Des Moines bucket list

I had a good friend ask me what there is to do in Des Moines, the answer . . . everything! While that may seem like an exaggeration, there really is lots to do, so here's a list comprised of the things I've done this summer! 

#1: Iowa Cubs game at Principals Park

#2: Zombie Burger + Drink Lab

#3: West Glen bar scene

• Shotgun Betty's — country bar, spent a couple nights tearing it up on the dance floor!
• Wellman's — great patio, not so great food with the exception of the chicken quesdilla
• Saint's — neat patio

#4: Downtown bar scene

• El Bait Shop — largest selection of beer on tap. Added bonus of being close to principal park. 
• Beer Can Alley — another great country bar. Has an awesome back patio, which is must better suited for dancing. 
• The Exchange — a unique set-up where the price of drinks fluctuates based on popularity like the stock exchange. 
• Micky's Irish Pub — I can only speak for the patio, but it was fun. 

#5: Ledges State Park

#6: ZooBrew

#7: Tasty Taco

#8: AnkenyFest

#9: Downtown Farmers Market

#10: Drive-in theater — Newton, Iowa

#11: Walnut Woods State Park

#12: World Pork Expo

#13: The art festival

#14: Fongs — complete with Kamikaze shots

#15: Cemetery in middle of a round-about

#16: Timberwood campground

#17: Mini-golfing

#18: Yankee doodle pops

#19: Dog Park

#20: High Trestle Trail bridge

#21: Go-kart racing

#22: Jordan Creek mall

#23: Gray's Lake

#24: Bike trails

#25: Swimming

#26: Concert in Wells Fargo arena - Alice Cooper/Motley Crue

#27: Third Thursday's — After work bonding with my co-workers

• Draught House 1908 — Not only is the location ideal (quarter mile away from the office) but the food and the patio are fantastic here!
• ChickenCoop — food was decent, beer selection was just o.k.
• Jethro's — on top of having fabulous barbecue, and a back quasi-patio patio, they also have a very unique drink selection and possibly the best nachos! 
• OverTime — you can count on a decent selection of Iowa beers here
• Cattoor's on Grand — a must see dive bar. Good for karaoke and pool with friends. 

#28: DMACC pond — complete with a fountain! Good for fishing, I wouldn't recommend swimming. 

#29: Breweries 

• Firetrucker Brewery
• Rock Bottom Brewery

#30: Plaza Mexico — Awesome Mexican food, good margaritas, and the best FREE dessert!

There it is folks! Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything, but if have look for it in a later post! Des Moines is any young professionals dream! It's a big city, no denying that, but it feels small, and there is always something to go do!

Just a girl and her camera

To say 10 weeks has gone by fast would be an understatement. I started my last weekend in Des Moines on an adventure, because anything less would have been a waste. My friends and co-workers joke that I am the Iowa expert, despite only being here for a few weeks. There in lies my advantage. I didn't want to miss out on experiencing Des Moines, and my mission has been successful thus far!

I skipped the cartoons Saturday morning, and instead headed north to Ledges State Park. Because of the recent volumes of rain, the road is blocked off, so with my Chaco's strapped on, my tri-pod and camera in hand, I hiked in.

Because my friends were also on adventures of their own, it was up to the self-timer on my camera to capture snapshots of me! This was a challenge in and of itself. There's an art to figuring out the distance,  the poses, and then all the technical aspects to actual photo itself. While I got many odd looks, it was surprisingly fun perfecting the technique.

The fun didn't end there, a good friend was having a house-warming cookout, which turned into Val eating four ears of corn on the cob (with no regrets). Yard games, card games, and a midnight swim made for a pretty great night.

Speaking of adventures, today was the perfect day to get my photography website and Facebook pages started. While it was a good learning experience, it isn't hard for me to see how some of these "easy to use" websites frustrate people.

Little of this, little of that

You know that feel-good high you get after listening to a motivational speaker, or attending a worship conference? A meeting with peers on how to better connect with consumers about where their food comes from and how it's grown... results in the same effect.

It's no secret that agriculture is my passion, but things that one person might be passionate about are not always shared by those around. For instance ... the world cup. I cheered on the US when they played, but I didn't really follow all the other teams, and I couldn't name off who the best and worst players were. For many, that's how they feel about agriculture, there are too many moving parts and pieces.

