LMFAO Parody: I'm Farming and I Grow it!

This video is fantastic. Crystal.Cattle has some more information on these hip Kansas farmers, and I encourage you to read and follow her blog as well, if y'all ain't already. In the interim, watch the video and supposrt these young Agvocates in their quest to educate! Thanks and Gig 'em!

Determination

I am going to continue to eat the beef I produce. I will continue to relish every bite. I am also going to continue to show the world what it means to be a beef producer, what it means to live on a working farm, and just how good life is out here. Additionally, I will continue to debunk the myths and lies propagated by vegetarian associations about the production of livestock, while trying to remain as respectful as possible. It might get tough, it will be a lifelong fight, but it will continue.

I am an environmentally responsible, morally sound, kind, smart, funny and educated person. I take care of my livestock, and every year my family and I eat one of the steers we feed, and sell the others. They go to feed families in Calgary, providing safe, tasty, nutrient-rich Alberta beef for their tables. That is the process I am going to University to learn about. I will continue to support the Alberta Beef Producers, The Canadian Beef Breeds Council, the United Farmers of Alberta, the Canadian Cattle Association, 4-H Canada, FFA, The Canadian Limousin Association, The Alberta Limousin Association, and I will read the Alberta Beef Magazine every month for the rest of my life. I will eat meat or poultry every night for dinner, most days for lunch, and some mornings for breakfast, to support the people who also do what I love to do.

As far as I am concerned, I'm a lost cause for Vegans. They are, of course, forever welcome on this forum, to discuss every topic under the sun, so long as they remain respectful of my choices, as I remain respectful of ytheirs. Remember that, from where I sit, people like them cost me money every time I sell an animal. I respect their right to choose whether they eat meat or not, but I cannot tolerate them trying to "convert" (pardon the negative connotation that seems to have, but it fits) others under my watch and on my forum. So, as I said, they are welcome, their comments are welcome, as are their thoughts. But, their attitude toward the good people who provide the world with protein needs to be checked at the door.

To leave you with proof that Livestock producers as a whole are not the monsters Vegetarians believe we are, here is a quote from "Keeping It Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl."

"Nearly one-half of cattle farmers and ranchers volunteer with youth organizations, and more than one-third donate their time to other civic organizations, compared to a national average of seven percent of all Americans." Obviously we are not only farmers and ranchers, but we seem to hold the world together with our general want to do what is right.

Thanks, Gig 'em, and please come back soon. Posts are generally two weeks apart or so.

Posted in response to comments on the "New York Times Meat" article

Bugs are Organic, Too!

I was picking up some groceries for my Mom on Tuesday at the local Calgary Co-op.  Whilst I was perusing the asparagus spears, I overheard a mother scold her 10 year old daughter: "Don't get the organic broccoli, it always has nasty little bugs in it!" That got me thinking on just how sheltered and protected from nature most consumers really are.

So what?

Insects are a part of life. When the number of species in the Phylum Arthropoda outnumbers the species in the Phylum Mammalia on an estimated millions-to-one ratio, there is really not much we can do to avoid them all together, try though we may. However, God forbid a housewife should find a fruit fly in her pears, or small green caterpillars in her lettuce, or little midges in the broccoli. That's a terrible thing. Granted, there are some insects we would rather not have in contact with our food for their reputation of harbouring stowaway bacteria and dirt, like cockroaches and houseflies and such.

Organic is supposed to be better for you. No pesticides, no herbicides, no chemicals (stop rolling your eyes, some consumers believe it is possible). So, if no chemicals are used, pests are allowed to propagate uncontrolled, and what was one cutter worm per lettuce head becomes two dozen. Well, there is no possible way to guarantee that none of those worms would survive harvest and transport. The bugs will make their way into the food supply. And hey, so what?

They never hurt anyone, and they don't eat much...

Being a farm kid, raised around cattle, I am not very dirt shy. Most urban Calgarians would faint at the thought of not washing carrots fully before eating them. I personally find that the dirt in the rings on a carrot give it an excellent flavour. The things I have eaten at cattle shows (where we have an odd attraction to finger food and a strange aversion to hot water and soap) would probably make the health insurance companies run for the hills when I come knocking. As it stands, I am probably mildly resistant to a pretty good dose of E. Coli as a result of nine years  of "brushing the dirt off" at cattle shows before eating my burger, or my sandwich. A speck in my iced tea? Flavour. A spot on my lettuce? Character. A little green worm on my broccoli? A mild annoyance. It's nature, and so are we.


Bottom line is, bugs are everywhere, and so is dirt. It would be considered unreasonable to clean and scrub and de-bug every vegetable and fruit in the grocery store. One is bound to pop up every now and then. When it does, pick it off, wash your fingers if you have too, and carry on. Move on people, they're just bugs. Keep it quiet or everyone will want a fly in their stew...  

