The beautiful bride!

Ok - obviously I've been neglectful in my blogging. I have excuses I promise! :) September and October have become akin to the April I had this year, which was busy let me tell you. I was on the interview trail during April, so much so that I was only "home" 17 days out of the whole month. Yowza!

September was chock full of meetings, fields days, Mom's birthday (the big 6-0), more meetings, beef harvesting (butchering), the Lost Rivers grazing Academy in beautiful Salmon, Idaho and the wedding of an amazing lady to an amazing guy! I was home for half of the weekends in September. Again, yowza!

Turkey number 1 of 3:56 lbs of meat overall.

October has been a bit more laid back than September - I'll be home three out of four weekends. Ha! Meetings, coaching team members from Idaho's state 4H livestock judging team, again with more meetings, a full week of new employee orientation in Moscow on the University of Idaho's campus, poultry harvesting, and my first evaluation as a UI Extension Educator are all on the docket for October. By this time yowza might not cover it. :)

However, my freezer is full, my pantry is going to be full once I get all the produce I picked up in the Yakima Valley canned-up, I've gotten to visit with my equally as busy brother and sister-in-law and parents. My girls (goats) are bred and in 4.5 months the babies will arrive, milk will flow, cheese and yogurt will be made and the bottle feeding of day-old calves will begin. My other girls (dogs) are very happy I'm home (and so am I!) that they want to cuddle all the time. I get a temporary roommate in December (I'm hosting a local ag student teacher).

I am very thankful for the opportunities I've had to re-establish relationships with friends and family, as well as begin new friendships with people in the area. As busy, and a yowza, as my life gets, I enjoy it. But I need a nap! ;)

A coon hunting I will go...

Remember these guys? Cute huh? I started with 10 hens, 2 turkeys, 2 geese and 1 duck. They all grew well until the goats showed up and then I lost 1 turkey and 2 hens...squished by the goaties. Forgivable. The remaining birds were doing well, going through a bit more feed than I was expecting but well all the same. They were large enough to run outside for a supervised amount of time, then they were large enough to stay out all the time.


One day they started to mysteriously disappear! I initially thought it was my resident feral cats, so I started feeding the cats. However, the disappearances continued. Then one evening I saw something blob-like moving out in the yard. Running to grab my glasses I identified the culprits. RACCOONS!

I was unknowingly feeding (chicken feed, grain and unwittingly my birds) a family of raccoons. Oooo my temper got the best of me that night! I let the dogs out and ran outside yelling and flapping my arms, making a general raucous. I'm sure the neighbors were entertained. There mama and four babies scurried away and weren't much of an issue for a bit. I went about my business and was able to travel home for an extended weekend. The evening I pulled in my driveway there those damn coons were!

I kind of kept an eye on everything but wasn't seeing any missing birds until the spilled grain ran out. I bought a garbage can and put my grain in there with the lid bungee corded closed. This apparently sparked a revenge mentality in the coons, who then ate 2 of my remaining hens and my only duck! Oh hell no those lil bastards were not going to eat my entire fowl investment! Those birds were expensive!

So for the last two night I have been camping out in my TrailBalzer with "Old Betsy" otherwise known as my .20 gauge shotgun. The first night right at dusk the family appeared (minus mom who is MIA). They knew I was there because they curiously inspected my vehicle from a distance. They were kind of cute but I felt no remorse taking them out. Farm life at its best...you have to protect your investments.

I had a successful night that first night. I killed one for sure. I'll spare you the details but it took two shots. That's what I remorse about. If you are going to kill something, humanely with one shot is the best way to do it. I'm pretty sure I wounded one enough that it will eventually die, and perhaps another one. Three down and one to go...ok maybe two.

Unfortunately last night was not as successful. I stayed staked out until it was too dark for me to comfortably shoot. Sometime during the night I lost 2 more hens. I am down to one hen and one goose. I will be placing an order for more hens and a coop to keep them safe. I hope the coons don't decide to eat the goats next.

I'm thinking a spotlight might be a good idea too so I can get the remaining coons. :/

You may outgrow the clover but you never outgrow the experience....

Living and breathing within the agricultural industry (and all it's aspects), I tend to forget how many people out there are against "us." I was reminded this morning by Trent Loos and his Friday edition of Rural Route Radio, where he and his guests discussed a recent CNN blog questioning whether 4H desensitizes kids to killing.

