Sustainable: The Ability to Endure…

I did some searching on the internet last week for a definition of sustainable.   This one is my favorite.

Sustainable: The ability to endure.

• Perhaps this definition spoke to me because there are times on our farm when I feel as though Matt and I are so challenged that we simply endure.
• Perhaps it spoke to the natural tenacity that is firmly embedded in my personality.
• Perhaps the simplicity of those four words caught my attention because they juxtapose against the convoluted conversation that normally surrounds the word.

For whatever reason, it resonated with me and has circled around in my mind for several days now.  Interestingly, the third pillar of the Progressive Beef program is Sustainability.

Click here for the first two pillars if you missed them in January’s posts:

http://feedyardfoodie.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/progressive-beefs-first-pillar-food-safety/

http://feedyardfoodie.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/proving-that-we-care/

The fact that sustainability is a cornerstone to the Progressive Beef program speaks to the importance of the topic relative to the production of high quality beef.  Just as I care about food safety and good cattle welfare, I also care about the environment and the sustainability of my farm.

Matt and I must both effectively use and protect our farm’s resources while simultaneously enduring both Mother Nature’s trials as well as man-made challenges.  My favorite farmer believes that urban sprawl is the single largest threat for the future sustainability of our farm, our country and our planet.  That belief creates this pivotal question:

How can we all endure as population growth tests our ability to exist without irrevocably harming the Earth?

Because this thought is forever in our minds, there are many things that Matt and I focus on at the farm to try to increase its ability to endure.

• Reduce waste through recycling.
• Responsibly manage the manure that we use to fertilize our crop land.
• Reuse the water that runs off of the feed yard during a rain to both fertilize and water adjacent crop land.
• Constantly learn new science and the subsequent development of technology, and determine whether it is a fit for our farm.
• Procure the feed for our cattle locally (either on our own farm or within our greater community).
• Feed cattle who are bred to be efficient converters of feed, and offer them outstanding care that enables them to reach their God-given potential.

I believe that achieving and maintaining sustainability is a journey.  It is a constant evolution of ideas and practices that revolve around a principle goal of responsible food production, and are driven by an unrelenting desire to be a good caretaker.

Somewhere deep inside my heart is the desire to not only endure but to endure with excellence.  Does the surrounding new life of spring inspire you in your journey for sustainability?

National Ag Day…

If you had asked me 20 years ago what the letters Ag stood for, I would not have been able to tell you.  Those initials represented a community of people that I seldom ran across in the swimming pools of South Florida.

This week our country celebrated National Ag Day and many social media posts thanking farmers permeated the cyber sphere.  I have no memory as a child of being any more aware of National Ag Day than the term Ag.  Today, I wonder how many people outside of farmers celebrated this special day?

Sometimes you just have to take the plunge…

As I think about our farm and what Matt and I have worked for over the past 16 years, I feel a myriad of emotions.  Most of all, I marvel at the maturity and the insight that I have gained.  I find myself struggling to remember the 22 year old young woman that moved to Nebraska and set out to learn how to be the Boss Lady at the cattle feed yard.

He teaches me compassion and compels me to understand his needs…

While I am sure that parts of me (namely the stubbornness and determination) are still relatively prominent, I look at the world very differently today than I did when I moved to Nebraska in 1997.  As I remember the girl with unusual dreams and stars in her eyes, I marvel at her confidence.

I have loved him more than half my life…

Youthful optimism is a powerful mental tool—Just as I never doubted that Matt and I were meant to build a life together, I also never doubted that I could learn to be a good cattle caregiver.  As I became successful at the feed yard, I began to broaden my spectrum and to work in a volunteer status to improve cattle care practices through the Beef Quality Assurance program.

My belief was so strong that I never looked back…

Quite honestly, it never occurred to me that I would fail.  That is the beauty of youthful passion and faith.   Through the years, it seems as though maturity has replaced that youthful confidence. Today, as I look at agriculture from the eyes of a 38 year old mother of three, there are days that I can no longer find the stars that used to inhabit my eyes.  A myriad of challenges threaten to replace those stars with doubts.

• Mother Nature
• Volatile commodity markets
• Pressures from both increased government regulations and activist groups
• Lack of unity within the agricultural community
• Lack of trust between farmers and urbanites

In particular, the last three weigh heavily on my “not so youthful” optimism. Quite frankly, I worry about this at night when I should be sleeping.  I find myself imploring both farmers and non-farmers to open up the needed conversation regarding food animal production practices.

