Sharing our Story - Hormones

One of the most fulfilling things for me to do is to share the story of growing up on a cattle farm with others who are not familiar with the lifestyle.  I love answering questions, showing pictures, and offering contact information in case they want to get in touch with me again.

Lately, one of the most frequently asked questions is "Are hormones used in livestick causing girls to become sexually mature earlier than in the years past?"  I actually got asked this a few months ago at church and it continues to be resurfaced everywhere I turn.

http://www.redriverbeef.com/why-you-should-be-interested/

I wrote a little on this in a past post, and because my research for graduate school is on implant strategies, it is a topic I am very passionate about. 

Even though this is a common question among the American consumers, often times when we, as farmers and ranchers, are "on the spot," we are uncertain of the correct answer to this question.  Some facts about hormones in cattle:

• The hormones found in implants, like estrogen, are found in all plants and animals.
• A 3-ounce serving of beef from a steer that was implanted contains 1.9 nanograms of estrogen, while beef from a non-implanted steer contains 1.3 nanograms.  Only a difference of .6 nanograms is found from one another.
• Now, consider this (all 3-ounce servings):  Soybean oil contains 168,000,000 nanograms of estrogen.  Wheat germ contains 3,400 nanograms and ice cream has 520 nanograms of estrogen.  Potatoes and peas both contain over 220 nanograms and even milk has 11 nanograms of estrogen per 3-ounce serving.

While it is difficult to be able to regurgitate all those numbers and exact quantities, in summary we can plainly see that hormones fed to cattle or any other livestock are not prevalent enough to harm humans or negatively affect their development or lifestyle in any way.  In fact, with the growing population of the world, implants are not only key factors but imperative in order for enough red meat to be produced to feed the people of the world.

10 things.

1. It was gorgeous outside this morning! The temperature on my phone said 68! When does fall get here?

2. I am thoroughly enjoying seeing the fall babies pop up one by one in the herds I pass on my way to and from town.

3. The Pistol Annies CD came out this week. Any reviews? I am anxiously awaiting listening to it.

4. I watched the trailer to The Pioneer Woman's new show coming out this fall on Food Network! Get excited!

5. Thank you to all who have posted pictures on the Facebook page!  If you have any pictures you think helps tell the story of farm and ranch life, add them to the fb page and I will include them in a later post!

6. I saw this morning that Hay & Forage Grower is having a photo contest - I can't decide which picture of mine to enter!

7. I've recently came across some new, interesting, fun, and educational blogs. Check 'em out!

• The Cattle Blog
• Pearl Snaps' Ponderings
• FARMnWIFE
• Horses and Heels
• Crystal Cattle

8. One thing you probably didn't know about me: I'm obsessed with lists.

9. When I walked into my office building this morning it smelled of a feed store - which is one of the best smells. Ever.
10. If you're having trouble following the logical sequence and order of this post, welcome to my life.

Happy Friday!

A Different Kind of Wordless Wednesday

In today's world, we as farmers and ranchers are constantly fighting the battle of the media and pop culture's portrayal of our lifestyle.  Whether it is animal abuse or neglect or consumers going "vegan," it is difficult to share our story of the way things really are when we are outnumbered tenfold.

Yesterday, while working cattle in southern Oklahoma, the temperature began to rise rapidly (as it does there this time of year), and though we began running calves through the chute far before sunrise, we were still working them in the heat of the day.  As we noticed the cattle begin to heat stress and become noticeably affected by the sweltering temperature, we knew we had to do what we could to help them manage their body temperatures.

In an effort to cool them as quickly and efficiently as possible, we rigged the sprinklers from the lawn on the posts of the panels in their pens.  The cool water sprayed the cattle and with the combination of their shade structures and the water from the sprinklers, the once "unhappy" calves were "happy" again.

The California Dairy Association really has their act together when it comes to the marketing campaigns of their products.  They target their audience, the American public, and appeal to their emotions by advertising that their cows are "happy cows" - just as the Humane Society of the United States and ASPCA does, only in a negative way.

I am so proud to be part of the agricultural movement sweeping across the U.S. in an effort of farmers and ranchers to share their stories of our lifestyle to the public.  With everything from blogs to Facebook pages, Twitter accounts to YouTube videos dedicated to sharing the story of the life we love.

If you have a picture or two that you love and that helps to tell the story of your life in agriculture, stop by and share it on the 'Because the west wasn't won on salad' Facebook page! I will later put them on here to help share our story of the lifestyle that feeds a nation!

Happy Wednesday!

Checking Cows with Dad

Although I'm in graduate school and don't have cattle of my own in Arkansas, I am fortunate enough to live far enough out of town to have my house surrounded by them and have pastures lining either side of the roads I travel down.  Last night while on my evening walk I spotted my first calf from the fall calving cow herd across the road.  Although he was the only baby in the pasture, that didn't stop him from kicking up the dust and throwing up his feet as he tore circles around the mama cows.  Watching him made me think about one of my favorite things as a child - and even still to this day.  Our cow herd at my home in Maryland is spring-calving, so we're still quite a ways off from our calving season. 

There is absolutely nothing I enjoy more in this world than riding with my dad through the fields to check cows - I remember when I was young that would be our question and answer time... I would ask about 3579 questions, and dad would be patient and answer every one.  It would be so exciting when we found a cow with a new calf - I would get to hold it while dad castrated and tagged it - and I would love to pet it's little head and soft ears and couldn't wait to watch it grow.  I remember the exact place we were the first time I got to tag my first calf.  I was so excited and so proud - I felt like I was really growing up.

Things really haven't changed much since then... I enjoy checking cows with my dad just as much as I did back then and I still love the feeling of soft, curly hair on a newborn calf's head.  Looking back, I now know that most of my knowledge I gained about cattle was learned from the passenger side of my dad's truck.  I wouldn't trade a single thing in this world for the memories of those moments and the lessons learned while checking cows with dad.