It has been brought to my attention that as of late I've been a little lax with keeping up on my blogging. Being busy is no excuse, because who isn't these days. As many of you may or may not know I've spent my summer in Iowa doing an internship for an integrated communications agency. Both my days at work and my evenings and weekends have been filled with learning, fun and adventure, which is going to leave me spending the next few posts playing catch-up. That in mind, I need to continue to play my role in being a touch point for consumers. Stay tuned! 

HFC - Meating In the Middle

Ben Rice - Prairie Land Dairy 

I realize this is two days late, nonetheless, here is the recap. Husker Food Connection, is actually a registered student organization on campus, but we just had our big event of the year. Meating in the Middle - was a way to connect students with where their food comes from. People are four generations removed from the farm today, so it is more important than ever to educate consumers with the correct information. HFC partnered with several companies to help sponsor the food and information packets that were handed out. We had a chicken, two baby pigs, a dairy cow and calf, a steer, and a tractor, along with a free meal!
One of the highlight attractions was the dairy cow and baby calf that Prairie Land Dairy brought. In addition to being a sponsor for the lunch, they were also there to represent the dairy industry.

12 week old piglet 

In addition to the dairy cow and calf, there we a couple baby pigs there as well. I'll admit, that I'm not much of a pig person, but I do love me some bacon! 

Milking Cow

One of the neat resources we had available to us, (HFC planning committee) was the "Milking Cow". This is a station where participants could learn how to milk a cow. When her udder gets empty, you can recycle the water back in through a port in the top. It was fun getting to teach students, even some Husker Football players, how to milk a cow. 

John Deere prototype tractor 

It wouldn't be a proper "Ag Day" without a tractor there! This is one from the tractor test lab here on campus! 

My favorite part of #HFC14 was getting to talk to students on campus about agriculture and why we do what we do. I was surprised by how open students were willing to be with the mis-conceptions about ag. This gave us the opportunity to help guide them in the right direction. Here are some of my favorite facts that I got to share with students: 

-Nebraska is the Beef State, meaning we have more cattle on feed than Texas, despite how much bigger they are than us. 

-In Nebraska, cattle out number people 4 to 1.

-It would take 7 cups of raw broccoli to equal the calcium found in one glass of milk!

-A dairy cow can produce 120 cups of milk a day!

-White eggs and brown eggs have the exact same nutritional value. 

Feel free to share these with all your friends too! 

*Little side note, the posters that you see displayed in these pictures were designed by me! 

Saturday Morning Coffee

Hanging with friends, listening to some great  music, drinking coffee (with the perfect amount of creamer), and eating a LaMar's donut equals a perfect Saturday morning! We call it: Coffee in Reid's room. This was a tradition that three of my friends and I started last year. We were all Resident Assistants in Cather Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Let me start with, there are three factors that made Reid's room the optimum location for hanging out.

 #1: Walter. Walter the couch. One of the most comfortable couches, that a college kid could ever hope to have in their room. It's inevitable that you will fall asleep on Walter, but there's one rule when you do, you have to sign the couch.

Signatures on Walter 

#2: The hammock. Reid has a hammock hanging under his lofted bed. I would be lying if I said I haven't fallen asleep in it more than once. #3: Food. It never fails that Reid can brew the best pot of coffee. But I'll let you in on a little secret, he also usually has homemade ice cream. Or, one of my new favorites, animal crackers with Jiff's version of Nutella. Being RA's, we would have leftover food from programs, so we consumed lots of popcorn. We learned our lesson, and that was to not dump the bag of M&M's in the "body pillow sized" bag of popcorn. (All the M&M's fall to the bottom!). Needless to say, there is always something to snack on. It would do no good to describe a typical hang-out, because they don't exist. That's part of what makes it fun!

Coffee, donuts, and Reid's room! 

This particular Saturday morning, we walked down to the donut shop, came back, fixed our coffee, then took up our respected seats and settled in for the morning. No telling where the day will lead now!
 