Meat Glue

Just shake your heads, producers. The Foodie Good-Shoes out there have cooked up (pardon the pun) another scheme to scare people away from meat. Meat Glue. Used every day in the meat industry for years. But, since they won a battle with the pink slime deal, this is their logical next step. Here is a link for more information discrediting the Anti-Meat Glue propoganda: Meat Glue is the New Pink Slime

Wordless Wednesday

Perhaps not entirely appropriate, but an activity not unknown to cattlemen and livesock producers the world over.  Although the inter-species twist is rather interesting...  What is better than a bacon cheeseburger?  TWO BACON CHEESEBURGERS!  I had to.  I am so sorry. 

Texas-isms

"Texas, our Texas, All hail the mighty State. Texas, our Texas
So wonderful, so great!" -State Anthem

The Great State of Texas, as it is known to its habitants, or Texas, as it is known to everyone else, has many things to be proud of. It is the largest of the lower 48 states. It was once its own country, and it has its very own brand of rough, tough, real-stuff, god-fearing, Yankee-disliking folk. Most are German. Or Czech. It has one of the best food genres ever created: Tex-Mex. Who doesn't love a good burrito? It's home to NASA, the American Quarter Horse Association, the Rio Grande, the Guadalupe Mountains, Live Oaks, Copperheads and Water Moccasins, Scorpions, Cacti, Texas-sized Rats, Roaches and Rattlers, as well as many a Texas-Shaped waffle iron. The people are as diverse as the environment, and the state is so huge that it even has two distinct dialects: A West Texas Drawl and an East Texas Twang. It has taken a while, but I have finally figured out the difference and can place a person based on their accent now. It's a skill, believe me.

Bluebonnets. I think they're weeds, but I would never tell
a Texan that. Liable to get hanged, them's fightin' words.

Being such a large and special state, Texas has developed its own words and interpretations of words. It's fascinating to have a conversation with a Texan. All they talk about is Texas and Texas things, and then they go and put Texas words in there while they're talking about Texas and Texas things, and before too long the out-of-stater is completely baffled. So, if any of you will be visiting the Great State of Texas in the near future, make sure you look out for these words and phrases:

· Howdy: Do not be alarmed. This is a friendly greeting all over the state, but it is used in the most concentration in the areas around College Station, where the Aggies grow. Return it, wave, or nod to acknowledge their greeting, or they will tag you as a Northerner for sure. 

· Restroom: If you are a Canadian, never use the word "Washroom". You will promptly be given a quizzical look and directed to the nearest Laundro-mat. It's a restroom, though I haven't the slightest idea as to why- I have never used it to rest. Ever.

Snakes. Everywhere.

· Fixin': This is a word used to indicate the intention or current action of an individual. Rarely is it used in the normal context of, "I am fixin' the sink." Rather, its most common use is, "I was fixin' to head on out to the Wal-Mart, if ya need anythin'." Or, "I am fixin' yer dinner, ya flea-bitten lout, now git off yer butt and git yer own cool beverage!"

· Might-could: As odd as this phrase is, it is actually used now and again, especially in a rural area. It means, "You may be able to..." as in, "I might-could go dancing tonight, if mah truck will start."

· Awhalgo or Whalgo (Ah-Wall-Go or Wall-Go): Literally a brand new conjunction for the phrase, "A While Ago." This one will get you every time, guys. Be prepared for it, they all say it, none of them notice it.

I wasn't kidding. These are everywhere, too.

· Uh-Huh: While we northerners prefer real words in affirmation of our recent verbal outpourings, in Texas a simple "uh-huh" will suffice. It is quick. It is lazy. It is so easy to fall into, you won't be here a week before you, too, start saying it with gusto. Proper usage is key, so make sure you aren't sticking it in every sentence like a madman.

· Turd-Floater: A rain so hard that the poops in the pastures float away. It happens.

· Bless their Heart: You can say any number of nasty, horrible, gossipy, not-very-nice things about pretty much anyone so long as you premise it with "Bless their Heart." Useful when talking to people who are friends with someone you strongly dislike.

· Y'all: Perhaps the single most-used conjunction in the entire state, y'all literally means "You All." Texans use this for everything, from greetings to threats. They might double up and say "All y'all," which means, as you can only imagine, "all you all." While it makes northerners cringe, it is again one of those words that can so easily slip into one's vocabulary. I am now a regular Y'all-er, though to my knowledge I have never said "all y'all," at least not yet.

Well, that is a crash course in Texanisms. I hope you find it useful and informative. NOTE: This is NOT a comprehensive list of Texas Talk. I am not liable for any misunderstandings.

Have a good day, y'all!

