My new FAVORITE kitchen must-have!

I love to cook. It doesn't really matter if it's baking, cooking, or my newest endeavor, grilling. When I moved this spring for my big kid job, the kitchen was the first room in my house that was set up and unpacked. Every other room has taken days (and even months in the case of my office!). Once my kitchen was set up, my house felt like "home". Maybe I'm crazy, but does anyone else feel this way towards their kitchen??

Just before Easter, I was in Walmart looking through the kitchen section and the new Rachel Ray cookware caught my eye. I decided to give her "trash" bowl a try and I LOVE it!! I have used to put cut up veggies in for the grill, baking banana bread, and even to serve salads in. They come in fun, funky color combinations that I really like! A couple of features the bowl offers - it's made of heavy plastic and has a rubber foot on be bowl that keeps it from slipping all over the counter when cooking. Really handy. I liked it so much that I got one for my mom for Mother's Day...I hope she will enjoy it as much as I have! I think one of the best gifts you can get someone is something that you have enjoyed using. I'm curious, had anyone tried any other Rachel Ray pieces??



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Grass is cool!

Since making the transition from grad school to "big kid world", I'm quickly learning (just as everyone told me) that I spend 80% of my working day dealing with grass. For this animal science girl from SW Kansas, this is a big deal and the learning curve is pretty steep! :) I am welcoming this challenge with open arms and am discovering that grass is actually really cool! This week I have been at a pasture and forage crop conference and have had the opportunity to see a lot of different forages and forage systems.



We toured the Overton, TX experiment station.



I found these friendly ladies! The quality of cattle at the station was exceptional!



Some of the F1 tiger striped heifers. (This results from breeding a Brahman cow to a Hereford bull or vise versa)



Looked at a lot of different grasses, clovers, and identified several weeds.



Toured the 7P ranch which was gorgeous!



I had a great time and enjoyed the chance to see agriculture in a different part of the US!

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The CHICKadees have arrived!!

Today is an exciting day at the office...WHY?? The baby chickens for the 4-H Chick-Chain project came in the mail! Thats right, the US Mail! We weren't expecting the chicks until yesterday and we got a call this morning from the postmaster saying, "Can you please come get your chicks, now??". For those of you who have been around baby chicks you can atest to the fact that baby chicks, for such little bodies, they can make quite the racket! This reminds me of when I was little and we would order baby chicks. My brother and I would sit around with a chicken catalog and pick out the ones we wanted to buy. Once the order was placed we would wait in anticipation for the big day when we would get the phone call from the postmaster.
What is Chick-Chain? It's a project that 4-Hers can sign up for. They pay a small fee upfront and have to attend a mandatory meeting before receiving their chicks. At the meeting we cover chick care, management, the equipment they will need to purchase and how to build a "safe place" for their chicks once they get them home. It's sort of like preparing for a new baby - you have to get a room ready, buy food, get waterers, feeders, a heat lamp, wood chips, etc. The kiddos will pick up their chicks on Friday afternoon and feed them for about 20 weeks. The chicks are breeds that will end up being laying hens and roosters. This is neat because it gives the kids an opportunity to start their own flock! The kids will take home aproxamately 10 chicks and then bring they back for the county fair. There they will show their chickens and be rewarded for their efforts by getting to sell a few chickens to people in the community. It's a neat project that teaches responsiblity, record keeping, and many other virtues!

Happy National Ag. Day!

In lieu of Agriculture Day, I spent the morning visiting with grade schoolers and middle schoolers about Agriculture. To say I was impressed would be an understatement! In this county, the school system has realized that Agriculture is the driving force of the economy and provides MANY jobs to residents of the county. As a result, they have made it a priority to educate students about agriculture in the classroom. They have a robotics team where they built a robot to catch genetically modified bugs...how cool is that?? The kids learned how to market their robot by finding its relevance to the farmer. One of the high school science teachers was present teaching the kids about hatching baby chicks. At our booth, we talked about row crops, horticulture, the 4-H program, and livestock. They also had the USA Rodeo Queen there signing pictures, a couple of the horse club members who had brought a horse and some equipment to share with the kids, and a goat producer who hauled a few goats to town! It was amazing to me how interested and how educated these students were about agriculture. They knew where their food came from and they appreciated it!
I taught them a little joke/conversation to have with people they run into: (student asks) "Where would you be without agriculture?" (the answer) "Naked and hungry!" Then I instructed the kids that they should explain further by going over the articles of clothing the person is wearing and how it is made (from cotton, leather, etc.) as well as the food they eat on a daily basis. The kids seemed to enjoy the joke....probably only because it had the word "naked" in it and they were middle schoolers. I'm sure the teachers will appreciate me for that one!

