Temple Grandin and the first day of SPRING!

Yesterday being the first day of spring was definitely not a spring day most of us in the Midwest would imagine.  It was cold, windy, and 24 degrees.  While meeting with my financial planner the other day he told me that we saw 80 degree days at the end of march last year but for some reason I have no recollection of this.  My memory sometimes leaves me hanging and while a 60 year old man is remembering the weather from a year ago I just nod my head in agreeance because admitting my memory is worse than his didn't seem like the action I wanted to take at that moment.  However I'm hopefull he is correct and warmer weather is quickly approaching!

I am extremely ready for spring weather, you know the 50-60 degree days with sunshine and warm enough to wear a hoodie or light jacket and not be cold (mind you it is snowing as I'm writing this.....)  While yesterday was the first day of spring it was also a day that I was looking forward to since January when I signed up to attend the Animals for Life Foundation Summit.  The main reason I signed up was because i saw that THEE Temple Grandin was going to be speaking.

I was asked on facebook what about hearing Dr. Grandin speak interested me?  Well I find this woman to be quite admirable!  She is one of the people that I look up to and inspire me.  If I can do 1/4 of what she has done and impact my favorite industry in a postive way, I will have a fulfilled life!  Throughout high school and especially in college we were taught of her amazing discoveries through research of cattle handling and behaviour of cattle in particular (cattle was my focus in college if you couldn't tell).  Working in the cattle industry it is just amazing to be implementing her findings and research by using working cattle chutes that she designed and to get to meet in person the lady behind it all was quite an opportunity and honor for me!

Now onto the important part, as I was sitting in the room listening to one of the speakers on the line up the door behind me opens and in walks Dr. Grandin.  My heart started racing and it was like the deer in the headlights kind of moment.  As she took the stage utter excitement grew inside me.  This is a no BS type of lady.  She will explain to you exactly why something should happen and will explain to you why she thinks something is completely idiotic!  One of the most profound statements I heard her say was "We've got to show them everything we do.  Period.  We've got to open the doors electronically".  She nailed it!  She gave great examples of how she has videos on what exactly goes on in a slaughterhouse and commended the Peterson Farm Bros for telling their story through YouTube.  I think she made a great point when she said Fair Oaks Farms did a great job creating the Pig Adventure but then screwed it up by making it illegal to take pictures.  If we are going to have transparency then have transparency!

What I also found interesting was that she said companies that have main headquarters or people running the companies interacting with non rural citizens understand the impacts of animal welfare better than the companies that only surround themselves with rural people like themselves.  That is a great point to sit and think about!

 

Some other great things that happened that day was the people that I got to meet and interact with.  I sat beside a newly acclaimed vegan that decided to go that lifestyle because she didn't like the way animals were treated and cared for from videos she had seen.  This statement instantly makes my blood pressure rise.  I kindly told here that most videos depicting horrific images have an agenda.  No industry is perfect but the majority do truly care about the animals.  I encouraged her to actually go and visit some farms (surprise surprise she has never been on one....).  She was very receptive!  My favorite part I would have to say was when she came in for lunch with cheese filled pasta I looked at her and said maybe you ought to try vegetarianism because I don't think the eggs and cheese are allowed in veganism.  She just looked at me and said "I'm still learning"! Ha!

 

Also, while standing in line to meet Dr Grandin we all were wearing name tags and under our name had our company.  Mine happened to say Stewart Seeds Monsanto....dun dun dun!  So while talking to this nice lady about blogging she kindly turned to the man behind us who happened to have just started an organic cattle farm and said "This is Taysha, she works for Monsanto".  He quickly looked at me and said "well you won't like me then."  Confused I asked him why and he returned with well because I am organic.  I said and why would that make me hate you?  I sell seed to organic farmers.  We have a conventional lineup.  He was shocked!  His response was "Well I HEARD you guys hated Organic."  Here again with that "heard" word.  I told him not to always believe what he hears.

 

All in all it was a great day!  Not only did I get to meet the most inspiring lady in my eyes but I also got to have so great conversations with some people that had some misconceptions and hopefully I was able to clear some of the confusion up for them!

 



 Dr. Temple Grandin is an amazing speaker and I feel we as an industry have a lot to learn from her still!  If any of you get the chance to hear her speak Do It!!!

Enjoy!

It's National Ag Day Y'all!

