I feel the need to spread a little bit of sunshine on the blog today because that’s exactly what the weather has been like for us all week! Finally, a little sunshine and dry weather to bring some optimism to the farmers and ranchers as they harvest crops and wean calves. This afternoon, I’m planning to head out to the ranch to start working on a few bulls for upcoming consignment sales, and I’m really excited that the weather is going to cooperate while I’m at it. In the meantime, I have a new interview with an outstanding individual in the beef cattle industry that I hope you will enjoy.

Throughout the past couple of months, I have been featuring some of the nation’s most dedicated cattle producers through the BEEF Daily Blog. These folks are members of the Masters of Beef Advocacy Program (MBA), and they are trained to quickly respond to negative media messages and promote beef cattle production to consumers.

I’m incredibly excited because I was recently selected to present the social media and agriculture advocacy workshop at the MBA Commencement Ceremony in January at the 2010 Annual Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show in San Antonio, TX. I would love to meet some of you there, so be sure to complete the MBA program and make plans to attend the convention this winter! Producers wanting more information should contact Daren Williams at dwilliams@beef.org, 303-850-3346 or contact their state beef council.

In honor of the MBA program, I recently interviewed another standout: An Iowa beef producer who serves on the Iowa Beef Council, Scott Niess. Niess is from Osage, IA, and he was more than willing to discuss his diversified agriculture operation, as well as his experiences with the MBA program and sharing the agriculture story. Be sure to listen to our interview here.

BEEF Daily Quick Fact: There are four basic major (primal) cuts into which beef is separated: chuck, loin, rib, and round. (Source: Beef Facts Safety and Cooking)

Have you heard of Heifer International? One of my best friends is taking a non-profit organization course at South Dakota State University, and he was excited to tell me all about this program. Through the years, I have heard it mentioned in passing conversations, but I never really checked it out, but I’ve learned that there are exciting opportunities to do charitable work globally through the gift of livestock to families. Since 1944, Heifer International has worked to bring help, healing and hope to millions of impoverished families worldwide. In its first 65 years, Heifer assisted more than 10.5 million families in more ethan 125 countries. Heifer International works in the areas of livestock and agriculture to develop programs that alleviate hunger and poverty. Read on to learn more about this non-profit organization.

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This blog is beginning to feel like a tabloid as I report the ridiculous stunts the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) continues to pull to push forward their number one agenda of abolishing American animal agriculture. However, I feel its increasingly important for producers to understand and recognize the serious threat this organization poses for cattlemen. While most of their efforts are portrayed in the media as noble and earnest efforts on behalf of dogs and cats, we all know better than that. And, finally, HSUS has revealed a piece of their dark side to their supporters. In a recent rally held in Los Angeles, the Center for Consumer Freedom found their way in just in time to listen to HSUS President Wayne Pacelle present a speech that showed the true character of the organization.

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Former television game show host Bob Barker, who ended episodes of “The Price is Right” by asking viewers to spay and neuter their pets, donated $1 million to Drury University to establish a professorship on animal rights that he hopes will lead to a full undergraduate degree program, writes the Associated Press in their release, Bob Barker Donates $1M for animal rights professor. In discussions about this over the weekend, several questions were brought up: So, is an animal rights major the opposite of an animal science major? What actual science is presented in a program of study such as animal rights? What will these undergraduate majors feel entitled to do? Inspect farms? Develop a vegetarian society? Read on to learn more about the details of this educational program…

Barker, who graduated from the small liberal arts school in 1947 with a degree in economics, said Tuesday that he hopes the school will eventually be able to offer a program of studies that would train them to be animal rights activists and to respect animals.

“I think some students would become full-fledged animal rights activists,” Barker said. “Some will become lawyers and doctors who will always be interested in animal rights. And some will have more respect for animals.”

Last year, Barker gave the school $1 million to establish the Drury University Forum on Animal Rights, which led to an undergraduate course on animal ethics.

And, it looks like animal rights activists have been extremely busy over the weekend. Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts on the Humane Society of the United States, Ohio’s Issue 2 and more. Until then, have a great day!