A trip to land of Disney - Orlando

I have to admit, it's a little hard for me to be sitting in Mississippi writing my thesis when there is an awesome conference going on in Tampa Bay this week...the National Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show! If you'll recall, last year I had the opportunity to serve as an intern for this conference, The experience of a lifetime - #NCBA12. I am pretty excited for some of my fellow cattle industry friends that had the opportunity to serve as interns this year!

I did get to make a little trip to Orlando, Florida earlier this week for the American Society of Animal Science Southern Section meetings. It was really nice to get away for a few days and meet up with some people that I hadn't seen in awhile. You might be wondering what goes on at conferences like this... Attendees have the opportunity to listen to presentations on current research and extension programs as well as have a little fun at the same time. There are several social events planned during the conference like the graduate student mixer (where you get to meet fellow grad students in the southeastern part of the US) and the graduate student lunch and learn (eat lunch with other grad students and listen to a few speakers).  I actually ran into one the girls I interned with at NCBA last year at the grad student mixer and met some pretty cool grad students from Oklahoma State University. At the conference, I presented on three abstracts (research summary) I had submitted. One on my thesis research related to cattle transportation, another on DNA markers for quality grade, and the last one on two extension programs we offer at MSU (the cattle facilities and herd health workshops).

Don't be fooled though...it wasn't all work and no play. One of the other grad students, myself, and one of the professors and his family played a pretty competitive game of putt putt golf! We also ate at some awesome resturants - my favorite was Fogo de Chao. It's a brazillian steak house where they bring around a variety of meats for you to try...my favorite was the Picanya (top sirloin) and Cordeiro (leg of lamb). By far the best meat I have ever had...and it was all you can eat! What a great way to load up on some protein! You can go to Orlando without having some kind of Disney experience so we went to Downtown Disney for dinner the last night we were there. It was a really fun trip and I am glad I was able to go!

A sampling of some of the great meat at Fogo do Chao!

Me and one of the other graduate students, Sam, at the lunch and learn session.

Myself and Brittany from Texas A&M - we both accepted travel scholarships at the awards banquet!

There's an App for THAT?!?

This morning while waiting for my statistics to run through the computer, I was browsing around on Twitter and came across a tweet about the BEEF Daily post by Amanda Radke, McDonald's Launches Consumer App for Food Source. (follow the link to read the article) As you can well imagine, this quickly caught my attention and my mind wandered off from my statistics. So what is the app about?? McDonalds in Australia has designed a mobile app, TrackMyMacca’s (Macca's is a nickname for McDonalds), that allows the consumer to see where their food is coming from. How cool is that?? You're first reaction might be, "Who cares where your food comes from, just eat it!". This was the exact response from one of my fellow grad students. Here is the significance: Agriculture is getting more and more removed from people's everyday life. Many people are unaware of all Agriculture does for us. I wouldn't have been able to put clothes on, brush my teeth, eat my biscuits that I had for breakfast, or drive to work this morning (just to name a few) without Agriculture. These are the things I can think of off the top of my head from the first 4 hours of my day! I saw a hashtag on Twitter last night that I LOVED - #nakedandhungrywithoutag. That is so very true and often forgotten! I think that this app will serve as a reminder to people that 1) the world needs Ag,  2) food doesn't miraculously appear at the grocery store...it takes a hard working individual, dedicated to putting food on the world's table, to grow that product (aka a farmer!).

See my point?? It's takes a lot of hard work from many farmers, from many different parts of the US to build a hamburger! Cool huh? 

