The Farm Wife

Wrangler Wednesday

2012-02-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon fishing trip

My handsome hubby shooting marshmallows at lil' man's birthday party

again...he's just as big of a kid as the little ones!

Until next time-

Caci

Faith, Food, & Family Friday!

2012-02-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

Wow it is hard to believe this work week is over.

On Monday I always want the work week to hurry up and get over so I can spend more time with my family but then Friday seems to sneak up on me and my to-do list seems only half-way done.

This week has been a myriad of things...from the EPA sending us things to look into at work to new lambs and a new heifer, to birthdays. There never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done for work, the farm, our family in addition to doing Mommy School with lil' man and spending quiet time alone with God reflecting on his word.

About a month ago I joined an online bible study...(you can here more about it here) from Good Morning Girls.org. It was a great way for me to get motivated and have conversations with ladies studying the same verses (they have a Facebook page as well). All was well until everything seemed to catch up with me and snowball all at one time. This week I haven't read a single verse even though each day I intended to get caught up. I have been distracted and unfocused and frustrated all week...you know why because I am not taking time to spend in God's word. His word is what creates calm and order in my life not me. I have to let go...hopefully next week will be better!

Well like I said we have been celebrating birthdays...yes days. My husband, son and father-in-law all have birthdays in the month of February (the 5th, 7th, and 16th). To make it more interesting the all share the same name (Sr., Jr., and III)...thank goodness we call them all something different or that would be confusing (Hubs-William, Son-Wyatt, FIL-Bill). Each celebration comes with its own unique issues. We celebrated William's birthday last night...at home with just Wyatt, William & I.

It was wonderful to me however Wyatt was devastated that Daddy didn't have a BIG PARTY like he did...but he settled for the chance to pick out Daddy's cake. Wyatt insisted on Lightening McQueen "because Daddy loves the movie Cars." (I personally think that he is getting a little confused with the whole name thing).

Lastly I had to go to the grocery store early in the week to buy meat...

yes pretty much just meat.

I purchase the majority of our meat in the grocery store usually with the expectation of sausage and ground beef. However this week I had to purchase ground beef as well because we are out. With homegrown our homegrown beef I don't have to drain the meat after browning it because there is very little fat however with the 75% ground beef from the grocery store I have to drain it or our food is swimming in fat. Now with that being said realize this is still what I buy.

I just make sure that I brown the meat alone first and then drain the meat in a strainer and run hot hot water over it to help wash away any excess fat. If I needed to cook it with onions or seasonings or whatever I just wipe out my pan while washing the meat and throw everything back in the pan for a few more moments. This gets you a leaner supper, cheaper.

Beef is a regular part of our diet. Most nights that is what we eat for supper. Now I don't expect everyone to agree with that but my hubby isn't a chicken man and in our family pork is a mainly a breakfast meat. Occasionally we will enjoy pork chops...oh how I love a good fried pork chop or chicken leg...or most anything fried (sorry just a ramble...almost lunch time)

There are many good lean, healthy beef cuts that you can enjoy. I encourage all of you to hope over to Explore Beef and check it out. To encourage you to try some beef I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes: Country Fried Steak. I use a recipe similar to the Pioneer Woman's seen here

Ingredients

Cube Steak
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
a dash of Garlic salt or powder
3 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste
Salt, For Seasoning Meat
1/2 cup Oil (more If Needed)
milk
eggs
2 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Mix together flour, seasoned salt, and pepper.

in another pan mix together milk and eggs (2 should be enough)

Season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece in milk mixture then then flour mixture, milk again and then flour one more time...coat with as much flour as possible.

Add butter to pan right before frying.

When butter is melted, fry pieces of steak in butter/oil mixture. Flip when sides are deep golden brown and cook about 1 minute on the other side.

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with mash potatoes and pan gravy.

Ok now I have to go find some lunch!

Until Next time-

Caci

Wrangler Wednesday

2012-02-15T16:04:00.003-08:00

Wyatt

Wyatt's new heifer

Mommy Monday: Cowboy Birthday Party

2012-02-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

Today is the first of what I hope to become a new feature....

Mommy Monday!!

This feature will have a variety of postings about crafting things, recipes, and other mommy issues I face. These mommy items won't be just farm related but I am sure some will be things tagged "only on the farm."

Today's Mommy Monday is focusing on birthday parties! I rambled around on Pinterest for weeks prior to my lil' man's b-day party getting ideas and finding tuts on party favors. Here is a link to Wyatt's Birthday Bash Board. (FYI: I LOVE LOVE LOVE PINTEREST!!!)

Wyatt insisted on having a Cowboy Birthday Bash. Of course since I plan events and such as part of my job...I insist on the party being perfect.

Here are some pictures of

Wyatt's Rodeo Roundup Party

Wyatt's cake made by a family friend

the food table

the blowers

sadly this is all I have right now from the party as I forgot my camera.
Hopefully my sister-in-law will email more pictures later.

But I do have a few pictures of my favorite gift Wyatt got...

Love the teachable toys!!

Until next time-

Caci

Milk...it does a body good

2012-02-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

So each day we produce gallons of milk...I mean literally

on an average day we produce about 805 gallons of milk a day!

Needless to say we love milk in our house.

We drink anywhere from 2-3 gallons of white milk and about a gallon of chocolate milk each week...

that's only between my husband, myself and our 4 year old.

The milk we drink comes just like yours from a grocery store. We typically purchase the store brand or PET (a division of Dean Foods). Why? Because that is where our milk goes and we like supporting family farmers like ourselves.

Milk is wonderful for you and your family and provides y'all with lots of nutrients your body needs.

For example:

Milk contains proteins like casein & whey that can help muscles rebuild after physical activity
Studies show that milk can help reduce PMS symptoms
3 glasses of milk a day may reduce your risk of bone disease and fractures

You can learn more at Got Milk

On the pricing side of things on average I pay $3-$4 for a gallon of milk

depending on if its on sale or not.

Let me break down for you how much of that we receive on farm...

we are not paid by the gallon...we are paid by the hundredweight (cwt).

A gallon of milk weighs roughly 8.6 pounds

so each day we produce about 6,923 pounds of milk.

According to an article on Progressive Dairy "in August 2011,

on average, consumers paid $3.40 per gallon

and producers received $1.53.

In values per hundredweight,

the numbers are $39.40 and $17.85, respectively."

That's a pretty big difference in my book.

So on those 805 gallons of milk we only got $1231.65

but consumers paid $2,737.

Now we all know and understand there are other cost associated with food

Hauling, marketing, bottling, etc.

So there you have it...why milk is good for you and the cost break down.

I hope this helps you understand milk a little better...

if you have any questions please feel free to email them to me,

post them on my Facebook page SCFARMWIFE

or comment below.

Until next time--

Caci

2012-02-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

I have spoken with many people about the food we eat. As a farmer many times it is fielding questions about how we grow the food or what's healthiest. One question/comment that comes up frequently is "you don't understand...you don't buy your food from the grocery store like I do."

Well let me tell you that simply isn't true. I visit the local grocery store at least once a week...many times more. I understand the price of food in the grocery store...even though we have a dairy I still purchase ALL yes ALL of our milk from the store. Over the next few weeks we are going to discuss our Food Supply and the price of food. If you have questions shoot them to me and I will do my best to answer them!

Tomorrow's topic...MILK...supply/demand and price!

Until then--

Caci

Wrangler Wednesday

2012-02-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

Wrangler Wednesday

Wyatt enjoying a Bug Juice during early morning milkings.

Jolene Brown speaking at 2012 SC Young Farmer & Rancher Conference

Wyatt, Bartow, and Millie heading out to check cows

William & I at Pearl Harbor during the AFBF Annual Meeting in Hawaii

My hubby, William taking in the view from our hotel room in Hawaii

Mommy School Week of 1/22/12

2012-01-26T10:52:00.000-08:00

Last week lil' man & I began a more concentrated effort on his "Mommy School." In case you missed it check out this post (My 3 yr old Drop Out) to explain what "Mommy School" is and why we are participating. One of my 12 in 2012 was to create consistent lessons for the lil' man. Up to this point its been mainly fun and games, and only happening 1 or 2 days a week. I felt like he needed more. His constant questioning probably helped push me in that direction, but I didn't have time to really sit down and plan lessons.

So I search the internet until I found what I was looking for...a curriculum based in scripture with sound teaching methods and activities. I purchased the Letters of the Week curriculum from Erica over at Confessions of a Homeschooler. I love that the package includes lesson plans, bible verses, and helps teach all the basics Wyatt needs to learn in a fun setting that generates PAPERS! (my son needs something to show off after working hard). The curriculum is geared towards 3-4 year olds just starting their educational journey. Lil' man has loved the activities and lesson we have done so far.

Do-A-Dot has been one of his favorites.

Plus he really enjoyed apple tasting and making homemade applesauce.

Lil' man is a budding Picasso, so the apple painting was right up his alley.

And counting he loves to help count things...I think this comes from counting cows regularly...for the longest time I didn't know if he would ever count pass 8 (that's the number of cows that go into one milk line at a time).

As we are wrapping up week 1, I began to get things together for next weeks lessons to ensure I was prepared. Next week our focus letter is the letter B and Erica had butterflies as the focus. Now I like butterflies well enough but I can promise you my 3 year old hard core cowboy is going to have some issues with studying butterflies ALL week. So I attempted to make a more cowboy friendly version of LOWC for the letter B.

While I didn't recreate activity (he will have to deal with some butterflies) I did recreate quite a few. So here you go...my Letters of the Week revamp...B is for Barns & Bulls!! This is my first "Mommy School" creation. (Please note that while I did create the worksheets myself this is not my original idea. Erica@ConfessionsofaHomeschooler created the lessons and ideas. I just recreated her format with clipart I purchased.)

So here is a peek at what the various worksheets look like and at the bottom of this post will be a link so you can download the pdfs.

Coloring pages

Barns & Bulls Alphabet Practice

Capital & Lowercase Sorting

Sorting pieces (there is a set of capital B's as well in the pdf)

Clip Cards

Counting Practice (you can use clip cards or print a set of number cards here)

How many Bulls? (Bull cards are in pdf. You can print number cards here)

Lacing Card

Letter disk matching cards

Magnet Page

Capital/Lowercase Matching Puzzle

The complete pdf file includes 27 pages! I hope you enjoy. Please be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you like or if there is something I should change. And remember I don't mind if you share but I spent a lot of time creating these so be sure to give the proper credit.

Barns & Bull pdf

Pearl Harbor

2012-01-10T14:31:00.001-08:00

While we have been in Hawaii for the last 5 days we haven't gotten to visit much but today we visited Pearl Harbor...enjoy the phones and I will post more about our trip soon!

12 in 2012

2012-01-01T05:12:00.001-08:00

So last year I made this crazy long list of things I wanted to do in the new year. Not this year! I have narrowed down my list to include just 12 things.