You read correct!  Today, March 19, 2013 is National Ag Day.  National Ag Day is a day that is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating agriculture!  If you haven't realized already I'm pretty much in love with agriculture and everything about it so this is definitely a day that I will be celebrating!

There are some great events happening that you yourself can get involved with as well to celebrate this great day and be involved!

• The US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance are holding a Tweet Up on Capital Hill (that means a discussion on twitter) from 9:30-11am.  Follow along using #FoodD
• AgChat Foundation is holding a facebook chat and a twitter chat from 8-10pm so whichever platform suits you join in! Follow along on twitter using #agchat

I will be starting off National Ag Day in the morning by attending the Williams County Farm Bureau monthly meeting and meeting the board members.  How will you be joining in the special day?

It's Ohio Agriculture Week!!

The second full week in March is always used to celebrate agriculture in Ohio.  We have a $105 billion food and agriculture industry here in the buckeye state!  Since we are celebrating this fine time of Agriculture I thought it was appropriate to share with you some great statistics about the state and the Ag industry.  I found these great facts from Ag In the Classroom.

Did You Know......

• Ohio is #1 in the US for Swiss cheese production
• Corn and Soybeans are the top Ohio crops
• Ohio has 3,400 beekeepers containing 29,900 bee colonies
• Ohio is ranked 5th for fresh tomato production and 3rd for processing tomatoes
• There are 1,470,000 cattle, 2,000,000 hogs, and 115,000 sheep in Ohio
• Dairy cattle produce over 5.13 billion pounds of milk each year
• Ohio ranks 16th in beef production with 15,000 beef farms with 292,000 cows
• Ohio's Ag industry contributes 93 billion to the states economic growth
• 1 in 7 Ohioans are employed in agriculture!
• Ohio is one of only 4 states in which over 50% of its land is classified as "prime farmland"

As you can see in these fun facts, agriculture is a pretty big and important industry here in Ohio! I now challenge you to go out and participate in Ag week by supporting the industry!  Do It!

                                               Photo courtesy of Google

King George....The Cowboy Rides Away

35 years in the music business with 59 number 1's and about to make it 60; I would say makes for a pretty amazing career as a country artist.  George Strait is quite the legend in my eyes.  He ranks right up there with Chris Ledoux.  For someone that has been making hits since before I was born it is easy to find a memory in almost every song he plays!  You can almost remember an exact location or event that you were at or attending when hearing a certain song.  That is one of the many things I love about music....the fact that it can take you back be it good or bad.

I had the amazing opportunity to attend one of his final concerts this past weekend down in Lexington KY.  It is one of those moments that you will remember for years to come.  That moment that he comes out on stage and you instantly have goosebumps and your heart starts racing......  Yeah that moment.

 I feel with my generation we just aren't creating legends like they used to.  Many new artists are a couple album wonders and then are gone and forgotten.  Where are the artists that stick around for 30+ years like George Strait?  They are few and far between that is for sure!  For any of you George Strait fans out there I would highly recommend snagging tickets to his final tour if he comes near you.  You will not be disappointed!

One of my favorite all time songs of his would have to be Amarillo by morning.  Anytime this song comes on I have no control and belt it out at the top of my lungs!  I snagged a clip to share!

His new song is also becoming a favorite for me.  I don't know what it is but this mans voice can melt a heart that is for sure!   Don't judge my video quality :)

For any of you visiting down in Lexington I have a few touristy suggestions for you! If you are looking for a good bourbon distillery definitely visit Woodford Reserve Distillery.  The drive up is quite breathtaking!  I'm fairly certain the horses barns are nicer than the house I live in!  If you are looking for a good brewery then make sure to stop at West Sixth Brewery.  I am a huge fan of Shiner beer so their Smithtown Brown was quite tasty!!  Last but not least you have to eat at Ramsey's Diner.  This place was amazing!  I had a Kentucky Hot Brown for the first time.....holy heart attack in your mouth but it was amazing!

I hope you all have a fantastic start to your week!

~Enjoy!

What Do Farmers REALLY Do All Winter You Ask?

What do farmers really do all winter?  Great question!!!  I have the unique opportunity with my job to meet with farmers and ranchers from all sizes and spectrum's be it 50 acres to 10,000 acres, beef to dairy to grain only.  With the diversity that I see on a daily basis I figured I had a great opportunity to share with you what these people actually do in the winter! 

