all involved! The event will be live streamed on the Kansas Department of Agriculture website -- agriculture.ks.gov/ksagday

Today and everyday, I extremely thankful that I live in a country with an abundant, affordable and safe food supply produced by the best people I know - America's farmers and ranchers. Thank you!

How are you representing agriculture today? Share below! You can follow along in today's agriculture discussions by following #agday13 and #ksagday!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

The Importance of GMO's and Writing Letters to the Editor

image from here

Usually, I jam out to 106.9 Country Legends on the radio in my truck but in the mornings, on my way to work, I listen to the highly syndicated Kidd Kraddick in the Morning Show. Every week or so they have a segment titled "Consumer Watch" and they talk about a few topics that consumers should be interested in - previous topics include cigarettes, a cell-phone in the car law etc. One morning the topic was GMO's (genetically modified organisms) -- this was around the time of Prop 37 in California -- and I developed a stomach ache listening to the false information they were saying. They were basically giving their opinions but not backing them up with any fact and it was so frustrating.

So I did what any active advocate would do and I wrote them a letter.  I have never heard back from them and if they addressed my concern during another Consumer Watch segment, I missed it. But here is my letter, because I believe that everyone should fully understand the capabilities that GMO provides us with in terms of food production and also the importance they play in the world's hunger problems.

-----

I have been listening to the Kidd Kraddick show for some time now and I am always laughing and truly enjoy the show. I donate to Kidd’s Kids and have signed up for Friends with Benefits – in short, I’m a big fan.

However, every time you guys have a consumer watch I get so frustrated with your analysis of anything to do with food that I have to change the station. The latest incident happened just this morning when you were discussing Prop 37 in California and how, if passed, all genetically modified food (GM) would need to be labeled. You are right, this would be a huge hindrance to food production companies, would increase every family’s grocery bill and would put negative connotation on most food products at the grocery store.

What you failed to do was provide actual facts regarding GMO food.  Genetically modified organisms revolutionized food production and agriculture in the 60’s and 70’s. Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his contributions to the “green revolution” which had a tremendous impact on food production in underdeveloped countries in Asia and Latin America. The green revolution (and Mr. Borlaug’s work) was focused on the development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains like wheat and aiding farmers in better management and use of technological advancements. Without the work of Mr. Borlaug and other scientists of the green revolution, over a billion people would have starved. 

Genetically modified doesn’t necessarily mean that the product was radiated or anything like that, it could be as simple as cross breeding or using a gene mutation in a strain of corn to make the plant more productive. For example, some variations of papayas have been genetically modified to resist the ringspot virus – this was done by developing a breed that is resistant to them. Hawaii, a big producer of papaya, almost had their industry devastated by the virus however, since the new genetics were discovered, their industry is successful. It’s important to point out that there is still no method of production other than the genetically engineered papayas that is resistant to the virus. Organic papayas (which are ridiculously expensive, like every other kind of organic food), are not resistant to the virus. Other GM foods are soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, sugar beets and squash. GMO versions of tomatoes, potatoes and rice have been created and approved by the government but aren’t commercially available yet. 

Modifying plants allows farmers to be more productive which is essential with a population that is growing exponentially. If we don’t accept and employ technology like GMO’s, it’s going to be pretty dang impossible to feed 9 billion people in 2050.

Regarding obesity – I can’t believe that you guys just blamed the obesity epidemic on genetically modified food. Americans are overwhelmingly overweight because we have become increasingly lazy and restaurants have increased their portion sizes dramatically. The fast food industry is booming – it’s easier (and often, cheaper) to buy a meal off the dollar menu than it is to buy fresh food or whole grains. America is one of the few countries in the world where it is more expensive to buy fresh food than it is to buy processed food. Add into the mix that low-income families can buy more food if they buy Cheetos and Pepsi than they can if they buy juice and apples and you can see why so many Americans are overweight. 

Hundreds of thousands of folks listen to your show every day – you have the opportunity to set the record straight on controversial issues like this and hopefully you will be more responsible with the facts you are representing. It would be nice if as much research went into Consumer Watch and food issues as does the Showbiz Top 5.

Thank you for reading and please keep up the hilarious antics.

Respectfully,

Brandi

---

So that's my letter. Again, I've never gotten a reply but hopefully they are aware of the influence they have and will take steps to make sure that future broadcasts are more fact filled rather than flashy and entertaining. Fear sells but isn't always the truth.

Have any of you ever written a similar letter to the editor? Did you get a reply? My only other experience has been this and it's been a rollercoaster ride since then.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

If You're Wasting, You Shouldn't Be Whinging

There's a little bit of Australian vocab for you - whinging means to whine, complain, protest, etc. Didn't know you were going to learn about food wastage and vocab today, did you?

Anyhow, several factors led to this blog post - first, there was this article from Drover's. I'll be sort-of summarizing it so if you don't want to read a whole article, you can read a whole blog post. You're welcome.

Secondly, this blog post that I wrote on Monday.

Thirdly, this:

A fridge full of leftovers for two people who couldn't possibly eat said leftovers in a normal amount of time before the food will be unappetizing, stinky and/or unpleasurable to the digestive system.