So here we go
1. Focus on God
2. Create consistent Mommy School lessons for the lil man
3. Realize I only have so much time...don't agree to do everything people ask of me
4. Organize my house, my life, and my office
5. Take a few minutes everyday to do some type of exercise...even if it's just playing outside with the lil man
6. Remember birthdays
7. Cook real home cook meals from scratch at least 5 days a week
8. Blog and advocate regularly...this does not mean daily but on a regular schedule
9. To plant a large family garden and learn to can all it's bounty
10. To finally fence in and landscape my yard
11. To take an honest family vacation that doesn't revolve around a livestock show or farm event...even if it's only for 1 night
12. To create a budget and STICK to it!!

So those are my 12 goals in 2012. What do you want to accomplish in 2012??

Until next time

Caci

Christmas Traditions-part 2

2011-12-28T14:07:00.000-08:00

So last week I told you about half of our Christmas traditions. Today I am going to wrap them up.

Tradition number 5: We watch ALL the Christmas movies on TV...Rudolph, Frosty...you know the ones...they were made in the 60s or 70s and are wonderful....yeah we watch them...sometime we watch them 2 or 3 times.

Tradition number 6: We make ornaments together- in my family we typically made cookies but they always turned out terribly and were never around from year to year-so instead me make salt dough ornaments and give them away as gift tags-plus we keep a few or a dozen to hang on our trees...yes I said trees we have 3-4 each year.

Tradition number 7: We attempted to begin the tradition this year of only giving little man 3 gifts to symbolize the 3 gifts the Wise men brought to baby Jesus. My hubs and I give 3 gifts that are needed/useful and Santa gives 3 gifts that are wants. This year we gave the little man gift 1: clothing gift 2: board games gift 3: Legos & playdough. Santa gave: gift 1: new workbench w/ tool box, gift 2: a new calf rope, gift 3: Rodeo Cowboys. We kept things simple but it still seemed like a lot of stuff.

And last but certainly not least is Tradition Number 8!! Many farm families experience a similar situation...livestock must be cared for daily even on Christmas. For us to ensure we get to all enjoy opening presents together that means we must do so prior to hubs heading to work. So we all get up and open presents about 4:30 a.m. so that Daddy can see Wyatt enjoy his presents. Once all the presents are opened William drives 20 minutes south and starts the morning milking...a little late. Wyatt and I clean up and get ready to enjoy the rest of the day's festivities.

Our traditions are simple, they aren't elaborate or over the top. Our traditions reflect our values and beliefs...What type of traditions does your family have?

Until we meet again--

Caci

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

As many of you have probably gathered my family is very important to me. The holidays remind me of those who are no longer with us to celebrate and how much our celebrations have changed because of their passing. It also reminds me of how much everyone has grown and changed over the years. For example below my lil' man is no longer this cute little baby he is growing into a big boy daily.

I grew up next door to my maternal grandparents. They were the glue that kept my mom's family together. After my grandfather passed away our family rallied around my grandmother to ensure the holidays were a special time not one for sorrow and sadness even though...there were times when we would miss his laugh...or him yelling at us for making a huge mess.

Since my grandmother passed away almost 5 years ago our family has gotten more and more disconnected. We no longer all going shopping together or talk much anymore. We aren't having holiday get togethers either. Now in all fairness we are literally scattered across the country and even the globe and we all have jobs...some of us have jobs that tie us down a little more than others. Here is how it works out...we have a handful of family living in Florida, a few in Georgia, another handful in South Carolina, and one apparently got lost and is living in New Mexico (i think) and then another and her family are in England. So getting together all the time isn't necessarily as easy as it was a few years ago, especially since the grandkids now have kiddos of their own ranging in age from 3 to 17!! Still I miss those times with my family.

To combat those lousy feelings I do my best to share some of our traditions or variations with my lil' man, in addition we have added some that are soley ours!

1) Decorating for Christmas begins the day AFTER Thanksgiving...no sooner...no later. My grandmother always began the decorating process on Friday and on Saturday (our family Thanksgiving was ALWAYS on Sat...had to watch the Georgia/GA Tech game as a family...even if we were divided) we would all help decorate the tree. And the boys would haul her outdoor light display out of storage and set it up...3 or 4 times depending on her mood. Here is a link to my pinterest...always adding new ideas

2) My hubby, William, Wyatt and I go out on the farm and find our own Christmas tree. Now this does require some give and take on my part...meaning I will never have a perfectly groomed tree...many times we have trees that would have made Charlie Brown cry but this is a tradition we love...just look at these pictures from 2 years ago...

and these from just yesterday

3) We bake lots of cookies, cakes, and candies! I always remember having lots of baked good growing up and enjoying creating those items with family. One of Wyatt's favorites is Oreo Truffles...so here is a recipe I found online at 2 peas and their pod...

Oreo TrufflesAdapted from Kraft Food and Family and Bakerella

1 package oreo cookies, 16 ounces (divided… use cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
White chocolate-the kind made for dipping! Either bark or the discs.

1. Crush cookies in a food processor and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.

2. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet.

3. Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. I melted dark chocolate and drizzled it on the white!

4. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!

Makes about 36 truffles.

FYI: It helps to freeze the uncoated balls for a few minutes to keep the mixture from starting to fall apart in the melted chocolate. If this becomes a problem, dip them in the chocolate, let dry and then dip again. They are also good dipped in regular milk or dark chocolate. Try different types of Oreos for fun, such as mint, peanut butter, holiday, etc.

4) We have an advent calendar- my grandmother had one but we never actually used it...just decoration. We however use ours daily to help our lil' man learn what Christmas is truly about. William & I believe that teaching our son to focus on Christ is a large part of our job as parents and the advent calendar helps us. This year we have chosen to do a Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree is meant to symbolize Jesus’ family tree. ”Jesse” refers to one of Jesus’ ancestors, and the “Jesse Tree” is specifically named so in reference to Isaiah 11:1: ¹ Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.. If you would like to learn more or make your own Jesse Tree check out Print Candee. Below is a picture of our tree before we got started

So I didn't realize how many traditions our family had until today....so I am going to stop here and finish the rest of our traditions up later this week... in the meantime why don't you take a moment and share what are your family traditions?

Making a difference

2011-12-01T18:29:00.001-08:00

As I write this I am sitting in Myrtle Beach, SC at the South Carolina Farm Bureau annual meeting. My family and I have been here since yesterday evening. We have had the opportunity to visit with friends and discuss important topics affecting agriculture. Expanding our understanding of how various legislation affects different farmers in all parts of our state.

William and I spent most of the day working at the Golf Tournament to raise money for the Ag in the Classroom program. The girls on our committee congregated around one hole and watched to see if anyone made a hole in one and the boys did the same on a different hole. It was a great time visiting with fellow farm wives and just relaxing. After the majority of the golfers had played through I headed to the Silent Auction to help bring in items and enter information into the computer for the ladies. I am happy to say we have some wonderful items being auctioned off the rest of the meeting.

All the things we have done in the last 24 hours have been to benefit agriculture in one way or another.

We have worked to raise money in order to fund education programs, we have worked to give back to an organization that has given us wonderful opportunities to travel and network, to expand our leadership skills and to develop life long friendships.

I guess the best thing to say is for the last 24 hours the South Carolina Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher committee has worked to make a difference in how people view agriculture.

So what did you do today to make a difference?

Until next time---

Caci

Do you farm or ranch? Depends on who you ask!

2011-11-14T07:22:00.001-08:00

Many people don't know the difference in a farm and ranch

some even think they are the same thing.

however they are different

Ranches typically only raise livestock and perhaps some hay,

farms on the other hand could raise livestock, hay, crops and much more.

In the South traditionally we don't have ranches...

even if we only raise cattle and hay.

We have farms...that's just the way it is.

We most definitely have a farm. We raise crops, cattle, and KIDS on our farm.

We are diversified and could easily split up segments of the farm

to include a ranch and farm separately

but all in we are a farm and a farm family.

Well apparently my lil man plans to change that...

because he insist that we have a ranch not a farm!

In the last 2 weeks he has told me multiple times that he is a cowboy/rancher.

Yesterday we saddled up his horse to go for a ride

and he told me that he was going to check cattle on the ranch

and that Bartow (the horse) and Millie (the dog) were going to be his partners.

I think this may be in large part due to his favorite book...Levi's Lost Calf by Amanda Radke.

He loves this story and we read it multiple times each day.

If you haven't read it I suggest you grab a copy and read it! Great story and AWESOME illustrations!

Anyways during our "ranch" ride yesterday afternoon,

Bartow became a little frisky.

Our other horse was feeling good in the cool weather and was running around

Bartow thought that he too should run around

the only problem was my 3 year old was on him

As we were walking/jogging across the field,

Bartow started crow hopping (kinda like bucking but not as bad) and side stepping

my mommy instinct was to freak and snatch Wyatt off

but first I had to get the horse under control

As I stood there praying my lil man didn't hit the ground

I noticed his little legs were latched to the sides of Bartow,

his hands firmly holding the reins and the saddle horn,

he had lowered his body toward the horse to get a better seat,

and low and behold he was slightly bewildered but he was

SMILING!

After about 30 seconds (if that) Bartow stopped completely

he looked at me as if nothing happened

and Wyatt was beaming from ear to ear

"Mommy, did you see I didn't fall off! I told you I was a COWBOY/RANCHER."

At that point I couldn't help but laugh,

thanking the Good Lord

he gave lil man the know-how and strength to hang on for the ride

You never know what is going to happen around the farm (or ranch)!

Everyday is an adventure...

--Until Next Time

Caci

Week in Review

2011-11-11T08:33:00.001-08:00

Last week was Halloween and I forgot to share some shots from the end of Oct.

We had a great time catching up with friends and enjoying some much needed downtime.

Here is our little cowpoke and his rustled up cow at the Fall Festival in Downtown

Future Rodeo Champion trick-or-treating

The cowpoke, Tigger, and a Vampire hanging out Halloween Night

So onto this week. It has still been about settling back into our "new" old routine.

Since little man dropped preschool like a hot potato we have had to readjust...

well we are attempting.

You see I take this little guy to the dairy each morning

before I head to my 8-5. That wouldn't be such an issue if

the barn was on my way...which it isn't...

actually I drive past my office to deliver the wild one...

It's about 20 minutes one way from our house to the barn...

then another 10-15 minutes back to the office...

so in the grand scheme of things I should be leaving my house by 7:20 each morning

to make it to work on time

that doesn't happen...anyways we will get there

maybe one...hopefully

moving on to the rest of the week.

of course with time change it has been a booger to get all the calves & sheep checked

during the day light hours...but somehow we manage

these critters are vital to our farm so we make sure they are fed, watered, and cared for daily.

Thank heavens that during the fall/winter William's grandfather checks cows in the morning

and lets me know if he needs anything. One night this week I had to go find our one hired hand...

he was on the highway pulling the hay baler back from the field...

this wouldn't have been a problem but our baler doesn't have

lights so...I crept along at snails pace with my flasher on

so little man quit started Mommy School...it has been interesting

even though i am an educator it is hard planning lessons for your own child...

you know their interest and their needs (which should make it easy) but I also know

what he dislikes and still have to make him complete his work.

This week has been all about the letter A, apples, the number 7 and the shape square

we have been practicing writing our letter and number

even worked on graphing!

picking out square items...which by the way explaining to a 3 year old that a

square bale isn't really a square can be difficult

and frustrating

we have also been working on some fine motor skills

Even daddy has had a chance to get in on some of the school work action

and on Monday I celebrated my 29th birthday...

