Chewing The Cud

It’s finals here on the campus of South Dakota State University. The sun is shining, the grass is growing, the birds are chirping, and I’m stuck inside studying for my final exams. I’m anxious to return home to my family’s cattle operation. I’m excited to see the new baby calves, to start washing my show cattle, and to move cow-calf pairs out to pasture.

With summer in sight, I’m looking forward to steaks on the grill, fresh watermelon and cucumbers, and crisp ice tea. I will soon replace the books, the rent money, the tests, and the club meetings at school for cleaning barns, mowing the yard, and fixing fences.

As I complete my final week on campus, I realize that although nine months out of the year I am away from the cattle business, every time I return home I have learned something new to give to the operation. Maybe that’s what makes learning so important.

What about all of you? What are you looking forward to as spring fades into summer? Do you hear the crickets chirping, the bonfires cackling, and the summer waters splashing onto the shore? Do you smell the fresh cut hay, the charcoal of the grill, the flowers taking bloom? What is your favorite part of summer? Let’s talk it out on the blog!

Missing in Action is 20-year-old SDSU Ag Journalism major, Amanda Nolz. Last seen or heard from on this blog site on April 8, 2008! Blue eyes, brown hair, 5' 3", full of witty banter, and a passion for the beef industry. Do you know her? Have you seen this girl?

She certainly hasn't been around to compete in the totally awesome "More Beef in More Places Contest" hosted by the 2008 National Beef Ambassador Team. Deadline is coming soon, check it out now!

She wasn't out helping her fellow beef bloggers write about the environment. See Chris' story here.

She also hasn't been around to visit up with her fellow bloggies Melissa and Daren. If you have time, check out their adventures in agriculture!

So where has this girl been anyway?

I heard she was seen promoting Trent Loos' arrival to SDSU, May 1st, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. Head to Brookings for good food, friends, and a great speaker!

She was also spotted promoting the All American Beef Batallion's very first steak feed for the troops on April 26, 2008 in Kansas. If you haven't heard about this group, check out their website and find out what heroic veterans and cattlemen can accomplish to honor our nation's freedom fighters.

She has also been seen in the library, studying up her Spanish for her month study abroad trip to Argentina in June.

Oh, but wait! I know where she must be! She is sitting at her desk, writing stories about the beef industry for the Farmers' Advance and the Tri-State Livestock News. On top of that, she is polishing up her portfolio for her 7 week internship with BEEF Magazine.

IMPORTANT:
If you see this girl, tell her to go home immediately and visit all her new baby calves (and her parents and sisters of course.) She is armed with a notebook and a lap top, and she is dangerously always on the move. We must not delay in detaining this girl and reminding her that agriculture is all about enjoying the beauty of nature and appreciating agriculture and food production! Please report back for further sightings of the college student.

Want to be a part of a really sweet contest? The National Beef Ambassadors have a challenge for you! Videotape footage of where and when or how you enjoy beef, and place the video on YouTube. Send the video to the ambies. Tshirts and an IPod Touch will be given away! Check it out here!

To all my readers, I'm sorry for my long absence. Little "I" took over SDSU's campus last week, leaving me busy with 17 judging contests, a sheep, a bull, three machinery sales contests, an ag product sales contest, agronomy show, and round robin showmanship. I competed in ALL of that to win the coveted High Point Upperclassmen Award. It was a busy week, and now it's back to the grind stone. Stay tuned for exciting adventures to come. Start shooting that video!

On my farm, everyone in my family has a cow that they favor among all the others. If you asked my dad, its 250C, the old mama cow that raised his favorite herd bull of all time. For my sister Courtney, its Pearl, her first show heifer that won her first purple ribbon. My sister Kaley loves Nelly, the heifer she always sang “Orphan Annie” songs in the show ring. My grandpa will never forget his favorite herd bull Dynamite, who I can vividly remember loading into the trailer and watching Grandpa wave to him as we headed out of the driveway. And for me, it’s Regina George.

Regina George was different. I knew it from the beginning. It was my senior year in high school, and I wanted one last good heifer to finish my 4-H and FFA career in style. As I scoped out potential show heifers that summer, and when I saw Regina, I knew she was the one. The deep red hair glistened in the sunlight as the doe-eyed heifer stared at me through the rustling grass of pasture. I had been watching this heifer since she was born, knowing that she would be my next show heifer.

I waited patiently for weaning time, knowing that I would soon be able to bond with my Regina George. After sorting the calves into the barn, the air was filled with anticipation as my dad and I gently placed the halters on the calves for the first time. Quickly, the calves learned to trust us, and we became friends.

My sisters and I worked from early November until late September on our show calves—leading, washing, combing, and walking them to ensure competitiveness in the show ring. The daily routine of preparing the calves for show day woke us up before the crack of dawn and kept us late until the crickets started to chirp. It was in these long hours outside that we were closest to nature, to the livestock, and to each other.

Courtney, Kaley, and I loved our calves that summer, and it was Regina George that captured our hearts. She was so sweet to everyone, and she wanted to be everyone’s friends. That is, until the showing began. Regina George was on a roll that summer. She won championship after championship, show after show, and trophy after trophy. I beamed with pride about my favorite show heifer. I was impatient for each show to come to see how Regina would do once again.

There was only one problem. Regina George didn’t like the show ring. Unlike other show calves that patiently chew their cud and lead nicely behind their owners, Regina George had a mind of her own. She dreamed of the pasture and of freedom. She didn’t behave, and I often left the show ring hurt after she would step on my foot or butt me against a wall. Sometimes, I would cry about her attitude. My dad pointed out that her attitude was just like mine, so I tried to be happy around my cantankerous female heifer.

