Did You Know?

• Did you know that every animal is inspected by a USDA employee before it is cleared for harvest?
• Did you know that FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) inspects all carcasses during the harvest process to ensure that your beef is safe?
• Did you know that federal law states that meat can not be shipped or sold without the USDA inspection seal that is given once the above two things have happened?
• Did you know that this week the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, threatened to furlough USDA and FSIS employees for at least two weeks beginning March 1st which would effectively shut down meat production in the United States?
• I can tell you that knowing the answer to all of these questions has led me to several sleepless nights this week.  Yesterday afternoon, I decided to write the Secretary a letter which is listed below.  If you are compelled to contact the Secretary, you can send him an email at: Tom.Vilsack@usda.gov

 

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

 I write to you today with a heavy heart.  I am saddened, I am ashamed, and I am angry.  I feel all of these emotions because of your threatening words regarding a forthcoming furlough of FSIS employees.  As you know, that furlough would shut down the 6290 packing plants and processing facilities across the United States because it is illegal to slaughter and ship meat without the USDA inspection seal.

 Not only would this furlough directly affect the thousands of employees of those packing and processing facilities, but it would also affect every farmer in the nation and the millions of consumers that purchase the products that we work so hard to grow.

 My husband and I own and operate a diversified farm in Dawson   County, Nebraska.  We raise both crops and cattle using a combination of traditional and organic farming practices.  Our livelihood revolves around food animal production, and we have spent the last two decades tirelessly working to build a viable farming business.  This business becomes non-viable if animals cannot be slaughtered for meat production purposes.  Even the 2 week shutdown that you threaten will cause great hardship to us.

 Whether your threatening words are signs of a new reality or simply an attempt to play politically motivated games with Congress, they negatively affect our family farming business.  Scare tactics that involve the production of food are simply irresponsible and I am gravely disappointed in your behavior.  I believe that it is your job as the Secretary of Agriculture to calmly lead our nation’s food growers and aid them in their vital task of feeding their fellow countrymen. 

 Forgive me, sir, but it certainly appears to me that you are being severely derelict in your duties.  As I watch from Nebraska, the livelihood of my farming business is being jeopardized in the name of politics.  You, President Obama, and the rest of the administration are threatening the food and fiber of our country with your actions.  I would like to take a minute to remind you that you are tampering with both my livelihood and our country’s food security.

 In the coming weeks, I sincerely hope that you will designate FSIS inspectors as “essential personnel” and exempt them from the furlough.  Additionally, I pray that you will discontinue engaging in scare tactics that negatively affect farmers like me who work so diligently to raise safe and healthy food.

 I invite you to take some time to visit my blog site so that you can learn more about two of the many farmers that rely on you for leadership and support.  You can access my blog site at http://www.feedyardfoodie.com/.

 

Sincerely,

 Anne Burkholder

Cozad, Nebraska

Feeding The Body and the Soul: A look at how we grow food and spiritualism in Central Nebraska…

I am what some would call a cradle Episcopalian.  I was raised a member of Bethesda By The Sea Episcopal church in Palm Beach, Florida; and have spent my adult life a part of the family of St. Christopher’s in Cozad, Nebraska.

We are the little A-frame church that sits on the corner of 16th and B streets…

While I am a regular church goer, the heart of my spiritualism lies outside of the doors of the church building.  It is deeply rooted in nature and is an integral part of my adult life.

• It is present on my cattle farm.
• It is present in the volunteer work that I do to improve animal (cattle) welfare.
• It is present on the youth athletic fields where I mentor and coach.
  

  God’s paintbrush is evident as fall prevails on the prairie…

Friday afternoon I will be sharing my thoughts on the topic Feeding the Body and the Soul: A look at how we grow food and spiritualism in Central Nebraska at the 145^th Annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska.

While I am very open and transparent about how I raise cattle and grow beef on my farm, I tend to hold my faith in a more private place.  Despite that introverted tendency, I “take God with me” on my life journey.

