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!

In an entrance as grand as their heroic tour of duty in Iraq, the National Guard’s 731st Transportation Company was lead to their honorary steak feed in Olathe, Kans. by motorcycles driven by Veterans of Foreign Wars Members and Kansas Patrolmen. Holding full-sized American flags, the motorcycles purred as the troops were lead into the Armory.

For the group of veterans and cattlemen of the All-American Beef Battalion, hosting a steak feed to honor the troops was a way to show their gratitude for the troops’ yearlong deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The steak feed, held on April 26, 2008, was the first honorary Steaks For Troops event hosted by the Battalion.

As the 731st Transportation Company entered the armory, their spirits seemed upbeat and jovial. Serving the troops, their spouses, and members of the Patriot Guard, there were over 200 people at the event. Creekstone Farms Premium Beef generously donated 420 pounds of ribeye steaks for the event while the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo Committee prepared the meal.

Sizzling Steaks

While the steaks sizzled on the grill, All American Beef Battalion Chairman Jim Odle opened the event with a speech of welcome and thanks to the troops. Following Odle, Kansas Speaker of the House Melvin Neufeld spoke words of appreciation to the troop members, thanking them for their gift of service.

“This has been the most heartfelt and sincere event I have attended in all 24 years I have been in politics,” said Neufeld following the event. “The All American Beef Battalion has certainly started a great thing with these steak feeds,”

For Chairman Jim Odle, the event couldn’t have gone any better.

“The steaks were tremendous, the troops enjoyed themselves, and I think we did something great to make a difference,” said Odle, who is working with the committee to plan the next steak feed in Montana on May 31 for a group of Marines. “I have always felt that we cannot do enough to give thanks to the men and women who work to protect our country. I am dedicated to making our nation better in any way I can.”

A Deserving Crew

For the 731st Transportation Company, the steak feed was well deserved. As one of the most decorated companies in the 11th Transportation Battalion, they were known as one of the elite Convoy Security Companies.

In Iraq, they served as a convoy security force—one of the most dangerous missions in the theater. As a group, they completed 360 convoy escort missions, safely moving more than 21,000 trucks filled with food, fuel and supplies. On average, each soldier conducted 58 combat missions. Impressively, the unit put on more than one million hard miles on their Convoy Protections Platforms.

“We are so grateful for everything the troops have done for us,” said Odle, who was surprised at the event with a certificate of appreciation for the All American Beef Battalion from the 731st Transportation Company. “The steak feed was truly successful. Troop members and their senior officers were so thankful for this event. It was really, very touching.”

Giving Thanks

It is without question that the 731st Transportation Company gave America a great service of sacrifice and dedication in their tour of duty to Iraq. For the All American Beef Battalion, having the opportunity to thank these men and women was the key vision for their organization. Since August of 2007, they have worked countless hours to finally be able to give a steak feed to the troops. With the help and support of veterans, community members, and cattlemen, these steak feeds have been made possible.

As the motorcycles left the building, they headed to the horizon with American flags waving in their hands. The members of the 731st Transportation Company certainly enjoyed a fun-filled evening with steaks, entertainment, speeches, and the companionship of those that support them.

With summer nearly in full swing, cattlemen across the country have been busy moving their cattle to pasture grasses. For cattlemen, summer is the season to fatten calves for predetermined destinations. While some opt for the sale barn, many are utilizing marketing opportunities such as selling on the grid or qualifying for various top choice programs.

For calves with Limousin influence, a new marketing option is available at the conclusion of the upcoming summer months. Strauss Veal and Lamb International is now offering their Strauss “Meadow Raised” Veal Program, specifically tailored for Limousin breeders wanting to sell their 400-500 pound calves at the end of the summer.

Strauss Veal and Lamb International is based in Franklin, Wisc. Established in 1937, Strauss’ product line includes veal, domestic and imported lamb, and beef and venison imports. Earning $137 million in profits last year, this international company has building power with producers and consumers alike.

A Perfect Match

Strauss’ qualifications for the “Meadow Raised” Veal products are simple. Calves must be all natural, given absolutely no antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal by-products. The calves will roam freely, grazing on pasture grass and drinking fresh water and their mother’s milk. Strauss believes utilizing the fattened calf will be the purest form of milk fed veal, a product that consumers and chefs have been seeking for years.

