Wordless Wednesday: The Farm Owls

Our farmyard and neighborhood has never been short of owls.

These 4 guys were perched here on my drive home one night.
Right after I snapped this they all flew away, very cool sight.

 

Sitting pretty on the wheel line

You can spot the owl on the far right branch.



When I told my parents about the owls, my mom reminded me how the owls came to our area. My grandpa decided we needed some good mice control, so he built owl nests in our trees and haysheds. This was over 30 years ago, and the owls have stuck around.

Pretty cool example of farmers working with and preserving wildlife.

Happy Wednesday.

Feeding the World...Just In Case it Doesn't End

Happy Judgment Day everyone! If you, like me, are still sitting snugly in your home with no sign of apocalyptic weather outside, then it appears Mr.Camping's calculations are, yet again, incorrect. Ah well, looks like we'll just have to continue with business as usual.

Photo Credit

If the world were to be ending in the next few months, farmers would have a whole lot less to worry about. They wouldn't have to tailor their management practices to a multiplying world population, nor would they need to worry about meeting our unique demands.




I came across an article exploring this issue this morning on Drovers CattleNetwork. The article, "Commentary: What if the world doesn’t end and we have to eat GMOs?" by Greg Henderson, explains the importance of science and technology in agriculture. GMO's have acquired a reputation of an evil, industrial, and mutating force to plants and crops.

"The debate about GMOs is far from over, nor should it ever end. Hearty, robust debate encourages companies and our government to continue to monitor the safety of such technology. But, so far, GMOs have been proven safe, with many benefits to farmers and our environment." 

Henderson recognizes the source and backing of the consumer's hesitation, as all farmers do. But he also points something out I have tried hard to convey to my non-agricultural friends: The world cannot be fed without the inputs of technology. This includes management systems to control pests and weeds and increase yields. High yields mean more food for the world in a shorter time, and as long as our world's population continues to grow, more food is what we need. 

"What happens if the world doesn’t end, or, more specifically, if GMOs aren’t the scourge of the Earth? The answer, of course, is that GMOs are helping to feed more people while allowing farmers to utilize more environmentally-friendly practices. "

Let me know your thoughts on the article.

 

Virtual Farm Tours

Ever wonder what happens on a sheep farm? Or what exactly raising ostriches entails? How about how that steak on your plate spent the first year of its life?

One of the dilemmas farmers and ranchers find themselves in is how to show people what we do every day. Of course the best solution would be for every consumer to visit a few different types of farms themselves, but we know this isn't very practical. So the Ontario Farm Animal Council has come up with something fantastic to teach you more about where your food comes from.

They're called Virtal Farm Tours. With a click of your mouse, you have inside access to a chicken, cow-calf, deer, turkey, vegetable, grain, or other types of operations. There are 15 different categories and within those even more tours you can take. I love this site because it really is the next best thing to actually being there. Using your mouse to navigate, you have a 360 degree view of the farm you have chosen, and can click on the question marks for an explanation of different buildings and objects.

Tip: Hold down your mouse and move side to side to rotate the view. Don't try to click and drag.

 Virtual Grain farm

Baby calves on a dairy farm

Egg processing on a laying hen operation

Sheep Farm

This site is a great reference source for any questions you might have about how animals and crops are raised or grown. I found things I knew very little or nothing about and educated myself by clicking through the scenes.

Try it out for yourself. I assure you, you will learn something. And probably spend more time than intended looking through all the different farms. Happy touring!

http://www.farmissues.com/virtualTour/

Have you thanked a farmer lately?

The first 18 years of my life have been spent on our cattle ranch and crop farm. My Dad’s family took the management role of the cattle and my Uncle and his son focus primarily on the crops- that’s how it has been for as long as I can remember. That’s not to say that my cousin won’t help vaccinate cattle or my sisters and I haven’t donated countless hours to baling and harrowing. It’s a family business.



Photo credit

 Since I’ve started working with agricultural insurance, I’ve been dealing a lot with the farming side. It’s opened my eyes to how hard-working and diligent farmers like my Uncle have to be to get the best crop possible each year. The paperwork is extensive to ensure the farmer will be covered if any natural cause decreases the quality or yield of their crop. Farmers have to be smart about what they insure, just like when you choose what level of car insurance you want. You decide whether or not to get collision insurance on your car for a higher premium, just as a farmer has to decide if hail coverage would be worth the price.