Road Trip: part 3, 4 & 5

Well folks, it should be no surprise that there is little to no reception up in the Sandhills, which is what makes it so still and peaceful, but it prevented me from blogging in real time. My trip went off without a hitch! Also, I would like to add that it was a blast. To give a little background, I was born in Valentine, Nebraska so it is always fun to go back and visit. I had the great fortune of staying with the nurse who delivered me (which is something I don't think very many people can say!) Ruth is such a sweetheart, who knows everyone and is related to quite a few of them. This makes her the ideal tour guide. We made stops at the Easter Yucca, and the first house I ever lived in.

Easter Yucca

My First House!

Emma and I had a little free time that morning, so we headed out to the Wildlife Refuge. It's been a while since the Subaru has been off-roading, so it was fun to go exploring (staying on the designated paths of course!). While we were out exploring the raw uncut Sandhills we happened upon Clear Lake, and Pelican Lake, looked but couldn't find Swan Lake as well as my personal favorite, two Sandhills Cranes. There were some ducks, and some swans, and some black and red birds, that had we been prepared explores would have identified in our Bird Book, but we A) forgot to pack one and B) don't actually own one. 

Sandhills Crane 

Duck in the Sandhills.

Clear Lake - Wildlife Refuge 

Pelican Lake - Wildlife Refuge 

 I could talk about the trip all day, but to re-cap it was more fun than words can describe. Had the weather been warmer we would have gone Kayaking or tanking. There was one thing we didn't get to see, which boils down to I'm going to have to take another trip soon! There are supposedly some pretty neat waterfalls, so until then!

Road Trip Part 1: Packing

In my efforts to work on homework this afternoon,  I find myself distracted by the final details of my up and coming road trip. For instance it's 1:30 pm with an expected departure time of 4, and I have yet to pack. But where's the fun in begin 100% prepared??!
I am a planner, and had this been three years ago, I would have been packed Monday, but a couple years of college has taught me to let go and live a little. Being insanely over involved (which I couldn't imagine life any other way) has numerous benefits, for instance you have no choice sometimes but to fly by the seat of your pants. Here's all I really need: camera, toothbrush, Chaco's, water bottle, and my best friend who has graciously volunteered to be my traveling companion. Stay tuned for more updates and pictures as we venture off to the Nebraska Sandhills!

PEDV: It's impacts on the industry

This next post was a topic requested by a reader. PEDV – Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus hit the United States hard around May 13 of last year. I’ll preface with saying that PEDV does not affect the safety of pork meat. Since 2013 cases have been on the decline, however researchers are discovering that there is a second strain emerging. What does this mean for the pork industry or the animal industry as a whole? As usual, HSUS had taken full advantage of this unfortunate happening, and shed a negative light on the situation. Due to their somewhat large following, they have created a roadblock for the industry as they try to educate consumers about PEDV. PEDV is a highly contagious disease that is impacting both young and old pigs, however younger pigs have a decreased chance of survival. Pig producers are  doing everything they can to prevent the spread of this, however due to its nature, this is not an easy task. Because so little is known about this, it is hard to know how to combat it. According to Genesus: “Although PEDV and TGEV viruses are related and the clinical signs are very similar, there is no immune corss-protection. In the event of a PEDV outbreak, currently the best means of protection comes from aggressive bio-feedback. The primary goal is to ensure that every animal on the farm in infected as soon as possible. Bio-feedback includes fecal material and intestinal tracts from acutely infected piglets.” It is no surprise that this is the angle that animal activist groups have chosen to highlight, however it is critical to keep things in perspective. For many, increased bio-security is the best plan of attack. Constant washing of feed trucks, vehicles coming on and off the premises, and making sure that workers are cleaning and disinfecting their boots and clothes.

Ask yourself this question: How willing are you to give up the bacon on your bacon cheeseburger, or the bacon that goes with your eggs and toast in the morning? What about a BBQ pork sandwich, or the Christmas ham? PEDV has impacted the overall number of pigs in the United States, meaning that numbers are declining. It’s a simple supply and demand system; supply of the product is down and demand is remaining the same or increasing meaning an increase in the price that consumers are going to pay for the product.

What can you do? Be patient and understanding as the industry works on a way to combat PEDV, and keep in mind that swine farmers are doing everything to ensure that the animals welfare and overall well-being is of first priority. 