I found it interesting that while I was out taking pictures and was talking with these producers many of them feel that the average American that has no ties to agriculture believes that they do nothing all winter but vacation and live in Florida. Well I reassured them that we will let the truth out!

I have been in Agriculture my whole life so I naturally married a farmer (shocking I know).  I can tell you first hand that I really only have a husband from December through February.  The rest of the time is spent in the field or working on equipment to get them in the field and keep them there.  It starts with Planting season.  Around March they will bring all the equipment in and get it ready to hit the fields to plant the crops in the ground.  From there you start cutting and baling hay.  Then it is time to harvest wheat and then bale up the straw.  In the meantime you are continually cutting hay and before you know it its time for harvest in the fall when the corn and soybeans are taken off.   After harvest you clean up all the equipment and get it ready to be put away for the winter.  whew.

With that being said the 3 months of winter may be used to slow down a little for some producers (not all) and spend more time with family.  So back to what they do all winter.....

Some guys use the winter to expand the operation.   When you run out of room many times it involves putting up more bins or buildings

 

Here is a new building that will be used as a maintenance shop and the old building can now be used as storage for equipment.  Storage is very important for these producers because when machinery is left out all winter and in the elements parts and pieces wear out quicker due to weathering and rust.

 

 

As stated before winter is a time for many producers to bring equipment in and prepare it for spring planting.  Here is a planter that one of my customers had in their shop going through to make sure it was up to par.

 

Now not all farmers are strictly grain farmers.  For beef and dairy producers the work really doesn't stop through the winter.  Beef producers are preparing for calving in the early part of winter and then calving gets heavy in later part of winter.  With calving comes calf checks.  Many people will get up every couple hours to go check on cows that have shown signs of calving.   This makes for long nights but a live calf in the end makes it all worth it.





 

Sometimes you even have instances where the mother has an injury and the vet comes out to do a C-section to save the calf.  If the mother doesn't make it then it is up to the producer to become the new mommy.  Here is a prime example of a calf that was born 3 weeks early do to a spinal injury to the mother.  The calf was placed under a heat lamp with a blanket to keep it warm and is bottle fed 3 times a day to get it healthy and strong to join the rest of the herd.

 



When things go right the calf will drink from the mom with no problems!  That is what we aim for

 

Dairy Farmers:  these people I give major props to!  A dairy farmers work is really never ending.  It doesn't matter what time of year it is the cows need milked everyday multiple times a day.  Winter is really no different than any other time of the year except the winter can make things much more difficult with freezing temps and slippery ice.

 

 

The parlor doesn't shut down just because it is winter.  These normally run around the clock with some down time to wash and sanitize.

Both beef and dairy cattle need fed everyday.  Beef cattle that are normally out to pasture now need fed in the winter because all the grass is under snow (at least in the Midwest that is the case :) and dairy cattle normally get fed 2 or more times a day.  Work doesn't stop just because it is winter.

This is just a little of what goes on over winter for producers but gives you an idea that they are not just hanging out at home in front of the TV with their feet kicked up waiting for spring to arrive!

Until next time.........

"So God Made a Farmer" - Paul Harvey

Sitting in bed online shopping from my phone with the super bowl playing in the background and all of a sudden I get chills and my heart starts racing......I hear Paul Harvey's voice.  I grew up listening to Paul Harvey and the iconic phrase..."And now, the rest of the story".  The Dodge commercial played during the super bowl was hands down the best commercial of the night.  No questions asked!

The words in the video are from the speech that Mr. Paul Harvey gave to the 1978 National FFA Convention.  Here are the words to this wonderful and inspiring speech:

So God Made a Farmer

And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.” So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the township board.” So God made a farmer.

“I need somebody with arms strong enough to wrestle a calf and yet gentle enough to cradle his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to wait for lunch until his wife’s done feeding visiting ladies, then tell the ladies to be sure to come back real soon and mean it.” So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say, ‘Maybe next year,’ I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from an ash tree, shoe a horse, who can fix a harness with hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. Who, during planting time and harvest season will finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday noon and then, paining from tractor back, up in another 72 hours.” So God made a farmer.

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor’s place. So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to help a newborn calf begin to suckle and tend the pink-comb pullets, who will stop his mower in an instant to avoid the nest of meadowlarks.”