I am curious, what are your thoughts on this topic and the new app? Do you think something like this will be released in the US soon?

My "one word" resolution...

Do you all remember my post about choosing a "word of the year"? I was inspired to do this when I saw on Instagram that a very talented lady, Lisa Leonard, had designed a necklace with this in mind. That every woman would choose one word to focus on throughout the year. I have never kept a New Years resolution so I loved the idea of simply choosing one word! Today I got this lovely package in the mail...



I love the way she has branded her work by incorporating the cute muslin bags and even adding a free calendar filled with inspirational themes for every month.



Here's the necklace...dainty enough it can be worn every day while still making a statement!

If this is the first time you have heard about Lisa Leonard Designs, head over to her website - http://lisaleonardonline.com.

Hope everyone is having a great week and staying warm - it's bitterly cold in some parts of the country right now!

It's calving time!

Since I was a youngster, my favorite time of year has always been calving time - when all the mama cows have their babies! Unfortunately, as I have gotten older and moved away from home, I miss out on the bulk of calving season. This year some of the first babies were born over Christmas so I got to see them! You might wonder what all the excitement is about. To me, calves being born is similar to opening a present. You breed the cows to a bull (daddy candidate) of your choice and have to wait 285(ish) days to see the baby! It's always a surprise. When choosing a bull to breed your cows to, you try to select one that will improve the genetics of your herd and how your cows look. When the calf is finally born, that's when you know how successful you were.
When calves are being born, you have to pay close attention. In our part of the country, we can have some pretty chilly nights during calving season so a lot of times we will put the cows that are getting ready to calve inside a barn. This is to make sure that if a calf is born, it can stay plenty warm and be able to dry off. Once a calf is born, you must weigh it (just like a human baby) and give it an identification number. We use ear tags to make sure we know what calf belongs to each cow and for record keeping purposes. If for some reason a calf would happen to get sick, this allows us to keep accurate records...just like you would use a child's name for keeping records at a doctors office.
Here are some pics that my Mom snapped this afternoon of my Dad and brother weighing and ear tagging a newborn calf...



My brother stepping on the scale with the baby calf...



Checking to see how much the baby weighs...



These are the baby's ear tags. The ear tags tell us some pretty important information. The large number is it's individual identification number (no other calf will have the same number!). The bottom number tells it the year it was born. The "FM" written on the tag tells us what bull the calf is out of (who its daddy is). You also see our farm name on the tag. This is so if the calf would happen to get out of the fence, people would know who it belonged to.



Here's the sweet baby with its new ear tags!

Nothing like starting out with a bang!

Today is week two of my FINAL semester of graduate school and man did it start out in full swing! I have been busy trying (keyword-those of you who have worked with the program SAS understand!) to run the statistics for my thesis research project, write, prepare presentations for a meeting in Orlando in February, and stay sane in the meantime!
In the midst of all the craziness, I still try to find time for a little fun, if nothing else to de-stress from all the previously mentioned activities! A fellow K-Stater moved to Mississippi to begin her graduate career this semester...I was thrilled to death! :) The more purple in MS the better right? This weekend I had the privilege of judging a county fair livestock show in NW MS and my KSU pal rode along...it was awfully nice to have a travel buddy!
I apologize if this post is a little mumbo jumbo...I'm writing on the campus shuttle coming back from visiting with the Intro to Animal Science class about a new club on campus. It's an agriculture advocacy club aimed at spreading the word about Ag. and teaching university students how to continue to be an advocate after they graduate. I'm pretty excited about it! I will have to write more about this at a later date!
Hope everyone has a great Monday!