The battle over the VHS

My sisters and I, after a text from our mom last week, are currently battling it out to see who gets the VHS player and collection of Disney movies. It's odd to think that something that was once such a huge part of our lives, is no more. With the world turning digital, and the number of working VHS players on the decline, this makes the one that works at our house a hot commodity. We each have our own very valid reason for why we are deserving of it, but it's final fate has yet to be determined. My hope is that my mom and dad will keep it, so that sometime down the road (and I mean very far down the road) their grandkids can marvel at this piece of history. The idea for this post was sparked by the lyrics in Miranda Lambert's newest song "Automatic." If you haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, don't worry, I've posted the link below! Growing up in the 90's I can relate to everything in her story. "Drying laundry on the line" - which we still do, because lets face it...climbing into bed with sheets that have just been outside on the line in the sunshine is the best feeling in the world! "Watching sun tea in the sun" -an ice-cold glass of this after stacking small square bales is so refreshing. "Windows with the cranks"- which is what my first F150 had! But my favorite line is "Come on let's take a picture, the kind you gotta shake" - no explanation needed! 

Singing along to this song, and the battle between my sisters reminds me how important it is to cherish the memories we've made. The material things of life are going to come and go, but the memories we allow to live on will always be there. 

New Logo!

Water fountain ~ Charleston, SC 

 I had no option really, but to show off the new logos that a good friend of mine designed for me. Keep in mind, I am by no means a professional photographer, instead just someone who deeply loves their Canon Rebel. I love nothing more than just grabbing my camera and going for a drive to capture nature in it's most innocent moments. I will be the first to admit that I would much rather photograph animals, sunsets, and scenery long before people (no offense). The great thing about nature is it is either #1: stationary or #2: doesn't have an opinion about how it looks, or cares how it looks in a photo. All of these photos were taken last spring break when I went to Charleston, South Carolina to visit my best friend from high school. It was very cool getting to see the city, and our visits to the ocean were something you don't get everyday in Nebraska. (or at all actually!) As my photography has taken off, I thought it was time to invest in a logo or watermark for my photos. My reasoning behind this was twofold. First, I want people who look at my pictures and like them, to know who took them (and hopefully not steal them), and secondly, I wanted a logo that I could use as I work on developing my personal brand. I want there to be a sense of cohesiveness when someone looks at my photos, my business card, and my resume to know that they all three go together.

On a separate note, I would encourage anyone who has the chance to go visit Charleston, SC to go! It's a very fun city with lots to see and do! Plus the ocean is there, so it has that going for it!

Seabird ~ Charleston, SC

Sea birds in the ocean ~ Charleston, SC

Flowers ~ Charleston, SC

24 Cups of Broccoli?

I am an avid reader of BEEF Magazine, and a huge fan of their social media work. One of their recent articles which I stumbled upon this morning breaks down some of consumers misconceptions when it comes to beef products. The recommended amount of protein that active individuals, pregnant women and teenagers should get in one day is between 75-80 grams. To get this amount of recommended protein you would have to eat  24 cups of broccoli to match the protein in 1 9 oz serving of meat. I don't know about you, but I'd rather eat a steak!

The visual that the article had can be misleading without the facts to back it up, so lets break it down:

1 cup broccoli = 31 calories. You would have to eat more than 3 cups of broccoli to get 11.1 grams of protein. (Math isn't my strong suit, but 31 x 3 = 93 calories!)

on the other hand,  a 3 oz serving of beef = 25 grams protein, while the calorie count is only 180.

If you're anything like me, you just want the numbers to make sense, so let me simplify:

6.75 cups of broccoli = 25 grams of protein = 209 calories
3 oz of lean beef = 25 grams of protein = 180 calories 

(curious on how many calories are in Tofu, Black beans and Peanut Butter compared to lean beef? Check out this great resource! Beef Its What's For Dinner Fact Sheet )

My intent here is not to bash broccoli, but simply to present the facts and clear up some misconceptions. I have a small confession, I love broccoli too! The key to maintaining a healthy diet, is incorporating foods from all the food groups, in moderation. I will agree that eating only meat for every meal is not as healthy as eating meat, and vegetables, and fruit at every meal. (plus dessert, don't forget dessert!)

99% -- minus the moo!