I Wanna Go Home

Beautiful prairie near Indus, Alberta. Home.

"I wanna go home, I wanna go home, Ohhh how I want to go home..."- Bobby Bear
It appears it's that time in this semester. The prospect of home is only a week and a half away. I love Texas, I don't really want to leave my new friends, acquaintances, my new bros or brahs. I am not looking forward to a few more weeks of rainy, cool Alberta spring weather once I do land in Calgary. But oh, how I am ready to go home.

The Tex-Mex will be sorely missed

Until you move away, I guess it's hard to  understand how good you have it at home. Free food, at a real dinner table, with your immediate family. A comfortable, also free, bed to sleep on in a room of the house all to yourself, a room that is always at a comfortable, stable temperature. People who know you and understand you and yell at you all the time. You know, that mental image of home that everyone who has left has. I want it back.

Oddly, I miss seeing our nice red CP & CN locomotives

I would like to think that there are few things that make the prospect of home so exciting. One is my family and all the squabbles and conversations and laughs that come with living in the same house. Another is the sheer familiarity of everything: I don't need a map or a GPS to find the next town over, I probably know who just drove by and waved, I never need to actually stop and use the sun or wind to tell me which direction I am headed. Another still is the prospect of getting the hell out of this city. I am certainly never going to be a city dweller, not even a small city like College Station, Texas. The constant noise, the never ending sirens and yells and horns and motorcycles and trains and PEOPLE. People everywhere, all the time. Eating with new people. Walking with new people. Peeing beside a different person in the same bathroom every time I use it. I know none of them (especially the random dude in the washroom-that's a no talking zone), and I never will. I need wide open spaces every now and again, as in a population density of less than two people per square mile.

I will miss the Lone Star State- Especially the accents

The city is a good place to be from, and a swell place to visit. It's fun, and fast, and loud, and it has variety. But it certainly isn't for me for long periods of time, and I am just about to the end of that line. I miss my cattle, I miss my dog, I miss highway driving for hours and hours and not seeing anything other crops. I miss Degrees Celsius (I'll have to adjust back to that), kilometres per hour (that too), kilograms and litres of fuel.

Home

But, having said all of that, I am beginning to panic a little at the prospect of going home. We have a noted absence of Tex-Mex food in Alberta, we don't know what a crawfish boil is, there is no such thing as sweet tea and very few really good pecan-anythings. We drive slower, we talk faster, and we don't, generally, even know what Aggieland is or how to get there. So, as the saying goes, I wasn't born in Texas, but I certainly got here as fast as I could. I'll be loading up on Spanish rice, refried beans and burritos (Please pray for my roommate during this smelly time), drinking gallons of real ice tea, and trying to smuggle a whole suitcase of of pecan tarts across the border for summertime enjoyment. I love Texas, but for now I love Alberta more, and I am ready to be Alberta Bound. I am sure that by the time the summer is nearing it's end I'll be singing, "I can't see Texas from here, I can't see Texas from here, no matter how I try-y-y it makes me want to die-y-y, so if you see me looking down I'm tryin' not to show this frown..." -George Strait But I'll be back, Mr. Strait, I'll be back.

Child Labour

So, the US government is poised to make a monumental mistake. The Obama Administration is pushing a bill through Congress that will make child labour on family farms illegal. Individuals under 18 years of age could not work for recompense in places like grain elevators, auction markets, livestock exchanges, feed yards, grain silos, grain bins, etc. First off, the level of government intrusion here is massive. It is my own opinion that the government has no authority over what children can or cannot do for their families in regard to rural lifestyles. This bill passes all boundaries of privacy for rural, hard working Americans, and goes to the level of telling an Auction Mart operator his son or daughter cannot work pens or clerk a sale until they are a legal age.

Rosie Templeton, of The Absolutely Agriculture Blog,
 doing work that may become illegal in the USA.
http://www.realagriculture.com/2011/06/does-4-h
-desensitize-kids-to-killing-a-4-h-alumnis-response/

This is a prime example of how urban, modern politicians simply do not understand the lives of rural constituents. It makes it very obvious that the American governmental machine is forgetting its rural routes, forgetting the demographic that provides nourishment to the people of the nation. A bill such as this was never even dreamed of in decades past, when the farming family was a picture of success. Farming is not a two-person endeavour. It is simply not possible to make money with only spouses participating, so children are put to work when they reach an age that is deemed appropriate by their parents. Most rural kids start to help when they are around 12 or 13, respectable ages for an education in work ethic, business practices, and the workings of a farm or ranch.
The next part of the rebound from this bill is the kids themselves. Many rural kids have started to tell the government that this bill is ludicrous at best. They claim that the education they received from their parents often was more practical and useful than what they learned in school. The emphasis placed on work ethic is what has allowed kids like myself to get where we are: in colleges and universities across the continent, learning every occupation under the sun. Our farm education, from working for Mom and Dad, is absolutely irreplaceable. But that seems to be exactly what the US Obama Administration seeks to do.  