Here's what I've come to realize in the last few weeks- farmers deserve a whole lot more credit than they're getting. And this is coming from someone who has lived on a farm her entire life without completely grasping this. Of course farming isn't glorified; it's a dirty, labour-intensive, low-return type of career. There's a reason less than 2% of the Canadian population has stepped up and chosen farming as their life's work. It takes  certain type of person to work 16 hour days, operate 10 different kinds of macinery on a regular basis, and have the knowledge and skill to run a financially sound business and make the best decisions for it.

So here's my challenge to you. Next time you see your neighbor, friend, family member, or even parent who is a farmer- say thank you. Thanks for feeding the world and dedicating each day of your life to this cause. Believe me, they don't hear it nearly enough.



I'm a big fan of this bumper sticker, found here



Meet Your Farmer!

A great new website was recently brought to my attention by my fabulous mentor, Dianne Finstad, who I will hopefully have a chance to blog about later. She sent this link to me after it was recognized by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture for outstanding Agriculture Awareness and Education. It is a project of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture..so far. But my agvocavy wheels are already spinning with how much further an idea like this could go! Before you read on, check out the Meet Your Farmer website!

As you can see, the goal of the website is to create a consumer-friendly space for people to feel like they are interacting with and getting to know the people growing their food. It seems to me like the next best thing to a real live farm visit, which are far more difficult to get people interested in. I think the NSFA has done a great job of showcasing the honest, hard-working food producers as just that. 

The best part is the diversity in the operations they've highlighted. Care for the environment and sustainable practices are common to all the bios and videos, no matter what type of farm they run. They even provide contact info of the farmers if you have more questions or would like to schedule a visit.

I'm sure I haven't found a one-of-kind-site here. Many more with the same general goals are popping up on the web, where they can be easily accessed by consumers. I am quite sure, however, that this is the only one of it's kind in Canada. So what are we waiting for? 

I like to think I have a similar goal in creating this blog. I want to teach people about agriculture in the best way I know how- by giving them an honest look at what I do everyday. So check out the website, I assure you you'll learn something about agriculture you didn't know before. And if you yourself are an agricultural advocate, use it as inspiration to tell your own story! I like to think the Canada-wide version of Meet Your Farmer isn't too far off either.

Mother's Day and the Calgary Cousins

It was a very busy and exciting Mother's Day for me. Along with my mother and her parents, we headed to the big city of Calgary to watch a cousin of mine in a musical. He was in StageWest's production of All Shook Up, a wildly entertaining musical accompanied by a fantastic buffet. My cousin Nicholas was the lead role in the show, and it was great to finally see him back in Calgary.

Mom, Nicholas, and I backstage at All Shook Up after the show

After the show, we headed west of the city to the cabin owned by more relatives. It's a little confusing explaining my relation to all these people, since I have one of those families where I only actually have 5 first cousins so I call everyone with a moderate relation to me, my cousin. So we'll call these people cousins as well. The Calgary Cousins are urban professionals who love the idea of the lifestyle of ranching, and love to hear about our latest agricultural escapades. Their cabin features a riding pen, two horses, and a view of the Rocky Mountains. Whenever we get a chance to visit with them, they are eager to hear what the latest excitement has been around our ranch. The Calgary Cousins are the kind of people I wish I could always be telling my agricultural stories to-a captive, interested, and encouraging audience.



Today's topic of discussion was calving and seeding, the two things we've been most busy with this past week. They ooh and aah at how many calves we've had in such a short amount of time, and ask our opinions on the latest beef-related news stories they've seen. When the topic turns to farming, and specifically seeding, a question about how modern seeding equipment functions is fielded by my mother. She gives a very simple yet effective explanation of how our air-seeder works, and they are once again wowed by the many innovations in the agriculture industry.

We can't always be so lucky to have a captive or even interested audience when trying to tell stories about how we make a living, We can, however, treat every audience as if we are about to wow them with the amazingness that is agriculture. We can tell our story as if our audience is always as excited about it as we are- and chances are, when they leave the conversation, they will be!

From Rubber Boots to High Heels

Farm Girl's first Big Girl job!

Image found here- they do exist!



Most people are surprised when I tell them I reached 18 years without actually ever having a part-time job. That is, a paid part-time job. I've been working on the farm more or less since I had the motor control to do so, and I'm quite sure the slave labor I have endured at the farm violates more than a few employment standards. 