Lipstick, Jell-O, dog food, piano keys, dish soap, and for those of you old enough to remember, film.  What do all of these have in common? These are just a few of the products that we use everyday that come from the byproducts of beef. Let me preface this with products that are made from byproducts are safe and pose not direct threat to your health or overall well being (unless you eat the entire bag of marshmallows by yourself on your next camp-out, then that's your fault!)

Myth: The only part of the animal we use, is the meat.
Fact: We use 99% of the animal. In addition to the meat - the hide, the hooves, and even the bones get used.

Lets start with the hide. Leather purses, shoes, wallets, office chairs, and car seats are all made from the hide. In fact, from 1 cow hide you can get
12 basketballs or
144 baseballs or
20 footballs or
18 volleyballs or
18 soccer balls or
12 baseball gloves.

Where do marshmallows come into the picture you ask? Marshmallows are made from the gelatin that comes from the connective tissues. Other familiar products made with gelatin include gum, fruit snacks, gummy bears and Jell-O!

Ever hear that glue was made from hooves, well I am here to confirm that suspicion The hooves of cattle and horses are key ingredients in glue. But what might surprise you, is that the sticky part (the one that hurts so bad to rip off) of a band-aid is also made from the fatty acids which can be turned into adhesives! The power of fatty acids doesn't stop there, they can be found in toilet paper and soap *GASP* to optimize softness!

With all this by-product talk, lets not forget about the most obvious and common byproducts...FOOD! Juicy steaks and hot dogs, milk and cheese, even yogurt! 

Stearic acid (a fatty acid): is a popular ingredient in tires, lipstick, and lotion. (Animal byproducts are not used in all cosmetics, as some people have allergies)

While not near as popular in the United States as other places around the world, we can't leave out the nutritional benefits from some of the other byproducts: 

Livers: high in vitamin A, iron, zinc, B vitamins, vitamins C and D, copper, and fatty acids.

Hearts: contain large amounts of iron, and are a good source of selenium, zinc, phosphorous, niacin, and riboflavin, but are very low in sodium. 

Brains: rich in niacin, phosphorus, B12 and vitamin C

Tripe: abundant protein and B12

Sweetbreads: high in vitamin C

Kidneys: high in protein and contain riboflavin and niacin.

Tongues: good source of B12, but low in sodium

(USDA, Where's the (Not) Meat? Byproducts from Beef and Pork Production.) 

I snagged this picture from Facts About Beef blog.

As we discovered, there is more to a beef cow that just a hamburger! Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns! Have a great day!

Just the Facts - Beef Byproducts. http://ardc.unl.edu/JTF-BEEFBYPRODUCTS.pdf
Marti, Daniel. Rachel Johnson. Kenneth Mathews, Jr. Where's the (Not) Meat Byrpoducts from Beef and Pork Production. Nov. 2011.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/147867/ldpm20901.pdf

Nothing is ever nothing

The topic for today ... the hippomane. You may be asking yourself what this is, and with good reason. I will admit that I once did not know what the hippomane was. I reference that in past tense because one night long ago (I think I was 12 or 13, my sister Janelle 9 or 10) we were helping my dad (a veterinarian) clean up from a cesarean and we came across a very uniquely shaped object with what I can best describe as a firm but squishy texture about the size of a bar of soap.What came next was a very rare thing; my dad DIDN'T know what it was. I'll let you in on a secret...there isn't much that he doesn't know. But, that did not stop him from doing the father thing. He said without skipping a beat: "Why don't you do some research and write a report about what a hippomane is." You can only imagine how devastating that was for our young ears to hear; homework and we weren't even in school. We had one week. We drew the conclusion that hippmanes do not serve any purpose. None what so ever. They just get to hang out and exist, the only similarity I can make for them in the human body is the appendix. Every cesarean after that, we searched for the hippomane, sometimes we found it sometimes we didn't. The funny thing is, that they don't always exist. 

I reflect back on that moment from my childhood and realize how much more I learned that just defining what a hippomane was. I learned how important being a life-long learner is. How questioning leads to discovery! 

