Chewing The Cud

The Newton Bee has recently reported on a segment that Good Morning America is previewing to emphasize the influence Eric Schlosser's book has on American Teens. The summary of this article shows what students choose to buy with $10 after reading the book compared to the food choices made by the students who hadn't read the book.

Interestingly enough, students stayed clear of the golden arches of McDonald's and chose a more vegetarian based meal in response to his new fictional novel. Even more interesting was how they influenced the teens who hadn't read the book to choose their foods more wisely. Many were the most disturbed about the false accusations made about the beef industry.

This is almost too much to bear. I wish I could slap Schlosser silly for putting the great agricultural industry in such a horrible light. Additionally, I wish I could reach those students to tell them the TRUE facts about our beef industry.

How scary is this: "One of the students, Nathan, will stop and think before he orders meat at a fast food place. "I read in the book that they feed cows leftover cow pieces from other dead cows and the slaughterhouses are really cruel. It's pretty gross."

This is an absolute crime for a student to think this way. In 1997, we banned bones and blood from ever entering feed for cattlle. This is our number one insurance that BSE will not reach cattle born after 1997. This is our most prized safeguard, and it is a valuable tool to ensure a safe industry.

Alright, Mr. Schlosser. Let's get to the bottom of this, once and for all. Every tactic used in this chapter titled, Meat, from "Chew on This", was used to warm hearts, shock, repulse, and create vegetarians out of the entire nation. Well, it's not going to work. Let me tell all of you how we really treat our livestock.

I raise cattle of my own. Each year I have two steers that I feed grain and hay twice a day, I tend to them when they are sick or off feed, I weigh them in to monitor their process, and I show them in 4-H and FFA to compete against other students with the same passion for the beef industry. At the end of every summer, I have to take my beloved steers to the meat locker. Teary-eyed I say my final good-bye to my summertime pals. You might think that sending your pets to their death would make one never eat beef again, but I know that they will be treated well, and I also know that they will be gracing the tables of many in a nutrient-dense meal that is healthy for all. It is simply a fact of life on the farm, and I want all of you to understand why it is okay to let go and accept these methods. Believe me when I say that this isn't just my feeling alone: there are 800,000 cattlemen in the United States who raise 94.9 million cattle in our country, and consumers confidently spend $16 billion dollars each year on beef, the most beloved food in America.

I would like to introduce all of you to the many programs we follow in the beef industry to maintain optimal health of our cattle and ensure a safe, wholesome product for all people to enjoy and love.

Well, if any of you haven't guessed, I LOVE BEEF! and I LOVE AGRICULTURE! Imagine the problem I have with a movie that misrepresents my rural lifestyle, spreads lies to promote vegetarianism, and tries to kill my agricultural livlihood. The movie, Fast Food Nation is representing with a pun on words, Do you want lies with that? These "lies are directed at the beef industry". As a beef producer myself, the only lies I see are the ones being told by this fictitious movie.

My earliest memories of living on a farm would be picking blades of grass and sneaking it to the bulls through the fence, or carrying an icecream bucket half full of corn to feed it to the calves, or sitting in the hay feeder and letting the curious heifers come to "check" out the new girl in the pen. As I grew older, I became more involved in the family operation. Helping to select which sires we should breed the heifers to, talking with customers looking for a bull to buy, taking pasture tours with my dad and I on the 4-wheeler, or having waterfights with my little sisters in the washrack when working on the show calves: all these things became a part of my life. These wonderful memories haven't come without sacrifice though.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association tells the beef production story best by saying:

"Did you know that the United States is home to approximately 800,000 cattle producers? These men and women work hard every day — with a focus on issues like animal health and welfare, the environment and food safety — in order to produce safe, wholesome and tasty beef products for consumers across this country and around the world.

Many of these folks operate farms and ranches that have been in their family for generations and they hope their children will continue the tradition. This, and many other little-known facts about cattle and beef production, shape who we are — people who are connected by the beef production chain and a passion for producing the great beef products consumers demand."

Every cattlemen is connected to each other by this passion for agriculture, but each has a unique, individual story that sets us all apart. Here is my story in the beginning years.......

