Over the past several years, I have been engaged in several conversations about transparency, animal welfare, and requests for more information about how livestock make it to our plates. Recently, American Meat Institute has teamed up with Dr. Temple Grandin, a well-know animal scientist who focuses on improving animal welfare practices, especially during slaughter. The … Continue reading Turkey welfare and slaughter Video with Dr. Temple Grandin
#BigSkyMove: Manhattan Kansas serves up a great steak diagram
Where does your favorite cut of steak come from? During my #BigSkyMove, I had the opportunity to visit Manhattan, Kansas, specifically my friends Brandon and Jodi Oleen. Jodi works for the Kansas Pork Association and Brandon with one of the Beef Cattle units at Kansas State University. Talk about house divided when it comes to … Continue reading #BigSkyMove: Manhattan Kansas serves up a great steak diagram
Thankful for Snail Mail surprises
I guess life's not all bad. I'm stuck in the office most of the time. I don't mind getting there so early that it's dark outside, but I do miss the sunrises every day. It does stink to leave the office when it's dark too. So I am thankful daylight hours are getting longer. Apparently … Continue reading Thankful for Snail Mail surprises
How has farming changed since 1978 and “So God Made a Farmer”?
Paul Harvey's "So God Made A Farmer" was a big hit during the 2013 Super Bowl with a well-done Dodge RAM ad. Here's a look at how farming has changed since 1978. This was originally published on CNN Eatocracy on February 05, 2013. Click here to see all of my CNN articles. By the numbers, … Continue reading How has farming changed since 1978 and “So God Made a Farmer”?
99 Bushels of Harvest with Frosted Mini-Wheats [Video]
Have you seen the latest Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats commercial? It brought a grin the first time I saw it. I wonder if wheat farmers really drive through the golden fields singing "99 bushels of wheat on the farm, 99 bushels of wheat!" (especially with dancing cereal biscuits?). Here's the video in case you haven't seen … Continue reading 99 Bushels of Harvest with Frosted Mini-Wheats [Video]
Road Trip: Florida Agriculture Facts
Road Trip! Things turned chilly in East Tennessee this week, so I decided to make an impromptu trip to Central Florida, Lake Buena Vista, Disney World Resort to be exact... No, really I'm down here to speak at the Farm Roads to Urban Intersections workshop with the Agriculture Institute of Florida. This is a great … Continue reading Road Trip: Florida Agriculture Facts
Farm Photos of Tennessee Tobacco fields
Have I mentioned that tobacco is a new crop to me since moving to Tennessee? Pretty sure I was one of the "new" folks wondering why that barn was smoking! In Tennessee, tobacco is still a big crop. Both burley and dark fire are grown across North Central and Eastern parts of the state. Touring … Continue reading Farm Photos of Tennessee Tobacco fields
AgChat attendees swap agriculture items from across states
I spent most of last week in Kansas City with more than 100 farmers and agriculture professionals, learning to better utilize social media when sharing our stories. We had a great week catching up with everyone, many were first time contacts IRL (in real life). It's a pretty neat experience to network with someone via … Continue reading AgChat attendees swap agriculture items from across states
Road Trip to Kansas City: Missouri Agriculture Facts
About the time this blog posts, I'll be at the airport in Nashville, waiting on a Southwest Airlines flight to Kansas City, Missouri for the 2012 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference presented by the AgChat Foundation. This is a great meeting held to train farmers, ranchers, and others how to better utilize Social Media and online tools … Continue reading Road Trip to Kansas City: Missouri Agriculture Facts
Wheat Fields Before and After Harvest
Wheat harvest finished up on the farm here in Middle Tennessee in the last few weeks. I was stuck in the office and didn't have the opportunity to capture the actual harvest on the farm. Last Tuesday, I invited a custom wheat harvester to share her story on my blog. Here is a photo of … Continue reading Wheat Fields Before and After Harvest