St. Partick's Day: Green or Blue

It's no secret that today is St. Patrick's Day! The holiday where everyone wears green, because ... it's St. Patrick's Day?  Ever wondered why we wear green. Ireland has lots of green, so maybe that's why? As I was deciding what to wear today, I realized I don't really have that many green things, in fact, I have two green shirts. A K-State t-shirt from Fake Patty's last weekend and the one I'm wearing. It would have been simpler to just wear blue. As it turns out, I was doing some research for social media content at work, and I discovered that the original color of St. Patrick's day was actually blue and not green! However, in the spirit of the holiday I still wore a green shirt. Here is a VIDEO with other fun facts about St. Patrick's Day, Enjoy!

Bro Wines

Another auto-correct moment at it's finest. I received a text message last night while on my third set of rounds asking if "tomorrow between rounds would be good for bro wines?" I'll admit that it genuinely had me stumped. The text was coming from a good friend, and both of us are single and not looking, so the bro part didn't make sense. When I got to wines, I thought maybe she had meant the text for someone else, but the rest of the message was for me, so that wasn't it either. (And it couldn't be wine, because that't not allowed on campus!)  It was like a game of Mad Lib where I just kept running through "bro wines" "bro wines" in my head ..... till it clicked BROWNIES!!

We had talked a couple weeks before that we would make brownies on our next duty night, and so now it all made sense! Even brunettes have their blonde moments, it's okay to own up to them ladies! (Just watch out so you don't melt the plastic "college budget" silverware!)

What is a Chinese Gooseberry?

Val Fun Fact #214:

You might be asking yourself ... What is a Chinese Gooseberry? We could play 20 Questions, but I'll save you all the trouble. A Chinese Gooseberry might be more commonly known to you as a kiwi! Mind blown right?!

We talked in class today about the "Power" that brands have in creating demand for, and making a product more marketable. As I go on to explain the history, keep this in mind.

Kiwifruit is native to the northern region of China. It was at the start of the early 20th Century that the started the spread of the fruit. Seeds were introduced to New Zealand. In 1973 Jim MacLoughlin, and orchardist, planed the first commercial Kiwifruit. It was a big hit with the American soldiers stationed in New Zealand during World War II, so MacLoughlin capitalized on that opportunity. After the war it was marketed under the name "Chinese gooseberry," however importers in California rejected the name because of high duties that were associated with 'berries'. So in 1959 the fruit was re-branded as "kiwifruit" after New Zealand's national symbol the kiwi bird, since they share very similar features; small, brown, and furry.

Kiwi Bird

If nothing else, you can check 'learn something new' off your to-do list today! I was fascinated by the ability of re-branding to create such a demand for a product. This also re-assures me that there is job security in the advertising industry! 

-I can't take full credit for the origin of this idea, because it was my professor who presented it to our class, however I found it intriguing and worth sharing!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwifruit 

http://rmagibess.wordpress.com/new-zealands-endangered-kiwi-bird/

 

De-bunking Myths About Hamburger

As you may already know, I'm a Resident Assistant in the dorms, thus granting me full access to the dinning halls. I could spend a whole post breaking down all the dining halls on campus and weighing in with my opinion, but my focus today is the East Union Cafe and Grill. One of the great things about our dinning hall on East Campus is the grill feature. We can order hamburgers, chicken strips, grilled cheese, onion rings, fries, basically you name it and they'll make it. I'm very fond of the hamburger myself, sometimes even a bacon cheese-burger. Today I walked in and as I was waiting in line I thought I'd change it up today, maybe have chicken strips with a little honey to dip them in, but when I got there the "grill master" looked up and before I could say anything asked: "hamburger - plain, with onion rings?"  so I just answered yes! The next thought that went through my head was "He knows my life!"

This of course was not the first time I've ordered a hamburger plain with a side of onion rings, in fact it's often my go-to meal when nothing else sounds appetizing. I realize though, that not everyone is as apt to go for a hamburger, for one reason or another. I recently ran across this article from BEEF Magazine that debunks some of the more common myths associated with ground beef. Because I know where my beef comes from, and the process by which it ends up on my plate, these are not items that concern me everyday, however, I realize that to some these are very real concerns. My hope is that some of those are cleared up! I encourage that if you have any questions to post a comment below! (You probably are not the only person with that question.)

Photogenic Bovine

On the subject of cattle, here are a few of my favorite photos that I've taken with my Canon T3i. In case you haven't gathered by now, I really really love them! Some of these photos were for homework (JOMC 162) others just for fun. Enjoy!