(really I did....i am not stuck in my 20's like some people i know)

We are gearing up for a fun weekend of play dates and shoe box decorating.

One last thing...thanks to all our Veterans...it was you who have made it possible for my

dreams to come true!!! Thanks!!!

Until Next time---

My 3 year old drop out

2011-11-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

OK so I have taken a break from blogging the last week...
or two because I had something I had to focus on.
This was more important for me than the latest news or even agvocating.
It was my little man!
Little man has been attending a Montessori pre-school program since the end of August.

he has fought attending each and everyday...

he hated it...daily

In the last 2 weeks the daily fight has gotten worse.
we finally discovered why...
the program/teacher were not for him.

let me explain...my little man is active.
he is constantly busy...even while i write this he is busy doing "school work"
OK really he is drawing lines on paper and bringing them to me or hanging them on the wall
but to him this is work.

in his class he expected time to work with classmates,
sign, play. create masterpieces...in reality
he was with his classmates for about 30 minutes at the beginning of the day
and then for an hour and a half or two
he was expected to work individually, quietly...constantly
this wasn't a problem at first as everything was new and interesting
but from my side i had no clue what was going on in the classroom...
i never got much feedback and when i asked about letting me know daily i was shot down

however in the last few weeks he has gotten to where he would work for 30-45 minutes and then sit and observe others...he never bothered other children
or disrupted class...but he would sit and stare and his activity

when he did this he missed recess but he didn't care...
if he missed recess he got one on one time with the teacher
(who doesn't have that preschool loving attitude i expected).
i asked how to correct this or for suggestions...again i got nothing

so after much discussion and prayer we decided...
Wyatt just needs to be removed from this program...
the fight...the sadness...the lack of communication...
this was not the experience i wanted him to have...
so on Monday we begin Mommy School.

So as you can see the little man needed attention...
and that comes first...but now i will be back!

Food Day Principle #5

2011-10-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

So I took some time off this weekend to deal with a sick kiddo.

He was miserable so I didn't think that if Mommy spend time online doing research and writing a blog post he would be very happy.

Instead I did what most moms do when they have a sick little one...I babied him and we spent some quality time just cuddling.

As I was gearing up to write a post about the next principle of Food Day I noticed someone else had already done so...and actually said pretty much the same thing I was thinking

Check out Food Mommy's Post here

Basically don't blame others because you can't tell your kids no.

What they eat is a reflection of you and your parenting. If you are allowing your children to eat junk food day in and day out then you need to readjust and make some better food choices.

Remember this they are children...they will get away with what they can...don't let them rule the roost!

Until next time--

Caci

P.S. if you want to start a convo about your food and farming head over to CommonGround's site.

We are not a Factory Farm....we are a family! (Food Day Principle #4)

2011-10-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon! There have been lots of blogging this week about Food Day!

Check out some other farmer blogs on this topic!

Suzanne's Commonground

South Dakota Farm Wife Food Day Voice & Food and Farming

Ag on the 4front

Sara's House HD

And you can always check out my previous post.

Also don't forget to help make a difference in the fight against hunger and donate to my virtual food drive here!

So let's move on to today's Food Day principle. To be honest...this one makes my blood boil because I feel like I am constantly fighting the same fight but not gaining any ground!

Food Day Principle #4: Protect the Environment and farm animals by reforming factory farms.

Dawn over at Lady of Ag has done a great job helping people understand that we aren't factory farms we are family farms. Take a few moments to hop over there and read from her side of the fence!

Here is a quick video to recap some of what I am going to write today!

And again in the interest of full disclosure we are considered a large farm. "The National Agricultural Statistics Service report divides up the U.S. farms into economic (annual) sales classes. These are between $1,000 and $10,000, between $10,000 and $100,000, between $100,000 and $250,000, between $250,000 and $500,000, and finally those farms that have annual sales > $500,000. In 2007, the NASS report estimated there were 1.22 million farms in the first economic class (between $1,000 and $10,000) while there were 126,000 farms in the fifth class (> $500,000). (Larry Jacobson, University of Minnesota)." We fit into the 4th class of farms having annual sales between $250,000 and $500,000.

The first thing Food Day organizers attack in this principle are confined animal feeding operations or CAFOs. According to the EPA Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations. AFOs congregate animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area. Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing or otherwise seeking feed in pastures, fields, or on rangeland. The C just means confined in South Carolina, which is kind of misleading since our cattle are only confined during milking. The principle states that size and location of CAFOs should be strictly regulated. CAFO's are strictly regulated. We are inspected on a regular basis to ensure we are not polluting the air, land or water. We have a waste management plan that we must follow and update as needed. Also with me working as an environmental outreach coordinator specializing in water quality we participate in numerous programs to help improve water quality on our farm...including installing buffers, limiting or eliminating access to creeks and ponds, and stabilizing run-off proned areas.

This statement just shows more of an agenda (in my opinion) as HSUS & PETA want to control operations they don't understand. (I would like to control the size and location of those two organizations...like give 95% of their annual donations to local animal shelters and leave their directors on a deserted island...anyways)

It always amazes me that we point fingers at people so we don't have to point them at ourselves. We have found in York County we can contribute more fecal contamination of our waterways to irresponsible pet owners and improperly functioning septic tanks than we can farmers and I am sure this could be true in other areas as well.

The principle also spews some major misinformation lets just look at the 1st 2 of 5 bullet points:

•Livestock produce some three trillion pounds of manure annually. Mountains and lakes of excrement pollute the air and water. According to the EPA the entire U.S. agriculture sector accounts for only 6 percent of annual U.S. Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Of this livestock production is estimated to account for 2.8 percent of total U.S. emissions. Most farmers use their manure as fertilizer instead of purchasing chemical fertilizers. This is a type of recycling and giving the land back many of the nutrients it needs. There are even large businesses now who purchase animal waste just to compost and sell to homeowners. " Almost every farm, large or small, will maintain the soils nutrients by the addition of natural (cover crops), organic (animal manure), or chemical fertilizers otherwise it will not produce the crops planted. Similarly, soil conservation practices such as contour farming, wind breaks, and vegetative buffer strips are practiced or built on both large and smaller farms. (Larry Jacobson, University of Minnesota)."

•Antibiotics added to animal feed may lead to antibiotic-resistant infections in humans. First you need to take a look at this Antibiotic Approval Process Factsheet to get a better understanding of the rigorous testing. Then understand that farmers/ranchers and veterinarians take great care to administer only the amount of antibiotics needed to bring an animal back to health. The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)program has been training beef producers about the safe and appropriate use of antibiotics since the 1980s. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Producer Guidelines for “Judicious Use of Antimicrobials” have been in place since 1987 and specifically outline the appropriate use of these products:Multiple studies have reviewed whether antibiotic use in cattle production causes an increased risk to consumers by developing antibiotic-resistant foodborne or other pathogens, and none have found a connection (Journal of Food Protection, July 2004; Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2003).

• Avoid using antibiotics that are important in human medicine.

• Use a narrow spectrum of antimicrobials whenever possible.

• Treat the fewest number of animals possible.

• Antibiotic use should be limited to prevent or control disease and should not be used if the primary intent is to improve performance.

These are guidelines that not only apply to beef farmers but dairy, pork, poultry, and lamb. We all do our best to ensure our animals are healthy and safe to consume. Here are some facts from studies which have been conducted:

The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) was established in 1996 as a collaborative effort among FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This program provides an early-warning system for detecting
any change in pathogen resistance patterns. http://www.fda.gov/cvm/narms_pg.html

• Guidance 152 is an FDA recommended process implemented in 2003 that adds an additional safety measure to prevent antimicrobial resistance that may result from the use of antimicrobial drugs in animals.

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Guidance/fguide152.pdf

• The beef industry takes seriously the potential of antimicrobial resistance. As a result, the industry has funded more than 13 comprehensive research projects to enhance the understanding of the basic science of resistance development, as well as collect information on the effects of beef production practices on resistance development in food borne pathogens. www.beefresearch.org
The article continues to throw misinformation around in this sentence "Many dairy cows have their tails cut off without painkillers and generally never eat a blade of grass in their lives." That is simply not true! Yes some dairies dock the tails on their milk cows for sanitary reasons but many dairies do not. We do not.

a dry cow...grazing

Our dry cows (cows they aren't milking) and heifers (female cattle which haven't had a calf) graze almost exclusively expect for in times when there is a shortage of grass then they are supplemented with hay. Once a cow or heifer has a calf they are then brought into the milk line and calves are placed in hutches to receive daily care.

young calf in hutch....with grass

These cows are fed a different diet as their dietary needs have now changed. Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows that once the baby is born and you are nursing you must change your diet to meet the new demands on your body...the same is true for cattle. On our farm the milk cows are allowed to go out and graze between milkings however that isn't possible on all dairies therefore those cows are given roughage (typically hay) to help with their digestion. Never would you find a cattlemen feeding just grain to cattle...the cattle will also have access to hay in order to ensure proper rumen function.

Farmers currently raise animals in the most efficient way ever. We are producing more food using less resources than ever before. It is not possible for us to convert back to the 1950's way of farming and feed and ever expanding nation and world. Doing so would cause approximately 150 million people living in the U.S. to be without food. That's everyone in the 13 largest U.S. states, hungry! (www.bestfoodfact.org)

OK so to wrap today's principle up:

1. I am not a factory farmer....neither are 98% of the other farmers out there
2. We do our best each and every day on our farm to ensure we are supplying a safe, wholesome and affordable food supply.
3. We protect the environment daily because that is what is best for our family, your families and our business...we want to our son to become the 11th generation of our families to farm unless we protect our natural resources he won't have those opportunities.

If you would like to ask specific questions or start a conversation about farming and food please feel free to contact me or check out CommonGround's website.

Until next time---

Caci

Food Day: Principle #3…no more hunger?

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Thursday! We are one day away from the weekend and half through the Food Day principles. Wordy Wednesday really wore me out! But I am back again- if you haven't been following my Food Day series you can check out my previous postings…(FD Overview, FD P1, FD P2).

Today we are focusing on Principle #3: Expand Access to food and end hunger

On the surface I believe this is a wonderful goal- one that farmers and ranchers work towards each and everyday! As a former classroom teacher it broke (& still breaks) my heart to see students you can't focus in class because they are hungry. Most times these students were not receiving any type of anti-hunger assistance from the government. Let's get to digging to find out more about Food Day principle #3.

In the 1^st paragraph it states "It is critically important to help eligible people to take full advantage of food stamps, school meals, and other federal anti-hunger programs." "Take Full Advantage" that phrase bothers me. You see I grew up & live in an area where people take full advantage of government programs each and every day. This has caused major economic problems as these programs struggle to meet the needs of their expanding client list. Many of their clients don't need or deserve federal government handouts. I have witness people in true need being turned away from assistance because others have abused the system. I don't believe throwing more money at this problem is going to help. Reforming our anti-hunger programs is what is needed. That reform comes with time limits, expectations, drug testing, and consequences…not more money.