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My Word of the Year

Confession: I've never been very good at New Years resolutions...if I do make a resolution, it might last for a week. Anyone else with me on this?? This year I decided to do something different, something I might actually stick to! I decided to pick a word for 2013 - that's right, ONE WORD. Sounds much simpler, right?? I've pondered over this word for a good 3 or 4 days now and have finally committed. (for awhile I thought my word might have to be commit!) I decided on BLESSED. In 2013 I will be making lots of traditions - defending my thesis, moving, starting a new job, etc. When I think about my life, I am really really blessed...sometimes it's easy for me to lose sight of that when things start going south or not according to "my" plan! BLESSED is to remind me to be thankful even on those "not so sunny" days. My Nanni is a very wise woman and says often, "There's always, always something to be thankful for".
Did you make a New Years resolution or pick a word to focus on in 2013? If so, leave it in the comment section below if you feel like sharing!
Cheers to 2013!



Some of the people I was really thankful for in 2012! There are many others but I couldn't find a collage big enough! Diptic problems??


P.S. I'd like to give a shout out to one of my faithful followers, Jackie Gibson! :)

I'll be home for Christmas...

Last Friday, I clicked the heels of my red slippers together, closed my eyes tight, and when I opened them, I was in Kansas! If only it were that simple! If that were the case...every airline company would go broke. Last Friday morning, I hopped on a plane before the rooster had a chance to crow and a few hours later I was in Kansas...not as simple as the red slippers but it's the next best thing!
I hadn't been home since the beginning of May so to say I was a little excited would be an understatement! When I landed, Mom was waiting at the edge of the security checkpoint, as she always is, waving esthetically and grinning ear to ear! For most people this might be a little embarrassing but the airport is the one place for exceptions! I have to confess, I was equally silly and was waving as well! We ran a few errands and were homebound by late afternoon. There really is no place like home!
My family spent Christmas at home and it was really nice to spend some quality time together for the holiday. It was refreshing to not be running from place to place. Christmas eve we had a big dinner which consisted of fried turkey, dressing, green bean bundles, sweet potatoes, and rolls. It was delicious...some might say it was more like a thanksgiving meal but it's what all of us requested! This was the first year in a long time that we didn't eat beef for our christmas eve dinner...I guess we thought we'd support the turkey farmers this year?? Regardless, it was pretty darn good!
I am so thankful for my family and that I am able to come spend time at home in a place where I can truly unwind and recharge! I've probably taken this for granted in years past, but home becomes a little sweeter living a plane ride away! Mom and I have gotten a lot of bonding time in which is always a blast. She's been teaching me some of her cooking secrets, I've been teaching her how to knit, and we've gone shopping (which is something both of us love, especially when we find bargains!). I've gone and checked cows with my Dad and Sadie (the newest edition to our family, a miniature australian shepherd puppy), and hung out with my brother! We should have some baby calves born in the next few days...the first ones for the year! I'm hoping a few of them come before I leave so I can post some pictures.
I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and had the opportunity to spend some time with your families!

Me and Sadie Mae having some bonding time...

Checking cows with Sadie and Dad...Sadie doesn't like the windshield wipers, she was trying to attack them! 

Mom teaching me how to make her potato soup...I absolutely love it and can never seem to make it as good as she does!

Our amazing Christmas eve dinner...Yum!

The book my brother got me for Christmas...signed by Temple Grandin! This book is perfect and fits right into my graduate school work...

Our family had a piñata on Christmas morning, brother and I thought it was about the coolest thing ever. We had never had a piñata before!

It's already December?

Where does the time go? This semester has FLOWN by...it's hard to believe finals week is over and the town is beginning to slow down. My semester has been filled to the max with submitting research abstracts in October, judging youth livestock shows, helping with a variety of extension events, working on my theses project, and writing! I have still managed to find a little "me" time in all of that and have taken up a new hobby - knitting. The Boy's and all the guys in the office response was, "Isn't that what old people do?" and "Can't you just go buy that stuff instead of making it?". They clearly don't appreciate the therapeutic aspect of my hobby! I'll be posting pics of my latest projects over the holidays. I'm hoping to get all the knitting out of my system by the time I get back to school in January...I will need to set it on the shelf for awhile!
Last weekend, I got to meet my parents in Nashville and it was an absolute blast! My dad had meetings to attend so while he was busy learning about electricity we were shopping and doing "girl" things. They stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel which was gorgeous during the holiday season with all the Christmas decorations. We also ate a pretty amazing steak at the Nashville Stockyard Steakhouse... Here are some pics from the trip!