It had to be somebody who’d plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, brake, disk, plow, plant, strain the milk, replenish the self-feeder and finish a hard week’s work with an eight mile drive to church. Somebody who’d bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh and then reply with smiling eyes when his family says that they are proud of what Dad does. “So God made a farmer.”

Here is the super bowl video:

I have a close second which would have to be the Budweiser commercial with the Clydesdale's!

Have a great start to the week and Thank God For Farmers!!
Enjoy~

Cauliflower crust pizza to paleo brownies

I have been trying REALLY hard to eat healthier....not going to lie I get swayed easily.  I have been working out for what seems like FOREVER and see great results muscle wise but when it comes to the scale and my waistline I tend to see minimal results and if I do they don't last long.  What is the culprit you ask?  My diet!  Back in high school I would come home from basketball practice and pound a pizza or a group of us would go to Fazoli's (are they even around anymore?) after a game and have a breadstick eating contest.  I stayed that athletic shape all through high school no prob.  Then college came....dun dun dun....beer really does make you fat!

Anyway to the issue at hand.  Once I leave the gym I think I can come home and gorge myself and expect the same results....maybe in your teens but as I have gotten older I can tell you losing weight is NOT easy.  I have this lovely personal trainer/dietitian Michele who sends me food challenges and goes over my meals and yells at me alot.  I recommend her to everyone.  She rocks!  So I have really put my head to the grindstone lately to eat healthier and not cut corners.  I absolutely have a soft spot in my heart for pizza and could eat it every week but apparently it isn't the best choice.  Who knew?  I finally tried a cauliflower crust pizza...holy amazing.  Tastes just like regular pizza but without all the carbs from the dough...booya!!!  I was also craving some serious brownies and asked Michele if paleo brownies were a better option than regular...score! they were!!!  Now obviously a brownie is still a brownie so in moderation but a much better one since made with sweet potato!!

These recipes were a hit for me and I wanted to share because it is hard to find recipes that actually taste good when it comes to "healthy" so its nice to find tried and true.   Here you go and enjoy!!!!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza:  found the recipe at Hungry Healthy Girl
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 2

Low carb, low fat; yet delicious. Make pizza a healthfood!

Ingredients

• ½ head cauliflower (about 2 cups riced)
• 1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional, if you like less spice reduce to ½ teaspoon)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
2. Prep a baking sheet or pizza stone. I would suggest a pizza baking sheet wit holes for a crisper crust.
3. Remove the stems and leaves from your cauliflower and chop the florets into chunks. Add to a food processor or Vitamix and pulse until the texture is similar to rice.
4. Place cauliflower “rice” in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for about 8 minutes.
5. In a bowl combine the cooked cauliflower with all remaining ingredients.
6. Spread and press dough out evenly over baking sheet (or stone) – about ¼ to ⅓ of an inch thick. The pizza should be about 9-10 inches in diameter.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden, crispy on the edges and cooked through the middle.
8. Remove the crust from the oven.
9. Top with pizza sauce and toppings. Be careful not to add too many heavy toppings as you don’t want to weigh down the crust.
10. Broil the pizza for about 5 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted. Allow the pizza to cool for 2-3 minutes then cut and serve immediately

 



 Sweet Potato Paleo Brownie: found this recipe at My Paleo Life 

-Dessert Stalker also has some awesome paleo desserts!

 

Ingredients:

• 4 oz Dark chocolate
• 2 med Sweet Potatoes, boiled purple or red skinned firm fleshed
• 1/4 cup Unpasteurized Local Honey
• 3 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 tbsp Vanilla
• 1 tbsp Coconut Flour
• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

1. Melt the dark chocolate in the coconut oil in either a double boiler, a steel or glass bowl over a pot of boiling water or in the microwave. I generally use the microwave at 30 second bursts , stir repeat until melted (usually in 1 1/2 minutes)
2. Puree the sweet potato in a food processor until smooth, making sure there are no lumpy bits.
3. Add in all of the other ingredients, and mix until very smooth and creamy.
4. Transfer the batter to an oiled 8×8 or a 6×11 baking dish.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer into the middle and seeing if it comes out clean. If not cook for another 5 minutes and test again

Try them out and tell me what you think!!  If any of you have some healthy versions of some of your favorite foods do share!!!

Enjoy!