Let me give you an example…a child who receives free breakfast and lunch plus his family receives SNAP (food stamps) walks into my classroom in a pair of tennis shoes that cost $200…he is one of 4, who all got new shoes this weekend and yes they paid full price for each pair…how do I know I was in the store checking out behind them…my son's new shoes…cost $30. This family is not in need of anti hunger assistances they are in need of education and financial planning. (BTW please don't talk to me about Ruby Payne...I understand the concept…but you must break the cycle somewhere…don't keep feeding & funding it!)

Moving on … Food Deserts is a new term to me…apparently it means a place where the nearest grocery store is beyond walking distance for people without cars. Well first let me say that you will never get a grocery store within walking distances of every American without a car. That is a ridiculous thought; however I understand the concept of wanting healthy food access, but how do to accomplish that goal? And putting grocery stores every 2 or even 10 miles isn't the answer.

As farmers and ranchers we work daily to help end world hunger. We are more efficient now that ever. Thanks to modern farming practices, each U.S. Farmer today produces food and fiber to annually feed 155 people in the United States and abroad, compared to 19 people in 1940 (http://www.fb.org/index/php?fuseaction=yourag.facts)

It was well noted a few years back that in Rapid City, South Dakota…PETA supporters were dumping milk-like mixtures down the drain to protest modern milk production methods…SD farmers and ranchers stepped up and donated 65 gallons of milk to a local food bank which was matched gallon for gallon by Ag United. (http://www.newscenter1.tv/stories/3449.aspx) Those farmers and ranchers (most of who were not dairy farmers) didn't just stand there and argue their case, they did something positive…they helped to supply 130 families with safe, nutritious and wholesome milk that is an essential part of a healthy diet.

I believe if we truly want to end hunger then we must NOT rely on overtaxed government programs which many people use as a permanent source of income…we must make a difference individually. So I challenge each of you to step up and donate a bag of groceries to your local food bank or you can donate to my virtual food drive to make a difference in the lives of hungry people.

Until tomorrow!

Caci

Food Day part 3: Sustainable Farms & Subsidies...the Truth about Farming

2011-10-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

For the past few days I have been covering Food Day and its principle. If you missed the previous post...check them out here & here. Today's principle is one that took some time and research on my part.

Continuing at tradition...

Food Day Principle #2: Support Sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness.

Generation to Generation...farming is a major part of who we are!

Our Farm Family

This principle really breaks down into 2 separate parts pretty easy. For those of you in the livestock industry this is kinda like sorting a judging class into an easy top and bottom pair. Part of the principle deals with sustainable farms which considering our family has been farming for 10 generation, I think we are pretty sustainable, but we will talk about that in more detail a little later. The other part is farm subsidies.

Food Day organizers begin by tossing around large numbers and $$$ making farmers who accept subsidies out to be the bad guys. Farm subsidies have been around since the late 30's/early 40's. The program is designed to help farmers financially when crop prices are low or when things go bad (i.e. drought, floods, & other natural disasters). (Bruce Babcock -- http://www.bestfoodfacts.org/main/qa_result/19 ) Farming unlike many other professions depends largely on Mother Nature, which as we all know has a mind of her own. For example the last week has been perfect cotton picking weather however if you didn't/couldn't defoliate due to rain earlier then you couldn't pick...and if for some reason you did defoliate but could cover all the ground prior to last night...your cotton is now in the field soaking wet.

Farm subsidies also help create and maintain jobs. According to Agday.org 22 million people work in an agricultural related field. Many of which are given some support directly or indirectly by farm subsidies. Farm subsidies total about $16 billion per year- let's put that number into better perspective U.S farm policy cost Americans $0.069/day or $25.19/year (www.farmpolicyfacts.org )

to help 22 million people continue or become employed- that’s 6 times the number of people as the U.S. automotive industry (FPF) and if I remember correctly and according to a New York Times article just one of the big 3 received a bailout of $50 million. Again I believe cost of farm subsidies is minimal for the benefits it offers.

I took some time to dig through Environmental Working Groups farm subsidy database so that I could give you an idea of one county's farm subsidies over the past 15 years. I selected the county I live in because I know the facts here. We are the 7th largest counties in the state and the 2nd largest in the metro area (Wiki) based on population, living in an area with 331.3 people per square mile (Census Data) just south of Charlotte, NC. Now sounds like we are kinda crowded however the majority of the people in our county live on the Eastern half of our county and the western side is still rural with a good bit of farm land. The EWG states that our county farmers collected S13.8 million in subsidies in the last 15 years. The 10% top of farms collecting received an average of $8,537 per year; the bottom 80 % received an average of $157.

Let me explain the differences.

The more land you farm the larger subsidies you qualify for...now is that wrong...no! The men and women who have these large farms in our county worked hard for what they have...they are the type of people who pull themselves up by their bootstraps and with or without farm subsidies will continue to farm. Many of them have inherited the family farm and have been blessed to be able to acquire more land prior to developers purchasing it and building more houses that are sitting empty in this economy. These farmers were able to purchase land and make it productive. The gap is wide because the bottom 80% are farming less...most not full time farmers which mean they receive less payments.

In the last 15 years, 451 people in our county have received farm subsidy payments. Of the top 60 there were 3 that I could not identify...1 I know is not a family farm but owned and operated by a local church, the other 2 could be family farmers and I just don't know them. The other 57 no matter if they cover 139 acres (avg sized farm in York County) or 13,000 acres they are NOT factory farms...they are owned and operated by families just like mine, how do I know...I live here, I work and attend church with these people. Many of us cheer together at the same high school football games and our kids play sports and show livestock together. A few of them listed were even part of my wedding party. These are not big agribusiness receiving more money than necessary these are family farmers working hard to feed an ever expanding nation and world.

In the interest of full disclosure...yes my family farm is on that list...actually we are in the top 20...so we are that top 10% of farms. Are we large? Yes. In the last 15 years our farm has supported 10 people full-time plus a few part time people. But let me give you some insight into what it cost to run our family farm.

Approximately yearly cost:

Feed: $150,000

Bank Payments: $96,000

Full-time Employee Cost: $50,000

Veterinarian services: $2,500

Utility Bills: $6,000

Fuel for farm trucks & equipment: $10,000

Milk Barn Chemicals (used to keep our equipment up to food safety standards): $5,000

Total approximate cost (trust me this doesn't include everything) $320,000/ year

So in the last 15 years it has cost us $4.8 million to run the farm and even though we are in the top 10% we received less than $275,000 in farm subsidies. Now I am not complaining that we should get more money, I am saying what we receive is a drop in the bucket to what we pay out. This is the same case with the majority of farmers and ranchers in the U.S. So I don't believe that farm subsidies are as big of an issue as many people believe. Do the programs need to be changed...yes but unless you are a farmer in the field you shouldn't be the ones deciding on the changes. These programs do not affect your food supply or the cost of your food. "Research by Julian M. Alston, University of California-Davis, shows consumers do not really change food purchase patterns based on cost. Advances in farm technology and efficiencies have more to do with the relatively low cost of food than government policies and programs. (http://www.bestfoodfacts.org/main/qa_result/26 )".

Now let's talk about funny for a moment....

Yesterday the principle dealt with changing our diets to reduce diet related diseases by promoting healthy food...including sugar which FD stats make up 1/6 of the average American's calorie intake. The piece went on to say food should be limited in sugar...today's principle complains that America at time limits imports of cheap foreign sugar, which keeps domestic sugar prices high and costs consumers several billion dollars a year...so they don't want sugar in their diet but they want it to be cheap! Something isn't adding up here?

So now let's talk sustainability...we will focus on beef and dairy

Farmers & Ranchers raising beef are significantly more environmentally sustainable then they were 30 years ago. A study by Washington State University in 2007 found that today’s farmers and ranchers raise 13% more beef from 13% fewer cattle. When compared with beef production in 1977, each pound of beef produced today:

•Produces 18% less carbon emissions

•Takes 30% less land

•Requires 14% less water

(www.explorebeef.org )

Seems to me like we are moving in the right direction.

What about Air Quality...yes we have reduced the carbon emissions but what else has been done? The United States cattle industry continues to be a model for the rest of the world in terms of greenhouse gas mitigation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, beef production accounts for only 2.8% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 26% for transportation (http://www.explorebeef.org/environment.aspx ).

Here is a video of how important environmental stewardship is to beef cattle farmers and ranchers.

The same holds true with dairies as well. "Modern dairy practices can dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of farms according to a study featured in the latest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/bauman/envir_impact/) "

Here is the link to another video worth watching!

http://www.dedicatedtodairy.com/our-land.aspx

To end I want to say that today's farmers are more sustainable than ever...modern farming practices have allowed us to feed more people on few acres using fewer natural resources than ever before. So if you have a question about your food or farming...ask me or visit CommonGround and ask a farmer in your state.

Tomorrow we discuss principle #3!

Until then--

Caci

Food Day Part 2: We all want to be healthy!

2011-10-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Wyatt enjoying home grown squash

Welcome back! If you missed it yesterday we began a series on Food Day you can check it out here. This series is from the perspective of a wife, mother, farmer, and a lover of food. Let's really start digging into the 6 Principles of Food Day.

Today's Principle: 1. Reduce diet related disease by promoting a healthy food.

At first this seems like a perfectly acceptable goal for Food Day. However as you dig into the "meat" of the topic you learn quickly that "Healthy Foods" don't include all categories of the food pyramid or MyPlate.
The first thing they target is Factory Farmed meat. Could someone please tell me what a factory farm is? We raise beef cattle and run a dairy and I have yet to see these so called factory farms everyone keeps mentioning. My friend Dawn explains why our family farms aren't factory farms perfectly on her blog Lady of Ag.

Be prepared I am stepping on to my soapbox:

On our farm the cattle are not handled by machines but by people. At the dairy each cow is touched by human hands twice a day at least...most of the time those hands are my husband's. Our cattle have enough room to move about freely, access to pasture, water, and food at all times. We are not a factory we are a family that cares about the food we produce. When I imagine a factory...I see cold gray steel and people who look sad to be there...they work for a paycheck...not for a lifestyle. When I imagine a farm...I see sunshine and fields of green (when it's not a drought year) and people who work their fingers to the bone...give up hours of traditional family time to check on close heifers just one more time. It is a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year lifestyle...we didn't choose it because the money was great...we chose to farm because it is part of who we are and who we want our children to be...there is no factory in farming.

OK I have stepped off my soapbox...moving on...

At a meeting last week I was discussing food and food choices when a lady told me something thought provoking. This lady's daughter has a PhD & works for the USDA in the nutrition department, and she was on the team that developed My Plate. The daughter once said, "Mom, there are no BAD foods...only bad choices." I have to say I agree and believe this statement to be true. Many have preached it...even Mrs. Obama has shown us everything is OK in moderation.

As I read through the 1st principle I saw scare tactics and a vegetarian/vegan agenda being pushed on millions of consumers, which of course pushes my buttons as a farmer who raises cattle (and sheep) for meat and milk.

The principle states "the best diets consist largely of vegetables, fruit, beans, and whole grains, along with some seafood, low-fat dairy products, and poultry." To me this is a frontal attack at the meat industry, especially the beef and pork farmers.