What a beautiful journey it has been in the heartland of Nebraska.

There is something about wide open spaces and farming the land that lends itself to being closely tied to faith.  Perhaps it is the beauty of a sunset over the plains…Perhaps it is the feeling of intense pride and contentment that comes from growing things with your own two hands…Perhaps it is the feeling of helplessness that comes from witnessing the brutality of Mother Nature…Most likely, it is all of these things that lends a farmer toward a strong personal spiritualism.

The beautiful promise of new opportunity…

I have a sign in one of my flower gardens that reads:  The kiss of the sun for pardon; The song of the birds for mirth.  One is nearer God’s heart in a garden, than any place else on the earth.

There are times when I am exercising calves in the early morning light when I feel a comforting presence about me.  I feel peace, and with it a strong sensation that I am where I was meant to be.  When I think of what I desire most in the world as a parent, it is that my children will grow up to discover a vocation that brings them this same sense of “rightness”.

My greatest wish is for each of them to find a true vocation in life…

It is true that Nebraska is an enormous contributor to our country’s food supply.  Agriculture is the heart of our communities, our lives, and our economy.  If our rural “Fly Over State” is known for anything, it is for corn, crops and cattle.  What folks outside of our small communities might not realize is the strong sense of faith that prevails amongst the farms and ranches that permeate our state.

A simple beauty…

Just as Nebraska grows food, that growth of food seems intrinsically tied to faith.  That spiritual belief moves us forward in good times and in times of challenges. It unites us into a diverse family and creates a sense of “neighborliness” that is truly unique.

The next time that you think of Nebraska, you’ll have to add faith to the list of things that we grow—it blossoms amidst the bounty that our land produces…

Corn Harvest…

In the spring we plant the seed with the hope of moisture, sun light and growth…

With a bit of grace from God, combined with a bit of help to control the weeds…

It grows through the summer months…

We water it with sprinklers when the rains do not come…

Or on some fields we use gravity flow irrigation through pipes instead…

All while protecting our natural resources so that they can provide for our family and for you…

It grows to be taller than my “Ivy League Farmer”, and makes seeds and fiber which will nourish both us and our animals…

In the fall, the plant dies and we harvest its spoils…

The Golden Jewel of the Midwest…

A combine harvests the Jewel…

Tall, Strong, Golden

They sway,

in the wind.

Farmer’s pride

Combine time

harvest season is here.

The corn is picked

leaving bare, desolate fields.

Until next summer,

I bid you well, O Corn

the Midwest’s Jewel.

Poem by Ashley Grace

The Heart of a Farmer…

My husband would tell you that he majored in engineering because that was the department at Dartmouth that had the best toys.  When we graduated from school and moved back to the family farm in Nebraska, he put his engineering knowledge to work with lots of really big toys.

One of the first major decisions that Matt made when we moved back to the farm was to purchase a big alfalfa harvester.  It looks ALOT different than the horse drawn equipment that I shared pictures of on Tuesday…

I have met many farmers over the past 16 years—every single one of them is enamored with equipment.  It does not seem to matter if it is a horse drawn plow or a thirty foot disk pulled by a 290 horse power tractor, it pulls them in like a powerful magnet.

5 beautiful draft horses pull a small plow through an old alfalfa field…

Two blondes, 290 modern “horses” and a 30 foot disk…The equipment looks a bit different than the draft horses and one foot disk pictured above!

This fascination with machinery seems to go hand in hand with a borderline obsession with Mother Nature.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit with a farmer, the conversation will flow easily if you ask about either the weather or a machine.  I like to tease my husband about this, but if you substitute the word “cattle” for “machine”, I seem to be just as guilty as he is…

My girls are used to dinner conversations that revolve around the weather, our cattle, our crops and our machinery. They have an understanding for where their food comes from and an inherent trust that it is grown by someone who cares…

Last weekend, as I watched the equipment used to harvest alfalfa in the first half of the 1900′s, I was struck by the realization that farmers are intricately linked with both their machines and Mother Nature.  The three make a partnership that ebbs and flows in a constant search for balance.