Now in full disclosure, I was a twelve year member of 4H and I have been a 4H leader for 10 years now. My how time does fly! I was also an FFA member and stay current with my alumni chapter in Washington. That's roughly twenty-two years of raising, or helping raise, animals for the fair. I also did the home economics type stuff like cooking, sewing and bread baking. I carried about 7 projects for those years of 4H, and participated in many Career Development Events in FFA. I think you all are intelligent enough to understand the impact 4H and FFA had on my life, considering I am now an agriculture Extension Agent. :)

Getting back the the CNN blog and the point of my entry today. ... "Eatocracy" is the title of the blog. They recently did a feature on why you should buy your freezer hog (or other type of meat) from a local 4H member. I cannot say that these people are totally against 4H and it's educational model, but some of the people who read it are. This blog entry, "Does 4-H desensitize kids to killing?" uses comments from both pro-4H and anti-4H people, and both sides have valid opinions. Here is an excerpt from the blog entry:

"4-H stands for "Head, heart, hands, health" and apparently a fifth - for "haters." To many, 4-H Clubs are all about nurturing sweet little calves, adorable children winning ribbons, urban garden patches and proud future farmers grooming prized pigs for show. To others, it's a calculated system for turning the youth of America into cold, unfeeling animal killers."

This is truly what some people feel about 4H? When I read that paragraph I was appalled! How could such a wonderful organization have such a bad reputation with so many people? I actually learned more by participating in the 4H "Know Your Government" conference than sitting in a high school civics classroom. I am one of the few members of my generation who can sew, cook, administer first aid, comprehends food safety, can take some pretty cool pictures and can identify, diagnose and doctor a sick animal, and then some; And all this is because of my particiaption in 4H.

I want to clarify that the Eatocracy blog isn't totally bad. They did have a good article titled, "Five reasons to buy from your local 4-H." This article advocates utilizing the entire animal, sourcing your meat locally to cut down on food miles and 4H animals being some of the highest quality animals in the country. The blog entry we are talking about here is in response to reader comments generated from the 5 Reasons blog entry. This blog is acutally defending 4H and it's educational goals. Kudos for that! :)


Then I read further and realized it wasn't 4H the readers were upset with, it was the fact that people were harvesting animals for their omnivore diet. The reader's emotions and personal values were set to defame an amazing organization. Sad day!

"In cold blood - I don't and would never support the 4-H. This group helps desensitize youngsters into having no emotional attachment to animals raised for food. For those who say no one should have attachment to animals raised for food, I say "of course". This is how the meat industry stays in business. If children are raised to love all animals and not try to see them as products, they would not be interested in seeing them killed. "Listening to the auctioneer and seeing how excited the children get when their animal is purchased is an incredibly fulfilling experience."

Really? Incredibly fulfilling experience. You mean knowing the animal that trusted you from birth is off to be mistreated before being slaughtered! That's fulfilling? Maybe that's because the 4-H has successfully desensitized these children who may have once be appalled by this. It's simply horrific. Shame on you 4-H for what you do to animals and to children. - Heather King"

I wonder if this person is a vegan? Or perhaps they think bacon comes from the grocery store and not from hogs. I truly feel sad for this person that they never experienced all the things that I was fortunate enough to go through and learn in the 4H and FFA organizations. I can honestly say that you don't become desensitized. You become appreciative of the hard work it takes to raise that animal, treating it much better than simply humanely, and then are rewarded by a check and the companion animal on your plate. There is no substitute for growing and harvesting your own meat. And yes, I have harvested and butchered my own 4H animals. It's a tremendous learning experience, but one every person should have!

As an agriculture advocate, I realize I have not done a thorough enough job in my education of others! We all must take the time when we over hear a person in the grocery store or on the street saying something ignorant about agriculture. It's not their fault - they haven't been educated! Another commenter responded to the "In cold blood" entry with the fact that 4H is an educational opportunity not to be missed.