I don't understand why people say we resemble each other.... haha

Aren't they cute? Walking downtown when they first arrived...

Dad and I after eating that amazing steak!

YUM!

The perfect shopping snack! Mom and I love some good coffee and sweets.

I'm so thankful for these two people!

Mom and I found some livestock in the hotel....

Mom was really impressed with his guitar skills....

This is my favorite...have you ever seen a tree that big? It was absolutely gorgeous!

Artificial Insemination School

I've mentioned before that one my favorite parts of graduate school is getting to network with area producers and industry members at various events. This past weekend, we hosted an A.I. School. A.I. stands for Artificial Insemination. It's a reproductive technology that cattle producers implement on their farms to improve the genetics of their cow herds. It gives you the opportunity to utilize the genetics of superior animals that you could never afford to purchase or may not have access to. For instance, A.I. is utilized even outside of the United States. Cattle producers from other countries have the opportunity to purchase U.S. genetics by purchasing bull semen to be used on their cows. That is a much more feasible way of introducing new genetics to your herd than exporting and importing the live animals.

At the school, cattle producers from throughout the U.S. had the opportunity to not only learn the technique of A.I., but also about cattle nutrition, economics, health, semen handling, the reproductive cycle, and other technologies they can utilize back at their farm. You can learn more about A.I. technique from one of my previous posts, "You want me to put my hand where??".

I had a lot of fun working with this group of producers and can't wait to hear about their success as they implement A.I. programs on their farms.

Learning about the impact of nutrition on reproductive success...

Learning about the equipment need for A.I. and how to properly handle semen...

Internship Opportunity at the 2013 National Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show

This is an AWESOME internship opportunity that I would encourage all undergraduate and graduate students that are passionate about the beef industry to apply for! I had the opportunity to intern with NCBA during the 2012 conference and it was one of the coolest things I've ever done. The NCBA staff is wonderful to work with and you have the opportunity to learn about all different sectors of the cattle industry and what it takes to plan and put on a conference of that capacity! I met some really good friends while interning in Nashville and we have kept in touch ever since....it is truly a once in a lifetime experience!

WHEN AND WHERE?? February 4-9, 2013 in Tampa, Florida

WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE APP?? http://www.beefusa.org/ncbaconventioninternship.aspx

WHAT ALL DOES THE INTERNSHIP ENTAIL?? 
As an NCBA intern, you get the opportunity to network with NCBA staff, visit with industry leaders, assist with events during the conference, meet new friends from across the country, and the list goes on!

WHAT IS INCLUDED??
NCBA will provide the student’s convention registration, lodging and certain meals while
in Tampa. Students are responsible for their own travel to and from Tampa, along with all incidental expenses.

Comment or send me an e-mail with any questions...I would be happy to answer them!

Undergraduate internship opportunities...

It may seem early to start looking for summer internship opportunities, but now is the time that you should be on the look out. Many applications for summer internships are due as early as December so you don't want to wait! I received this information in a newsletter this week from the American Society of Animal Science. The University of Connecticut has compiled a list of companies that offer internships for undergraduate animal science students. You can visit their page at http://animalscience.uconn.edu/InternshipsAndEmployment/internships.php. Many universities also offer internships. The University of Nebraska has a Feedlot Management internship program where interns have the opportunity to take classes while working at a feedlot.
It's always a good idea to visit with your undergraduate advisor. They might have ideas or industry connections that can be useful to you. It seems like university job fairs also surface this time of year. There are many useful outlets out there for information...never be afraid to take advantage of them!
Good Luck!

For the love of pictures...

I love taking pictures. This statement isn't a surprise to most of you! Here are a few pictures I took in south Georgia a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to share...

It was a hot, humid day and all the cows were cooling off in the pond.

This one reminds me of a painting...

And, I saved the best for last - 

Taa-daaa!

