William checking cows

Early mornings in the milking parlor...it's a family affair

An udder view

This is grain fed Country Fried Steak...no gravy though :(

Replacement Heifer at Sunset

Grain-fed beef is the most widely produced beef in the United States. Grain-fed cattle spend
most of their lives grazing pasture before moving to a feedlot for approximately four to six
months where they are fed a carefully balanced diet that usually includes grain. Feeding cattle
a grain-based ration for a small period of time helps improve meat quality and provide a more
tender and juicy product for consumers.
While cattle are in feedlots, owners and managers ensure they have a balanced diet; access to
clean water; room to grow and roam; and overall, humane treatment. To help improve their
productivity, grain-fed cattle may receive growth promotants that have been rigorously tested
and proven safe. (www.explorebeef.org)


Grass (Forage) Fed or Grass-Finished Beef




Grass-finished beef refers to how the cattle were managed prior
to harvest and specifically, to the type of diet the cattle consumed. While most cattle spend the
majority of their lives in pastures eating grass before moving to a feedlot for grain-finishing, grassfinished
beef cattle remain on a pasture and forage diet their entire lives.
In October 2007, USDA published standards that give beef farmers and ranchers specific
guidelines about the type of diet acceptable for cattle qualifying for the “grass (forage) fed”
marketing claim.
• Grass and forage should make up the animal’s diet for its entire lifetime, with the
exception of milk consumed prior to weaning.
• It is difficult to produce large quantities of grass-finished beef on a year-round
basis due to seasonality. For this reason, grass-finished beef can be more
expensive, and some grass-finished beef sold in the United States may be
imported from countries with more temperate climates.
Grass-finished beef may have a slightly different fatty acid profile than grain-fed beef; however,
the difference is not significant. Grass-finished beef can contain more conjugated lineoleic
acid (CLA) than other kinds of beef, but research has not determined whether this results in a
significant health benefit. Research also has shown that a 3.5-ounce serving of grass-finished beef
offers 15 milligrams more omega-3 than other kinds of beef; however, beef is not a primary source
of omega-3 fatty acids. (www.explorebeef.org)

I do want to point out that just because cattle are grass fed doesn't make them organic or natural this label just refers to the animal's diet!

A while back wall photos started popping up on my Facebook news feed.  They were beautiful photographs with ag facts or quotes on them.  Of course I shared many of them.  Some were liked and others were able to start a conversation between farmers and non-farmers.  All of the images where created by Erin Ehnle or as she is know on Facebook...Keeping it Real: Through the lens of a farm girl.  She is only 20 but has a wonderfully creative mind.  Here are a few of my favorites...I hope that these images help you to learn a little more about agriculture and farming in America.  Please take a moment and check Erin's work out on Facebook.


This one is my favorite because I do believe...

"Created by Erin Ehnle/Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

"Created by Erin Ehnle/Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

"Created by Erin Ehnle/Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

"Created by Erin Ehnle/Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

I can never forget where it all started as a 4 year old tag along to 4-H meetings...

"Created by Erin Ehnle/Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

"Created by Erin Ehnle/Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

"Created by Erin Ehnle/Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

"Created by Erin Ehnle/Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl

Until next time-

Recently it was brought to my attention that an ad has been making its ways through schools and to moms.  This ad encourages people to help end the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in food animal production.  Now I'm not exactly sure what they are campaigning for since the livestock industry has been regulating and decreasing the amount of antibiotics used since the mid-1980's.

I know on our farm, animals are given antibiotics in the same manner I would give them to my son...if they are sick and in the correct dosage and time frame...meaning if I am suppose to give 1 teaspoon for 5 days...I give 1 teaspoon for 5 days.  We don't routinely use antibiotics for no reason.  We follow the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) guidelines:

1. avoid using antibiotics that are important in human medicine
2. use a narrow spectrum of antimicrobials whenever possible
3. treat the fewest number of animals possible
4. antibiotic use should be limited to prevent or control disease and should not be used if the primary intent is to improve performance 

The ad accuses farmers of putting human health at risk however I strongly disagree...

the number one reason is multiple studies have been conducted and the has been no connection found between antibiotic use in cattle and increased risk to consumers by developing antibiotic-resistant foodborne or other pathogens.  (Journal of Food Protection, July 2004; Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2003).

There is also a monitoring system that was established in 1996 by USDA, FDA, and the CDC which provides and early warning system for detecting any change in pathogen resistance patterns (http://www.fda.gov/cvm/narms_pg.html)...

in addition our industry itself takes this seriously since we would be the first one's affect (we are the front line of food animal production).  Cattle farmers and ranchers have funded more than 13 research projects to enhance the understanding of resistance development you can check them out at www.beefresearch.org

And let's not forget that the U.S. government mandates that no beef with antibiotic residues be allowed in the food supply.

Many things have contributed to certain bacteria becoming antibiotic-resistant...over use by health professionals, misuse by human patients and more.  Here is an interesting paper to read on why antibiotic resistance spreads fast.  Also check out the CDC's website and the Get Smart: Know when Antibiotics Work program.