Hence, this post was born.

Food wastage occurs in a lot of different ways. I'm sure you're thinking, "Buzzard, you idiot. Food wastage occurs when good food is thrown away." Idiot, I am not. Food wastage, and this comes from the Drover's article, varies depending on the setting/income level of the country of origin. For example, my trashcan is an example of how food is wasted in a first-world or developed country. Sometimes, I throw away perfectly good green beans. But I am not going to save four or five bites of canned green beans when the Ninja refuses to finish them (he is my human garbage can). I am a human-being, not perfect. Did you know that up to HALF of the food that is purchased in Europe and the US is thrown away? Half, people. One 8 oz sirloin is thrown away for every pound of steak purchased. I am extremely embarrassed of that fact - one in seven people in the world go hungry every night and we are throwing away 1/2 of our food. If you're not embarrassed, you're part of the problem. Don't come whining to me about not being able to afford food if you throw out 1/2 your grocery cart every week.

However, food wastage in Malawi or a similar less than developed country is different because that loss occurs during harvest, when advanced technology isn't available to yield optimum levels. Wastage also occurs through improper storage or unfortunately, the all too common problem of a lack of infrastructure. This means the food is produced but the roads, government etc are so broken down that the food can't get to the people. Very sad. The more the developed the country, the further down the line the wastage occurs. Here, I drew you a picture:

 

 How about those epic graph drawing skills? Thanks Ag Economics degree, you're coming in handy after all.

The reason this is all very important is of course, that we are projected to have a population of 9.5 billion by 2075. Or if you don't want to look that far into the future, 9 billion by 2050. We are going to need a lot of water, land and other non-renewable resources to feed all these hungry future-people.

Which is where my post from Monday comes in - by cutting down larger cuts of meat we can continue to utilize the efficiency of the beef industry (smaller herds but bigger cattle) without sacrificing any valuable protein to the garbage can. And if science is allowed to prevail and keep making advancements, I believe that the ingenious folks at John Deere, Monsanto, Pioneer etc can find ways to produce more with less.

Of course, it's not just on the shoulders of engineers and beef producers. You, yes you, can help with the whole feed the world mantra. Buying/preparing smaller portions. Saving (and eating) leftovers. Making your kids clean their plates or save their leftovers too (never too young to help the planet). Anyone else have any ideas or suggestions on how to make our food supply more efficient from a consumer stand point?

How's that for tying several different trains of thinking into one post? That was exhausting...

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

p.s. I hope that Jessie Vipham is impressed with my graph and that I have officially kind-of used my Ag Econ degree.

Buzzard's Top Five in 2012

I wanted to have a great post to start 'twenty-my-favorite-number' off the right way but the holidays, a cold, the flu, a Fiesta Bowl road trip, a wedding and moving my office have all lent themselves to blog un-productivity. So forgive me as I bring your attention to an easy blog post. The Top Five Most Viewed Posts from 2012.

Here ya go - enjoy!

5. Hyvee, Pink Slime and Stupidity - I was disgusted at the lack of journalistic integrity exercised in the 'pink slime' debacle. The barrage of negative press thrown at BPI was absurd but Hyvee provided a refreshing take on standing up to bullies.

4. Agriculture Impressions - these images have set the agriculture advocacy world ablaze. The post includes links to the artist's Facebook page. Several more have been created since this post went up - be sure to check them all out!

3. Chipotle Strikes a Nerve with Grammy Commercial - continuing on the path of bad PR and misrepresentation of agriculture is multiple offender Chipotle. They contradict themselves when it comes to sourcing their products from 'local' producers. Read on...

I'm very proud to say that my top two posts this year stemmed from the creative genius of some Kansas kids! And K-State fans at that!

2. Farming and I Grow It - the first of two viral song parodies, Farming and I Grow It, by the Peterson Farm Bros., has accumulated over 8.1 million views on YouTube. That is epic, to say the least.

1. We Are Hungry - School Lunch Parody - some high school students at Wallace County High School who were disappointed with the 'revamped' school lunch program that Michelle Obama incorporated, made this hit video and it resonated with parents, students and educators across the nation. It saw results too - the USDA is upping the amount of meats and grains in school lunches. For the 2012-2013 school year, at least.

There you have it folks - the top five in twenty 12. I hope that I can provide you with more great brain fodder in 2013.  Thanks for reading!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

PETA Targets Kids With Christmas Billboard

Apparently, PETA knows no bounds. They have now taken to targeting children with their venomous lies about animal agriculture and the most recent incident is a billboard that poses the question:  "Kids, if you wouldn't eat your cat, why eat a turkey?"

I can answer that - a cat is a pet. It sleeps on your bed, eats mice (yuck) and coughs up hairballs.

Turkey, on the other hand, is a farm animal that was created by God for consumption. They eat grain in a farm setting and wild turkeys eat acorns, seeds, flower buds, insects etc. I'd much rather eat some grain, acorn or insect fed turkey than a cat that eats rodents. I've eaten bugs before but I would have to be pretty desperate to eat rat.