Calvin and Hobbes on Eating

I felt that this was a relevant comic to yesterday's article:

Tell "The Times" Why it's Ethical to Eat Meat!

The New York Times, a renowned news source all over the world, is asking for submissions. The question they have posed is a difficult one. One that I have never considered. One that I feel I have the answer to, but have no way of communicating my feelings logically. "Why is it ethical to eat meat?" It's a doozy of a question, that's for sure. The arguments against eating meat based on ethics are incredibly strong, and, I must admit, make certain amounts of logical sense. But there must be some reason why we eat meat. Something way down tells us that the activity is OK, and I have never questioned my moral integrity after tucking in to a beautiful New York or Tenderloin. Why? I don't know. It isn't taste, which does keep me coming back, it isn't the need for meat, though I do have cravings here in University. Why don't we feel the same remorse for the animals we consume as we feel for the people we may kill in wars? It is definitely a troubling question, very troubling and difficult to answer. If you think you have it, I encourage you to submit it to The Times for evaluation. I know I will if I have my epiphany by the deadline. It appears that the Pro-Meat arguments are only just beginning, after at least three decades of pro-vegetarian hounding.  So, I ask you all to please comment with your thoughts, and visit the link to read the article from The Times. Tell Us Why It's Ethical To Eat Meat

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/magazine/tell-us-why-its-ethical-to-eat-meat-a-contest.html?_r=2

The End of the Whirlwind

I can't believe it's been nearly three weeks since I blogged about the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the International Livestock Congress. I guess time flies when you are having the time of your life! These last ten days have been a whirlwind. I want to recap with you all the events of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Beginning with Wednesday, March 7th, those five days are as follows:

The best interns came from A&M, of course...

Early Wednesday morning headed into Houston, only to arrive bang on at rush hour. Poor planning and no forethought aside, rush hour turns Houston's 610 beltloop freeway into a never ending parking lot. No joke, ladies and gents, it took nigh on 2 hours to go the 14 miles I needed to traverse before I got to my exit. And there was no sign of the reason for the delay. None. That’s a pain right there. Anyway, after I extracted Christine (Dad named my truck) and myself from the freeway fray, I unerringly found my way both to my downtown Houston Hotel accommodations AND to Reliant Centre, where the HLSR was under full swing. I say unerringly, but I had some help from Nuvi (I named my GPS). She yelled and hollered and barked orders for the entire trip, but she and I made it all the way, together. So I arrive at the rodeo grounds, find the Superintendent’s office, and meet my fellow interns. There were six of us altogether, four from Texas A&M and two from that other school: Texas Tech. We eyed each other warily for a bit but essentially each school found the other to have sent reputable individuals, so it was quickly down to work. The first thing we did was check the entries for errors or grounds for disqualifications. Sounds like a not bad job, easy, quick, right? Nope. Wrong. While there were six of us interns, there were 2000 heifer entries. That’s a whole damn bunch of little names, little tattoos and little birthdates on a spreadsheet being compared and contrasted with names, tattoos and birthdates on each entry's registration paper. I had a headache and sore eyes when I finally turned the last page of the Simbrah papers and declared myself finished. It only could go up from here, I thought. I was wrong.

They sent us back to the hotel around five pm on Wednesday afternoon, to freshen up, nap and eat. We were given an address before we left and we were told to be there at ten pm Wednesday night to begin the staging of trailers for unloading. Dutifully, we arrived at the given coordinates to find an astonishing sight. Trailers lined up 20 deep and six or seven rows across, in a wide open gravel parking lot in the middle of nowhere. One of the superintendents took three of us interns, one of which was me, gave us a green card and an orange card, both of which needed to be written on by us, and instructed us to visit each truck, in order, and give them a green and orange card. This didn't sound so daunting at first. We started at around ten pm, six or seven rows of approximately 20 trailers was around a hundred and forty vehicles, divided by three was 46.6 trailers each. Nothing, really. Again, I was wrong. Those trailers were only the first bunch, and were soon followed by hundreds more. Each needed two cards, and by now we had lost the young lady we were working with, so it was only two interns. We did get some moderate help from a group of volunteers, but until they figured out the pattern they more of a hindrance than a help. Finally, the last trailer pulled out at around three pm Thursday. That means that the other intern and I had walked for seventeen hours, and I had been wide awake for almost 36 hours. My feet had been reduced to bloody stumps, there were holes in the bottoms of my shoes, and I was covered, head to toe, in a fine talcum of gravel dust. It was awesome.