Caring for our animals is much easier for us than sharing how we care with you–it is the nature of the cowboy to be introverted…

I feel the tremendous need for this conversation at the same time that my heart is concerned that it may be too late, or that we will not be able to see through the emotion clearly enough to respect each other and have a meaningful conversation.

When I look at her, I see the optimism and confidence of youth…

As I celebrate National Ag Day in 2013, I look to my faith and to my children to give me the needed strength to keep moving forward.  I look into my girls’ eyes and draw on that optimism that so closely resembles what I used to see when I looked in the mirror.  I recharge my soul with the knowledge that this challenge is too important for us to not be successful.  I pray that we can come together as a country to find a sustainable and appropriate blend of food production systems in order to ensure the security of our future.

We must always look for the beauty in one another…

Today, in honor of National Ag Day, don’t just thank the farmer—ask questions and help start the conversation.

Growing Food: The Truth, The Way, The Life…

Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the opportunity to expand my perspective by interacting with some new and wonderful people.  It is experiences like these that allow me to broaden my spectrum and think critically about my farm.

Understanding them is critical to providing quality and appropriate welfare…Being about to articulate all of the things that go into that understanding and care is even more challenging.

Have you ever tried to explain your life’s passion to someone that you have never met?  Can you greet strangers who share different food philosophies and find common ground and respect?  If you can, what results is a beautiful sharing of ideas and a cascade of personal growth.

Today, I would like to introduce all of you to John Suscovich of Connecticut.  In 2011, John and his wife Kate left their jobs in New York City and journeyed 5500 miles across the United States from NY to Seattle to San Diego on their bicycles in order to learn about family farms.

John and Kate on their trek…

John followed his passion as he ventured across the United States gaining knowledge about farming, so that he could return to Connecticut and live out his dream.  John and Kate personify the American Way and I have so much respect for what they have done.

John, at work on a CSA…

• Many of you Feed Yard Foodie followers have a slow foods philosophy:  You grow some of your own food, try to locally source the food that you do not grow, and have reservations about modern food production systems.
• Many of you are also curious about how a feed yard operates even though it is a modern food production system.
• Each one of you gives of your precious time to try to understand the perspective of this cattle feed yard boss lady.
  

  You all motivate to always do my best…

I want all of you to know how much that truly touches my heart.  I understand the leap of faith that each one of you has taken and I am humbly grateful.  Your quiet respect and interest gives me hope, and compels me to achieve excellence with every passing day.

I have to admit that John is ahead of me on this one–I prefer my quarter horse!

John is currently building his own pasture-raised chicken and herb CSA farm.  At the same time, he is recording weekly podcasts about farming to help others to gain the needed knowledge to be able to begin a life in agriculture.  A couple of weeks ago, John asked me to participate in a podcast.

The slow foods CSA farmer meets the cattle feed yard boss lady…

It proved to be a meeting of minds, and an incredibly rewarding experience.  I hope that each of you will take an hour out of your busy lives to listen to John and I as we search for common ground and talk about what it takes to grow food. Click on the link below to go directly to the podcast.

http://www.farmmarketingsolutions.com/?powerpress_embed=552-podcast&powerpress_player=default

Or click on this link to see both the written introduction and the podcast.

http://www.farmmarketingsolutions.com/gfp-007-anne-burkholder-of-will-feed-traveling-outside-your-comfort-zone-to-gain-perspective-and-reduce-stress/

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

Proving That We Care…

Just a couple of weeks ago, a social media friend forwarded me an email that she had received from a reader.  The email was a cry for help from a fellow mom.  It seems that her daughter, after repeatedly watching horrific videos of animal abuse on the internet, had refused to eat any animal products.

I do not have that added parenting challenge with my daughters because they help to raise the beef that we eat.

Concerned about both her daughter’s nutritional needs and the abusive videos, the mom was reaching out to online farmer bloggers in an attempt to find out the truth.  When I sent a link to several videos of my farm to the mom, she responded “Why can’t I find these when I search on YouTube?  These are the types of videos that we need to see!”

The short answer to that question is that search results on YouTube are ranked according to number of views.  This means that the more views a video has, the more likely that it will show up when you search a topic.  I have uploaded four “home-made” videos to YouTube over the last year—they have a total of only 1500 views.