The video also says that PETA hopes kids will choose tofurkey for Christmas dinner.

Scuse me? You've got to be freakin' kidding me. Most kids will eat what is put on their plate but I don't know a single child who would request tofurkey over real turkey. People be crazy these days.

Check out the video below - what do you think? Has PETA crossed the line....again?



I'm starting to believe that PETA is desperate for people to take them seriously. I think they need some serious PR help.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Bandita Buzzard

Today I'm guest-posting on Agriculture Proud, a phenomenal blog by Ryan Goodman, as one of the AgChat Banditas. So if you've got a spare few minutes click on over there and give his blog some lovin'. You will definitely not regret it!

Come back tomorrow for more regular Buzzard-esque content. And I just jumped on the Facebook page bandwagon so feel free to head on over there and check it out!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

P.S. it's supposed to snow here on Wednesday and then again on Christmas! Whoo to the hoo!

Wordless Wednesday - Food For Thought

Hope all you area folk are planning on attending - will be a great lecture! His topic is

Kansas Agriculture in 2025

And don't forget - the giveaway of the gorgeous Silo Silver earrings is happening tomorrow - make sure you get entered!

Until next time (and Happy Halloween!),

~ Buzzard ~

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!

World Food Day - Kansas Style

As you've probably read, today is World Food Day. While every day is important to people who eat, today we are mindful of celebrating healthy, affordable and sustainable agriculture. I am not a big fan of the tenets the Food Day organization is touting because they don't support all of agriculture and use misguided rhetoric but I am still a big fan of promoting food production, feeding the world, eating healthy and agricultural efficiency.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture has proposed their own Kansas Food Day and set forth their own priorities:

1)       Promote Well-Balanced, Nutrient Rich Eating Habits: Kansans of all ages should consume a healthful, well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet that includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, high-quality lean protein and low fat dairy products. We should help children develop healthful eating habits today that they can carry with them from childhood into adolescence and adulthood. 

2)       Support All Kansas Farmers and Ranchers: Consumers lose when interest groups seek to pit farmer against farmer. In Kansas, we know that it will take contributions from all farmers and ranchers, regardless of size or the type of production practices utilized, to meet growing food demands in Kansas communities, across the United States and around the globe.

Whether you are a farmer who grows crops on thousands of acres, a rancher with 100 head of cattle or a vegetable farmer who grows produce and sells at local farmers markets, in Kansas, we support you. We are committed to assuring regulatory programs are reliable and workable and that all farmers and ranchers have the ability to market their products as they see fit.

3)       Continuously Improve Agricultural Production: Farmers and ranchers will have to double production in the next 20-30 years to meet food demands. Improvements in agriculture over the past 30 years have resulted in farmers and ranchers producing more safe, wholesome food using fewer resources.

For example, a study by Washington State University in 2007 found that today’s farmers and ranchers raise 13 percent more beef from 30 percent fewer cattle. When compared with beef production in 1977, each pound of beef produced today produces 16 percent less carbon emissions; takes 33 percent less land; and requires 12 percent less water.

Improvements in crop varieties and production have enabled Kansas farmers and ranchers to increase yield capabilities using fewer resources. In order to meet food demands, it will take cooperation among local, state and federal governments, universities, private entities, non-governmental organizations and farmers and ranchers. 

4)       Reduce Hunger in Our Kansas Communities: Reducing hunger and food insecurity rates in Kansas will take a cooperative effort to improve availability and access to food. Kansas Farm to School programs work to connect schools (K-12) and local farms and strives to serve healthful meals in school cafeterias, improve student nutrition, provide agricultural education opportunities and support local and regional farmers and ranchers.  

I think these are some pretty dang good goals and we should all strive to promote agriculture in these ways. These priorities can be applied to any state obviously, not just Kansas. I'll be tweeting Kansas agriculture facts with the #foodday2012 tag. I hope you'll do the same with your own state! 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

All Things Encompassed

This post will boast of all my favorite things in life. Whoopa

This is what I did this weekend...

No, I'm not a big fan of running the chutes but Podge only has one useful wing right now due to shoulder surgery so I popped the gate for 7 hours to be helpful. and got sunburned. On a happier note, rode Friday/HB and she didn't buck and she also got two new pairs of shoes. Such a well-dressed lady.

And watched this guy coach the Cats to a 7-0 start and a #3 BCS ranking - I don't want to brag, but I've already put in my ticket request for the 'Ship. Snyder for President!

Also, this guy is unstoppable. He's gonna get the Heisman and be the first Wildcat ever to earn one. And the best part is that he doesn't do it for himself - he does it for Bill, Wildcat Nation and the K-State family.

Collin: "It's ok Geno - Oklahoma didn't think we'd win either. You should call Landry Jones and see if he has time for you to cry in each others beers."

It was a great weekend, as usual, to be a Wildcat. We've got Tech this weekend, at home - should be a good game.

What did you do this weekend?

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

p.s. I've got another giveaway in the making - stay tuned on Wednesday for the details!