It is easy to point the finger of blame however as I have told my son and many of my students in the past when you are pointing your finger at someone...three are pointing back at you as well.  We must all take personal responsibility in our part in this issue, farmers and ranchers have stepped up to make a difference in how we use antibiotics on farm, by implementing many guidelines and regulations that we follow, by ensuring we use antibiotics properly and judiciously.  We are the experts on our livestock and what is best for them just as you are the experts on your own individual children.

Just as you know what’s best for your children, farmers know what is best for their livestock.  We have been blessed with this great task and we take the job of feeding our families – and YOURS – very seriously.  We are experts in our field and we will continue to provide you and your family the safest, most nutritious and affordable food supply in the world.

Until next time--

Caci

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!

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!

Saturday was the first day of spring for the majority of the country and in South Carolina we enjoyed a beautiful day.  For those of us involved in agriculture and for those of you who are not but enjoy 3 square meals a day, it was also National AG Day.  National AG Day is a day we celebrate those who till the soil, feed the livestock and help provide us with the safest, most abundant and affordable food supply in the world.  For those of you who think that agriculture doesn't affect your life...let's look at some facts.

World Population Growth Is Creating Needs For Food And Fiber

• World population is at 6.2 billion today, and is expected to reach 7.5 billion by the year 2020.
• There will be millions of new mouths to feed, many of whom rely on United States food production to meet this need.

The United States Is Best Positioned To Meet This Growing Need

•  Agriculture is America's #1 export.
• About 17% of raw U.S. agriculture products are exported yearly.
• The United States is out front in technological advances.
• U.S. farmers and ranchers produce more than 200 raw commodities yearly for domestic and export markets.
• In 1999, one farmer produced enough food to feed about 144 people each day.
• Agriculture generates 20% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product.
• One-fourth of the world's beef and nearly one-fifth of the world's grain, milk and eggs are produced in the U.S.
• The United States exports $43.5 billion in agriculture products and important $26.4 billion in farm products, equaling a positive net trade balance of $17.1 billion.
• One in three U.S. farm acres is planted for export, and 25 percent of gross farm income comes directly from exports.
• Through research and changes in production practices, today's food producers are providing Americans with the widest variety of foods ever.
• Research and advancements in biotechnology are now in the marketplace with tastier fruits and vegetables that stay fresh longer and are not damaged by insects.
• Consumers derive health benefits from changes in farm production including less fat in meat and longer lasting fresh fruits and vegetables. As well, tofu, a soybean product, has been shown to reduce the risk of some cancer and heart disease.
• For every hour, the U.S. exports $6 million worth of agricultural products.

• Precision farming boosts crop yields and reduces waste by using satellite maps and computers to match seed, fertilizer and crop protection applications to local soil conditions.
• Sophisticated Global Positioning Systems can be specifically designed for spraying herbicides and pesticides. A weed detector equipped with infrared light identifies specific plants by the different rates of light they reflect and then sends a signal to a pump to spray a preset amount of herbicide onto the weed.
• Biogenetics is another technology that is being utilized in crop production. A particular trait is implanted directly into the seed to protect the seed against certain pests.
• Artificial insemination of livestock is producing more and better meat supplies.
• Farmers are utilizing 4-wheel drive tractors with up to 300 horsepower requiring fewer passes across fields - saving energy and time.
• Huge combines are speeding the time it takes to harvest crops.
• With modern methods, one acre of land in the U.S. (about the size of a football field) can produce: 42,000 lbs. of strawberries, 11,000 heads of lettuce, 25,400 lbs. of potatoes, 8,900 lbs. of sweet corn, or 640 lbs. of cotton lint.

• Two out of every three bushels of corn in the world originate in the United States.
• In 2001, 45% of the world's soybeans were grown in the United States.
• American consumers spend the lowest percentage of their annual income on food - just 9.3 percent.
• Nearly 19 billion pounds of pork - the most widely eaten meat - were processed in 2001.
• Cotton is by the far the most dominant fiber produced in the United States and is used for apparel, home fabrics as well as industrial uses.

• Crop protection products have tripled the output of resource-intensive food, like cooking oil, meat, fruits and vegetables.
• Crop protection products have doubled the production of world food calories since 1960.
• Without synthetic crop production chemicals, American farmers cannot feed the world.

• Farmers and ranchers are the first environmentalists, maintaining and improving the soil and natural resources to pass on to future generations.
• Farmers use reduced tillage practices on more than 72 million acres to prevent erosion.
• Farmers maintain over 1.3 million acres of grass waterways, allowing water to flow naturally from crops without eroding soil.
• Countour farming, planting crops on hillsides instead of up and down, keeps soil from washing away. About 26 million acres in the United States are managed this way.
• Cattle ranchers and others control water run-off with sod waterways and diversions, erosion control structures and catch basins.
• Just as urban families recycle grass, newspaper and aluminum, farm families have practiced recycling for a long time by applying manure to fields to replace nutrients in the soil.
• Food service food scraps are used to make animal feed.
• Agricultural land provides habitat for 75 percent of the nation's wildlife.

Now National AG day has passed for 2010 however each day you still enjoy the fruits of the labor and love that each America farmer has given.  So please take a moment and tell a farmer thank you!