This one is my favorite–it is my 10 year old cowgirl/chef exercising cattle at the feed yard to the tune of her favorite song “Fly Over States”.

• I love this video because I am proud of my daughter and what a great cattle caregiver she is becoming.
• I love this video because it shows the simplicity of good cattle handling.
• I love this video because of the calf with the white spot on his head that kept asking Megan “do I have to” when she asked him to move.  Megan frequently looks at me asking the same question…
  

  Where did the trust go?

Twenty years ago, trust existed throughout the food production system.  Farmers were viewed positively, and those outside of the farm believed that farmers had integrity.  Today, that trust is gone.  I believe that this loss of trust is one of the biggest travesties currently affecting our great country.  Quite simply, it hurts my heart to know that many people do not trust that I care.

My brain recognizes that it is my duty to not only care, but also to document that care in an attempt to rebuild that trust.  The daily care that I offer to my animals is now accompanied by record keeping and documentation that will verify that I not only care, but that I am competent in that care.

My other job—paper work!

Animal Care is the second pillar of the Progressive Beef program.  It is one that I believe in with every fiber of my being.  Outstanding animal care is a trademark of my feed yard.  Progressive Beef has provided me with both a documentation trail, and also a third party independent audit to bring additional integrity to my promise of high quality animal care.

Rest assured that you can feel good about feeding my beef to your family—it came from healthy and humanely raised animals.  You don’t have to just take my word for it!

I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.

Pablo Casals

The Journey of Food Production…

Life is a journey, one that often does not involve straight lines.  While there is always a destination in mind, I would argue that the journey is many times just as important as the end point.

Food production in the United States is varied.  The journey of making food is full of diversity and yet the end goal is always the same: safe nourishment to feed our bodies.

I am proud to grow your beef…

There is no doubt that food production has changed dramatically during my lifetime.  The journey that Matt’s grandfather and Archie took to grow food does not look the same as the one that Matt and I take in 2013.

We can have a discussion as to whether or not this change is positive, but that discussion does not alter the fact that food production methods constantly evolve.  There is no doubt in my mind that my daughters’ journey will take them down even more diverse pathways than those that Matt and I have traveled.

Working with my girls to grow vegetables in our garden also brings me pride…

My perspective on modern food production has widened since moving to Nebraska and learning the different ways that food is grown.  As I experience it, I learn to both understand it and to realize the benefits that come from having many different types of food production systems.

I manage a cattle feed yard where animals are raised in a concentrated setting to make food.  I believe that I offer humane animal care, and I am devoted to producing a safe and high quality beef product; but there is no doubt that I participate in a very modern food production system.

Three miles down the gravel road from my house is our cattle feed yard where 3000 animals are grown to provide beef to thousands of families.

One of my favorite “hobbies” is gardening.  When I garden, I use a good old fashioned hoe that likely looks the same as the one that Matt’s grandmother used.   Just as I love to use my hands to raise cattle and beef at my feed yard, I also love to use them to grow vegetables and flowers in my back yard.

A good hoe is hard to beat when planting the garden…

There are nights in the summertime when almost all of the food that is on our table was grown by us. While it was all “home grown”, it came from varied production systems.  It all tastes good and it is all healthy—from the beef that came from my feed yard to the vegetables that came from my backyard.

It is fun to watch it grow…

I love those dinners because they help me to realize how important it is to be in touch with food, and to understand what it takes to grow it.  I am reminded that a varied food production system is a good thing—it provides a practical way for me to have choices and diversity at my table.

So, when it comes to food production, I am a believer…

• I believe that there are many responsible ways to grow safe food.
• I believe that the diversity of the United States food production system allows for Americans to have choices.
• I believe that having choices is a good thing.

The important ingredient to food production is a devotion to quality—I see that both at my cattle feed yard and in my back yard garden.

Looking to the future–learning from the past–living in the present…

The journey weaves and flows in diverse directions, but it always come back to the goal of safety and wholesomeness of food.  Food that I proudly grow for both you and my family.

The Practical Application of Math…

I’ll never forget the day in 3^rd grade that my oldest daughter announced that she did not understand why she had to learn math because it was not anything that she would ever use in real life…

She is now in 7th grade and learning pre-algebra…

Ever since that moment, I have made it my mission to constantly point out to my girls the use of math in daily life.  Perhaps that is why they are all such good chefs (what better way to learn to use fractions!).

One of the girls’ favorites are sliced home grown tomatoes with a touch of butter and Parmesan cheese…

I am surrounded by math at the feed yard.  From reading bunks and figuring out pounds of feed—to estimating cattle weights—to deciding how many trucks I need to transport my animals—to determining the proper withdrawal times for the animal health products that I use on my cattle.  Math is everywhere and I have to remember not to gloat every time that I proudly show my girls another practical use for it!

I know that I have been successful when they start to point it out to me!

I use several different animal health products at the feed yard.  By animal health products, I mean both preventative care products (like vaccines) and treatment medications (like antibiotics) for sick animals. The last two core topics for Beef Quality Assurance are Injection Site Management, and Feed Additives and Medications.

These two BQA components exist because my cattle are food animals, and their meat will be used to nourish my family and yours.  As I use animal health products, I must always remember to protect the safety of the food that my animals make.

Here I am giving an injection in the neck of a calf just underneath the skin…

Almost all animal health products have withdrawal periods—this is the number of days that must pass before a treated animal can be shipped to harvest.  The withdrawal period insures that there are no residues of any animal health products in the meat that you purchase at the grocery store.

Here I am filling a syringe to treat a sick calf that I found last Sunday morning in Pen 15. I weigh the animal so that I can figure an accurate and appropriate dose. I also take the temperature of the animal to help me with my diagnosis.

It is illegal for me to send a bovine to harvest who has not passed the proper withdrawal time following a treatment (like the one that I administered in the picture above).  Every single time that we give an animal health product to a calf, we write down the animal’s identification number, the product that was given to him, and then figure the date that the animal has cleared withdrawal and is eligible for harvest.

Megan was my helper last weekend. Here she is writing down the identification numbers of the animal, its temperature, the antibiotic that I treated him with, and then the date that the animal will clear withdrawal…

There is an effective system in place to ensure that beef that you purchase is residue free!  FDA (federal drug administration )mandates it, BQA ensures it, cattle veterinarians and caregivers take many steps every day to make it a reality!

So, how often do my cattle receive injections (shots)?   As a part of my protocol to ensure good health, every animal in my feed yard receives at least two vaccinations (given to prevent common bovine illnesses—think of them as the bovine equivalent of the Flu Shot), and one deworming shot.  In addition, somewhere between 2-5% of my animals receive an injection of an antibiotic when they become clinically ill.

Here I am giving a vaccination to a newly arrived animal. This vaccine will help him to stay healthy and plays an important role in my preventative health plan…

The goal is to do all of the holistic animal welfare practices correctly so that only a very small number of my animals get sick and require an antibiotic treatment.

30 years ago this wonderful lady motivated her husband and the other “beef boys” to achieve zero residues in beef, today she teaches her granddaughter how to cook!

Perhaps Dr. Griffin’s wife (pictured above) said it best when she reminded him 30 years ago that it was never acceptable to feed her children meat that contained residues.  I am pleased to report today that the percentage of finished cattle that go to harvest with a residue is 0.000017% which statistically equates to zero.

Dr. Griffin took his wife’s message to heart and has dedicated his life to educating cattlemen and achieving the necessary “zero”…

For more information on the topic of antibiotics, take a minute to read this post from December of last year regarding antibiotic use at the feed yard.  http://feedyardfoodie.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/the-misunderstood/.

Or, the USFRA just did a dialog on the use of antibiotics in food animals recently in New York City.  You can view the hour and a half long conversation at http://www.fooddialogues.com/ny-food-dialogues/antibiotics-and-your-food.

The Basic Premise Behind Quality and Appropriate Cattle Welfare…

He views the world from a different perspective.

Thinking on a different cognitive level.

His needs are basic and may sometimes seem rudimentary to human eyes.

While those needs may appear simplistic, they are innately tied to his vitality.

His good health is intrinsically tied to the safety of our food.

He is a food animal—he feeds our families.

He is a bovine and his job is to produce high quality and safe beef.

I am his caregiver, and it is my job to offer appropriate care that meets his needs and allows him to reach his God-given potential.

When he reaches this potential, the cycle is complete and I have successfully raised a safe and healthy beef product that comes from animals that are humanely cared for.