So when Strauss Veal and Lamb International set out to choose the perfect breed to fit their standards, Limousin was an easy decision. After testing small groups of cattle representing various breeds, Limousin proved they could hit all the desired requirements for a great tasting veal product. In fact, consumer taste panels ranked Limousin first in 26 of 28 tests conducted.

The benefits of this program for the producer are grand. As another buyer for Limousin influenced calves, supplying pre-weaned calves at 400-500 pounds eliminates the cost and time spent preconditioning calves for the feedlot, administering antibiotics, and feeding creep feed, along with lowering the feed costs of cattle by weaning early.

Strauss’ offer a $50 hot carcass premium for calves weighing within their target weight goals, with no price differentiation among bulls, steers and heifers. Prices will be based on Cattle-Fax average weekly price for Choice calves weighing 450 pounds. On top of all the benefits and increased profits of the program, trucking is paid for by Strauss for a full load of calves equaling 90 head. On-farm pickups will be arranged, and multiple operations can pool together their calves for a full truckload.

An Opportunity for Change

Traditionally, veal is a Holstein bull calf, raised in a stall and fed a liquid diet. Predominantly raised in dairy states, veal is a popular delicacy that people enjoy all over the world. However, consumers concerned about the welfare of animals, often struggle with the way veal is produced. Strauss Veal and Lamb hopes to compassionately raise veal products and revolutionize the veal industry through their “Meadow Raised” Veal Program.

Strauss products are sold to the finest retailers, wholesalers and restaurant chains across the country and abroad. To get involved, cattle producers must participate in a short training course to become a verified supplier. Calves must be age and source verified using Five Star Cattle Systems.

With the semester finished, I’ve had three busy and eventful weeks adjusting back to life as a country girl on my cow-calf operation in Southeast South Dakota. Having barely unpacked my bags, my dad had me outside working my tail off. The adjustment from sitting in a desk to working on the farm is quite a rough road.

The first job Dad had me tackle was cleaning out the calving barn. A winter’s worth of manure and straw greeted me. With a pitchfork in hand, I spent two days throwing manure. I even earned myself a few calluses that had long since disappeared in my "easy" days at South Dakota State University.

Every night, Daddy and I would check over the babies to look for signs of scours. Mind you, we are not a horse and lasso family. With our four-wheeler and a long metal hook called a calf-catch, Dad and I snuck up on our sickly suspects. Dad extended the catch, looping a back leg above the hock. I would bail off the four-wheeler, grab the front leg, and flip the calf. Dad would proceed to sit on the belly of the calf while I inserted pills in the calf’s mouth. It was a nightly rodeo for my Dad and I.

Other chores for the week included washing the show calves and hanging up fans in the barn. At night, Dad and I would trek to our customer’s farms, delivering bulls and turning them out to pasture.

Finally, this week the whole family has been working to move all of the cows to pasture. Working cattle is no easy task. In my family, everyone has an opinion on how to sort and work the calves, and any farmwife or daughter can relate to a dad who has his own symbols and hand gestures for communicating to his family what he wants done. The waving and whooping made for an interesting scene as we maneuvered pairs into the working chute and onto the trailer.

With that task completed, the entire family breathes a sigh of relief. The cows are out to pasture, the show calves are in the barn, and the bulls have been delivered. The summer can finally begin on our cow-calf operation.

Having finally adjusted back to life as a farm girl, it’s a sad thought that I’m leaving once again for my next adventure. In a week’s time, I will be leaving the continent for Argentina. For the month of June, I will explore the city of Buenos Aires to attend Spanish classes, live with a host family, and complete my goal of studying abroad during my college career.

As I pack for this long-awaited adventure, I anticipate many differences. Did you know that Buenos Aires is the ninth largest city in the world? I’ll be trading cows for people, four-wheelers for subways, English for Spanish, country music for salsa and tango, summer for winter, and prairie grasses for skyscrapers. I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous for this trip, but I’m very excited to explore a new part of the world. And like they always say, you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl!