Beef Ambassador

We had a new mother on our farm on Mothers Day this year. So now we have a new little heifer scampering around the pasture. It is truly amazing to see how the cattle go through different stages of life and know exactly what is going on out of instinct. When humans go through child birth we are told exactly what will happen, what we need to do to prepare, and amazingly we still freak out! Cattle on the other hand have amazing insite to the whole process without our help. This particular birth was done completely by the first calf heifer which is what us farmers like to see! She had no trouble and even though my dad was there keeping a close eye on her, she was able to have the baby completely on her own.

I got home in time to see her trying to stand and being a little shaky on her feet. The funniest part of the process is watching the calf trying to stand and walk on their own and get used to their new legs. Several times a small lick from the proud mama would knock the calf right over, and not very gracefully I might add. Then the thing that really fascinates me started. The calf started looking for milk…they just know what to do! She knew that she needed that colostrum to grow strong and healthy! Now at first she was trying to find it in the brisket which as you can imagine wasn’t very successful. Then she made her way back, after several encouraging nudges from mom,  to the utter. Another thing that was interesting was the mom getting the calf to walk. The calf would get up and clumsily make her way over to her and then mama would back up a few steps to push her a little further. Mama knows what she’s doing.

The baby has been spending a lot of time sleeping which proved difficult for my other role as photographer today. She was nowhere to be found in the tall grass and mama was very proud. I’m pretty sure she was laughing at me while I walked around the pasture trying to find the baby.

I am ready for the running stage! They are so cute with their tails straight up in the air running through the pasture. But for now she will be looked over by her mom and will be taught the lessons of life in an unspoken language. Animals are truly amazing creatures!

RB

As some of you may have heard there was a cow that tested positive for Bovine Spongiform Encepalopathy (BSE), also known as Mad Cow Disease, yesterday April 24, 2o12.  The animal was a dairy cow from central California that was never presented for slaughter for human consumption. I think the farmer suspected this illness and turned it in for testing should be applauded. This BSE case should not cause consumers to stray from beef if anything it shows how observant the farmers are in caring for their cattle and insuring food safety. All US Beef is safe for the consumer. 

There have been a lot of concerns on BSE with the consumer and cattle producers know that. The good news is that there are many food safety practices that are in affect for BSE to never enter into the food supply. In 1997 the Food and Drug Administration, with full support from the beef industry, banned protein supplements from cattle feed that could spread BSE. BSE is not a contagious disease, it can only spread through contaminated feed so this was an obvious solution. The brain and spinal chord are also removed before the animal is presented into the food supply to prevent food contamination.

With all of these efforts established there is less than one infected animal per million cattle in the United States. BSE is not found in Steaks or Roasts. And the consumer can still be confident that beef is a safe and savory product for their families!

Telling the beef story, that is what being a National Beef Ambassador is all about right? Well the past couple of days has been jammed for me but the great part is I have been sharing my knowledge of the cattle industry with young and old! This Friday I traveled to Statesville, NC where I was the guest speaker at the Annual Hereford Sale Banquet. My topic was

Geust Speaker at the State Hereford Sale Banquet.

“Telling the Beef Story” so I helped the other beef farmers how to engage in effective communication with their customer. I told them about elevator speeches about and then how to listen to the customers concerns and answer their questions not just throw out facts that go around the question. I talked about the misconception of certain words that we use like “producer” instead of “farmer” and the misconceptions of “factory farming” vs. “family farming”. This was a great opportunity to spread the word with my fellow farmers about the information I learned in Nashville at the Cattlemen’s Conference.

The other cool thing I have gotten to do this week is participate in Farm Animal Days. Farm Animal Days is an annual event held at the North Carolina State University Beef Educational Unit. The event is held Wednesday through Friday and this gives children that are raised in Wake County and surrounding counties (urban areas) a chance to come see and interact with “farm life”. There are

Milking "Rosy" at Farm Animal Days

goats, pigs, horses, dairy cattle, and beef cattle at the event. There are also tractors and other equipment, a milking station with the cow I called Rosy as you see to the right and then they get ice cream from the NCSU Dairy! The kids typically range from 2-7 years old and last year over 10,00o attended the event. Kids from local daycare groups, homeschool groups, clubs, and public schools all come out to enjoy the fun. This morning my job was helping the kids milk our fake cow Rosy, there were calf bottles rigged to the underline of the cow to supply us with a great easy to use utter. And the best part was Rosy didn’t kick.

The past couple of days have been full of fun activities and telling the great story about, not only beef, but agriculture!

This week is Ag Awareness Week at North Carolina State University. Ag Awareness week is held in the center of our campus on what we call the “brick yard”, pretty self explanatory. During this week there are different parts of agriculture for the students to view and ask questions about. Most of the talk around campus is the animals in the brick yard. There are beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs, goats, sheep and chickens on display. There are also signs on the pins that describe the different species and some of their history. It is really funny to overhear people on the bus asking their friend “Did you see the cow in the brickyard?”. There are also pieces of farm machinery, and booths of the different agriculture clubs. Along with the displays, lunch is sold by ag clubs throughout the week, there are different activities like milking competitions with the main competitors being local officials and faculty of the university, and roping with the rodeo club dummy bull. 

The students are given the opportunity to see animals that a lot of them have never seen in person and are also able to ask the club members displaying booths questions about agriculture. I worked a shifts on Tuesday representing the Animal Science Club. We are working with the NC Cattlemen’s Association and are set up under the EAT BEEF tent which brings in a little more interest. We have pamphlets about the different species and how they are raised with modern agriculture along with some recipes, charts, pins, and stickers provided by the Cattlemen’s Association. A person was redirected to me today from one of the other club members because of a blank stare that was given after her explanation. I could tell that the student was into the scientific sides of things because he started most of his questions with “I read that…”. The first question was about factory farming and how he read it was a myth, right off I knew by his tone that he was interested in our product and our industry. We discussed how most farms are family farms going back many generations and how there were misconceptions about the cattle being on concrete and new technology being redefined as factory farming. After we discussed this he said that he had read an article talking about how beef could actually be good for you. I of course brought up the new BOLD study, which he seemed to like  seeing as it was a scientific study. We discussed the nutrition for a little while and I sent him away with some packets of information and hopefully some answered questions.

If the colleges around you do not have this program try to suggest it. This week is full of information to the public. It puts a positive view on agriculture because the information is coming from peers. I am extremely glad that my university hosts Ag Awareness Week and I think the programs like this are what keep the agriculture community thriving.

As cattle farmers we take pride in raising healthy animals that result in a healthy meal for our families and others. We all share compassion for not only our animals but also our industry. I have grown up within the beef industry and feel like we develop not only a great product but also a great community with the other farmers.

In high school I had a group of friends from school that I would go to dinner or the movies with and hang out with during the week. But when show season came around during the summer and fall I got to see what I called my “cow friends” aka my friends that showed cows. Now don’t get me wrong I liked my friends from school but the friends that showed with me shared my passion for cattle. We knew about responsibility and how the animals get fed before you get to eat and get groomed no matter what kind of shape your own hair was in. My “cow friends” were my closest friends because I related to them so well and they understood how my life worked.

My friend Luke cutting up the beef sporting his I heart Beef apron!

Now that I am in college I have developed a new set of friends. They are sort of a mix between my school and cow friends. A lot of them have been raised around livestock not specifically cattle but they have the drive like me to learn more about animals. I am active in the Animal Science Club here at NC State and that is where I have met some of my closest friends. Last night we had a joint meeting with the Poultry Science Club and ate some great beef which you can see my friend Luke cutting up in the picture. I can sit around and talk to the members of this club and I feel like we relate really well. A lot of these club members grew up on farms or want to have a job dealing with animals in the future. We share a love for animals and know what responsibility is needed to ensure the animals are healthy.

I participated in the National Student Exchange Program at Kansas State University this past fall. I got to travel around the midwest touring farms and it was amazing to see the way these people ran their operations. Every phone call I made got a definite yes when I asked if I could visit. This is what I am talking about when I say “Beef Community”. We are willing to let other beef producers come eat tour and stay with us at our farms. If someone is on a long drive there is always someone you know nearby that has cattle and is willing to let you lay over for a night. I decided to stay in the west during Thanksgiving this year to do a little more traveling during the semester. I traveled to three different farms, two in Oklahoma and one in Texas. These families not only let me tour their farms but also let me stay at their homes and eat with their families. I was even invited to eat Thanksgiving dinner with the families. I love how close I am to the beef community and I call them my closest friends. The funny thing is I have never seen most of their homes, I only get to see them a few times a year, and even though that’s the case they are the people I am closest to and I know they will always be there for me. We should really cherish the fact that we have such a strong bond with the others in our industry. We have a great “Beef Community”.

Rossie

It is great to see new people interested in beef cattle. This weekend I had the privilege of helping with a beginners clinic for beef cattle showmen. There were all ages there from an 8 year old to an 18 year old and then all of the parents of the novice showmen. We covered a wide variety of basic tasks to take care of beef cattle and get them ready for a show.

First we told them about the equipment used in the “show cattle world.” We had a variety of name brand sprays and then the alternative “Walmart” options, great for somebody who is starting off.  Then we worked on tying halters. It is essential to know how to tie a quick release not when working with something as large as a steer or heifer. This took a little while to let everybody get the hang of it but they left without their calves halters being in uncontrollable knots.

After the basics on what you need we proceeded into a showmanship clinic. I was one of the test dummies and demonstrated what to do and what not to do. The showmen were able to ask questions and critique us on our showring techniques. 

After lunch it was their turn. We broke them up into two groups, the showmanship group, and the wash/brush group. They all grabbed a calf and went to work. The wash group took their calf to the wash rack and learned “proper wash rack etiquette”  aka not giving your neighbor a shower. They also learned about rinsing without soap to keep oil in the hair, and when they did wash, what kind of soap to use.

They then were brought inside to me, where I helped them work the calves hair. We went through the different tools such as brushes and combs and which direction to get the hair worked. Then they used the blowers to blow dry it. This was slightly entertaining especially when I tried to get them to hold the blower hose in their left hand when blowing out the right side of the calf.

In the showmanship side they got to put what they had seen earlier to work, learning that it’s slightly harder when you are on the end of the rope. They learned about feet placement, how to move in the ring and how to be as smooth as possible.

That night we had speakers about hard work and dedication and also show ethics and being a great beef producer!!!! Wonder who taught that one??? They learned how to give their elevator speeches and also how to talk to consumers.

The next morning there was a practice show. Everyone did what they learned the day before in groups of five. The rest of the showmen sat in the stands and gave tips and critiques to the showmen. There was huge improvement not only in the kids but also in the calves after the weekend. And two of our heifers finished getting halter broke by the end of the day!

This was a great experience and I am so excited to see them showing in the spring and fall!

Rossie

You would be proud to know that I received a 99% on my sales presentation today. What did I sell???? BEEF OF COURSE! I asked about beef recipes but then realized I had a class right before my presentation time so I didn’t have any prep time for a steak. Instead I sold him the convenient beef jerky.

Now for a serious note. I am in Environmental Ethics right now and our assignment last week really opened my eyes to how my peers view the livestock industry. Our question was do you think eating meat is ethical? We should all be proud to know that all fourteen group members said that they believe eating meat is ethical. That means that they do trust our industry to a certain degree. But even though they all believe eating meat is ethical some had some pretty strong opinions about how the animals are raised.

People are confused about the industry

The main comments that disturbed me were “Watching any behind the scenes footage from a cattle ranch or a chicken coop you can see the absolute filth and disgust these animals live in.” “Animals are provided with the bare minimum to survive” and ” I am fine with local farms but I have no tolerance for the industrial farming where the meat is raised and slaughtered in bulk.”

I responded to these statements letting them know that we try to keep our animals in clean environments and keep them healthy and happy to make sure that they are getting the best product possible. I also debunked the fact that animals are provided the bare minimum to survive, we as farmers need our animals to be healthy when they go to harvest otherwise we won’t have enough product to stay a farmer  for very long. I also told them that we hate seeing the footage of animal abuse too, and might get even more upset than they do because they are giving our livelihood a bad name.  No animal should be harmed or made to suffer, as farmers we believe that to be very important. And for the last one, there are huge family owned farms, a lot of our consumers believe that if there is concrete or technology that the farm must be factory owned. But that is not true because we need these new ideas and innovations to be an efficient industry that can produce protein for the world.

I tried to respond to their concerns calmly and even invited them to my farm to show them that we care for our animals. It is our job as beef producers to spread the positive views of animal agriculture and let them know that we do not accept animal abuse in our industry and the people that are caught are being punished and we are ok with that. I want my classmates to say it is ethical to eat meat and not have any doubt in their mind when they go to the meat counter at their grocery store. We need to spread the word that we love our animals and want meat to be as safe as possible for the consumer.

The National Beef Ambassador Team has been having a great time in Nashville at the Cattle Industry Convention! We have learned so much and there is plenty more to come. Today we started off bright and early with Cattlemen’s College classes. The group split up and learned new advances in our great industry. One of the classes I went to was the Driving Change-The National Beef Quality Audit. I learned about surveys they have been taking of different segments of the industry, from feeders to retailers. We discussed the different views of the segments and their effect on our product. One statement that really stood out to me was that the different segments that deal directly with consumers believe that a huge strength of the beef industry is Food Safety. 

We also attended the American Cattle Women Membership meeting and got interviewed by Cattlemen to Cattlemen so look for us on RFDTV!!!

The general session was great! There were introductions and welcomes and then we heard from a very entertaining speaker. Marcus Luttrell, a Navy SEAL, has a book titled “Lone Survivor”. He told us about his experiences in combat but still through all that he went through he had an incredible sense of humor and kept everyone on the edge of their seats. It has been a great start to this convention and there is plenty of great information to come! If you are at the conventions and see a sea of red shirts stop us, we would love to interact with more beef enthusiasts!

There is a great new game on the Explore Beef Page! This is titled Cow Chow, Exploring What Cattle Eat. There is a short video exploring some of the concepts behind the cattle feeding program. Then the player is asked to “Get Started”.  The player gets to be either Farmer Jill or Farmer Bill and then the quiz kicks off. There is a short quiz that asks questions about the video that was just played and the happiness of the farmer and the points earned depend on how fast the question is asked and the accuracy of the answer.

Cow Chow

If the player gets a question wrong they are asked to watch a video further explaining the question and then they have a reattempt. This is a great way to learn a little bit more about what goes into the belly of a cow and is done in a fun and encouraging way. Teachers, this is a great activity to do with your class on a Smartboard because it is so interactive! Also State Beef Ambassadors, take advantage of these great tools in your next classroom sessions!

Props to the Explore Beef Team to go above and beyond in telling the beef story. It is great to get the beef story out there in a positive way and put a spin towards a slightly younger generation so they can feel included!

You can find the game at http://www.explorebeef.org/cowchow.aspx

RB

Hi there Beef Friends!

The holidays are over and everybody is getting back in the swing of things. Everybody has their new years resolution to be more proactive, plan ahead, get fit and so many other vague goals. I started classes on Monday and it already seems like I am bogged down with work. The 7 Habits that I learned last week are really coming in handy. I made a weekly plan for myself which mostly consisted of getting together materials for classes and settling into my new home. I have tried to stay on top of tasks and make them quadrant two (effectiveness) tasks so they don’t creep up on me and become quadrant one (necessity) tasks that are urgent and have to consume my attention right away.

Now for the fun part. I need your help in a project that I am working on. I am currently enrolled in Agribusiness Marketing and my first project is a one-on-one sale with my professor. He said that we could choose any product we wanted to make the sale. So what have I chosen to sell him? Beef of course!

So I need your help… I am planning on getting a time slot around lunch and serving my professor a delicious steak sandwich. So I need some awesome recipes for marinating my savory steak! If you have any ideas please comment on my blog. And of course it will be a buttered toasted bun for the bread of the sandwich. Any help would be appreciated and i will keep yall updated on my progress of the project!

RB