If I remember correctly, we finally were allowed to sleep at about 8 Thursday night, and by god, sleep we did. It was an early morning though, up at 5:30 to get to the grounds through traffic by seven. Friday started the shows proper, and I started the day in the office dealing with all manner of problems and concerns from the FFA, 4-H leaders, and Parents of the juniors. I never once talked to an irate or upset Junior member. Considering that there was around 2000 of them, that’s pretty damn impressive. And the parents just need to calm down. It'll all be OK! Typically the kids knew what was going on and how to deal with problems better than I did. I couldn't take much more of being some east Texas Mother's emotional punching bag, so I jumped on the chance to escape into the showring. The first show I was a ringman for was the American Registered breed show, or the All Other Breeds with Brahman Influence. Lots of odd looking cattle in that show, good in their own right, but weird looking to me. Next was the largest show, the Beefmasters. 47 entries in the first class was a lot of cattle to keep moving and organized. Over Saturday and Sunday, I ringed six more breed shows and the Supreme Champion show. I walked all over both rings, which were covered in bright green shavings. These shavings dyed everything The bottoms of my boots, the cuffs of my pants, the corners of my eyes, and other more unpleasant places like the insides of my ears and nose... I was a leprechaun from the inside out.

In short, however, it was a fantastic five days, I made awesome contacts, had a lot of fun, and saw some pretty fantastic cattle. Would I do it again? Most certainly!

International Livestock Congress 2012-CALGARY!!

www.ilccalgary.com/

The International Livestock Congress is coming to Calgary, Alberta in August 2012. The best part is, it's being held less than five miles from my home, at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino in Southeast Calgary. The better part is, they are awarding 20 bursaries to  young, aspiring beef producers and agricultural product and service employees and leaders.

So.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ansc/news-events/archived
-news/international-livestock-congress-calgary-2010

I will be applying for this fantastic opportunity, and you should too. I do love a good competition. The bursary offers an all expenses paid trip to Calgary for three days, a room in the Deerfoot Inn, and three days of conferences, round table discussion, networking, and education on all things about and around Beef. If I know Canadian cattlemen, there will be plenty of beef on a bun, roast beef dinners, hamburgers, and steaks, too. I do not know what exactly the key note speakers, discussions and sessions will cover, but I can tell you that it will be beef, it will be informative, and it will be fun. If you qualify for a bursary, it could even be completely free!

That all being said, I am vibrating with excitement for this fantastic opportunity. If you would like some more information about the ILC, you can visit their website, where you find dates, applications, and more. Their Itinerary is pending, and expected soon. The URL is.

http://www.ilccalgary.com/default.htm

On another, equally as exciting note, I am geared up and tense with excitement at the prospect of Interning at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo next week. Starting on March 7th, I will be at Reliant Park, helping to run the Junior Beef Heifer Show. The HLSR hires around a hundred interns every year, sourcing most of them from the greatest university in the state, and therefore the greatest in the country, and THEREFORE  the greatest in the world, Texas A&M University. That doesn't downplay my Canadian-ness, though so don't worry. They also source around a dozen from that other university in Lubbock, Texas Tech University. This year I believe there are some kids from a community college somewhere in Texas, but I can't remember. While the majority of us are working livestock shows, interning with veterinarians, and doing drug testing on class winners, there are also some media interns working with press, covering the events that take place.

Champion Limousin Heifer 2009
http://www.lawrencefamilylimousin.com/winners.html

Champion Junior Steer 2011. Sold for $350,000, shown by Koby Long
http://showmaxxcattle.com/champions.html

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the worlds largest fair event. According to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, the 2011 edition of the HLSR recorded 2,262,834 visitors over the three week event. Considering that the population of the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area is roughly 4 million, that means that approximately half of the city turns out for the show. That is a lot of animal agriculture exposure. The HLSR attracts music's biggest stars, and George Strait (Go Figure), Garth Brooks, ZZ Top, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, KISS, and so many others have graced the stage after the rodeo each night. HLSR started in 1932, and was aimed at promoting the Gulf Coast area as a cattle market. 4 Million cattle lived in the area, but around 90% of production was shipped to the Midwest and Eastern Seaboard for slaughter and processing. The gimmick worked, though, because just 4 years later 50% of local production was marketed in Houston, then a city of 200,000. Incidentally, and not unsurprisingly, Texas A&M (Then The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas or TAMC [we aren't good with acronyms here]) had the Grand Champion Market Steer, which brought around $500 at sale. That pales in comparison to the 2011 Junior Champion Steer price, which was a staggering $350,000 for Koby Long, the 17-year-old junior who raised the steer.

HLSR has grown immensely over the decades, and I am proud to be able to contribute in it's 80th Anniversary edition. for more information, visit www.rodeohouston.com.  