BEEF Daily Quick Fact: The American Dietetic Association recognizes beef as a functional food that provides a health benefit beyond basic nutrition because of its Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) content, a fatty acid found naturally in beef. Recent research indicates CLA may play a role in cancer by inhibiting tumor growth and development. (Source: Debunking Beef Myths)

Today, my dad and I are headed up the road to Artesian, S.D. to help our neighbors wean their calves for today’s sale in town. I think it’s a great resource to team up with neighbors, whether it be borrowing equipment or sharing labor forces. Anyway, it has started raining again, and I think I’m going to be wishing I was back inside blogging instead of working cattle in the mud and rain; however, this blogging/cattle ranching business is truly a balancing act, and I feel very fortunate to be able to do both. Before I head out to the ranch, I thought I would share a conversation I recently had with South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service Veterinarian, Russ Daly. Daly, DVM, met with me last week to discuss this ongoing battle between the animal rights activists and farm and ranch organizations. The SDSU Extension Service is currently working on developing an outlet to share unbiased information about agriculture with consumers, and although they are still in the planning stages, Dr. Daly had plenty of thoughts on this particular subject. Read on to learn what he has to say about the animal care debate.

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It’s a busy day at our operation today. Later this afternoon, we will be loading up our sale cattle to market in town. For the better part of the last two weeks, we have been sifting through the calves to select our replacement heifers and the bulls we will market later this year through private treaty sales. We have a strong group of uniform calves this year, so it was really difficult to make additions to the cull list, but we eventually came to an agreement on which calves to keep and which to sell. You know, when things get busy at the operation, it can be difficult to focus on the larger issues at hand such as the upcoming election in Ohio where Issue 2 will be voted on. Issue 2 will establish the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, an effort that would show voters how much food producers care about their animals while helping to eliminate a destructive and aggressive assault from the Humane Society of the United States to Ohio communities in the future. So, I want to know why agriculture is all of a sudden divided on Issue 2?

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I’ll admit that, as of late, I haven’t been feeling exactly positive about the state of the beef industry today. What with the cold, wet weather conditions slowing up harvest and making muddy lots, it hasn’t been the best of times this past month. And, I’ll be frank and say that the market conditions don’t exactly encourage a young person like me to jump into this industry with both feet. Yep, it seems like I had lost my enthusiasm for the cattle industry, and I wasn’t sure when or if it was going to come back. However, yesterday I was out helping my dad do chores, and the sun was shining and the rain had finally stopped, and the only way to look was up. I couldn’t help but smile as we watched the calves belly up to the feed bunks to eat, and I was excited to see combines out harvesting as we were moving cows to another available grazing spot. I realized that although the weather and market conditions may not be ideal for us right now, there is hope for the upcoming years, and I’m proud to be a part of this business.

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Women in agriculture are unsung heroes. When a woman vows to marry a farmer, she knows she is also marrying the operation, too, including the cattle, sheep, hogs, crops, hay and all of the work that goes with it. When marrying into farm life, she knows she will have a life full of blessings and a life full of trials. Yet, she takes it in stride, making it look easy as she balances things like off-the-farm work, home, family, food, bills, records, busy schedules, laundry, gardening, community service activities and the list goes on. However, despite how the farmwife manages to conquer the day-to-day tasks with ease, the one thing that is often forgotten is her. Today, I want to remind farm women how greatly appreciated they truly are.

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Rain. Rain. Rain. It seems to be the theme for 2009. Some of you are begging for a drop of rain, and some of us are just wishing it would go away already. In South Dakota, we continue to fight the rain, trying to get the crops in and trying to work cattle in the mud. And, in my travels across the country and my email updates from readers, it’s evident that many of you are experiencing the same weather troubles. From drought to floods, is there a happy medium? If there is, which state is experiencing it right now? Today, I want to shoot the breeze like friends in a coffee shop. So, what’s it like in your neck of the woods? Inquiring minds want to know…

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At times, it feels like the general consumer doesn’t understand what we do on our farms and ranches. In the past few years, it has become evident that the public mistrusts the American farmer and rancher, which is unfortunate, because we have the same worries and concerns as they do. Like our consumers, we worry about animal care, the environment, food safety and sustainability. Yet, so often, the plight of the ranchers themselves is forgotten. Profitability, good health and a well-balanced lifestyle are sometimes hard to achieve in the 24/7 business of producing food, but it hardly seems like the media is ever concerned about that. However, this week in MSN Careers, Career Builder Editor Kate Lorenz identifies America’s Most Dangerous Jobs, and she lists the challenges farmers face in her countdown. Finally, a media source that remembers humanity and recognizes the hard and dangerous work farmers and ranchers do on a daily basis. Read on for an excerpt of her article… And, please remember to be safe and smart this harvest season. God Bless.

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