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Chewing The Cud
Celebrating life in rural America and sharing my respect for animal agriculture.
- Two Heads Are Better Than One
You all know the saying, “Two heads are better than one.” I think this saying applies to the beef cattle industry perfectly. The proof is in the families that farm together, pooling their assets to get the job done. The sharing of equipment and labor increases productivity with less input costs, creating a successful partnership. I was thinking about this topic a few weeks ago, during the peak of election season. It was about that time that I realized how lucky my family is to have such great neighbors to help with our cattle operation, and visa versa. My parents’ lifelong friends, Jeff and Molly, live within ten miles of our ranch, and they are always willing to take a break from their own cattle chores to help us out. At weaning time, Jeff brings his working chute and dehorns the calves for us. Each year, Jeff and Molly and a few of their friends drive over to help work cattle at preg checking. Jeff brings his skills to greatly reduce our vet bill, and in return, we donate time and labor to help them work calves at their ranch. Because Jeff and Molly have no children, us girls were always invited to come along to help out, too! That’s exactly what we did two weeks ago when they preg checked the cowherd. The difference between our ranch and theirs is that theirs is three times the size as ours. Instead of working with 4 wheelers, they use horses. Instead of using a temporary working tub, theirs is built in and ready to handle the most wild of mama cows. I spent the day riding horses, working with their electronic identification equipment and swapping lives with the many friends that showed up to help out that day. I guess I have never thought about the people that help make agriculture go round: the grandmas in the house cooking up the chili and stew, the dogs that keep the cows moving, the little kids that duck their heads on the cat walk, the horses that keep the cattle flowing into the tub, and of course, the working hands that make it all possible. Everyone plays an integral part in the beef business, and it’s a cycle that will continue on for generations to come. It’s the community of friends that truly makes the beef industry great. Some of my agriculture friends live thousands of miles away, and we either met through this column or in my many travels around the country. Other friends are my neighbors that help me throw square bales in the summer and help save babies during the cold and snowy calving season. And of course, I have my school friends that I study with and make memories with. To all of my friends, near and far, I’m blessed to have you in my life. You all make working in this industry worthwhile. Thank you for your friendship. - Maybe cancer isn't linked to meat afterall....
Found this article on Meating Place...Check it out. -A The Journal of the National Cancer Institute in November published online the results of a study that found no association between the consumption of fat, protein and meat consumption on the development of kidney cancer. The study, led by Jung Eun Lee of the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, analyzed data from 13 other studies seeking a connection between the incidence of kidney cancer and diet. Kidney cancer rates are rising worldwide, but the cause remains unknown. In the recent study, researchers compared the fat, protein and meat intakes of the participants who developed kidney cancer with those who did not develop the disease. They found no association with fat, protein or meat intake after considering the influence of other known kidney cancer risk factors. Elsewhere in the Journal, researchers for the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. And the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research in Tel Hashomer, Israel, addressed the role of measurement error on studies that assess the association between diet and cancer. They note that even when studies seek to account for measurement error, it still plays a role, and that caution is key when interpreting associations, or the lack of associations, between diet and disease. - Cowboy Bachelor Gets Political
You know the old saying—“Wrangler butts drive me nuts?” Well, the readers of Cosmopolitan Magazine must have agreed, which is why cowboy bachelor, Jess Peterson, had found himself in the predicament as Cosmo’s 2008 Mr. Montana. Different from all of the other eye candy guys in their preppy polos and bleached jeans, Jess is all chaps, spurs, cowboy hat and tight jeans. His chiseled muscles didn’t come from hours in a gym, but from hours working on his cattle ranch in Montana. You can about imagine how absurd it was for the agricultural community to see their fellow cattle producer in shirtless photos telling Cosmo that, “Just like you can get a bull to charge the color red, I really notice a girl wearing anything anything red.” It would seem that Jess Peterson had joined the ranks of the superficial and fanciful, parading around at photo shoots and doing interviews for the drooling readers of a magazine focused on personal relationships, fashion tips, celebrity gossip and how to catch a man. But as Jess vied for the title of Cosmo’s 2008 Top Bachelor, he used it as an opportunity to promote the beef industry. In a video interview asking the 50 bachelors what their biggest concerns were in the upcoming presidential election, most of the studly men answered the question with things like: the economy, the housing market, healthcare and the war. But this beloved cowboy had another issue in mind. “The future of the beef industry is a huge issue for America’s cattle producers,” said this rustic Montanan with a dimpled smile. “When you go to the grocery store, be sure to buy U.S. beef to keep cattlemen like me in business!” Yes, Jess Peterson certainly stood out in this bachelor crowd, but his platform didn’t go unnoticed by his ranching friends. The example he set for other agriculture enthusiasts has caught on like wild fire, and although your average cowboy isn’t going to send shirtless photos into the next bachelor competition, Jess Peterson showed these old boys what it really means to stand up and tell the agriculture story. Now is the time to tell consumers about where their sizzling steaks come from. It sure chaps my, (well you know what) that animal rights activists continue to influence the media into a frenzy and lobby to pass outrageous legislation to change the way we do business. Consumers want to know the story behind their meat and dairy products, and I think it’s about time agriculturalists stand up and do the talking. And, if it takes a shirtless cowboy to lead the way and set the example, than kudos to you, Mr. Montana. God Bless the American cowboy! Those Wrangler butts will always drive me nuts - Another Guest Writer Weighs in on NBAP: Rosemary Gambino
I know you are probably all sick of my sad and tired stories about the National Beef Ambassador Program being cut. I guess I'm just a heartbroken little girl. However, I have hope that the program will continue, and young people will be able to keep promoting beef and educating consumers...you know--the things we do best! So, here is another guest writer opinion by Texas cattle woman Rosemary Gambino. She mentions me in the article, which was incredibly sweet of her. Rosemary, if you are reading this, I think you are great! Thanks so much for your kind words. Anyway, here is her thoughts on the NBAP. Let me know what you think! You may have heard the news that the National Beef Ambassador Program was cut from the Cattlemen's Beef Board budget. This is the organization who decides how our Beef Check Off dollars are best spent. NBAP was a $118,000 program in a 42 million dollar budget. We have heard from our Texas CattleWomen CBB representative, Sharon Spenrath, that many budget cuts took place and that decisions were difficult. It was the task of the CBB to take the budget down from 46 million in 2008 to 42 million in 2009. Sharon said it was all about the bottom line and increasing beef demand. She said, " The NBAP is not a needed program to keep our beef demand high in times of huge budget restraints." What Sharon did not say is that there were still new promotional programs funded like Masters of Beef Advocacy - good program that will not bear fruit for a couple more years. Food Service was funded $100,000 over what they requested. It is my understanding that there are now no programs funded by Beef Check Off directed toward inspiring youth to become leaders in the beef industry or inspiring youth to become advocates of the beef industry, or youth speaking to youth about the positive impact of beef in their daily lives. The National Beef Ambassador Program did all that. And did it well. In 2008 State and National Beef Ambassadors reached more than 115,000 consumers in 26 different states and made over 20 million positive beef industry media impressions through television, radio, print and the internet. Do you think that increased beef demand? If you want a young person to choose beef for a meal - you better be asking them on Facebook or in a blog - that is what the National Beef Ambassadors do. They maintain 3 blogs and constantly answer really tough questions