So God Made a Farmer

And on the 8th day God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody to get up before dawn and milk cows and work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer.

I need somebody with arms strong enough to wrestle a calf, yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry and have to wait lunch until his wife is done feeding visiting ladies and then tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon, and mean it.  So God made a farmer.

God said "I need somebody that can shape an ax handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, make a harness out of hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. And...who, at planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty hour week by Tuesday noon. Then, pain'n from "tractor back", put in another seventy two hours." So God made a farmer.

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop on mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbour's place. So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees, heave bails and yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink combed pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to mend the broken leg of a meadow lark. So God made a farmer.

It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed and weed, feed and breed, and rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk. Somebody to replenish the self feeder and then finish a hard week's work with a five-mile drive to church. Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who'd laugh and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life, "doing what Dad does". So God made a farmer.

So God Made a Farmer, recited by Paul Harvey. Author Unknown.

Bienvenidos a Aggieland!

In the well over a month it has been since i last wrote here, many things have happened. I of course apologize for the extended absence, and hope that I can better keep up with this thing they call a blog.

The Aggieland Water Tower and the Sbisa Dining centre

As of August 11, 2011, I have lived, breathed and eaten (literally- the wind came up one day and blew dust in my mouth) everything that is Aggieland. I attended fish camp, a whirlwind four days of yelling, sweating, laughing, yelling, sleeping yelling and cheering. I have shopped in this town of College Station until i thought that i could walk it in my sleep. And, most importantly, I spent four days on the road with my dad, driving all the way from Calgary, Alberta Canada to College Station, Texas, USA. Dad has long since flown home, and i am left with nothing to do but write to you all about my most recent and by far my largest escapade.

The Academic Building in the middle of campus. The gentleman standing in front is Sullivan Ross,
affectionately referred to as Ol' Sul Ross or Sully. He is a past president of the University, and if you place a penny at his
feet he will grant you good luck on your exams. I believe that i have about ten dollars I will be converting into pennies! 

First, a little history of the school. Texas A&M was founded in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, or TAMC (I have also learned that they are not so good at acronyms here). It was an all male school with mandatory enrollment in the Corp of Cadets, and it had only six students in the first year. They slept in tents on campus and attended class in makeshift rooms. From these humble beginnings, TAMC became TAMU, and while the A&M doesn't really mean Ag and Mechanics anymore, the letters where kept in the title for posterity. Now a bustling school of 49,000 students, male, female, white, black, international, out of state, corps members and civilians, TAMU has become a universally renowned school of research, a centre for the arts and culture of the western countries, and a place where countless students and alumni call home.



This is the Century Tree. I don't exactly hos old it is but, man, this is one old oak tree. Superstition states that
if you walk under the tree with your true love, you will be together and happy forever. But, if you walk
under it alone, you will remain alone forever. Needless to say, I steer pretty well clear of this tree for the
time being. However, that little bench has seen more proposals than the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Phew... What a Week!

Its over. All in all, Summer Synergy was a great success for me, and for many of my fellow livestock exhibitors. While not everyone is able to take a prize or a ribbon home (it isn't peewee hockey, you know), everyone can take away a new skill, a new friend, and even new confidence. For myself and many of my friends, we were fortunate enough to take away scholarships, some got $1000, some $2000, and some, like myself, upwards of $3000. The Calgary Stampede, and all of the associated sponsors, made this great event possible. Without sufficient sponsorship, livestock shows like this would come crashing to the ground, or never occur in the first place. A huge shout out to the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, The Olds Agricultural Society, Alberta 4-H, Olds College, Bella Spur Innovative Media Inc., Alberta Lotteries, The RBC Foundation, AFSC, Meyers Norris Penny, and so many more like Ted Jenkins and Family, thank you so much. Thanks for supporting youth in agriculture, thanks for supporting the future of agriculture, thanks for supporting the future of food in a growing world.

Since I have been away from you all so long, I figured that I would let you know just what is happening here on the farm. Last Friday, Dad knocked about 20 acres of hay down, all of which we plan to make into small square bales. All was well, for a couple of days, but the humidity slowed the drying process and led to a very bad event for hay-making: Rain. Two thunderstorms rolled through on Tuesday night, depositing 3/4 of an inch of wet water on our lovely hay. Things that make you say S%!t . So now, here I sit, waiting for the hay to finish airing out, and writing to you all. Maybe I will manage some pictures this afternoon. I'll post them if I do.

Until Later.

Moving Out

I discovered that I am a terrible picture taker. Not so much in the skills I have with a camera (which suck, by the way), but more with my apparent lack of forethought as to what I am doing and whether there may be any mediocre pictures to be taken. As the title suggests, something moved out yesterday and today. Alas, it isn't me (I get to leave in August), but most of our cattle have moved on to greener pastures.

