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! 

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. 

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

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.)

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.