I love cattle (if you haven't figured that out already). They provide my family with a lifestyle that so few today can even imagine. They are an unwavering existence in my life, keeping me grounded and focused and content. Plus, they provide us with BEEF, which packs the most nutrient dense punch per serving of any other food product. Most people don't know, however, that the humble cow provides our population with much more than just beef. Modern producers respect these animals and make sure that every bit is used so nothing is thrown away. Here is a short list of some other everyday items cattle provide us with:
anti-aging creme, medicines, dyes and inks, adhesives, minerals, plastics, plant food, photo film, shampoo, conditioner, lamination, plywood, charcoal, glass, instrument strings, air filters, brushes, felt, insulation, plaster, textiles, cosmetics, gelatin, flavorings, wallpaper, candies, nitrogen, phosphorus, chewing gum, candles, detergents, fabric softener, deoderant, shaving creme, perfume, pet food, crayons, paint, oils, lubricants, biodiesel, waterproofing agents, cement, chalk, explosives, fireworks, matches, antifreeze, linolium, rubber, and textiles, to name a few.
Beef producers like to say we use everything but the moo. You can see that these are products used by nearly 100% of the population every day, so everyone has benefited in one way or another from the beef industry. Keep this list in mind, and the next time some fine individual announces 'Yes, I am a vegan' you can laugh and say, 'No, you are not.' Reality tends to throw those people for a loop.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Awesome new experiences, and a little steam to blow off...
I want to vent briefly. At the beginning of this year we started selling beef at a market in Pittsburgh. It has proven to be a great way to meet the non-farm public, promote BEEF and the people who raise it, and open up a whole new customer base for our business...all very good things. But almost every week we have someone walk up to our stand and say "Oh, beef...ssssssssss (this is the sound people make by sucking air through their teeth in order to demonstrate to everyone around that they are an intellectual about to say something earthshattering)...well, maybe I'll get some, but...how do you treat your cattle?"
Really? How do we treat them? Where do I start?
My family life revolves around those animals. We respect them more than anything else because they provide us with a lifestyle that we love and nourishment for hundreds of others. We get up each and every day to go out and make sure they are clean, comfortable, well fed, protected from the weather, and stress free. I have never heard my dad say "man I can't wait to kick back and do nothing this weekend" because the weekend means nothing to our herd and, therefore, nothing to us...we still work. My family doesn't take family vacations because we can't all leave the animals at the same time. I have been willingly frozen, scorched, rained on, snowed on, pooped on, kicked, covered in tennis-ball sized boogers, and trampled more times than I can count all while working for the betterment of our animals - and I love doing it because I know at the end of the day they are in better shape as a result of my discomfort. I will gladly serve these animals until the day I die because animal care and beef production are a passion of mine that I cannot shake.
So when a forty five year old yuppie woman trying desperately to look nineteen again wearing UGG boots, stretchy pants, a Northface jacket, and too much makeup and who is too irresponsible to keep even a goldfish alive prances up, makes the concerned teeth sound, and askes if we take really-good-extra-special care of our animals, I about want to rip her head off. We do. And how dare you, with no experience whatsoever, assume otherwise?
Really? How do we treat them? Where do I start?
My family life revolves around those animals. We respect them more than anything else because they provide us with a lifestyle that we love and nourishment for hundreds of others. We get up each and every day to go out and make sure they are clean, comfortable, well fed, protected from the weather, and stress free. I have never heard my dad say "man I can't wait to kick back and do nothing this weekend" because the weekend means nothing to our herd and, therefore, nothing to us...we still work. My family doesn't take family vacations because we can't all leave the animals at the same time. I have been willingly frozen, scorched, rained on, snowed on, pooped on, kicked, covered in tennis-ball sized boogers, and trampled more times than I can count all while working for the betterment of our animals - and I love doing it because I know at the end of the day they are in better shape as a result of my discomfort. I will gladly serve these animals until the day I die because animal care and beef production are a passion of mine that I cannot shake.