There are 29 lean cuts of beef that packs a powerful punch in helping you maintain a healthy metabolism. "Studies suggest that the protein in beef may be help prevent many chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes and osteoporosis. It’s especially important that young children and older folks get sufficient protein. Children need the high-quality protein, iron and zinc in beef in order to develop their minds, as well as their bodies. Older adults can benefit from the protein in beef to help prevent loss of muscle mass and strength as they age. (Beef It's Whats for Dinner)." There are numerous studies to back up those facts, check out this fact sheet titled :What you miss without meat!

Now this message worries me as it does many mothers out there because I don't want my son to become overweight or obese like 1/3 of children are according to Food Day statics. I don't want to be a statistic either having heart disease or high blood pressure but I also want the REAL story about food...and the people who grow it.

I believe that consuming a variety of foods in the correct amounts is what helps us maintain a healthy diet. But even with a healthy diet some people need to do more...including exercise. The weight problem in the U.S. shouldn't be blamed on Farmers & Ranchers or the government for that matter...everyone has a choice as to what food they put into their mouth.

We need to help educate people more about portion size, will power, and self control. If you need more information on how to change your diet talk with your doctor or check out the MyPlate site. There are numerous resources out there to help you make good informed decisions. I don't think that it is healthy to cut anything completely out of your diet.

So in conclusion...yes we do need to promote healthy food in order to reduce diet-related diseases but we need to do so by encouraging everyone to eat from all food groups and have a balanced plate including fruits, vegetables, DAIRY, grains, & MEAT!

Stay tuned because tomorrow we will talk sustainability and subsidies!!!

Until then...

Caci

P.S. want more info...want to start a conversation comment or visit CommonGround's Website to talk with a farmer in your area!

Food Day...Everyday is Food Day to American Farmers & Ranchers

2011-10-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today I would like to start a conservation about food & farming. If you can't tell by the blog title and previous postings my husband and I farm in South Carolina. Actually we are the 10th generation in both families to be involved in agriculture. In the last few years it has become very apparent that we (farmers & ranchers) need to step up and tell our story. The story of how and why we farm. This blog is the way that our family does that.

Events like Food Day are one of the reasons we feel compelled to share our story...to tell the truth about American Farmers & Ranchers!

On Monday October 24, 2011 a conglomerate of wealthy organizations (such as HSUS: Humane Society of the United States & PETA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) plan to host over 700 events around the country on a so called FOOD DAY. Here is an excerpt from their website about the event: "Food Day seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way."

Before jumping on board with these seemingly great ideas let me put some things into perspective.

First: As you can see from the quote there is one group of individuals who haven't been invited to the party. That group is essential to supplying food to our country & our world! Those people are the farmers and ranchers that grow our food! According to the U.S. EPA there are only 960,000 people claiming farming as their primary occupation. That is less than 1% of the US population! There are an additional 1% that list farming as their secondary occupation...so roughly 2% of the population are Farmers & Ranchers. Those Farmers and Ranchers feed 285,000,000 people each day! That's pretty impressive! And my thought is if they are growing our food they should be involved in Food Day.

Second: There is an underlying agenda here that needs to be addressed prior to you pledging support of this event. Both PETA & HSUS are for the abolishment of animal agriculture so those agendas are being pushed. You can learn more about HSUS and their agenda here at Humane Watch.

So let's dig a little deeper into the general idea of Food Day. Food Day has 6 principles on the surface SOME of these principles seem to be goals that everyone can support.

6 FOOD DAY PRINCIPLES

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness

3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms

5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

At face value I think everyone could support 1,3, and 5. 2,4, & 6 immediately set off red flags for me as I am not sure what results they are wanting. As you can see there are a few principles that seem a little sketchy...at least to me they do. Now in the interest of making this post readable I am not going to discuss each principle in detail today but for the next 6 or 7 days you can follow along as I go through each principle from the perspective of a mother, wife, farmer, and lover of food.

Please note that these are my personal opinions and observations based on facts that I know and have researched and my personal value system. All facts will have links or citations so that you can make your own informed decision about the food you eat.

Please join me tomorrow as we jump into the 6 Food Day Principles...and discover what this Farm Wife has to say!

Thanks for reading...see you tomorrow!!

Caci

P.S. Can't wait until tomorrow hop over to www.findourcommonground.com to engage in conservations about food and farming today!

Family Farms under attack & under valued

2011-10-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

In the past 24 hours my mother in law has brought two different articles to my attention.

The 1st one is about a farm family in Maryland that is being hunted by environmentalists and on the verge of losing their family farm. This couple has worked hard to create a farm that they can pass down to their children. See the video clip below

You can go to Save Farm Families to see what you can do to help.

The second was posted on AOL's jobs site. It listed the 10 jobs America can't do without.

This list left off some major players teachers, truck drivers and Farmers & Ranchers!

Check out the article here and take a few moments to respond

As Americans continue to move away from the farm and understand less about agriculture we will see more and more people begin to undervalue and attack farmers and ranchers. We must begin now to make a change...before it is too late.

Wyatt would love to be the 11th generation of our family to farm and I pray each day that God allows him to reach that goal in life.

To find out more about farming and food check out CommonGround's website.

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-10-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

OK so this week's Wrangler Wednesday isn't much about on farm Wrangler wearing.

Last weekend the boys and I had the opportunity to attend the Clemson University Homecoming Events & Football Game.

This opportunity came from my involvement with CommonGround. An organization which wants to help create conversations about farming and food. To help start these conversations the South Carolina volunteers passed out BBQ Pork sliders to people attending the festivities. As we handed out sliders we were able to answer questions people had about their food and our movement to put a face on American Agriculture so that when you have a question about your food you can ask a farmer who grows it.

We were also interviewed by South Carolina Radio Network, which was a great way to help spread our message and get over our interview nerves!

In addition we attended the football game...which by the way was the 1st college football game, Wyatt had ever attended...it was also my 1st Clemson game. William, whose parents use to have seasons tickets, has attended dozens of them.

Opening ceremonies...apparently the greatest 25 seconds in college football,

rubbing Howard's Rock...

Releasing a BILLION balloons...not sure how many but it was a bunch

Wyatt & William (who are both wearing Wranglers) watching the game

The view from our seats

Wyatt enjoying making funny faces

More funny faces

Ahh...I'm missing the game face

Then Wyatt got bored and began looking at the Select Sires bull book,

and yes that is our friend Marie texting behind him

And now we are playing with plastic round bales of hay

Both of the boys were getting a little worn out...

Wyatt's reaction to an awesome play

As good as it gets for a family pic at the game...

please note I do have on Orange & Purple

however I still bleed RED & BLACK...GOOOO DAWGS!! SIC'EM!!

Wyatt on the way home from a long day at the game

So even though we spend most of our time on the farm caring for the land and livestock

we do get to do some fun things and enjoy non-farm life

but the main topic of conversation is always farming and food!

If you have any questions I would love to help you answer them...just ask!

National 4-H Week

2011-10-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

4-H has been a part of my life

as long as I can remember.

In the beginning I was just a tag-along,

as my sister is 10 years older than i

and was active in the 4-H Horse project,

competing in shows, camps, trainings, clinics and judging events.

Through her involvement we met a family

who had other livestock interest,

mainly sheep and beef cattle.

Those conservations sparked an interest in me

that would last a lifetime.

I was 3 or 4 when we met this family

whose daugther was smack in the middle of my sister and I in age.

Her name was Carol and she looked up to my sister

and I looked up to her.

I began begging for a lamb..

I begged and begged,

and begged...

and begged some more.

I pestered my mother for a lamb for 4 YEARS,

before she gave in

and agreed to have ONE lamb

that's it...no more!

I was elated!

It was a Suffolk crossed market lamb

that lived in our backyard.

This one lamb got me started as an active member of 4-H.

From there I purchased more sheep

and while in high school maintained a flock of about 75 ewes.

Which if you don't know is unheard of in the state of Georgia.

My interested didn't end with sheep.

I was soon showing cows and pigs as well

in local, regional, state and national shows.

4-H is what helped me determine my path in life.

Showing sparked another interest and love...

livestock judging.

Through 4-H I had the opportunity to travel

all across my state

and to national contest in

Kansas, Kentucky, and VA.

It was a wonderful experience

that helped me to learn to select animals

in showrings and on farms.

Let me share with you a small part of my livestock judging story:

Beginning in the 6th grade I judge livestock

on an almost all girls team expect for 1 boy.

This means I took a class of 4 animals and ranked them

from best to worst

After all the rankings had been turned in

I would explain to an adult my "reasons" for placing the class.

In some contest we also had to answer questions about the animals.

In 7th grade I moved to a new school and new county,

I was now on a new livestock judging team..

this one was all boys and 1 girl.

These boys became like my brothers...i got 4 of them!

We traveled together, practiced together, showed together

not just for that one year but until I was a senior in high school.

The first year was rough...learning to compete as a team

the 2nd year these 4 boys and I came together as a team

always working to beat our last score

always trying to prove that we were good.

We won regional,

We won state,

I was high individual.

The next year 1/2 of our team moved up...

3 of us were now in the senior division...

there were scholarships and trips at stake

we had to step up our game.

In 9th grade we did OK, we were all in the top 20

our team was in the top 5

In 10th grade we were better, all of our team were seniors now

at state we were all in the top 25

our team was number 2

we earned a trip to compete at the American Royal!

We flew to Kansas City,

piled 7 people in a mini van with 21 pieces of luggage

and drove to Manhattan to visit K-State

singing Kenny Chensey's last hit

and practice with the judging team.

We all did OK

Our team was in the top 10

but we didn't make headlines anywhere but in our hometown

In 11th grade we were untouchable, 4 of the 5 in the top 10

our team was number 1

and I was high individual.

We earned the right to represent our state in Louisville,

at the NAILE, North American Livestock Exposition

We drove 10 hours one way

again 7 people in a van

with way too much luggage

This time we made a little more noise

we were in the top 10 in each division

in the top 20 individually in more than one division

Overall we were number 8

I was number 21...

These trips were long, the hours were tough,

but we worked through disagreements,

heartbreaks, and more

we committed to a goal and gave it our all

we accomplished it not as individuals but as a team

Now we have all gone our separate ways

Only I remain active in the livestock judging arena

But those skills I still use today

as a "showmom",

a beef semen sales rep,

and as a professional judge

I can't believe how many things in my life

have revolved around the skills learned

in this one organization.

From DPA to summer camp,

skill-a-thon to stock shows,

it was an adventure i loved and would never trade.

Thank 4-H for Making me Better!!

Caci

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-10-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago we had the honor of hosting Curt Dennison and his wife on our farm.

Curt takes wonderful photos of farm life and agriculture!

Here are a few of my favorite shots from his visit.

If you would like to see more of his work click here.

William & Wyatt feeding baby calves.

Wyatt & I checking on the ready to wean piglets.

Wyatt surveying a field.

Opening gates

My wonderful husband & I...this is rare both of us smiling~

unloading show cows

setting up to milk...did i mention I love this man!

Checking beef cows.

Thanks for visiting!

Caci

How do you keep all your facts handy??