" Education, not desensitization - What 4-H does do is promote responsible animal husbandry and the cultivation of food resources in a responsible, ethical way. I accept your position that any killing of animals for food is, in your position, not ethical or moral, however most of us are omnivores and I for one would rather that those producing the meat I choose to eat do so in a humane and ethical way. I respect your position, but I would also hope that you would rather see people brought up to understand, and therefore demand, that there an ethical way to treat an animal even if that animal's eventual purpose is the nourishment of a human being.


Desensitization is the wrong word–education is the right word. These kids (I was one) are not at all desensitized to the process–rather, they are educated about proper raising and care of these animals. Not only was I a member, but growing up we also purchased meat and produce from 4H and FFA members–talk about locally sourced! We could be confident in the quality, origin, and raising of these products in a way we can rarely be in a supermarket. - Value rather than desensitization"

We all must work to educate others about what agriculture really is and how we, as farmers and ranchers, are the trusted stewards of the land. Now don't get me wrong there are bad seeds in every industry but with all the negative press about how agriculture is ruining the environment, we need speak up louder than the rest and tell people the good things that agriculture can and IS achieving. For example, the CRP prgroam (Conservation Reserve Program) even though it can be controversial takes steps towards preserving farmland at high-risk for erosion. Wind erosion alone causes 5.5 tons per acre of soil to be lost annually. This program helps to maintain and enrich the current soil levels. This is just one example of an agricultural program ushering in a new level of stewardship within the industry.

Take the time to educate others around you. Slowly and steadily the ignorance and bad attitudes toward agriculture will meet with what actually happens. You can't change every one's opinion but shining the light on reality may be enough to get them to think twice about agriculture.
             

"There are half as many farmers and ranchers today feeding a population that has more than doubled."

I would like to highlight "The Cattleman's Stewardship Review: Connecting Our Vision and Values" that has just come to my attention. It is a report that was funded by Beef Checkoff money and sponsored by the Cattleman's Beef Board and the National Cattleman's Beef Association. It discusses the beef industry's influence on communities, the economy, public health and the environment, and it turns out it's pretty interesting!

The world population is currently at 6.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, while there are only 742,000 farmers (USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture). According to the the review, there are half as many farmers and ranchers today feeding a population that has more than doubled.

The U.S. produces 20 percent of the world's beef while raising 7 percent of the world's cattle and they do this in a way to ensure quality. The report states, "it is estimated that farmer- and rancher-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) programs influence the handling and management of more than 90 percent of the feedyard cattle raised in the U.S. today. Due to these practices, the 2005 National Beef Tenderness Survey found an 18 percent overall improvement in tenderness since 1999 and three-in-four consumers say that they have a positive beef eating experience."

Another key accomplishment cited in the review is the cattleman's investment in safety. The U.S. cattle rancher and farmer invested nearly $30 million in safety efforts since 1993 and the whole beef industry invests $550 million annually to beef safety efforts. "Due in part to these efforts and others, there has been a significant reduction in foodborne illnesses, including reducing E. coli O157:H7 incidence to help meet the 'Healthy People 2010' goal of no more than one case per 100,000 people."

America's farmers and ranchers are extremely innovative. The review highlights this concept through "a Washington State University study, where each pound of beef raised in 2007 compared to 1977 uses 20 percent less feed, 30 percent less land, 14 percent less water and 9 percent less fossil fuel energy." The drive and creativity of those farmers and ranchers has lowered the carbon footprint of producing a pound of beef by 18 percent; pretty good for a bunch of cowboys huh?

In 2002 the USDA studied the major use of land in the United States. According to that survey about 587 million acres acres of U.S. land, which isn't suitable for raising other food, is used for livestock grazing. Forest-use land is 29 percent of land use in the U.S; grassland, pasture land and range land uses 26 percent; cropland comprises 20 percent; special uses takes up 13 percent; and miscellaneous land uses 10 percent. Surprising to this blogger is that urban land only makes up 3 percent of land use in the United States. I honestly thought this number would be higher considering the startling rate at which we, the farming and ranching community, lose land to developers.

Now we all know that the farming and ranching lifestyle is one to be embraced and treasured, but did you know the nearly one-half of cattlemen and women volunteer with a youth organization (that's 47 percent) and more than one-third (35 percent) donate their time to other civic organizations? Compare that to the national average of only 7 percent and I think it's safe to say that farmers and ranchers most definitely give back to their community. Over 84 percent of farmers and ranchers also contribute to their church.