So when a forty five year old yuppie woman trying desperately to look nineteen again wearing UGG boots, stretchy pants, a Northface jacket, and too much makeup and who is too irresponsible to keep even a goldfish alive prances up, makes the concerned teeth sound, and askes if we take really-good-extra-special care of our animals, I about want to rip her head off. We do. And how dare you, with no experience whatsoever, assume otherwise?
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Back from the Dead
It's been almost a year since I've dusted off the keyboard and typed up something that has been on my mind. To be blunt, I don't like sitting at the computer...I have no idea how professional writers do it. But I decided to buck up a little and stop whining...there is a lot happening on American farms and people need to hear it. So, once again, I'll charge up the paddles and try to start a pulse in my online self.
Clear!
I have been attempting to use Facebook and Twitter regularly to show followers what I do each day to produce beef. This method is a little easier for me because I can use my phone to communicate with the websites, cutting down on my dreaded computer time (although in my case even this method is a little rough around the edges - my phone is a fine flip model from about five years ago that cannot in any way be considered smart). Here is something I posted recently that has created a small amount of buzz:
'Think about all the people you see in a day. Your family, everyone you pass on your way to work, everyone at work, everyone you see walking down the sidewalk, your friends...EVERYONE. Imagine if tomorrow when you wake up you had to make all those people breakfast. Nothing fancy, just a couple eggs, some sausage, a cup of fruit and a glass of milk. That's a LOT of food, right?! Now imagine that you had to grow everything you served - cows for the milk, pigs for the sausage, chickens for the eggs, and plants for the fruit. How many animals would you need to supply that much product?? How many acres of crops to fill every individual cup of fruit?? Sounds impossible, right?
It's not.
This scenario is basically what every American farmer is faced with every day of the year...but we do it for 310 million people and we provide lunch and dinner too! How is it possible??
To start, we are well educated to be the best at what we do. We use technology to help us work at maximum efficiency to provide more food from fewer acres using fewer inputs. We work with the land, animals, and climate to specialize in crops and livestock that are suited to our growing conditions. We love what we do. And we do it so well that the consumers using our products don't even know what we do or how we do it, and they spend less on food than any other country in the word. Aren't modern farmers amazing?'
I hope that this gets people to think a little bit about how amazing modern food production actuall is and how much they benefit from America's farmers. Modern agriculture is in the crosshairs right now and we need the public to be on our side more than ever. You and everyone around you benefits from the productivity of today's farmers, and that is something we can all be thankful for.
Clear!
I have been attempting to use Facebook and Twitter regularly to show followers what I do each day to produce beef. This method is a little easier for me because I can use my phone to communicate with the websites, cutting down on my dreaded computer time (although in my case even this method is a little rough around the edges - my phone is a fine flip model from about five years ago that cannot in any way be considered smart). Here is something I posted recently that has created a small amount of buzz:
'Think about all the people you see in a day. Your family, everyone you pass on your way to work, everyone at work, everyone you see walking down the sidewalk, your friends...EVERYONE. Imagine if tomorrow when you wake up you had to make all those people breakfast. Nothing fancy, just a couple eggs, some sausage, a cup of fruit and a glass of milk. That's a LOT of food, right?! Now imagine that you had to grow everything you served - cows for the milk, pigs for the sausage, chickens for the eggs, and plants for the fruit. How many animals would you need to supply that much product?? How many acres of crops to fill every individual cup of fruit?? Sounds impossible, right?
It's not.
This scenario is basically what every American farmer is faced with every day of the year...but we do it for 310 million people and we provide lunch and dinner too! How is it possible??
To start, we are well educated to be the best at what we do. We use technology to help us work at maximum efficiency to provide more food from fewer acres using fewer inputs. We work with the land, animals, and climate to specialize in crops and livestock that are suited to our growing conditions. We love what we do. And we do it so well that the consumers using our products don't even know what we do or how we do it, and they spend less on food than any other country in the word. Aren't modern farmers amazing?'
I hope that this gets people to think a little bit about how amazing modern food production actuall is and how much they benefit from America's farmers. Modern agriculture is in the crosshairs right now and we need the public to be on our side more than ever. You and everyone around you benefits from the productivity of today's farmers, and that is something we can all be thankful for.
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