2011-09-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

I have complied talking points and articles on many issues facing agriculture today.

I have notebooks and file folders stacked up all over the place with information scattered throughout them. So "AG" vocates how to you gather your information? Do you store it all in your head? Do you have a system? Or do you pile like I do?

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-09-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

So today is Wrangler Wednesday...

each picture below helps to sum up farm life and the people who grow our food

this week is mainly farm kids!

My lil' man enjoying a Carmel apple from a local apple orchard.

One of our county 4-H'er preparing for our local show

The glue that holds our livestock show committee together and the next generation

Our county Livestock Queens

One class of showmanship during the goat show

My lil' man and Taylor...both farm kids that don't mind getting their hands (& knees) dirty

Our judge, Scott Sell and one of our sheep show contestants

One of our beef show contestants and a stubborn cow

The lil' man one last time getting kiss from his Aunt Rachel...

farm kids have lots of love!

It's been a while

2011-09-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since I posted.

I have been super busy lately with work, volunteer jobs and the farm.

So I thought I would catch you up on my happenings !

We have been baling & loading hay and straw on and off over the last few weeks.

Setting up for our county livestock show...we don't have a county fair.

More setting up

Finalizing details

Trying to catch a break when we can

Organizing show workers

and finally actually showing...goats on Friday night

getting lots of hugs

passing out ribbons

have showmanship showdowns

crowning champions (Sheep on Saturday)

working hard at showing off our stock (Beef-Saturday)

crafting

some really cute cows

enjoying the cooler weather...well some of us are

picking apples

an overall just spending time as a family.

I am happy to report that my youngest sister (she's really my sister in law but anyways)

won both the sheep and the dairy senior showmanship classes at our

annual livestock show which means she

earned $500 in college scholarships!

We have also been taking in 4-H ewes to breed for our

local kids that raise show lambs.

Having a photo shoot for CommonGround

Homecoming at church

and maintaining our fall garden...

so all in all its been a busy September.

Psss..did you know I sew!

2011-09-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

I am a farm wife that stays extremely busy.

Washing dishes, clothes, cleaning house

Feeding livestock, tending the garden, chasing a 3 year old

working full time, volunteering & being a sales rep for 2 separate companies...

needless to say free time is at a premium!

But I love to sew & bake

lately I haven't done much of either

so my goal for the week is to reorganize my crafting space

get my fabric stash just right

and begin sewing again

dresses, pants, skirts, and Christmas gifts!

oh do I love to sew.

Here are a few items I have created in the past:

Owlies...gifts for Wy & my niece Ashley

Burp clothes for sweet baby Clara

Super simple dresses

Recycled T-shirt dresses

Dishcloths for Christmas Gifts

Headbands

Zippered pouches

Clothespin apron

Nice wash cloths...if you want to understand read this

I love to sew...so this week while the rain pours down I will sew and possible knit

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-08-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night I attempted to get in a quick photo shoot with my fav photographer friend Amy. Now as you can imagine this was rather difficult since days are getting shorter and the hubby doesn't usually arrive home until WELL after dark. After much coaxing I got him to agree to be at home by 7:30. Now it takes all of 5 minutes for him shower and get dressed so I knew we should be fine, but Hurricane Irene had other plans...now she didn't rain on my pictures but she did bring some clouds with her which made for an interesting sunset...so here are some pictures for our family photo shoot...by the way if you get a chance hop on over to Facebook and vote for me in the Ultimate Girl Next Door Model contest hosted by Wrangler Western Wear!

Wyatt & his horse Bartow...originally the horse was named Balto but Wyatt started calling him Bartow...which by the way is the name of a small town close to where I grew up...so it stuck and I love it!

Wyatt telling Ms. Amy...this is my sheep...he's a ram...his name is Winston...did you know I can ride him...WATCH

I can too ride him...but Momma don't want me to get my clothes dirty...yea I listen..sometimes

Our hayfield in the Sunset

A Close up of the Family...I love the angle

Please disregard my muffin top...its terrible...maybe I should think of running in my spare time

My favorite of all my hubby and the little man, Wyatt, just hanging out on Bar

Don't forget to go vote for me...I sure do appreciate it!! Thanks!

Meaty Monday!

2011-08-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

So in honor of the start of SEC Football Season (GO DAWGS!!!) and the upcoming Labor Day Holiday I thought I would share two of my favorite grilling recipe. Typically on the farm if we grill its either hamburgers and hotdogs or steak...in our household there really is nothing else! Many times we do use beef that was grown on our farm however there are times that we purchase meat from the store. I am just as comfortable using store bought beef as I am the beef we raise on farm. And honestly sometimes the beef bought at the store is a little tastier especially the steaks because they have more marbling than our homegrown beef does. Both recipes are fast and easy to create and grill.

My steaks are simple...

1 tsp seasoned salt,
1.5 tsp pepper,
1/2 cup Worchester sauce
Mix all three together in a Ziploc bag.
Drop in the ribeyes toss for a minute.
Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Heat the grill to medium heat so you don't overcook the outside.
I don't use time as an indicator of how well my meat is cook. I use an instant read thermometer...we like our steaks medium so 160 is our magic number. (Rare= 145) But you probably need to check them after 4-5 minutes depending on how done you would like them.

Hamburgers

2 lbs of ground beef
3 tbsp of ranch dressing mix
2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp of A1
Buns
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onions (preferably Vidalia Onions)
Mayo
Mustard
Ketchup
Cheese Slices

1. Combine ground beef, ranch dressing mix, pepper, and A1 in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape into eight 3/4-inch thick patties.

2. Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 11 to 15 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 13 to 14 minutes) until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers 160°F, turning occasionally. About 2 minutes before burgers are done, place buns, cut sides down, on grid. Grill until lightly toasted. During last minute of grilling, top each burger with cheese slice.

3. Line bottom of each bun with lettuce leaf; top with tomato slice, burger, and toppings, as desired. Close sandwiches.

Again grilling at our house is simple and easy. All my food safety information came from Beef It's What's For Dinner website.
The site has great tips, ideas and recipes. I hope you all enjoy!

Linking up at

Friday Fotos

2011-08-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

So today begins what I hope will be a new regular feature. Friday Fotos gives you a quick review of our week in pictures snapped at events, on farm, and just in everyday life.

Over the last week our lives have been busy! Full of activities but then that is every week in most families and especially on farms during hay season. Right now we are cutting hay and/or baling hay trying to beat Irene...which we probably won't see since she has changed directions.

Now don't get me wrong I don't want the hurricane to come here but I do want some rain...but now it needs to wait until Sunday as we have family pictures schedule for this evening on farm and Summerfest tomorrow. Summerfest is a huge (40,000+ people) end of summer festival held each year in our hometown of York. Our 4-H'er's have a petting zoo and sell raffle tickets to raise money for the York County Fall Livestock Show as we don't have a county fair. This one event raises between $1000-1500 for the show!

Last weekend kicked off with a Stock Show U show clinic taught by Derek Jones. If you haven't hear about Stock Show U by Sullivan's Supply you need to check it out.

Derek Jones teaching a beef cattle show clinic in McConnells, sponsored by Select Sires & Ranch House Designs. I happen to be a sales rep for both companies so let me know if you need anything! ;) The clinic was aimed at helping kids exhibiting beef cattle to gain knowledge and expand their fitting skills.

Wyatt insisted on bringing his show stick to the clinic...he thinks he needs to show a calf!

Wyatt riding in the gator to get cows up on Monday evening.

The Farm Sign @ the dairy

One of our dairy cows....Skittles

The longhorns

William speaking at the Policy Development meeting for SCFB

So that's kinda a Snapshot of our past week. Show clinics, gathering cattle, hauling cows to the sale barn, attending policy meetings and webinars, planning the 2011 YCFLS and just enjoying life on the farm.

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wyatt's first hog show with Rachel helping out at age 2.

Wyatt showing how muddy he can get!

Wyatt, William & Marty in the hay field.

One of my favorite pictures...could be the view :)

My hubby...the hardest working man I know!

Meaty Monday!

2011-08-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

So I thought today I would share one of my favorite BEEF recipes with you.

Now realize that I am typically trying to whip something up at 8 or 9 at night after we get in from the barn. So my cooking is quick and usually cheap!

Chili is one of my personal favs and as we head into fall this will be cooked often in our home.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 med Onion chopped
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp Oregano
1 tbsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tbsp Chili Powder
2 lbs Ground Beef
Homemade tomato sauce (canned during the summer)or an 8 oz can
1 tsp Salt
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Diced tomatoes & Chilies (Could have canned at home but didn't)
grated Cheese
Chips or corn bread

In a large pot put in oil and chopped garlic & onions, stir until slightly brown... DON'T BURN!!
Throw ground beef in pot...cook until brown. Drain off excess fat. Pour in tomato sauce, spices & salt. Mix together VERY WELL, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about an hour stirring occasionally. If you notice the mixture is getting dry pour in a little water (1/2 cup at a time). Taste after an hour to check flavor...add spices as needed...pour in beans and tomato mixture simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with grated cheese and chips or corn bread.

Chili can be frozen after completely cooled.

BEEF IT UP!

2011-08-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

So in the past 3 weeks I have traveled to St. Louis for 2 days, Orlando for 3 days and Clemson, SC for 3 days. Needless to say the laundry at my house is piling up, my kitchen is a mess and my family might feel slightly neglected over the recent trips since my little man only went to Clemson and the hubby has stayed at home on the farm entirely.

My trip to St. Louis was to attend CommonGround Conference with other farm women from around the country. We all have the desire to talk with others about how food is produced. The conference was great to get us motivated and share ideas from other places. While we were there the SC girls had a chance to visit the Budweiser Brewery which was a wonderful treat as well.

After St. Louis I was home for a while working in the garden and feeding show calves. I have spent a lot of time outside! I of course had to do the 8-5 gig in addition to my normal on farm work. I headed to Orlando the 1st of August to attend the Annual Summer Conference for the Beef Industry. I represent Region II as the Consumer Education Chair for ANCW It was great spending time with other Cattlewomen & men from across the country. Met some great ladies and can't wait to meet up with them again at NBAP

After leaving Orlando fully charged I headed to Clemson for a few days to attend the SC Jr. Beef Round-Up. This is kinda our kickoff of show season here in South Carolina. It's always a great weekend filled wtih lots of fun, friends, family, and cattle. During this show we also hold our state's Beef Ambassador Contest. Congratulations to Will Turner and Caitlyn Poole on winning their division. I am sure both of you will represent us well at Nationals in 2012! This year we also held an interest meeting on forming a South Carolina Cattlewomen's. I was suprised when 15 ladies expressed an interest in joining. I am happy to say we have already started recieving membership applications! I can't wait to get everything kicked off! I am sure that these women will do an amazing job helping promote the beef industry!

As I write this I am preparing for the Stock Show U Clinic which will be held tomorrow, August 20th in McConnells, SC. I am excited that we have between 40-50 people heading to our tiny town to learn about fitting and showing cattle! I can't wait to have all these great kids and their families together. Derrick Jones from NC will be our professor. More pics and tips to come!

I hope you all have a great weekend and I apologize for my blogging vacation but hope to be back in the full swing of things next weeK!