To me, Regina George represents our love-hate relationship for agriculture. I loved winning and showing a heifer I could be proud of. I hated the pain, the tears, and the patience it took to continue to show her even when she was at her worst behavior. Likewise, we often focus on the trials of agriculture—the cost of corn, the price of land, or the bad news in the media. It’s important to remember the reasons we are involved in agriculture. There is nothing better than raising your own seed stock, watching them grow, and reaping the rewards of another year in livestock production. Every time life throws challenges, never forget the passion and heart you put into your career in production agriculture.

I received this message back from Cyrta...read on for both sides of the story.

Thank you for your response Amanda.

When you say "cattle touch our lives on an everyday basis", that may be true, but not because of the product list you supplied. Cattle and other animals do affect me almost daily as I am saddened by the cruelty and massive waste of life and resources spent to, as you say, "feed the world", with animals. I do not eat animals, yet I live and breathe.

Please realize that people like me who choose to be informed about the products we use, must constantly question and research for answers regarding the products we consume. I and many others do not think that people reign over other species of the world and that they are our property with which to do as we choose.

The earth belongs to all it's inhabitants. The business of breeding and torturing millions of cattle and other "livestock" (that word is appalling) to feed with grain fields, which could be produce vegetation for human consumption, is wasteful, egotistical, and environmentally unsound. And the fact that you point to products that use animal-based ingredients, only proves the issue at hand, that there is too much "production" of animals for food, so using byproducts makes more sense than researching alternatives. But that does not mean that alternatives are not feasible or readily available.

I can think of much more noble callings in life than to exploit animals in the way that your life dedication does. I cannot imagine your position, however and realize it must be impossible to face the facts when so many animals have suffered as a result.

Cyrta,

Anyway Cyrta, I really appreciate this dialogue and I hope you will keep an open mind as we discuss this further. Please know that I'm giving my best to understand your point of view as well. I think understanding is the most important thing we can give to one another. Thanks again! :)

I was sent this message today from a concerned citizen... I will take the time to address the statements below.

I went through quite a few of your posts and read a bit about who you are. I appreciate your position on the industry as you have been involved in the operations your entire life as it was your family business.

Sorry I have so many questions right off the bat. I look forward to any answers you can provide. -Cyrta, Consumorality

First off, thank you so much for your questions and concerns. I hope to be able to answer them fully and to the best of my abilities. To start, yes, I grew up on a cattle ranch where my family and I raise purebred Limousin cattle. We are the start of the pasture to plate process. We sell seedstock for cow-calf producers. Next, cattle go to stocker operations or feedlots, where they are finished on grain, until they move to a processer where they are harvested and sent to retailers.

Amanda

A video is released displaying the treatment of cattle. First, the infamous “mad cow” and now the downer cows at a California packing plant. Although the videos don’t depict an accurate picture of typical animal handling practices followed by cattle ranchers, feedlots, and processors, these videos cause a fuss in the media that influence consumer perception and affect the reputation of the beef cattle industry.

With the media in an uproar, it seems the animal rights activists take advantage of the beef industry’s downfall with sensationalism. A perfect example is Ingrid Newkirk, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) cofounder and president. Newkirk appeared on a very unlikely place for a serious animal rights activist, Comedy Central.

Activist Tactics

Upon being interviewed on the The Colbert Report, Newkirk told reporters, “Because we’re so greedy in this country, we feed livestock more grain now than ever before to make them fat so we can have more meat.”

A contradiction perhaps?

Duane Wulf, professor of meat science at South Dakota State University, certainly think so.

“Newkirk makes an uniformed comment with this statement,” said Wulf, who has been on faculty at SDSU since 1999. “Saying that we feed more grain than ever before is simply a false statement, and the feed that livestock consume is primarily used for muscle production, not fat production. Furthermore, she offers no logical explanation why feeding grain to livestock is greedy.”

Of course, in her closing argument for the abolishment of animal agriculture and for the spread of vegetarianism, Newkirk had another sound byte to offer in her media interview.

“I think everyone should be a vegetarian,” said Newkirk, who has recently released nude photos of actors and actresses in her appeal to encourage the vegan and vegetarian trend. “Vegetarianism is healthier, it’s better for the environment, and of course, its kinder to the animals.”

Why is this important for cattle producers to know? With animal rights activists creating waves and influencing the headlines in the media, maintaining a high demand for beef is crucial. Producers need to be aware and take an active part in promoting their industry, before an organization like PETA spreads more lies about beef cattle production. For Dr. Duane Wulf, the thought process behind these statements is simply irrational.

“One could argue with Newkirk on those three claims,” said Wulf, a member of the American Meat Science Association (AMSA). “Whether or not you include meat in your diet has less impact on your health that including a variety of proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates, and the required minerals and vitamins, as well as adjusting total caloric intake to total calorie expenditure. Even though it’s not clear in Newkirk’s mind, ranchers truly care about their livestock. They show kindness to animals by providing them with optimal health care and a balanced diet.”

The Real Threat

While PETA represents very extreme views, a greater threat to animal agriculture may lie in the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). As one of the largest lobbying organizations in Washington D.C., HSUS confuses well-meaning citizens into donating money under the disguise that they actually help stray cats and dogs. Shockingly, HSUS doesn’t own or operate a single animal shelter. Instead, HSUS uses their $250 million budget in legislation against animal agriculture.

As far as their recent successes? On top of endorsing legislation against gestation crates in Florida and Arizona, HSUS was the culprit that released the video from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company, causing a historical 143 million pound recall of beef from their facilities.

Obviously, animal rights activists such as HSUS and PETA hold no thoughts about slowing down their agendas to give agriculturalists a fighting chance. As they progress in their agendas down the future, a wise rancher will stay aware of their movements and react accordingly. Strong convictions and sound science are the two ways cattlemen an women will find success in the war against animal rights activists.