It brings him a sense of peace when he works the land.  His grandpa used different tools than he does, but they share the same goal…

Technology as it pertains to agriculture and farming is a current buzz topic.  City dwellers may ask why a farmer needs a huge machine to plant, grow and harvest crops while a rural farmer may ask why the type and size of machine defines whether or not he is an actual farmer. 

Matt turned to me the other night after reading an article on the internet and said, “I do not understand why having a big tractor makes me less of a farmer.  The plants that I grow still provide food, and I still work the land.  Isn’t that what makes a farmer?”

His comment got me to thinking about what really is the heart of a farmer.  What defines him?  Perhaps almost more importantly, is this definition consistent over time and cultures?

Matt had never met this older gentleman before but, despite the difference in age, they still share a bond that leads to an easy conversation over an old piece of equipment…

Matt defines a farmer as someone who works the land to grow food.  In his heart lies the desire to bring life to the soil and harvest that life to provide for those in need.  Interestingly enough, older generations of local farmers answer that question in much the same way.

Larger equipment and a more advanced transportation system has enabled the farmers of Matt’s generation to provide on a global scale in addition to a local and national scale, but the heart of the farmer is still the same.

These two images belong in different periods of time…

What I witnessed last weekend at the antique farm demonstration strengthened my belief that while technology evolves and machines change, the heart of the person operating the machine is constant.  That heart holds a love for the land and a love of bringing life to that land that is much larger than the amount of steel required to build the toys that work the land…

What do you think defines a farmer?

The Way Things Used To Be…

Archie frequently tells me stories of farming from the past, but until Saturday I had never had the opportunity to see farming as it was several generations ago…The Smithsonian, in conjunction with volunteers from our town, put together a “Journey Story Family Farm Day” near our town of Cozad.

One of the only mule/horse drawn corn harvesting teams that still is operational in the United States…

Watching the old horse drawn farming equipment was an epiphanic experience.  Because I grew up in the city, I am only familiar with agriculture beginning in the mid-1990′s.  To hear stories of the way things used to be is very different from actually watching it happen.  I have to admit that I was both fascinated and awed.  It gave me a reverence for the past and an appreciation for the technology of the present and future…

It was a thing of beauty to watch, but at the same time brought a tremendous appreciation for the farming equipment that we have now…

I want to take quick break from the feed yard and my tales of weaning, and share pictures from Saturday with you all.  Hopefully these pictures will give you a brief glimpse into the way things used to be…

An old fashioned sickle bar mower that was pulled by horses to cut alfalfa hay…

A draft horse team raking the alfalfa after it has been cut…

Another draft team prepares to gather the raked alfalfa…

Gathering the alfalfa…

Moving the gathered alfalfa to the stacker…

The stacker team awaits the gathered alfalfa…

The stacker team of draft horses pulls the boom of the stacker with a pulley rope system…

The alfalfa is catapulted into the stacker…

In addition to watching the alfalfa harvesting equipment, my favorite equine loving 10 year old managed some up close and personal time with the beautiful work horse and mule teams.  She just couldn’t seem to help herself…

She tried her hand at driving one of the draft teams..

At 18 plus hands they make our quarter horses look pretty small…

This big guy became her friend when she…

“mouth” fed him a stem of grass hay that she picked up along the way!

Our family had a wonderful day learning about the way things used to be—giving us a new perspective on the way that things are now…

A special thanks to Bobbi Jo Messersmith and all of the other local volunteers for their hard work in bringing this incredible experience to our special town!