Over my last few entries, I have been sharing my unique story of beef production. As I tell my story, I realized something: we are all beef producers. Every segment of the cattle business leads to beef production and ultimately feeds the consumer.

Best Food Nation explains who we are quite well,

Cattle and beef production represent the largest single segment of American agriculture. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says more farms are classified as beef cattle operations (35%) than any other type of farm. Most farms and ranches in the United States, including cattle ranches, are family owned and operated, but cattle operations have long been considered multi-generational endeavors. An Iowa survey of cattle producers showed that 60 percent of producers in that state alone expect to pass their operation on to their children.

There are about 800,000 beef producers in the United States, who are responsible for nearly 100 million head of beef cattle. According to USDA, producers of meat animals in 2005 were
responsible for more than $64 billion in added value to the U.S. economy, as measured by
their contribution to the national output.

Whether one is a packer, a feeder, a cow-calf operator, or a consumer, we are all connected in this beef industry. Without one, the others would fall. It is so important to the American beef producer to provide a safe and wholesome product for the consumer. This is why I'm so proud to be a part of this great industry.

Welcome to the Meatrix, a horrific place that depicts agriculture in an eerie light. Moopheus, the image of an FBI agent in the form of a cow, takes one pig and one chicken on a journey to see what "real" agriculture is like. The film depicts animal cruelty, poor housing, inhumane treatment to animals, and much more. How true is this? How credible is this silly cartoon? Well, to get to the meat of it all, this film also depicts a normal farm as being one huge pen filled with one cow, one horse, one chicken, one donkey, and one pig. When was the last time you saw a variety of livestock sharing one pen? Even Noah's ark matched them in twos. Simply stated, the Meatrix is a way to falsify this great livestock industry and give consumers a poor picture of our livelihood while encouraging farmers to move backwards in both technology and conventional farming methods.

It seems to me that there is a growing trend in the U.S. agriculture industry: students across the country are abandoning their agricultural roots in pursuit of more glamorous urban careers like doctors, lawyers or pharmacists. It saddens me to think that I was once one of these kids.
Growing up on my family’s cattle ranch, I loved being my dad’s right-hand-man. I was a tomboy to the fullest, always helping with chores, working on my show calves or selling bulls to our customers. Simply stated, I loved being a farm girl! But that changed the summer before my freshman year of high school.

I desperately wanted to fit in with my peers. After years of being teased about living on a cattle farm, I decided enough was enough. No one at Mitchell High would know about my life away from school. I decided never to return to agriculture. Back then, I didn’t see any career choices or any future for myself in this industry.

The first day of high school, I told my mom my plan to abandon my roots and finally be one of the cool kids. I’ll never forget what she told me that day, “Mandy, never forget who you are or where you come from.”

As a South Dakota beef producer and consumer, I was disappointed in an article I found in 5280, Denver’s Mile High Magazine. The article printed, “It’s Easy Being Green”, included a negative message on how beef is produced. Lean beef is a high-quality protein that provides the food supply’s most easily absorbed sources of iron and zinc-nutrients many Americans, especially women and children are lacking.

In addition, the claims of the article are wrong. With the amount of water the magazine claims it would take to make one pound of hamburger, you could actually eat a burger everyday for an entire month! Furthermore, cattlemen are committed to protecting the environment and follow best practices to maintain high quality water, soil, and air around their farms and ranches.

With the supporting evidence, one can easily conclude that cattle are environmentally friendly and are a great source of America’s favorite protein. Beef is one of the most naturally nutrient-rich foods, and environmentally conscious consumers should continue to choose beef with confidence!

I apologize for the long absence as I have been busy promoting agriculture LIVE! Stay tuned for future blog entries on my many adventures!

I saw this article on Dakota War College. It proves how the Humane Society of the United States isn't an organization that saves cats and dogs, it's main mission is to abolish animal agriculture in America. Check it out.

The deep red hair glistened in the sunlight as the doe-eyed heifer stared at me through the rustling grass of the pasture. I had been watching the Limousin heifer since she was born, knowing that she would be my next show heifer. I named her Regina George.

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 is filled with anticipation as we gently placed the halters on them for the first time. Quickly, they 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 nurturing them to ensure competitiveness in the show ring. The daily routine of preparing these calves woke us up early before dawn and kept us out late until the crickets started to chirp. It was in these long hours outside with the heifers that we were closest to nature, to the livestock, and to our family.

Last week I spent some time at the USDA AMS Meat Grading and Certification Training Program in Lakewood, CO. I learned about the USDA's value added service of meat grading and about the beef standards. It made me extremely excited to head back to school in the fall to exercise the skills I learned as I compete on the SDSU Meat Judging Team.

While in Colorado, I happened to find this vehicle touting anti-agriculture propaganda. After going to this website, it seems there is a growing wave of people determined to abolish animal agriculture and spread vegetarianism in this country. The disconnect between producer and consumer is a widening gap.

However, we have the power to close this gap if we allow our voices to be heard. We need to share our personal agriculture stories before the stories get told for us by people who don't know the truth. I wonder if the person who painted on this vehicle has ever even visited a farm. Consumers want the truth, and the truth is this: our food supply doesn't come from factories or from the grocery store. Our food supply comes from caring individuals who dedicate their lives to providing safe and wholesome products to feed the world. Know the truth, share the truth. Tell your agriculture story to a consumer today.

When cowboy hats begin to filter into airport terminals, it can only mean one thing: Cattle Industry Summer Conference! The 2007 Conference will be held in Denver, CO, July 16-20. I can hardly wait to pack up my business suits and my enthusiasm for the beef industry into my suitcase and hit the trails to Denver.

I guess there is nothing quite like a convention where people from every aspect of the industry unite in one place to discuss the common goal of maintaining a profitable business climate for cattlemen to raise and supply a safe and wholesome product for consumers across the globe.

The energy that generates from this weeklong adventure can best be described as purely electrifying! This year's theme is Leading The Way, and I know that beef industry representatives from across the country will be stampeding to Denver to make strides on this great American tradition of beef cattle production!

Stay tuned for future blog entries. I will undoubtedly have a story or two to tell...

Telling my co-workers Happy Friday the 13th has gotten me a few glares and even more confused looks today. I was born on a Friday the 13th in the month of November, and since I was little, I just decided that it MUST be a great day to be alive. I refuse to accept the bad luck theory, and I am convinced that a little extra optimism on this day is the perfect way to debunk this silly superstition.

Another thing I would like to debunk is my typical farm girl stereotype that seems to be following me everywhere in D.C. My urbanite roommate is the perfect example of sticking me with this Little House on the Prairie image...

It’s a steamy summer night in South Dakota. The sun is kissing the prairies goodbye, painting the sky golden colors of orange, red, purple, and blue. The grill is sizzling with steaks as the girl’s mouth waters with hunger after a long days work outside with the show cattle. She sits on the porch swing with her dad with a glass of ice-cold lemonade in hand. The ice chinks against the glass, the swings creaks back and forth, and the duo idly dangles their feet off the swing. Laughter fills the air as the family meets to enjoy a thick juicy flat iron steak. They eat outside, not quite ready to let go of the joys of a summer night in South Dakota. In the silence of eating their favorite meal, crickets start to chirp and chatter. They get louder and louder as the locusts join in. It seems these summer bugs have lots to discuss.

Mandy, that calf looks a little sick, my dad would say as he pointed the droopy-eared patient out to me in the pasture. We sit together on the 4 wheeler, gazing the grounds and looking for trouble, we both nod our heads in agreement: that is one sick calf.

I pull out the calf catch with a whoosh and a click, click. I hold it steady as Dad drives closer to the little calf. We both bail as we near him. I grab his leg above the hock with the catch while Dad runs up, pins him to the ground and calls for the medicine. The cows start to beller and the momma cow sticks her nose in Daddy's face. I stick the pills in the tube and Dad carefully maneuvers them down the throat in one swift motion. We release the calf after a good swat on the butt, confident in our skills as cowmen.

As they get older, we don't catch the calves quite as often. I can't even say we call them calves anymore. Nope, Dad has a cure-all trick he likes to use for every problem on the farm: LA-200. A shot of that, and you're good as new. GUARANTEED!

You might be wondering why I haven't posted in awhile. Well, my blog site was up for repairs for the better part of last week, and I must have started to feel sympathy pains. I lost my appetite, got the chills and caught a fever. Soon enough, I found myself in the D.C. Emergency Room for an IV and a 10 hour visit. Diagnosis: Kidney infection. They did enough poking and prodding and examining to last me an entire lifetime. They had to stick me twice with the IV needle, take TWO urine samples, shoot me in the back, steal some spinal fluids, take half an ocean of blood from me, and leave me whimpering like a scared coyote after a hunt. Don't worry, I'm back...and as feisty as ever.

Yeah, I would have rather had a shot of LA-200. I could still use one. Doubt anyone carries THAT in the big city...

They sit on a street corner, shaking the loose change in their battered cups. In tattered clothes, they sit beside their grocery bags filled with their prized possessions. Their soulful eyes reach out, begging for a little extra money to help them out.

Living in D.C. for 10 weeks, I still haven't been able to block out the homeless people that live throughout the city streets. I've been told time and time again not to speak with them, not to help them, not to give them any money.

I see a man everyday on my way to the grocery store. He uses a blue Frisbee as a money cup. I say hello every time I pass, sometimes tossing my spare change into his Frisbee. There are others like him. Everywhere. They lie on benches or nap under umbrellas. They sit in the same place, day after day. Their importance and value cannot be ignored as creatures of God.

The Michael Vick dog fighting case has me wondering something that each and every one of us should be considering: why have we humanized animals?

I do not condone dog fighting in anyway, but when are people going to start fighting the right fight? I can't open a newspaper or visit a website today without seeing groups dedicated to saving the mammals, ending production agriculture, and liberating the animals to a free way of life. The emphasis we place on these animals should be utilized to help our fellow man.

We have homeless people scattering the streets of cities all across America. There are hungry children without parents to feed them across the globe. Genocide and war, disease and poverty...humanity is begging for our attention. When will they get it?

The four-wheeler rumbles down the grassy path in the pasture as father and daughter reunite for the best ritual ever: pasture tours. The chatter of their excited voices discussing the upcoming great ones adds to the music of a South Dakota summer evening. The crickets chirp, the birds sing, and an occasional mama cow bellers for her baby. The duo stops to fix a twist in the barbwire fence, Dad observes how the corn stalks weathered the last rainstorm, and the daughter is in heavenly bliss.

As the plane sputtered to a stop on the Sioux Falls runway last Saturday, I anticipated a wonderful evening in the company of my family and my cattle. This South Dakota girl has been away from home for 10 weeks. She has widened her horizons and reached to new heights. She has learned to appreciate her family roots in agriculture, and she has rededicated her life to preserving rural America for many generations to come.

A cattle ranch isn't just a pretty picture with relaxing pasture tours. The chores never end, the show calves need washing, the lawn needs mowing, and there is always a thistle or two to tend to. Although the adventures of a glittering city life have come to an end for the young girl, her heart sings with the joy of returning to the family farm that she loves. She smiles wide and heads out to do the nightly chores, ready to get some dirt under her fingernails...

The Fab Floor glistened as the processing line moved intricately up and down the rows as the Hispanic workers sharpened their knifes, removed bones, and cut steaks to be sent for customers across the globe to enjoy a Tyson Fresh Foods Beef Product. Decked out in a frock, hair net and hard hat, I manuevered over them, high on the catwalk, watching another aspect of the beef chain take place right before my eyes.

It's hard not to think how we are all connected. Its starts with people like me, a cow-calf operator, to raise and breed genetics conducive to marbling and cutability. The calves move through backgrounders, stockers and feeders as they grow to meet the demands of the consumer. The finished cattle make their way to the packing plant, who processes the meat and delivers them to grocers, retailers, restauranters, and fastfood chains. Beef finally makes its way to the table of consumers across the globe. As consumers, we use 99% of the cow, from steaks and burgers to by-products we use each and everyday. It amazes me as I look through my cattle herd, that my family is the beginning of the American love affair with beef.

Linking the chain together, its easy to see: we are all a part of this great industry of agriculture. From the consumer to the producer, and everywhere in between, we all play a role in food production in this country. As I left the packing plant that day, I couldn't be more proud to be a link in the beef industry chain.

As my parents and I unloaded square bales into the barn last night, we listened to the local country music station while we worked. Radio personality Leah hosted the evening's show and she rounded off the hour with a trivia question.

She asked the tenth caller, FMD recently broke out in the U.K. This disease infects the meat and can spread to humans. What animal is victim to FMD?

Although the caller guessed correct in that Hoof and Mouth Disease occurs most prominently in cattle, Leah was misinformed in her question. FMD is a viral disease in cattle, hogs, and sometimes sheep, goats, deer and elephants. It is rapidly contagious amongst animals, but doesn't taint the quality of meat and milk for human consumption. FMD is strictly an animal health issue not a food safety issue. We can rest assured that meat and dairy products are as safe as ever.

The World Organization for Animal Health maintains that the United States and Canada are FMD-free without vaccination.

Compassion Over Killing (COK) is gaining momentum in their "Go Veg...Exploring Your Food" camgains. The commercials aired on the popular teen channel, MTV and speaks about the treatment of livestock animals. Although I find the commercials far from accurate, I feel it is important to view this commercial to further understand my points.

With the propaganda feel of a 50s style “educational” film, COK’s newest 30-second commercial combines humor and truth to encourage viewers to explore their food and discover the reality of exactly what—and who—they’re eating. When the narrator asks Little Susie if she’s ever thought about where her food comes from, she innocently shakes her head no. She’s then taken on a behind-the-scenes tour inside the cruel world of factory farming, from the pigs in crates unable to turn around to the birds crammed inside wire cages to the veal calves barely even able to move. Susie drops her food in horror and viewers are directed to COK’s website, TryVeg.com, to order a free Vegetarian Starter Guide.

This sensationalized vision of animal agriculture, along with the innocence of a name like Compassion Over Killing, combined with a target audience of America's youth...these commercials easily point to disaster. Growing teens need milk and meat products for development, strength, and overall health. Quit the trends and throw out the trashy propaganda: animal agriculture will continue to nourish America.

A South Dakota News Station posted this blog entry. Read on, and I'll provide you with the facts at the end! Keloland.com Blogs Posted by: Doug Lund

“Vegetarian is an old Indian word meaning lousy hunter.” Red Green
Alright..alright..you vegetarians don’t get your rutabagas in a stew, it’s only a joke.
Here’s another joke that I read the other day and thought was pretty funny:

“Eating less meat could help slow global warming by reducing the number of livestock and thereby decreasing the number of methane flatulence from the animals.”

Farm animals, especially cattle, pass so much methane through belching and *arting-fay that they contribute more to the greenhouse effect than all the planes, trains and automobiles in the world COMBINED!

Well, I thought it was a joke but believe it or not, lots of so-called experts are saying these things and are dead serious. They’re citing research that finds gases from animals destined for dinner plates account for nearly a quarter of all emissions worldwide..and that methane is much worse for mother earth than even carbon monoxide. So, they figure, it’s time to let these dangerous (but delicious) highly volatile creatures die a natural death and become extinct so that we may live a few more years before global warming gets us all.

Holy *ap-cray!

You know, maybe it wasn’t a comet that killed all the dinosaurs millions of years ago after all.
Perhaps it was their own giant blasts of methane gas that poisoned the atmosphere and did them in; their decayed bodies eventually becoming the oil we now use to run our fossil-fuel burning SUV’s. I don’t want you angry at me for making light of the situation. But if you’re buying-in to all of these theories and are thiniking about or have already decided to save the planet by giving up meat for a diet of tofu and celery, just do a little research right here on the internet.

There’s a lot of propaganda out there on this subject that’s designed to get you frightened into agreeing with certain points of view about this world of ours. Much of it comes from the usual suspects with familiar environmental and animal cruelty agendas. They are not concerned about the good people who raise livestock for a living or for those of us who enjoy what they produce. They would have us believe that you can’t be a friend of the environment and be a meat eater too and that’s just a pile of *anure-may.

*ask someone who speaks pig-Latin to translate

Here are my thoughts on this issue:

Was global warming an issue when there was nothing but wide open spaces, grazing cattle, and covered wagons? No, but there seems to be a lot of it now that industrialization has brought factories, planes, trains, and lots of SUV's. Chalk it up to another inaccurate propaganda being thrown around by the animal rights activists. (Note: animal rights activists fight for complete liberation of the species while animal welfare groups, which are nonexistent in today's world,used to fight for better treatment of animals.)

If you want to learn more about how cattle help the environment and make a more GREEN planet, check out the following links.

Beef From Pasture to Plate
Beef Matters

I went to my Advertising Principles class today at SDSU, and my professor likes to use real life examples of effective advertising and means of communication. He started the class like this...

We have a blogger in this class, that I won't name because I don't want to embarrass her, that blogs at www.chewingthecud.org.

Oh crap, that's me!

She writes about an ad campaign launched by PETA and COK (Compassion Over Killing) that released anti-agriculture statements about where your meat comes from. Let's watch this commercial.

Am I going to get mobbed? I ask myself. No Amanda, this is what you live for. Stand up for animal agriculture. My heart is racing; I'm scared, but ready.

Students from every angle of the spectrum begin to chime in their thoughts:
-Farmers and ranchers wouldn't mistreat their animals, its their business and their livlihoods.
-I've been to farms, and they truly care about their animals.
-I tried vegetarianism, and I think these ads work for me.
-Nah, this is propaganda, PLAIN and SIMPLE.
-Those dairy ads, "3 a day- Lose Weight" had to be removed for nutritional claims, so why do these groups get to run smear campaigns?
-The professor chirps in with, I've even tried vegetarianism, but I'm a red meat eater through and through!

I guess when Trent Loos says we need to be thrown into uncomfortable situations to stand up for animal agriculture, THIS IS WHAT HE MEANS! Click below to read Trent's thoughts on this heated issue. And everyone, keep this discussion coming!

(Trent Loos is an agriculture activist fighting to protect the food production chain. Check out his website www.facesofag.com and tune in to his radio show called Loos Tales.)

There is a movement making waves this week called, Blog for the Environment Day. Bloggers across the globe are putting in their two cents on the environment and ways to live more green. Speaking of that, did you know Al Gore received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the environment? The man uses more electricity in his mansion than I do in an entire year!

Don't let me get off the subject.

As a cattle producer, I care about the livestock and the land that I work with. It seems everytime I go somewhere, I hear the ridiculous claims that cattle are the source of global warming! Have you ever seen smog over a cattle farm?

Now I could spout off all the facts.

The number one source of carbon dioxide and methane (greenhouse gasses) are the combustion of fossil fuels in transportation and landfills. However, methane gas from ruminants contributes a measly 2.4% of methane gasses, and that's a stretch.

Or we could use common sense.

Where does most pollution occur? In the wide open spaces of the countryside, or in the condensed population of a busy city? So the next time you bite into that steak, feel no guilt. You could probably consider selling that gas guzzling SUV though...

Prepare yourself for some heavy reading... I promise, promise, PROMISE that I will have an entertaining story posted next, but today we must ask the question: Could there be an animal welfare group on our side?

Animal welfare is defined as the viewpoint that animals, especially those under human care, should not suffer unneccessarily. While animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the viewpoint that all animals should have the same rights as humans.

Animal welfare groups believe that the animal rights movement has gone too far. The National Animal Interest Alliance, an animal welfare groups, makes a solid point about the animal rights group, Humane Society of the United States.

The NAIA is known as one of the most prominent critics of the HSUS. We wear that label with honor, many of our members believing HSUS is corrupt to the bone. First, HSUS allows its financial supporters - ordinary, animal-loving Americans - to believe it spends an enormous annual tax-free budget of $123 million on caring for animals, when its real agenda is passing extremist legislation.

Third, HSUS constantly engages in deceptive propaganda, half-truths and outright lies in well-funded media campaigns to win its political and legislative battles. But they are not held accountable for their tactics because they are a nonprofit group that enjoys political free speech protections. Link HERE to read the rest of the article...I promise it will be worth your time!

So what does the National Animal Interest Alliance stand for? Here is a small snippet from their website... NAIA believes that livestock agriculture is beneficial to society and to the animals when they are raised in accordance with established humane animal husbandry practices.Modern American agricultural methods supply us with an unprecedented bounty of quality meat, eggs and dairy products and with leather, wool, furs, and myriad items derived from animal byproducts. The vast majority of Americans enjoy these products as part of a well-balanced diet or lifestyle, and developing countries look to US agriculture to help them overcome the devastating problems of malnutrition, starvation, and economic hardship that plague their nations. Link HERE to read their stance on American agriculture.

So while I'm not 100% on NAIA, either way, friend or foe, they have one thing right: The Humane Society of the United States must be stopped! (Click HERE to see the HSUS' hidden agenda.)

It's raining--again. It makes me want to crawl in bed and curl up with a novel. It makes me want to drive home so my mom can make me steaming hot chocolate and beef stew. It makes me want to skip class, watch a sappy movie, and cry my eyes out.

Maybe I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, but I'm really missing home--my family and my cattle. Because I'm in this mood and because of a special request, I'm reposting a favorite... It's a story about a memory, about a girl, and about a passion for agriculture. From my heart to yours, enjoy.

The little girl pulled at the tall grass with all her might, falling back on her bottom with only a few blades in her grubby, little hands. The small girl, pigtails bouncing, stood up and brushed off her wrangler jeans and white shoes. She shyly walked up to the fence and extended her hand, offering the grass to the beast. Meagerly, a mighty bull made his way to the fence. He reached his neck out and sniffed at the girl’s hand, caressing her fingers with his cold, wet nose. In turn, she crinkled her own nose and boldly took another step towards the curious bull. Finally, their eyes connected—girl and beast. They seemed to understand each other. The bull nodded his lumbering head and licked up the few bits of grass remaining in the little girl’s hands. In delight, she ran back to fetch more blades of grass for the burly bull. Together the duo became friends, and it was in that one bull that the tiny child understood the true meaning of agriculture.

Her love of agriculture began at the age of five. As the college sophomore sits in her desk chair in her compact dormitory, she thinks back to the days on the farm where she found her passion in life. She smiles, remembering her reasoning for pursuing a career in agriculture. The young woman returns back from her daydream, and continues her homework, knowing it will one day lead her back to the farm she loves.

It's hard to believe that one year has passed... The 2007 National FFA Convention, held in Indianapolis, IN is underway this week. Last year at this time, I passed a huge milestone in my life that I'll never forget--that milestone was my full and true committment to stand up for animal agriculture.

Perhaps you have heard of Carrie Underwood, the 2005 American Idol winner and country music sensation. What you might not have heard was that Miss Underwood is a vocal vegetarian and member of the Humane Society of the United States, an extremist animal rights organization with the main mission of abolishing animal agriculture. So when I heard Carrie was the star entertainment at the FFA Convention last Fall, an organization that represents students in agriculture, I knew I had to do something about it and stand up for animal agriculture.

Here is one of the many press releases about my whirlwind story...

THE VOCAL POINT: Ambassador Puts Some Bite Into 'Good News' About Beef

...Underwood is an avowed veggie who was named PETA's "Sexiest Vegetarian Alive" in 2005 and wore a "V Is for Vegetarian" T-shirt during her American Idol performances. None of that sat too well with Nolz, who grew up on a South Dakota ranch where her folks raise purebred Limousin cattle. In true Generation Next fashion, Nolz created months of buzz on the Facebook Web site, outlining Underwood's anti-livestock affiliations and building momentum for a protest of her FFA show among the high schoolers heading to Indianapolis. As Underwood took the stage, Nolz arose and defiantly walked out of the arena. More than 500, according to witnesses and news reports. In the end, Nolz said she realizes that a single protest by itself isn't going to change the world. But she emphasized that those who believe in agriculture need to stand up and be counted — not counted out.

Click here to read the rest of the story. It's a good one, I promise.

After writing on this blog for a year and a half, I realized that never once, did I tell my story about the walkout. Never once did I mention how crazy my life was, and how good it felt to stand up for animal agriculture. Below is the video of the walkout. The same video that was removed from YouTube by either FFA or Carrie Underwood.

We have got to start telling our story of production agriculture. If we don't, who will? Let us never forget that one voice can make a huge difference.

Thanks for letting me reminisce over some good memories. If anything, someday my kids will think their mom was pretty cool--I led a protest afterall! :)

The American National Cattlewomen's National Beef Ambassador Program (NBAP) is one of the top youth organizations in the world. Sponsored partly by Beef Checkoff dollars, this program brings in youth spokespersons who hold a passion for the beef industry and puts them into action as advocates for agriculture.

On the 2007 NBAP Team, there was a special young woman that truly ignited that passion and put it into action. Chris Molinaro, PA, waved a bittersweet soundoff to her yearlong term as the 2008 National Beef Ambassador Team was selected in New Orleans last week.

Winners included Caitlin Williams, AZ; Jenny Rassler, PA; Leticia Varelas, NM; Michelle Wiggley, CA; and Beth Wood, WY.

Today I want to highlight Miss Molinaro and thank her loud and proud from Chewing The Cud for her dedication and service to the beef industry. Here is Chris and the story of her journey as a National Beef Ambassador...

Having the privilege and honor to be on the 2007 National Beef Ambassador Team was priceless. I traveled more in these last 10 months than in my 20 years growing up. I really enjoyed promoting beef at the PA Farm Show, the Boston Marathon, and the Dover NASCAR Race. I love interacting with the public and teaching them about the many benefits beef provides. I was really surprised with how many people do not understand the beef production story or how valuable beef is in their diets. Seeing President George W. Bush address NCBA in Washington D.C was defiantly a highlight this past year. Wearing the Patty Melt costume in the heat of the summer as we promoted beef in the RV parks at the Dover International Speedway was also right up there :) The knowledge and confidence I had leaned as an ambassador helped me organize the Penn State Meat-In Day and BBQ Tour. I also learned how incredibly important it is to speak up for the beef industry. There are a lot of people who do not understand the role of beef in a healthy diet or how cattle production is really a benefit to the environment. My term as a National Beef Ambassador is coming to a quick end. I swear- it went by way too fast. The many memories, relationships, and connections I made this past year will remain with me forever and I look forward to the next chapter of what life has in store for me.

I am honored to know such a driven, motivated, spirited, and passionate girl like Chris Molinaro. Chris, like me, enjoys writing on her blog on some of the hot topics pertaining to the beef industry. Check it out at www.beefmatters.com

I'm working on my next story for the Tristate Livestock News, and I NEED YOU! My story is focused on young people returning to the family farm. This is a topic of mixed emotions for me. I love my family's Limousin cattle operation and so desperately wish to make it back someday. However, the ranch is not large enough to support another family. Getting enough capital to buy land, livestock and equipment is nearly impossible. It's hard to know what to think, but if you know me--you know I'm quite the determined lady. I just don't give up.

I will farm someday.

So tell me what you think. What are your thoughts and opinions on young people returning to the farm or starting their own? Do we stand a fighting chance? Fill me in! Don't be shy! I NEED YOU! :) Happy Friday!

Everyday, I read through my various agriculture publications, hit the hot spots online for latest industry news, and skim through my beef updates sent to me from various sources. It's how I stay up-to-date on the current issues in agriculture. I'm sure you do it too--afterall, there is no better way to find success than knowing what's going on in the world around you. That way we can be proactive instead of reactive.

Lately, the most reoccuring message I have received has been the finger pointing blame from animal rights activists that links cattle production to global warming in the form of methane gasses. While I think this is simply ridiculous, (Click Here to read my other blog entries on the subject) it's always reassuring to find positive information in the media about how cattle production actually helps the environment.

So today, I'll share with you that positive story provided by the Cattle Business Weekly:

Ranching For a Better America by Codi Vallery

In October the practice of ranching had positive reinforcement with the publishing of a new study by Richard Knight of Colorado State University who says ranches are important to maintaining biodiversity in American's West.

The study says since ranching naturally encompasses large amounts of undivided land, involves grazing and altering of native vegetation in modest ways, it lends itself to supporting biodiversity that is of conservation concern.

For the study, Knight, who is a professor in CSU's Department of Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship, observed biodiversity across exurban areas (prosperous areas past the suburbs), ranchlands and protected areas without livestock.

The research found private land and ranches support species of conservation concern and had minimal weed growth. Exurban areas had the same common species available as urban areas and had a greater weed population.

Link here to read the rest of the story.