...Or "Milk Transfer Engineer" as I have been told. I'm not necessarily milking cows all the time, but today I do begin working with the dairy here at the research station. I'm actually pretty excited to gain some experience on the "other side" of cattle production. I'll be doing some work with calving, reproduction, and … Continue reading Wordless Wednesday: Teat Puller
Thankful for Network of Farmer Bloggers
Today I was sittin out at the feed bunks, waiting on the corn silage being fed from the silo, watching the steers enjoy their slobbery, giant bites of silage (cattle have no table manners, what-so-ever), and pondering my theme for the day: Farm Visits. I have already written one post for the day, but it … Continue reading Thankful for Network of Farmer Bloggers
Visit from a Non-Farmer for a Day
How would I work differently if a non-farmer/rancher followed me around on the farm for a day? Well, my first impulse is to say I would not do anything differently, but every time someone visits the house I make sure the house is picked up, the dishes are done, and the dirty clothes are stashed … Continue reading Visit from a Non-Farmer for a Day
Hockey and Farming?
Saturday I had the awesome opportunity to attend my first every ice hockey game. My uncle came over to Nashville for the weekend and we went to the Nashville Predators game against the Montreal Canadiens. We had seats four rows up from the glass pretty close to the net. I compared it to a basketball … Continue reading Hockey and Farming?
Lord gives Patience in Due Time
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, … Continue reading Lord gives Patience in Due Time
Ultrasounding Bulls
We're ultrasounding bulls today on the research station. Now you maybe wondering, what in the world would we do that for? We're collecting measurements of ribeye area, fat thickness over the ribs, and intramuscular fat (a.k.a. Marbling) for EPDs (expected progeny difference). It's a slow process when we have 100 bulls to do this morning, … Continue reading Ultrasounding Bulls
I am Thankful For…
During the month of November we can see folks posting daily updates describing things they are thankful for. It is definitely a month of #FoodThanks, but once you get to thinking about it, there are all sorts of things in daily life for which we can be thankful. Instead of doing a daily status update, … Continue reading I am Thankful For…
Why Graduate School?
When I miss an opportunity or mess up on a question, I tend to take it as a challenge. A few weeks ago I traveled to Knoxville for my formal interview with the Animal Science graduate committee. Looking back, I would sure like to have a redo on a few questions. Surely, I am not … Continue reading Why Graduate School?
How would you farm differently if…
How would you farm differently if a total stranger (non-farmer/rancher) followed you around all day? I am always up for some good conversation between bloggers that inspire new blog post ideas. This past week Ryan Bright (Tennessee dairy farmer, @farmerbright) sent me a message with this thought. How would we work differently with a non-farmer … Continue reading How would you farm differently if…
Mind Cleansing Ranch Work
Had the weekend off this week and I have a terrible time sitting still for long; much less an entire weekend. A co-worker invited me out to his place to work some cows. We worked about 20 pairs, gave vaccines, dewormer, and I castrated the bull calves. Not sure if it's the meds or if … Continue reading Mind Cleansing Ranch Work