These gals are heifer calves. This is a little hard to tell at first glance, (especially with just a head shot). There are gender markers similar to humans to tell the difference between steers (boys) and heifers (girls). These heifer calves are getting ready to go into a breeding program.

These ladies are momma cows. They have had two or three babies already, and are pregnant again. In the bottom picture, these cows are out on corn stalks. What this does is provide a great feed source for them, while taking advantage of available resources. In addition, there are benefits for the farmer, because these ladies will help to fertilize the ground. 

This is a picture of a yearling bull. This is a bull who is ready to go into his first breeding season. Bulls would be the same as the "dads" if we were to compare them to human roles in the family. Each year the bulls are tested to make sure they don't have breeding diseases, and that they will be able to get the cows pregnant. 

Blast from the past

My mom recently ran across these gems. Some of my very first years showing beef at the Morrill County Fair! This seems like an appropriate segway into how I got my feet wet (and stepped on many times) in the beef industry.
Meet Cocoa,

Cocoa - Reserve Champion Breeding Heifer 2003

In this picture, Cocoa is a heifer calf. Heifer simply means that she is a female, and calf indicates that she is still a baby. The origin behind her name is simple. I bought my first cow/calf pair (a momma and a baby together) at the end of 3rd grade. It seemed fitting at the time to name the momma cow Chocolate, thus the only logical name for her baby was Cocoa! Cocoa later went on to have a bull calf named Roo, but that's a story for another day.

This was the first of many Grand/Reserve Champion ribbons that Cocoa would go one to get at the county fair. The red thing in my hand is called a show stick. We use it in the ring to help set up the animals feet, so they stand nice and pretty for the judge.  (see picture below)

I borrowed this next picture from a good friend, who shows cattle at some of the bigger stock shows. Check out her blog for some more great learning about the industry!
 http://gravelandthegoodlife.blogspot.com/2013_09_01_archive.html

Photo courtesy of Jenny Keys

Back to Cocoa. Cocoa is what you might call a Black Angus calf. Angus is the breed of cattle, there are typically Black and Red Angus cattle, the distinction in color making them uniquely different! While we're on the topic of breeds, the calf here is a Charolais calf. This was my first bucket calf that I showed at the county fair, but definitely not my first bucket calf.

When momma cows don't have enough milk for their babies, or often times when they have twins, the calf is pulled off and fed milk replacer from a bottle. They get fed anywhere from 3 to 4 times per day, depending on what they need to meet their nutritional requirements, since they can't get it from their mom.

2002 Morrill County Fair

The calf in the picture above was born in February, and I bottle fed him until he was old enough to eat hay and grain on his own. I spent lots of time with him, and we got to be best buds. Even after I stopped feeding him a bottle, he would still suck on my fingers.  I was being a bit dramatic in this photo, but I hope you can get a sense for how much I really love cattle. They are an important part of not only life, but of yours too!

Midnight Munchies

As I'm sitting here eating my egg, bacon, and cheese biscuit a thought occurs to me; thinking about where our food comes from, isn't something that often crosses other people's minds. It's no secret that I come from an agricultural background—it has to this day defined who I am, and what my future will be.

"Where does my food come from?" A question consumers are asking more and more these days. There is no fault in asking this, in fact myself, and I can confidently speak on behalf of many producers, would love the chance to share with consumers where their food comes from. The problem lies in the fact that these conversations aren't happening. The bigger problem at hand, is that these conversations that aren't happening, are being replaced by false information. If all a person is ever given is false information, what circumstances do they have to believe that what they know then isn't the truth? That's a hard comeback for the Ag industry.

Now, how does all of this tie into my midnight cravings for egg, bacon, and cheese biscuits? I have the advantage of knowing the process by which the slice of bacon  made it onto my sandwich, and that the eggs came from a chicken (and not the grocery store), and that the flour used to make my biscuit was once a wheat seed, out in a wheat field, blowing in the summer breeze (on the plains of Nebraska...of course!). While I am fortunate enough for this to be common knowledge for me, I realize that it isn't for everyone, so I want to help start those conversations about where our food comes from.!

For those of you wondering, Jimmy Dean makes a mean microwavable sandwich, no they didn't pay me to write this, and yes I could probably eat the whole box in one sitting.