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-08-03T09:23:00.001-07:00

Its hot...how to keep cool!!!

2011-08-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

In South Carolina it is HOT!!! Especially for black cattle which we have lots of... below you will find a video of what we do on our farm to keep cattle cool during the hot summer months!

In a beat up Chevy Truck...hauling hay

2011-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Over yonder coming down the road in a beat-up Chevy truck....

I can remember riding down the road singing this song at the top of my lungs as an 8 year old child...so proud that we had an old Chevy Truck. I loved the song and the fact that the singer Trisha Yearwood had grown up just a few counties away.

Nowdays this song takes on a whole new idea for me because no longer is the boyfriend coming down the road but my husband. But his beat up Chevy only does one thing...haul hay. It has hauled hay and other farm products for his family for generations. William's grandfather, PawPaw purchased this truck new, William's mom, Jane or Nana learned to drive in this truck as did William. The truck has a purpose but it also has a special place on our family farm.

As I said we use this truck for one thing now to haul hay from the field to the barns. Its not the most dependable truck or the nicest looking nor does it have power steering or air but its our hay truck. We hook a four wheeled wagon to it and drive carefully down the road to the hay field. We load it up and chug slowly back, over and over again until the fields are empty. It's a great place to spend quality family time, listening to the same stories we've heard a million times...but that is perfectly ok!

Like I said this truck has been used by 3 generations and we hope to one day teach the 4th generation how to drive using this old truck. Wyatt already loves this truck and its connection to PawPaw (who is his favorite person in the world). He likes to walk around it and kick the tires, complete inspections and count how many hay bales it can haul...but most of all he loves to listen to it fire up!

Farm equipment isn't always pretty but it always works hard to see more blogs about farm equipment check out Farmnwife's blog.!

Brain dead

2011-07-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently I have been brain dead this week. I haven't had much to say or write about which if you know me personally you know that is a shocker! I am a talker...i mean really my nickname at work is Mouth.

As I struggle to come up with a topic all I can think about is how hot it is here and sadly all across the country. Last week I got the chance to attend a CommonGround Conference in St. Louis thinking it would be cooler but I was WRONG!! It was hot there and more humid...really I live in the South didn't think that was possible. But we did get to visit the Budweiser Brewery and the zoo which both were wonderful.

Around here things heated up while I was away. We are checking water troughs 3 to 4 times a day as the horses, calves, and sheep at our home don't have automatic waterers. Even at the other farms where we have automatics we are checking troughs daily to ensure they are working properly and keeping up with demand. I've caught more than one wild animal sneaking up to take a sip.

Below is a video of what farm boys do when it gets hot...enjoy!!!

Moving the bull!

2011-07-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

Below is a quick clip of one of the things we do on our farm.

The Farm Wife Chatter....my daily newspaper

2011-07-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

Our first Farm Video

2011-07-13T16:10:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our farm...i hope you enjoy the video!

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-07-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here is another installment of Wrangler Wednesday!

I hope you enjoy our littlest Wrangler wearing cowboy.

Questions Answered

2011-07-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

Amanda from Beef Daily wrote a post last week about a city boy visiting their farm and asking tons of questions. She listed 20 of them and I thought I would take a moment and answer some of them from my perspective….as a farm wife.

1. Are farmers rich? Is it easy to make a living off ranching? Or, do you just like the lifestyle?

There is an old saying “Farmers are land rich and money poor.” Farmers like the rest of the country do their best to make ends meet. We put up with high risk, low returns, and a very volatile market. People see farmers & ranchers and assume because of the amount of land, equipment, and possibly livestock that they have lots of money; however most of their money is tied into that operation. You don’t see many farmers/ranchers out shopping each week for new clothes or electronics. Farmers have to work hard for their money; it’s not easy to make your living off a farm or ranch. Most farm families have at least one person that works off farm to supply a steady income just in case prices drop, a drought happens, or your crop is destroyed. To be a farmer or a rancher you have to enjoy the lifestyle.

2. Why do ranchers feed corn?

Ranchers feed corn to help cattle grow and develop just like parents feed their children nourishing food to help them grow and develop. Corn is a wonderful source of protein and many other nutrients that cattle need.

3. Doesn’t beef make you fat?

Beef doesn’t make you fat it is actually a naturally-nutrient rich food that is an important part of a well balanced diet. There are 29 cuts of beef that meet government labeling guidelines for lean! The nutrients in beef help you maintain a healthy metabolism, which helps maintain a healthy weight, build muscle and gives fuel for physical activity.

4. Do you keep the cows inside during the winter?

We live in South Carolina so our winters aren’t very cold. Actually many people come to vacation in our area in the winter because of our climate. So no our cows are not kept inside during the winter, but at all times our cattle have access to shelter, clean water, and hay during the winter months.

8. Why aren’t you an organic farm?

We chose not to be an organic farm. Studies have shown there is no nutritional benefit to organics. We chose to raise our livestock in the way we feel is the safest and healthiest for them and us. My son receives vaccines against harmful diseases and antibiotics when he is sick so I feel that we should treat our cattle with the same respect. We give them vaccines to protect from harmful diseases and antibiotics when needed if they are sick.

18. Why do ranchers give cattle antibiotics?

We give our cattle antibiotics when they are sick just like we give our son antibiotics when he is sick. To keep our cattle healthy we must care for them in the best possible way.

Farm Follies

2011-07-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Each blog i write shares bits & pieces of our family farm lief. Even though many topics are serious we have lots of fun on the farm. Plus it never hurts to have a good laugh even if it is at yourself. So here are couple of recent happenings that just might make you giggle!

some of our cattle

Watch your step! That is a common phrase around the farm especially since our farm includes livestock. A good cowgirl learns this at an early age but apparently in the hustle and bustle of things we soon forget that cow pies can be dangerous and don't have cute little signs warning the pasture, barn or elsewhere might be slick. Just a few weeks ago I was walking into the barn to halter a few show heifers when I reached out to catch one just as my foot landed into a cow pie...no biggie..but the calf moved quickly to the left and i attempted to do the same and down I went!! My entire leg landed in the cow pie, ankle to knee!!! By the way since this was suppose to be a quick trip to the barn I was wearing flip flops and shorts! I don't recommend this look.

Wyatt & Aunt Rachel

My hubby William and his lil' sister Rachel plus my lil' cowboy Wyatt had just finished morning chores and decided to take the bush hog to a pasture that needed some TLC. (For those of you who don't know a bush hog is like a giant lawn mower that attaches to a tractor). Wyatt watched as William backed up the flatbed and Rach hooked up the bush hog for road travel. Once they were ready Wyatt walked over to Rach and gave her a big high five and said "Rachel you're a great HOOKER!"

What wonderful family bonding moments! There are 100's more stories similar to these that I could share but that's it for today! Perhaps I can make this a regular feature Friday Farm Follies! What do ya think? Would you like to hear more about the crazy happenings around the family farm??? Let me know!

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-07-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

So below you will find various people all representing what it means to me to wear a pair of Wranglers with pride.

My hubby w/ Forcin' Two Drifters July 2010

Emmanuel Bankston congratulates Rachel Nance on winning SC Jr. Beef Ambassador

Rachel waiting to show her spring heifers at the 2010 SC Jr. Beef Round-up

Emmanuel Bankston 2010 SC Beef Ambassador with Agvocates Stacey & Troy Hadrick

2010 National Beef Ambassador Contestants

My hubby and son

2009 Miss York County Livestock

What will you feed your family?

2011-07-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July means many things to me. I celebrate our freedoms and the men and women who fought for those freedoms and the ones still fighting. This time of year also brings something else to mind...grilling! There is nothing better than grilling up a wonderful steak or a tasty hamburger.

Red meat, particularly beef, is a staple on my family's menu. We enjoy hamburger steak, meatloaf, spaghetti, fajitas, chuck roast and yes the occasional ribeye. This is the way I know my family is getting enough Z.I.P- zinc, iron, and protein that is! However, with the price of beef increasing will consumers like myself be able to afford to put beef on the table?

I know some of you are thinking she doesn't get it....her backyard is full of beef!

But that's not entirely correct...yes we do raise cattle and we do harvest some of our own for meat however the majority of our meat (excluding ground beef) comes from the grocery store. So when beef prices go up it affects my pocketbook as well. And I know when prices go up you (and me) start looking for cheaper ways to provide for your family.

But before you walk past the meat counter keep- reading...

there are many reasons you should

continue purchasing beef as a protein source for your family here are 4!

1) A 3 oz serving of lean beef provides 10 nutrients your body needs such as protein, iron, zinc and B-vitamins for an average of 154 calories. In fact, it takes two to three times more calories to get the same amount of protein from many plant-based alternatives than from lean beef.

2) The surprising fact is that Americans, on average, eat 1.7 oz of beef every day, well within the 5-7 oz recommended from this Group for a healthy diet. Americans can feel good about choosing lean beef because the science shows beef's high-quality protein and essential nutrients make good diets better - improving overall nutrient intake and diet quality, and contributing to positive health outcomes like weight management.

3) Because of the commitment of America's cattle farmers and ranchers, many popular beef cuts meet government guidelines for lean, including favorites such as Sirloin, Flank steak, Tenderloin, T-Bone steak and 95 percent lean Ground Beef. With more than 29 lean beef cuts, it's easy to build great-tasting and healthy meals that include America's favorite protein - beef - with vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

4) Given today's focus on obesity, the Committee uncovered a striking finding: Over the last four decades, Americans have consumed nearly 200 calories more each day from flour and cereal products while calories from meat, eggs and nuts have remained virtually unchanged. At a time when calories really matter, lean beef is a solution that satisfies our appetites and provides more nutrients for fewer calories than many other foods.

So there you go...4 simple reasons why beef will remain on my family's menu. But let's not forget that Americans the safest and cheapest food supply in the world, thanks to farmers and ranchers who have done their best to improve farming & ranching practices!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July weekend and God Bless!

Finally Friday!!

2011-06-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Friday has finally made it here...

i don't remember it taking so long in the past

but that was the two weeks between teaching middle school

and starting my new (old) job...

yeah yeah I know it wasn't a long time but long enough to

fly by quickly and become accustom to not having a calendar...

around our farm you don't schedule a hay cutting

you check the weather...

pray it will rain when you need it...not the day you cut hay

So Monday was my first day back at my job with the county.

I am an Environmental Outreach Coordinator...

basically i teach others about water quality and other environmental issues...

Some people wonder since I am a farm wife how can I teach others about the environment...

i have to take a minute and not laugh out loud...compose myself

Farmers were the first environmentalist...so its an easy job

actually its a perfect fit!

As cattle farmers we are dedicated to leaving the environment in better shape for the next generation. Like these kiddos, who all have plans to grow up and be involved in agriculture...one day!

On just our farm alone we use numerous practices to help protect the environment...by the way on average each cattle farmer has 13 different practices in place to accomplish environmental goals, such as nurturing wildlife, preventing erosion, and conserving and protecting water...here are just 3 of the practices we use...