If that wasn't evidence enough of a community with a giving spirit here are some more statistics: "nearly one-fourth of U.S. cattlemen and women have served in the military" which is significantly higher than the national average of only 14 percent. Also, 94 percent of cattlemen and women vote in "national, state and local elections; comparatively, only 64 percent of the general population votes. One-half of cattlemen and women have run for an elected office and 81 percent have been elected to serve."

Perhaps the next time someone says something derogatory towards farming or ranching you can quote some of these statistics. You can find out more by downloading a copy of "The Cattleman's Stewardship Review: Connecting Our Vision and Values" or watch stakeholder interviews discussing the beef industry's accomplishments by visiting Explore Beef.

Don't Forget to Feed the Chooks Bandicoot!

Howdy ya'll! I have been remiss in writing I know. Sad thing is no computer at home and no Internet their either. *tear* LOL I have been busy at work with cleaning the office (almost done), organizing (my fav...seriously) and working on programing for the upcoming months. My boss, Dave, was up here on Tuesday and helped finish cleaning the stuff out I couldn't lift. He's a very nice guy and we get along well. He's very lax and OMG trusts me to do my job, which as most of you know is a very welcome relief after the last two jobs and year I've had. I am thoroughly enjoying my job and meeting all the people. I do get lonely when I get home but I'm working on that too.

I signed up for a quilting class starting in September and plan to do one each time they become available. I joined the Zurich Garden Club which is full of people who are passionate about actually gardening and not the elevation of their social status. I participate in the Friday Zurich Farmer's Market. It's super tiny but people always show up to see what's there and it's another time to meet people and socialize. I've met Hillary M. and she's great - formerly of NY she gets the new girl thing and has some awesome thoughts along the same line as I do. Plus the Native like her a lot so that might help me in the long run but mostly she's just a cool chick to talk to! :) Another lady, Laurel, owns the coffee shop in Chinook and she's a spunky gal...I like her too! With the frenzy of haying season swiftly followed by wheat and barley harvest it'll definitely be late fall before the neighbors get around to visiting. I have much to do in the house yet so that is OK with me. Speaking of the house - there are some Heuterite girls coming tomorrow to scrub the house from top to bottom. They are well worth their $15/hour in my view. One less thing I have to do! :)

I mowed the inner lawn Tuesday night which turned out to be a good thing because it rained almost all day yesterday. I'm telling ya; I hardly have to water my veggies at all! I got a single bloom on my sugar pie pumpkin yesterday but without other blooms I think he probably won't germinate! the winter squash wheelbarrow is growing like crazy; however, the summer squash BBQ is lagging behind - not enough warm weather for them I guess. My hideous strawberry planter got moved into a more sheltered spot and is again producing strawberries. For first year plants they are doing amazing in the production department. I went "junking" in the out buildings and came up with three more containers and a cast iron bath tub that I resolve to use somehow. I just need to wrestle it out of the grass.

Snake update - since killing that last one I've only seen one snake (he was big for a water snake) but he was too quick for me and the snake killer. Sadly he escaped under the house. Thank GAWD I do not have to go under the house much! LOL

I have decided to get some chickens. I am in the process of building a hen house for them to lay their eggs in and roost at night. Otherwise I just plan for them to run around and eat bugs. Get those grasshoppers under control! I heard of a lady who wanted to get rid of seven hens on Tradio (kinda like Craigslist but on the radio) and gave her a call. I will call her back after I get the house built - hopefully this afternoon - to pick up my Oscar White chickens. Seven hens is way to much for me; however, there is a bulk discount and ya never know when one or two will disappear. :/ Soo I will post pics of my hen house and chooks when they are done/arrived!

TTFN!

Playin' in the dirt is the way to spend the day!

Well I decided to take a break from packing, house hunting and just generally preparing for my move to play in the dirt a bit; specifically the garden.

These are some pics from my fun time in the dirt.....