Striving For Sustainability…

Matt’s grandparents moved from Northwestern Ohio to Cozad Nebraska in 1945.  Originally, they were Mennonite alfalfa farmers in the Archbold, Ohio area.  Converted to the Methodist religion, and desiring to travel west, they loaded their family of four (Grandmother Grace, Grandpa Burky, and sons: Dave and Erv) on the Union Pacific Railroad in 1945 to journey to Nebraska.

Grandmother Grace, Grandpa Burky, Dave and Ann with children Matt and Lara, and Dave’s brother, Erv and his wife Chris and daughter Zoe circa 1976…

The original family farm in Nebraska was a “custom” farm where Matt’s grandpa purchased alfalfa “standing in the field” from neighboring farmers, and then dehydrated the plants into alfalfa dehy pellets.  Over the years, Grandpa Burky and Dave (Matt’s dad) were able to purchase some land as well as lease land to farm.  The farm continued to shift in this direction as Matt and I came home to work, and today our farm is based primarily on family owned and leased land.

Today, Matt and I are raising the 4th generation…

The crop farm expanded to include a cattle feed yard in the late 1960’s.  Surrounded by animal feed and successfully established as an alfalfa farmer, Grandpa Burky and his friend, Ray Bates, dreamed of diversifying the farm.  Matt’s dad, Dave, had just arrived home from Stanford Business school and was a major contributor to the expansion along with my favorite 79 year old (Archie Curtice).

Dave and Archie have made a lifetime of memories together…

What began as a few pens now is home to several thousand animals that are fed locally grown crops, and prepared to become the beef that nourishes your family!  Archie’s son, Doug, and I now manage the cattle portion of our farm and work hard to carry on the family tradition.

Today, we have the ability to trace our animals from birth to harvest: an important component in my plan to raise the highest quality beef using the fewest natural resources…Here I am weighing an animal to track his gain performance at the feed yard.

It has been 67 years since Matt’s family got on the train and moved west.  When I look at what our family has built during that time, I am filled with a tremendous amount of pride.  While I have only been lucky enough to spend the last 15 years contributing, I think that what Matt and I do each day is a testimony to what his grandfather began so many years ago.

So what makes up our farm in 2012?

• 1481 acres of organic alfalfa
• 1579 acres of traditional alfalfa
• 617 acres of organic corn
• 966 acres of traditional corn
• 120 acres of traditional soybeans
• 184 acres of traditional wheat
• Approximately 600 acres of cool season grass pasture
• A cattle feed yard that has between 2300-2900 cattle (depending on the time of year)
• 4 horses, 3 dogs, and 7 cats

Much of the traditionally grown corn and alfalfa are fed to our animals in the cattle feed yard.  In addition, the wheat stubble and a good portion of the corn stalks (what is left after harvest) is baled to feed to the cattle.  We blend these home grown feed ingredients with wet distillers grains to grow our cattle and make beef.  We do also purchase some corn from neighbors to augment our personally grown supply.  In a twelve month period, our cattle farm will prepare approximately 5500-6000 animals for harvest.

Traced from birth to harvest, I am proud to feed the beef from this animal to both my family and yours…

In 2006, with the increasing availability of wet distillers grains for our cattle and the growing demand for organically grown crops, Matt decided to diversify our crop farm by including organically certified alfalfa and corn.  The organic animal feed is sold to organic animal farmers across the country.  While this places a limit on the amount of feed that we grow for our own traditionally raised cattle, it opens up a more diverse marketing plan for our farm.

Matt’s alfalfa dehydration plant…

This diversity is a key player in the search for long term sustainability on our farm…I am pretty sure that Grandpa Burky would have never thought that his grandson would raise a blend of crops that included organic feed, or that his granddaughter-in-law would be the Boss Lady at the cattle feed yard.  But, the combination of team work and outside sales of a variety of products allows our farm to better weather the challenges that both Mother Nature and the economy bring…

Pictures From The Farm…

I laugh that if you do not like the weather in Nebraska, just wait five minutes and it will change…We are still dry, but patches of rain are beginning to crop up in our area.  Apparently Mother Nature still remembers how!