Graduate school...it's about more than research (for me)

Graduate school is a very interesting thing. People began their graduate program with many preconceived notions, goals of what they hope they will get out of their program, and it's one of those things no matter how much you plan or prepare, the end result is never what you imagine. As I begin year 2 of this adventure, to say I have learned a lot is an understatement. Sure, I have expanded my knowledge through course work, reading journal articles, and conducting research but the greatest knowledge I have gain is about life. Yes, you heard me right. Life. Not about cattle reproduction, which is what I thought it would be if you had asked me a year ago.  Much of this learning has come about by trials and obstacles that stand in your path along the way. I have made so many connections with industry people while overcoming those obstacles and have learned many lessons that will no doubt be useful as I finish up my masters degree and venture out into the cattle industry or workplace.

If you asked all the fellow graduate students in my office what their favorite or most valuable part of graduate school was, you would get many different responses. Probably a different response for every person depending on what their end goals were and where their interest lies. The most valuable things I have learned thus far and the part of graduate school I have enjoyed the most has happened outside of the classroom and outside of the walls of our Animal Science building. My favorite part of graduate school is meeting and visiting with the producers in industry. It is through these experiences that I have learned the most about agriculture, where our industry is headed, and what we must proactively do (as producers) to ensure a bright future for our generation and generations to follow.

This past week I had the opportunity to visit with cattleman from Tippah Co. in Ripley, Mississippi. We visited about heifer selection and the type of traits we could select for to create functional females that would do "work" in our herds to provide a strong foundation that would ultimately lead to longevity and a profit. I had a great time meeting them, hearing their perspective, and learning about their cattle operations. I also really enjoyed the food...prime rib sandwiches and peach cobbler, Yum!

Being Transparent

In a country where fewer than 2% of people farm for a living and only 17% of people live in rural areas there seems to be a large disconnect between the farm where food is raised and the table where it's eaten. Because of this, it's not becoming more important than ever for my generation to serve as that link between the farm and table and let people know where their food comes from.
This morning I stumbled upon this video on Facebook that does a great job of modeling the transparency that is needed in Agriculture to share our story. There are many discrepancies around the web including videos and stories about everything from how livestock are handled to welfare during transport and at the harvest facilities. Which is why it's even more important that we share the "true" story on what happens on a farm on a day-to-day basis. Who better to tell the story of agriculture than the people producing food?
U.S. cattle producers do their best to provide the best care possible to their cattle in order to ensure a safe and wholesome product for the consumer.  The Beef Quality Assurance program educates people on how to provide optimal care for cattle at every stage in the production process. In addition to guidelines that ensure proper care for cattle on the farm, there are also guidelines and checkpoints in place at harvest facilities to make sure each animal is handled properly so that stress is reduced and the well-fare of animals are not compromised.
Take a look at the video below that was directed by the American Meat Institute and narrated by Temple Grandin. Temple is well-known for her work with animals and her ability to connect and relate with them to keep them calm and minimize stress. She has spent a lot of career developing guidelines for humane livestock handling and standards for humane harvest of animals in harvest facilities.
There are a few graphic scenes in this video, but it is an honest look at how things are done RIGHT in a harvest facility. For more information on this video and the American Meat Institute visit http://blog.meatami.com/2012/08/glass-walls-a-look-inside-a-typical-large-beef-plant/.

2012 Beefin' up the Bulldogs

Beefin' up the Bulldogs is an annual event hosted by the Mississippi Cattleman's Association and the MSU Animal and Dairy Sciences Department. The MSU football team comes to a location on campus where they are fed a steak dinner and have the opportunity to learn a little about agriculture. Following the dinner, which by the way consisted of 230 steaks (that's a lot of beef!), the players enjoyed some MSU ice cream and went outdoors for a hay bale toss competition and an opportunity to meet a cow from the MSU dairy. I think the dairy cow was by far the biggest hit! Here are some pictures from tonight...

President and Vice President of the MSU Collegiate Cattleman

Players enjoying their steak dinner with Coach Mullens.

Volunteers from MSU ADS department...

Hay bale toss!

The milk cow from MSU dairy...

The two cutest little girls talking to the milk cow!

I think it's safe to say everyone enjoyed meeting the cow!

Thanks to Finley White for taking pictures tonight!