So at the end of every high school year, rather than handing out resumes, I headed up the road to our family farm. Much of this time was spent working on my own cattle and halter-breaking, grooming, and otherwise preparing them to be shown during the summer. This summer, my usual summer uniform of worn out jeans, a t-shirt, and ball cap has been given the boot, and in it's place? Business semi-formal office clothing.

I decided it was about time to get myself a real job this summer- the kind that pays in more than just dinner every night. I'll be working with an agricultural lending and insurance company as a summer student. Thankfully, the job still entails agriculture, so I won't be completely out of my element. I'm looking forward to working directly with the producers in my area to make their business more successful so they can thrive while they produce quality food. I consider this job a very exciting and important stepping stone into my life as an agricultural communicator. I will learn more about communicating effectively with others, and gather experience in a professional setting.

Although, I can't pretend I've made a clean swap between the rubber boots and high heels. The job is only 8-4, leaving 16 perfectly good hours on weekdays and full weekends to be devoted to slaving away at the farm!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Babies! Everywhere!

At XTC Hereford Farms, my favorite time of year comes between March and May. Calving season is when our 150 cows give birth to a new baby calf- sometimes even twins- and begin nursing them as they grow. The rancher's role in calving is to check cows every few hours, including overnight, to ensure all of the calves are being delivered without problems and the momma's are claiming and taking care of their healthy calves.

Ranchers may find themselves having to bring a cow into the barn to pull a calf manually if it is backwards or out of position, or even bringing the cow to the vet's if the calf is too large or other complications arise requiring a cesarean section. Cattle farmers do everything in their power to ensure both the calf and cow are safe and healthy after calving and they undergo a low stress birth.
 
Cattle producers are in charge of making sure newborn calves are getting colostrum within the first 24 hours of their lives. Colostrum is the milk produced by the cow right after she gives birth, and it's packed full of antibodies and protein to give strength and prevent the calf from getting sick. This is why I make sure the calf is standing up shortly after they're born so they can figure out how to get their mom's milk.

A newborn calf up to suck from momma.

You can see why I love this time of year! On our ranch, we tag the baby calves at birth so we can identify which cow goes with what calf. The big number is the cow's and the little one, 105Y is the baby. The letter signifies the year they were born- 2011 is the "Y" year. When they are older, we replace the tags so their number is the big one and the mother's goes above in smaller print.

Shown here is a calf shelter and straw patch. This area is bedded every day with new straw to make sure the calves have a clean, dry area, especially when they are very young. The shelters block wind, rain, and all the other elements we seem to come across every calving season!

Get the Facts.

Every day, consumers are bombarded with information about the food raised by farmers and ranchers, and unfortunately, it is often untrue or biased information. Do you want to know where to go for honest information about agriculture? Here are a few of my favorite places.

Youtube. How better to learn about what farmers and ranchers are doing than seeing it firsthand? Try these channels which highlight the truth about the ag industry and answers to your most common questions:
Beef Pasture to Plate offers a great variety of informative videos, on topics from the environment to cattle welfare.
My Beef Checkoff  is the channel representing the US Beef Checkoff, a National Cattlemen's Beef Association project. The videos showcase beef producers from all over the United States telling their stories.



Websites. There seems to be a website for everything, so here are a couple to check out next time you want to learn about farming, ranching, or beef products.
For great information on Canadian beef, including nutrition, recipes, and food safety, check out the Beef Information Centre site.
The "Consumers" section of the Alberta Beef Producers website also has some great statistics, recipes, and information on educational programs in your area.

Talk to a Farmer.  Check out a local fair or agricultural show or expo in your area and have a conversation with a farmer. Farmers and ranchers want you to know that they're raising the best product they can for you, and that they care about their animals. 

Facebook. Facebook is no longer just a tool for teenagers. It is being treated as a serious form of media by many groups and companies. A few worth checking out:
I Love Agriculture- mostly geared towards Canadian and specifically Albertan agricultural events, but a great reference for where to go to meet farmers and ranchers.
Canadian Beef- This page is great about updating with interesting information and recipes. It's managed by the Beef Information Centre.

Twitter. Although just a Twitter newbie myself, I'm quickly discovering how easy it is to network and gather information. All you have to do is type in keywords, like "beef" or "ag facts" and there are dozens of pages to follow. Follow me on twitter at rotempleton!