How could my heart not be filled with hope as I see this beautiful sight?

God’s paintbrush is incredible. It brings me a sense of peace as well as hope…

In spite of the dry and hot summer, Matt and his crew have been busy growing wheat, alfalfa, corn and soybeans…

The morning sun shines on “wheat straw bales” in the field. Wheat is able to grow with relatively small amounts of moisture, so we do not irrigate our wheat fields…After harvest, we bale the left over plant stalk to feed to our cattle…

This is the field of alfalfa behind my house. It is almost time to cut it again (this will be the fourth cutting)—I can tell because it is starting to get small purple flowers amongst the green leaves. The leaves are a bit smaller than normal due to lack of rain—we do not actively irrigate most of our alfalfa ground…

Today our corn is tasseled and looks pretty good—we have been irrigating the crop since late May so that it has enough water to grow. Some years we irrigate very little, some years (like this one) we are forced to irrigate regularly because Mother Nature does not provide rainfall…

We grow a few (irrigated)  soybeans on our farm as well, but it is a very small percentage relative to our other crops…

We are blessed in the Platte River Valley to have access to irrigation water when it fails to rain.  As long as we are diligent in our care, our crops are able to grow despite the dry weather.  The terrible heat in late June and July was tough on everything, but we are hopeful that harvest will bring the resources that we need to make it through another year.

Thursday’s post will bring an explanation of how all of the different components of our farm (pasture ground, alfalfa, irrigated crops and cattle) all work together to ensure that our farm remains viable despite Mother Nature’s challenges.

My High-Tech Redneck…

There are certainly times when Matt and I use a scoop shovel and a pitchfork as depicted by the main picture in the Business Week article.  However, our farm is no longer as labor intensive as it was in Matt’s grandpa and Archie’s generation.  Machinery and electronic innovation has been prolific over the past 50 years, and this has vastly improved the efficiency of farming.

The early morning sun on one of our corn fields. One of our irrigation pivots is watering the field and can be seen in the background…

I fondly refer to my husband as my high-tech redneck.  It blows my mind when he sits in our living room and turns his irrigation pivots on with his cell phone.

Irrigation pivots are huge sprinklers that move in a circle to irrigate crop ground.  One pivot can irrigate about 140 acres…

Additionally, Matt’s phone is set to automatically call him when a pivot stops working or malfunctions.  The girls laugh that daddy’s girlfriend (the irrigation pivot) calls in the middle of the night and daddy has to go out and see her to fix the problem.

While we still lay pipe to irrigate about 60% of our corn and soy bean acres, the creation of central pivots has eased the labor and increased the efficiency on the other 40% our irrigated farm acres.  Additionally, Matt has surge valves on several of the farms that we still gravity irrigate with pipe.  These valves switch the water periodically between two different sets of gates so that the water is spread more evenly across the field as the water flows from one end of the field to another.

Irrigation pipe that waters one of our corn fields using gravity and the natural slope of the field…These pipes have gates that you can open and close to determine water flow.

Matt took technology one step further this summer with the addition of soil moisture probes on two of our fields.  These probes report electronically on the moisture in the soil so that we only water the crops when they are deficient.  The soil moisture probes have a cellular phone component that sends data to a website every 15 minutes relating the moisture level in the soil.  Matt then accesses moisture graphs via the internet to determine the amount of irrigation (water) needed to grow the crop.

Moisture Sensor Graphs

Raising crops and growing food in 2012 involves a beautiful blend of old school hard work and physical labor and new technology. This allows for increased efficiency and reduces the environmental footprint of that food.

Matt with our favorite 7 year old continuing the tradition…

Matt laughs that he is glad that our farm will never go back to 40 acres and a mule.  I smile every time that we are able to use new technology to protect our farm’s natural resources.  I was never able to meet Matt’s grandpa, but I can envision Burky smiling down from heaven as Matt and I use new science to take our family’s farm into the next generation!