Even with all the rain we have received this year, a 20 acre pasture is not enough for 23 or 24 hungry momma cows and their calves. Almost all of the main herd went to Turner Valley in two separate convoy trips, last night and early this morning. This is to give our pasture a rest, allow it to recuperate and grow back some before the fall and the return of the cows. While our pasture is by no means spent this year, this annual activity started back in 2007, when we had a long, dry, and very cold spring. We had no pasture, but a friend, Muriel Dais, did. So we loaded up everyone who wasn't a show cow and shipped them off to Turner Valley Alberta. Their pastureland is located on a quarter section of land all in pasture, with the house and the yard located on top of a south and west running hill. Needless to say, our cattle easily have a 2 or 2.5 million dollar view, as their western slope looks right trough a valley to the not-so-distant mountains. The landscape is absolutely stunning. With all this natural beauty and wonder around them, the cows are constantly milling around, looking for the best place to...eat more grass. Heads down, mouth going, paying no heed to the majesty of the Canadian Rockies.

Linking back to the opening sentences, it is difficult to take a bad picture at Mountain Park Ranch. Unless, of course, if you haven't got a camera. However, Bernie Brown, western pencil artist, once did a drawing of some of Muriel's cows out to pasture, which captures their view equally as well.

"At Home on the Range" by Bernie Brown. You can view more of his pencil art at www.berniebrown.com

The End is Nigh

Not really, but tomorrow marks the last day of judging for the Marketing component of Summer Synergy. That also means that Summer Synergy and Stampede are only 10 days from commencement! Thanks to all of you for being stalwart readers of my agriculture adventures. Though I plan to continue this blog, it may start to come at you from the angle of a maroon-blooded Aggie, rather than as strictly an agricultural blog. With the start of Summer Synergy so near, it has drawn my attention to the fast-approaching day of my departure for Texas. As of the last day of the show, I will have only three weeks to make good all debts, organize my personal belongings, and say final farewells to those of you who I won't see again for another four years, if ever. Thanks for supporting me in my quest for a scholarship. Thanks to all the sponsors who may be reading this for making this competition possible, and thanks for eating beef and keeping us all just slightly out of the red!

Till Later, as this is by no means a goodbye,

Cameron Olson
My Cattle World

The question is not, "Am I ready for Texas?", but is rather, "Is Texas ready for me?"

She Calved

Ladies and Gentlemen, children of all ages, may I present to you the first, the only, the premier, Beefmaster Influenced Steer Calf in Canada!!!

As they say in Texas, "Innee' Cay-yute?" He looks like he might blow away in a good, stiff wind.

OK, so he may not look that spectacular to all of you with his large floppy ears and sticky-outy tongue, but he is special to me and approximately 5500 American Beefmaster breeders in the United States. He is, as I mentioned, the one and only steer of his kind in the nation. Makes ya feel kinda small, eh?

He is possibly the start of a brand new trend in Canadian livestock. Or he is possibly the biggest mistake I have ever made. Whichever it is, I will learn from the experience of having him here!

Momma Beefmaster and Baby Beefmaster X Limousin

The Way Things Were

The cattle we have today are not the cattle they had 100, 50, 25 or even ten years ago. Fads have come and gone, styles have faded in and out, preferences have surfaced and been submerged.

An artistic rendition of the ancient Auroch
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auroch

The cattle of centuries ago were wild, untamed things living in the woods of Europe. It is a common belief that all modern beef cattle are descended from one species: the Auroch. The Aurochs were massive, temperamental creatures that populated most of eastern and central Europe, from the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains in present day Russia to the hilly forests of eastern France, down into the arid centre of the Iberian peninsula and southeast from the Middle East to the centre of the Indian Subcontinent. From the Aurochs, strains were developed, moved, isolated, hunted, domesticated, and finally developed into modern beef and dairy cattle. Breeds such as the Spanish Fighting Bull and other traditional European breeds still resemble the old Aurochs in all but stature. Two separate instances of domestication have been documented: once in the Near East and once in the Indian Subcontinent, both occurring at the same time, between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. These separate events gave rise to modern Bos Taurus (Hump less) and Bos Indicus (Humped) cattle, breeds of which have been purified and perfected over the Milena.

Bos Taurus humpless cattle evolved in Europe
http://oxy-genca.com/winners%20circle.htm

Over the centuries, tribes and populations domesticated their cattle and formed them into animals that best suited their regional needs. Some of the oldest records of domesticated cattle reside in the Lascaux Caves of France, where many separate breeds have been identified: Limousin (the oldest paintings), Salers, Blonde d'Aquitaine and others. Cattle spread throughout Europe and Asia, including the British Isles, and down into Northern Africa. For centuries, breeds were developed and perfected in complete isolation, allowing characteristics to become set in, styles to be developed, and purposes to be established.

