Brownfield

Save lives: give blood

Did you know that you can save three lives by donating blood?  The American Red Cross was "in the house" at Learfield Communications Jefferson City, Missouri headquarters today for the Learfield Blood Drive.  John Perkins and Kari McKinney from Brownfield Ag News believe in the cause and gave blood to save lives today.

Tom Steever: covering the new ag secretary

I had the opportunity to cover U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week.  First was his speech Tuesday morning to the International Food Aid Conference in Kansas City, followed shortly thereafter by what’s referred to as a “media availability.”  Then at noon that same day, Secretary Vilsack was driven 40 miles north of Kansas City to visit the Craig Evans farm near Lathrop, Missouri, where he talked about federal money to help beginning farmers.  There he talked to Evans and Evans’s wife, Kelly, as well as their three children, and to Chris and Kim Hiley, a couple that has been assisted by some of the federal money.  After a half-hour conversation in the Evans’s spotless farm shop (Craig actually keeps it that way all the time), the Secretary had a brief look around the farm and a brief history of the Evans place over coffee in Craig and Kelly’s dining room.  When he spotted a working miniature steam engine on the fireplace mantel, Secretary Vilsack saw the opening to invite Evans and his family to the Old Threshers Reunion in Vilsack’s home town of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

Although meant to appear very casual, the Secretary’s farm visit was precisely choreographed.  Members of the media and a handful of neighbors and local FSA staff were briefed ahead of time by Vilsack’s advance staff exactly where and when the Secretary would enter the Evans’s shop, where he would sit and how he would exit the shop to view, first cattle, and then identity preserved soybean bins on the farmstead, and finally through which door he would enter the Evans’s home to view old photographs of the family farm.  At the same time we were informed where we were expected to stand to observe, but also to give the couples and the Secretary some “private time” during the farm tour.  None of this seemed to stand in the way of the warm cordiality between the Secretary and the two couples.  Following Secretary Vilsack’s departure, both Craig Evans and Chris Hiley told me they were pleased with the Vilsack visit and with the Secretary himself.  At the very root of this are two young farm couples hosting not only a member of the President’s Cabinet, but media and others who come for the event.  They’re the ones who make it real with their hospitality to all of us.  Instead of regarding us as intruders, with our microphones, cameras and notebooks tracking in who knows what, upon our arrival to the farm we were welcomed by what else – a generous plate of cookies.

-Tom Steever

Senate bean soup

During National Farmers Union (NFU) lobby day, Brownfield's Julie Harker enjoyed some "historical vittles."

According to the Senate, this bean soup has been on the menu in the U.S. Senate’s restaurant every day for over 100 years. 

The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe

2 pounds dried navy beans

four quarts hot water

1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened. Place beans into pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

Talking to lawmakers

Brownfield reporters have been busy covering lobbying efforts by ag organizations.  One of our Jefferson City, Missouri-based ag journalists covered those efforts by Missouri Farmers Union members in the statehouse and in Washington, D.C.

It’s lobbying season on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures and farmers are making their voices heard.

-Julie Harker

Another great website

Dairy Farming Today is without a doubt one of the most informative, educational, comprehensive websites out there.   The home page sets the stage for what you'll find:

 Dairy farmers work hard every day to bring you fresh, great tasting, wholesome milk products. Almost all dairies are family-owned, and as active members of their communities, farm families take pride in maintaining natural resources. That means preserving the land where they live and work, protecting the air and water they share with neighbors, and providing the best care for their cows—the lifeblood of their business.

There is a Farmer Spotlight section, a Myth vs. Fact section, a section onDairy Technology, and a Dairy Dictionary that features a definition of everything from ear tag to somatic cell count.

If I taught Kindergarten or College-level Dairy Science, I'd find something valuable on this site to use in my teaching plan.  From life on the farm to caring for the environment to quality and safety - it is all right there at your fingertips.

I give this site an A+.

Check it out!

-Cyndi Young

Time for breakfast

Meet RP Taboo and calf, who was busy having breakfast when I left home this morning.  I love this time of year when the pastures are "greening up" and the cows with calves at side dot the rolling hills and flatter pastures across the Midwest.

-Cyndi Young

Rolling billboard?

Mike Cady comes back with some great stories from his trips across the Midwest to visit affiliate radio stations.  As a matter of fact, Mike is on the road every other week.  We are big proponents of partnerships and that is exactly what we have with the radio stations that carry Brownfield programming. 

Here's a story from Mike's last trip:

Part of the fun of traveling around to see our affiliates is with that much time on the road, you just never know what you might see next. I encountered this van [larger photo] at a rest stop on interstate 64 in southern Illinois last week. Rarely do you see somebody so passionate about their beliefs that they will completely destroy any chance at reselling their vehicle in exchange for the chance to spread the message with their rolling billboard. 

And maybe I’ve been “assimilated” but I was also surprised to see somebody so pro-smoking. For you Star Trek fans the wording on the right front fender says “Resistance is not futile. We will not be assimilated.” And for the Irish, I think the green is mostly a show for the recent holiday, there is a plaque hanging on the tailgate wishing all a happy St. Patrick’s day.

-Mike Cady

Back at the sale barn

I was back at Miller County Regional Stockyards outside of Eldon, Missouri on Saturday for the Missouri Simmental Association (MSA) Spring Simmental Sale. My husband and I are members of MSA and always enjoy seeing the cattle and the people. 

Something else I was happy to see, in a stack beside the sale catalogs and membership directories, a flyer titled "Untold Truths of HSUS" outlining some of the facts about the Humane Society of the United States.

-Cyndi Young

 

Lonnie Peterson is an Auctioneer with Miller County Stockyards and sold the bulls at the Simmental Sale Saturday.

Another website and blog I like

I like farm blogs and websites.  Gilmer Dairy Farm in Lamar County, Alabama has a great website and Dairyman's Blog.

The website home page tells the farm story:

Gilmer Dairy Farm has been producing high quality, Grade-A milk for over fifty years in Lamar County, Alabama.  Spanning three generations of family ownership and management, the farm has grown to a present day herd size of 450 Holstein cows and heifers.  By focusing on sound management practices such as cow comfort and environmental stewardship, Gilmer Dairy Farm will continue to be a successful family farm for many years to come.  Our attention to detail and commitment to quality allows us to continually provide our friends and neighbors with a safe, flavorful, nutritious product.

The dairyman blogger is Will Gilmer:

I'm a 30 year old, third generation Alabama dairy farmer. I returned home to farm with my father in 2001 after graduating from Miss. State University. My wife is a 1st Grade teacher and we have a 3 year old son. I'm involved in several farming organizations and lead the young adults Sunday School class at my church.

You can follow Will on Twitter, too.

-Cyndi Young

Technologically challenged?

You gotta love farmer’s stories relating to GPS – Yield Monitors – high technology, as told to me by a good friend of mine in Ohio.

When asked about yields – “I have two buttons on the yield monitor, one for the coffee shop, the other for the IRS.”

This one I really like – “The monitor indicated the beans were too wet, so I moved to another farm, same thing, then I realized the monitor was set for rice.”

Sister called wanted to know how the wheat was yielding, “I don’t know, but if it were rice, it’s yielding 72 bushels to the acre.”

The BEST – farmer gets a new phone, adds phone numbers and hits send after each entry, he calls everyone on his list, but never talks to a soul since he doesn’t realize he’s calling them, he thought he had to hit send to enter the numbers in the new phone.

-Dave Russell