So in this picture there is a lot going on. So from left to right there are some radishes, which aren't my favorite but mom likes to eat them.  We planted a lot of radishes and with all the rain we've had they are splitting so the ducks, chickens and turkeys are getting to eat them, which they like...a lot! There is also a lot of snow peas, the kind where you eat the pod and are my favorite. They are yummy for a stir-fry! This is about the last heavy haul and I'm thinking of freezing the rest of the harvest for stir-fry mixes in the middle of the winter. In the center of the pic is a few stalks of mint, which is beautiful smelling and mom is brewing some lovely iced tea from it as we speak...uh type. :) Also in the center are two scallions from our stock that are growing quite well. Behind the mint is our lettuce haul. It's the kind you cut and it grows back...it's nice and sweet too. Then the pretty colored mix is half spinach (yummy) and then oak leaf lettuce which you cut and then it grows back. I'm working on using more greens in my diet. I have horrible eating habits so I'm trying to fix that! :)

This is a nice bowl of strawberries from mom's strawberry patch, which my brother claims as his own. Sooo he gets to eat this bowl all to himself. We've been having some issues with something eating our strawberries. I think it's slugs or mice but who knows. We're going to but out some Seven and dust them to see if that fixes our problem. :)  

God  has been working wonders in my life lately and I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to play in the dirt with my mom today! Well that's all for me today. Hope you all have a great day! :) 

The Government as Seen Through Ears of Corn

"When, in some obscure country town, the farmers come together to a special town-meeting, to express their opinion on some subject which is vexing the land, that, I think, is the true Congress, and the most respectable one that is ever assembled in the United States"  -Thoreau

Ever notice how people who come from an agriculture background look at things a bit differently than those from the city? This is why I thought with all the public, and private, dissatisfaction in today's culture we might take a closer look at what we should really be focusing on - agriculture. I know this seems a bit out of sorts but if you really think about it, we truly should be concentrating on this because it affects every aspect of our daily, and political, lives.

One of the biggest media buzzes right now is the immigration reform Arizona has recently passed. If you look at this from an agricultural point of view, you can see former President Bush's guest worker program. The manual labor force required to put those cherry pie, T-bone steak, potatoes and milk on your dinner table is astounding! The state's $38 billion food and agriculture industry employs 160,000 people and contributes 12 percent to the state's economy. Nearly $14.8 billion in food and agricultural products were exported through Washington ports in 2008, the third largest total in the U.S. (WSDA) We have to face reality here and that reality is today's Americans do not want to work in the fields doing hard, physical labor. We need those who want to do the work and the guest worker program is an excellent solution to this predicament. Workers are recruited and brought into the U.S. to complete the job at hand and then sent home. This is the best solution I have seen, and the Washington State Farm Bureau supports this initiative. I strongly encourage you to do your research and contact your local and state representatives to share your views with them.

Another area we should be looking at from an agricultural viewpoint is homeland security. We need to preserve farmland to ensure we can feed ourselves in case of a national emergency. There are several ways to go about this but I feel the best way to do this is to make sure everyone knows where their food comes from. Milk does not come from the grocery store! People need to know how to grow a garden, as well. Basic steps to be able to feed themselves. It is my opinion Whitman County in Washington state is doing an excellent job of preserving farmland. Land owners are only allowed to divide their land into parcels no smaller than 20 acres. No one acre parcels for super, energy and resource sucking homes. Please also remember there is a difference between preservation and conservation. Preservation = continued, sustainable working of the land, and conservation = no use of the land what-so-ever. These are issues neither conservatives or liberals should fight over - if we cannot feed ourselves we are doomed to failure!

A third political issue we should be focusing on from an agricultural stance is environmental stewardship. Farmers and ranchers are the original environmentalists. They know they have to care for the land, replenish it and not overwork it, because they will be out of a lifestyle if the land isn't cared for. Spreading manure on your field isn't a new-fangled, organic way of thinking. Using fewer and less harsh pesticides and herbicides is not a new concept. Giving pigs and chickens run of the pasture to fertilize and aerate do not belong to a new way of thinking. These concepts all belong to the generations before us who farmed, ranched and cared for the land. People need to stop and think about how their actions will affect the soil, farming and ranching in the long run. And I'm not just talking about chemicals and farming practices, leave a place better than you found it. Put the neighbors horse manure on your garden instead of nitrates, use soap water instead of pesticides and take care of your natural resources. Follow the golden rule and leave a place better than you found it.

These are just three areas of today's political atmosphere when looked at from an agricultural viewpoint might work out to our advantage instead of causing civil unrest. Just some thoughts.