Bos Indicus humped cattle evolved in India
http://www.brahman.org/brahman-information.html

By the time cattle made it to the Americas, on ships laden with Spanish Conquistadors, most modern breeds had been established somewhere in the world. The Conquistadors brought the cattle that would evolve into Texas Longhorns and similar North and South American types. Left to their own devices for three centuries, these cattle eventually formed the backbone of the United States cattle industry due to their ability to withstand the long yearly drives from the south west to the transport centres in Kansas and Iowa, where they were hauled by train to the slaughterhouses of the east.

In the 19th century, European cattle again made an appearance on North American soil. Aberdeen Angus, Scottish Shorthorns and Herefordshire Herefords were introduced, but looked quite different from their modern day descendants. The original British imports were quite small in comparison to the monsters that could be found on the European mainland. Called "belt buckle" cattle, they were as tall as a man's belt buckle, and would remain that way until the early sixties. The video below displays the typical height of these cattle, along with their blocky appearance and general squatness.

The sixties saw an era of change in the North American Cattle industry. With the increased amount of feed available for cattle, small and fat was no longer as desirable as the higher performing, larger made styles that were being "discovered" in Europe. These so-called Exotic cattle were muscular, they were long, they had growth and performance. The North American cattle industry was forever changed with the importation of Limousin, Maine-Anjou, Salers, Simmental, Blonde d'Aquitaine, Pinzgauer, and countless others. Cattle went from waist high to Forehead height in ten years, but they were all leg and no body. Sure their carcasses were fantastic and lean, but people can't eat leg bones and maintenance of such rapid growth was incredibly costly.

Some of these people can't even see the camera over the back of this Limo bull.

From this mistake forty years ago, cattle have slowly become more moderate in their height, thicker in their makeup, and infinitely more efficient in converting feedstuffs to muscle. The British breeds have grown, and the exotics have downsized. From magnificent beginnings as one of the largest bovine species in the world, cattle have evolved into functional, efficient, and tasty domestic animals.

The Stetson

Durable. Practical. Universally Recognized. The Stetson hat is all of these things and more, including being a necessary part of any cattleman's wardrobe. While Stetson is a brand name, just like all tissues are called Kleenex (whether they are or not), Stetson refers to any hat made in the western style. Also called Cowboy Hats, Stetsons were the brain child of one John B. Stetson, who set up the John B. Stetson Hat Company in Garland, Texas in 1865.

The cowboy hat is a piece of headwear designed to take some falls. Most are constructed of beaver felt, wool, or straw, and brim width, crown height, and shaping can vary from region to region and occupation to occupation. As the cowboy, range riding lifestyle has slowly died out; Stetsons have become more of a fashion accessory than a necessity. It used to be the wide brim kept the sun off your neck and the rain out of your face, and the crown was high enough to keep you cool in the summer and could be pulled down low in the winter. The shaping of the brim differed so greatly between cattlemen, outfits, ranches and regions that there is no one "right" style of brim, but personal preference must prevail in selecting the one right for you.

I have two stetsons that are for fashionable dress only, not to be worn daily, but with good reason. As my head is a rather large and irregular shape (7 and 7/8 hat size, to be exact, and rather egg shaped from frotn to back), all the hats I wear need to be custom made and shaped for my extraordinary cranium. This comes at a cost, just like anything else that is still hand made today. I prefer my hats to be very sharp in their shape, bent almost at a right angle over the temples. I think it gives them a cleaner, more modern look than the older styled, rounded bend hat brims.

This gent has a nice sharp shape to his hatbrim. from: http://www.stetsonhat.com/

Hat quality is a tricky matter. In decades past, hats were given a score based on the quantity of high quality beaver fur they contained, relative to other furs like rabbit, hare, and wool. For example, a hat that had a score of one X had substantially less beaver than a hat with a score of three (XXX). The hat with more beaver is also a lot more money than the one X hat. Nowadays, however, each manufacturer has their own way of scoring their hats, and there is no universal industry standard. Even some straw hats have X scores. My dad bought a hat from a custom hatter a few years ago which was 100X, or pure beaver felt. This hat cost well over $600. My good black Stetson is 20X, from the same custom hatter, and was about $450. I recently bought a 3X cream coloured hat for $210. While these prices may seem daunting to the layman, they are superior quality hats to the mass produced ones that are widely available in western wear stores across the country. The average Master Hatters of Texas or Resistol hat costs anywhere from $90 to $200. Straw hats range in price anywhere from $40 to $200.

Forever an icon of the West, the Stetson style hat is durable, stylish and universal.