1) Rotational Grazing...due to urban sprawl we have less land to grow our cattle own than a generation ago, so we graze our cattle in smaller sections and move the cattle to a new section once they have grazed that piece...this give the land time to recover and new grass to grow

2) Limited Stream access...to help with erosion along creek beds and banks we have limited where our cattle can access water and in some cases fenced them completely out of the water source and provided the cattle with water troughs...which some of you may think whats the big deal but putting a well in the middle of a cattle pasture is a big deal especially when there isn't a power line for a few miles!

3) No-till...the majority of our crops are planted using no till practices...this helps reduce erosion in our fields...it also improves our soil so that we use less fertilizers and pesticides. Which when we do use fertilizer we spread animal waster generated on our farm...which is a natural product!

Those are just a few of the practices we use on our farm.

We do them because it is the best for the Earth and our business...

but there is another reason...

HIM

We are hopeful that one day he will follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfathers...

and farm the land...grow food for the world...and pass it on to another generation.

Farmers are the FIRST environmentalist.

Wrangler Wednesday

2011-06-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

So many people have wordless Wednesday post on their blogs. I thought it might be nice to have something a little different!

So Wrangler Wednesday was born. Now these post may deal with gathering, sorting, and working cattle, farm work or just snapshots of Wrangles being worn.

For those of you out there that don't know...Wranglers are the preferred jeans of many cowboys. Now that's not to say that cowboys don't wear other brands its just that Wranglers & Cowboys go hand in hand in my book. By the way these are the same jeans George Strait wears..you know the King of Country Music...also one of the most handsome men to ever live!!!

So enough for now- here are some snapshots of the Wranglers that get worn around my house & the cowboys who wear them!

Wyatt & Bartow working together

Let's make sure our feet are right!

heading out to check calves

future bullrider

my hubby

What's going on?

2011-06-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

Wy running onto the field

So in the last month we have spent a great deal of time outside

ready to catch any ball in his area

on the t-ball field

in the garden

in the hay field

in the kiddie pool

working show calves

waiting to bat

Did i mention we played lots of t-ball

trying to coaxes a new calf out of the hutch

we have also celebrated new beginnings...

and mourned losses

my best friend and her hubby welcomed home their first baby

our church family lost two members in one week....

both which deeply affected our family

but we have taken this time to focus more on whats important in life

and spend time with those that matter most

fishing with pawpaw

we have been blessed at our house with rain on a pretty regular basis

which causes our garden to be a regular battle...fighting the weeds

however our farm hasn't been as lucky

we did recieve rain down there this week but are still in need of more

i am hoping to get some pictures of the new show calves this weekend

wyatt is hoping to walk his calf all by himself soon

I am also preparing to go back to work full time

with the county.

monday is my first day back...pray for me!

have a great weekend and happy father's day to all of you dads out there!

Weather...its amazing

2011-05-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

So the last few weeks the weather in the Southeast has been a little crazy to say the least. One day its 85 and the sun is brightly shining the next day it is overcast and 58. In addition we have had our fair share of storms. The storm that hit Alabama late last month didn't really affect us greatly. We just had a few down trees and powerlines. However last Tuesday night a big storm hit. No tornadoes hit but the straight line winds wreck havoc on our area.

Schools were closed or delayed. Trees were down everywhere. Roofs were ripped off of barns and more.
We personally experienced the damage on our farm and in our backyard.

(Picture coming soon).

Our commodity shed had its roof ripped completely off and the majority of it was taken off still intact. The few sheets that ripped off individually wrapped around a telephone pole about 25 yards away.

(picture coming soon)

The sound of the ripping sheet of tin combined the wind moved calf hutches a few feet as well.

(picture coming soon)

The small feed bins also suffered some damage being blown down into the driveway.

Needless to say with all this wild weather we have had a good chance to get our family garden planted. So yesterday after school Wyatt and I stopped and picked up some seeds and tomato plants. We then headed to Grandma & PawPaw's to plant the family garden. We are using the field they have used for years to plant a garden since our house is just across the road.

So far we plan to plant a few rows of sweet corn, indian corn, tomatoes, watermelons, squash, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, bush beans, carrots, peppers, lettuce and pumpkins. Yesterday we got a the first row started, with the help of Grandma & PawPaw of course.

We laid out the rows and planted 28 tomato plants, about 2 dozen onions, and maybe 3 dozen potatoes.

The best part of having a garden at Grandma & PawPaw's is their wealth of knowledge. Its wonderful to have them share this with our young son, who of course thinks the sun rises and sets with his great grandparents.

Over the course of the next few months I'll make sure to post plenty of pictures and post about the growth in our garden especially since this is my first encounter with a large size garden. Wyatt wants to sell some so he can save money to buy some new tractors...we will see how that goes. You will find this farm wife is more comfortable with a 1,500 lb bull than a 1/2 lb of beans.

In addition to farm life Wyatt has begun playing T-ball and I am Team Mom. So each Saturday we spend about an hour at the local ball field with 2 dozens 3 & 4 year olds.

(Pictures coming soon).

Have a great week!

Lambing Season

2011-04-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Lambing season is always an interesting time around our house.

Three years ago we lambed out 75 ewes with a new born, Wyatt

This year we lambed about 10

A huge difference but a lot easier

We are focusing more not on quality not quantity.

Plus all of our ewes are ones that Wyatt can enjoy and play with.

This was Sally the first ewe we had to lamb.

She is a retired 4-H show ewe

who was loved dearly by her former owner...and now by her little owner

Sally had twins...one ram one ewe out of our Suffolk ram from Sponaugle.

Lambs are funny to watch as they don't quite now how to control their limbs

And they cry like newborn babies

plus they follow you around like puppies

Sometimes you end up with bum lambs

these are lambs that you feed on a bottle because their mom won't or can't

In the picture above is SALT

She is a twin out of our Southdown ewe

Here is Salt again...she and Wyatt are big buddies

They play in the yard together

run through the barn

and snuggle with each other

both are discovering the world together

Hi Y'all!

2011-04-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I realize I have been MIA for a while and there are many days when I think I should just give up blogging all together because not posting leaves you disinterested in what I have to say. However I will make another attempt to get this thing right.

Around the farm things have been full swing...we are slowing leaving behind winter and spring is starting to bloom. Last week I have beautiful tulips bloom in my yard, today it there was 1/2 inch of frost on the ground...go figure!

The past few weeks have been busy. We have had new lambs, lost dogs, preparing for a state contest, attempting to begin freelancing, trying to decide about a job for the upcoming year, and much more!

About two weeks ago on a Wednesday night our two cowdogs, Reba & Molly, got out of their pen. Luckily we were at home to catch them. The next night we also have two adorable little lambs. They are Southdown/Hamp/Suffolk crosses. The mom was a southdown ewe that William's little sister recieved as part of the Southdown's ewes for youth program.

The same day our two cow dogs once again got out of their pen during the day. Well Reba returned home that night however Molly was gone for 4 days. Wyatt was worried about his "Mawlee" and very happy when she showed up at PawPaw's a few days later. Our ewe Sugar was a sweet little girl but has never been real hardy. She gave birth to the twins on a Thursday and pass away over the weekend. Rach and Wyatt are both crushed as Wyatt has always thought of Sugar as his little lamb...but in a positive note we have two lambs that they both love dearly.

Now we are almost finished with lambing...waiting on one hold out ewe. Wyatt is enjoying the lambs, especially our bums. We had our local pig show today and Wyatt showed Rachel's pig that he named Bacon Biscuit.

Below are some photos from the last few months...enjoy!

Meet a few family farmers

2011-01-31T18:30:00.000-08:00

The video below was composed by a wonderful lady named Paula Williamson. It showcases some of the wonderful farmers and farm families in South Carolina. Please take a minute to watch the video and thank a farmer for all that they provide for you and your family.

I hope you enjoyed!

2011 South Carolina YF&R Conference

2011-01-31T08:30:00.000-08:00

William and I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Hilton Head, SC

I had never been to the island before but couldn't wait.

Hilton Head Island was the spot for the 2011 SC YF&R conference...

and I was just as excited about attending...

making new friends..

visiting with old ones...

and learning new ways to help our farm...

from telling our story to precision Ag to financial sessions...

all were very informative and useful.

William and I were lucky enough to be appointed to the state committee

so we headed down early to help setup and tour the area

we got to walk through Historic Bluffton, SC

and see houses that cost 1.2 million dollars to restore

(that's not confederate dollars, but union dollars)

Cotton Gothic Churches that had honey bees living in the cross

beautiful trees with Spanish moss

We also had wonderful speakers..

on Friday

Will Gilmer of Alabama

a You Tube sensation for music videos like

this one and my personal favorite this one

but also a man who has taken time off the farm

to share his story

and serve as a voice for his fellow young farmers and ranchers

as AFBF YF&R Chair.

Saturday started with Hugh Weathers

SC Commissioner of Agriculture

and the SC Farm Bureau Government Relations team

updating us on actions happening in the legislature that will affect us

the day continued with wonderful workshops

Ms. Vonne Knight presented a workshop on

Ag in the Classroom, and how we can tell our story

to future generations

district directors Woody and Thompson

presented Farm Bureau 101

to help people understand how and why our organization began

and to help us become more involved in all areas

Matt Lohr, VA Commissioner of Ag was the keynote speaker

at the luncheon giving us great ideas on

speaking out for agriculture

to protect not only our family farms but our industry as well

Will Henderson presented a workshop on Precision Ag

and the best ways to use the information on farm

the conference ended with a luau to encourage all YF&R members

to enter the Discussion Meet, Excellence in Ag, and Achievement award

for a chance to win great prizes such as a club car utv, a dodge ram pickup and an all expenses paid trip to

HAWAII

Brandon Hurley of Laurens, gave his retiring remarks

and handed the position of chair over to

JEB Wilson of Chester

I am excited to serve on this wonderful committee...

not only for the friends i know we will make,

the trips we can take,

but for the knowledge and experience we can gain,

and for the difference that we can make for other

family farmers.

Snow days are wonderful days...

2011-01-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

This is a post I shared earlier this month on my craft blog...

Snow days are wonderful days...

no school...no work...no dealing with 100 screaming 7th graders...

now don't get me wrong I love my job

but sometimes its nice to have an unexpected break.

Around our house snow days mean...

You get to trek to the barn to feed up bawling calves and hollering baaing sheep,

in the freezing cold and can't complain because it is the life you choose.

Sometimes our jeeps get stuck in the snow and we have to use our hands to dig them out...

man if we had just put its top on!

You get the chance to snap what you thought would be a great picture of 3 calves...

while you are bottle feeding one...and fending another one off

Your horses stand in the snow to consume a bale of hay

and you get the mean green to the barn, turned around and almost back up to the house before you...

spin the wheels until the front driver's side tire is slick,

and you are stuck...

this means you have to wait on your husband to come home in the flatbed ton truck to get you out

it also means that the little bullrider above can't practice...

can't saddle up...

and must play all day in the freezing cold to make up for the two previous statements...

its also when i cook & bake...

a loaf of bread...

a pound cake...

oatmeal cookies...

potato soup...

thinking about meatloaf to go with the potato soup...

So what's the weather like where you live?

what do you do when you have an extra day at home?

i hope if its cold you are warm...i hope if its hot you are cool...

either way i hope you are enjoying your family