As I was driving to the Twin Cities this weekend to attend the Minnesota Beef Expo, the radio was nonstop news about a show pig that was infected with the H1N1 virus. Cheers to the one radio station that reminded consumers that 1) H1N1 has been incorrectly named the swine flu, even though it’s a virus that originates from people, birds and pigs, and 2) You can not get H1N1 from eating pork. However, every other report I heard on the radio or the news referred to it as both H1N1 and the swine flu. I don’t care if it’s easier to say, continuing to repeat the incorrect name because it’s convenient is absolutely destructive to the animal agriculture industry. My support goes out to America’s pork producers, and I have gathered some important reference materials for all of you to read and pass on in your email lists. For the last time, media, it’s H1N1, not swine flu. Thank you.
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I’m so excited to tell you about a new program that just launched last week! This program is called College Aggies Online, and it is a joint venture of the Animal Agriculture Alliance (AAA) and American National CattleWomen, Inc. (ANCW) that will connect college students from across the country who are interested in promoting agriculture by sharing their story. Participants will receive training and instructions from industry professionals and will enjoy access to a private forum (accessible at http://aggiesonline.ning.com) to post information about current and emerging issues facing farmers and ranchers. The online community will provide resources to students on key issues to help them better use tools such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to share agriculture’s story with the public. Get involved and join College Aggies Online, today!
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Today is Blog Action Day 2009 where thousands of bloggers in countries around the globe write about the same topic on the same day to make a difference in the world. This year’s topic is climate change, and I’m working hard to make sure agriculture has a voice in today’s big event. It’s sad really…of the suggested topics on climate change given to bloggers that registered for this event, the first idea was agriculture and the global impact food production has on the world. While we all know that farmers and ranchers are unfairly taking the blame for the world’s environmental problems, I’m going to work to share with millions of readers on Blog Action Day the real facts and figures about the foods we eat. Let’s get down to business and share the real story about American animal agriculture. Feel free to pass this link on through every outlet available: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, email, etc. We need to spread the positive message about beef, today!
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Since I started my agriculture advocacy work three years ago, I have made it a point to monitor the activities of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), an extremist animal rights powerhouse determined to eliminate animal agriculture and promote a vegan lifestyle for all Americans. Through my observations, I have noticed that most of the leaders and members within this organization have no real connection with God; in fact, many of them point out that they are atheists. To me, this makes sense. Because they equal the life of a human being to the life of an animal, it’s impossible to envision these folks as God-fearing citizens. In debates with HSUS and PETA advocates over the years, I have always been able to reference Biblical verses as proof that God created the animals for us to care for and for us to use as food. In their latest public relations stunt to manipulate money from consumers, it seems that HSUS is finally catching onto the game and are trying to create a Christian image for themselves.
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Last night, Larry King Live aired a segment titled, “Beef - Safe or Scary?” This segment opened up with testimonies from consumers who had contracted E. coli O157:H7 and have died or become paralyzed. NCBA and the American Meat Institute worked hard with CNN producers to ensure a fair hour-long segment on this subject. In addition to the scary, but rare, stories presented in the opening minutes of the program, alternative, scientific opinions were shared. Watch the video or vote in the CNN poll, “Do you eat meat? Yes or no?” As of this morning, only 73% of voters say they eat meat, so link here to participate now.
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It was certainly a late evening traveling back home from Ft. Smith, Ark. last night, but my adrenaline is still pumping with the excitement as the 2010 National Beef Ambassadors were selected yesterday! I had a fun weekend serving as their keynote speaker and judge for the event, and the caliber of young people who showed up to compete was incredible. I’m proud to say that after an intense weekend of media training, these ambassadors are equipped to represent America’s farmers and ranchers in their travels and on the online conversations. As many of you know, in 2006, I was on the National Beef Ambassador Team, a program that enlists youth to become spokespersons for our industry. It was one of the most formative years of my life, and I’m excited for this year’s team and the many opportunities that will come their way during the course of the year. After the awards program, I had a chance to interview the team of five whom will be traveling across the country on behalf of all of us beef producers, and I’m excited to introduce the team to all of you today!
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I’m getting on an airplane this Friday and heading to Fort Smith, Ark. for the weekend to attend the 2010 National Beef Ambassador Contest. I will be giving a keynote speech, as well as conducting a workshop on social media, and I’m so excited to catch up with old friends and colleagues and to meet the new ambassadors! As I prepare for my weekend adventure in anticipation of working with the next generation of agriculturalists, I thought I would share an excerpt from an email I received last week from a wise man in the older generation of producers. His carefully written advice and frank honesty of the reality of farming today really hit home for me, and I think today’s blog post should be all about advice given from one generation to another. We have so much to learn from one another, and I think this is the perfect forum to get that accomplished. So, if you could offer one piece of advice to the older or younger generation of food producers, what would it be? Please, leave your suggestions in the comments section. Read on for the email excerpt…
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Every farm or ranch has a story; some date back hundreds of years. I was looking through my arsenal of recent interviews and recordings of different events, and I found one of South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Bill Even, talking to a crowd at the South Dakota State Fair at the Century Farm Awards. As he congratulated those that would be honored that day, he also shared the story of his homestead. I think in challenging times, it’s sometimes best not to dwell on the bad things. Maybe the market isn’t where you would like it to be, and maybe your operating costs are constantly rising, but at the end of the day, we all come from somewhere, and we all have a story that we should cherish.
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Over the weekend, we weaned calves. It’s always a big exciting weekend for us. The neighbors come to help us out, and it’s a day spent with friends and family as we wean, weigh and vaccinate the calves coming into the yards. Even though it’s a fun weekend, it can also be stressful, too–worrying about getting those calves on feed, keeping them from getting sick and making sure they all get off to a good start. There is a lot to think about from a manager’s point of view, and last week, I offered some links to check out as good weaning management resources. However, today, I have a different angle to consider about this time in a calf’s life.
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Two weeks ago, I opened the floor to listen to your ideas and suggestions for future topics of discussion on this blog with the BEEF Daily Reader Review Survey. Thanks to you, I have some really good ideas to pursue. Suggestions included: discussing HSUS activity more often, sharing my personal story back at the farm, covering events such as the World Beef Expo, differentiating between natural and organic beef, informing readers of university activities and research and sending updates on ballot initiatives and bill activities in Washington D.C. These are all very important topics, and I’m excited to explore different areas within the animal agriculture industry to better serve your needs. Participants in this survey were thrown into a sweepstakes to win a cool BEEF paperweight, and it’s time to announce the winners!
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As I was driving to the Twin Cities this weekend to attend the Minnesota Beef Expo, the radio was nonstop news about a show pig that was infected with the H1N1 virus. Cheers to the one radio station that reminded consumers that 1) H1N1 has been incorrectly named the swine flu, even though it’s a virus that originates from people, birds and pigs, and 2) You can not get H1N1 from eating pork. However, every other report I heard on the radio or the news referred to it as both H1N1 and the swine flu. I don’t care if it’s easier to say, continuing to repeat the incorrect name because it’s convenient is absolutely destructive to the animal agriculture industry. My support goes out to America’s pork producers, and I have gathered some important reference materials for all of you to read and pass on in your email lists. For the last time, media, it’s H1N1, not swine flu. Thank you.
