Ok, so it is not as depressing as the title of this post is. But the end of the quarter is here!! It is an exciting thing, and yet, kind of sad. It means that time is still rolling right along. I feel as though I should know more of what I am going to do once school is over, but really, all I can do is reflect on what I have done.
This year has flown by, it seems. I do not think I can remember the classes I took in the fall or winter. This quarter I have learned a lot. From different grasses to feed cattle, to the physiology of the circulatory system, and how to use technology in the classroom.
From this class I have started blogging. I have even started one for my family history. I have mentioned previously on this blog how I am cleaning my uncle's house and finding a lot of cool stuff. Well, I have decided to share what I have found there with my family. I know they have enjoyed it emencely. I have also learned how to find other blogs for research and communication about different topics and groups.
I plan on using these new tools in the future.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Mercy Me!
This past Wednesday I went on a trip with my Beef Production class to eastern Ohio. We visited with Rick and Jane Young on their commercial Angus operation, Brent Porteus' feed lot, Muskingum Livestock Auction, and Way-View Angus, a purebred/seed stock farm. I did learn a lot about production in Ohio. As many of you may know, I am originally from Florida and choose to come to Ohio State University because I have family here, and so I could learn something new and outside of my comfort zone. I did just that on Wednesday.
My dad has constantly been asking me to learn some of the grasses here in Ohio, but I am hopeless when it comes to learning things like that from a book. I am a very visual/hands-on kind of girl. While we were at the Young's, who are award-winning environmental stewards of the land, I was able to see and learn four different types of grass, 3 different types of weeds/shrubs, and see some amazing specimens of cattle.
Tuesday will be a sad day for the history books in my opinion. Mercy for Animals released an "undercover" video of an Ohio dairy farm where employees were physically abusing animals on the farm. This is never a good thing; the abuse to the animals, the fact that people go undercover to get this footage, the affect it has on the agriculture industry and our consumers, or any other ill affect. I feel this particular incident is worse. I know it is wrong of me to feel this way, because it is always a bad situation, however this hit especially close to home. The dairy in question is Conklin Dairy Farm, a good friend of mine is the son of the owners and based on how I know him, his character, and his work ethic (all of which had to have come from how he was raised, i.e. his parents), this horrendous video is almost completely unbelievable.
While we were visiting with Brant Porteus, the Ohio Farm Bureau President, we got onto the subject of the new development with in the animal rights/welfare sector of agriculture. Through the conversation he said something that made me really start thinking. He commented that we all need to take up an active role in advocacy, for the agricultural industry, individual commodity industries, or what ever we feel passionate about. It was at this point that a light went on in my head, I want to be an Industry Advocate. Yes, I know that this is a role we all can and should take up, but I want it to be my profession. I have the passion for this industry, the want to, the drive, and the willingness and desire to learn more. I know my strengths and weaknesses, and know what I need to work on to be able to build my weaknesses and refine my strengths. It is now my goal.
Back to my trip to eastern Ohio, after we left Mr. Porteus' feedlot, we went to the stockyards in Zanesville. This was nothing new to me because I have had tours of the stockyards in Texas and Oklahoma, so while this is a smaller version, it was still something new to a lot of the students in my class.
We ended the day at Way-View Angus farm. Fred Penick is the owner/operator of this purebred Angus herd. He is working to improve the breed through genetics and selling those animals of superior genetics to commercial breeders to create a better end-product.
Overall, it was a good, educational day for me. I do enjoy agriculture, and what it stands for in this great nation. The opportunity to see it in action is a great thing.
My dad has constantly been asking me to learn some of the grasses here in Ohio, but I am hopeless when it comes to learning things like that from a book. I am a very visual/hands-on kind of girl. While we were at the Young's, who are award-winning environmental stewards of the land, I was able to see and learn four different types of grass, 3 different types of weeds/shrubs, and see some amazing specimens of cattle.
Tuesday will be a sad day for the history books in my opinion. Mercy for Animals released an "undercover" video of an Ohio dairy farm where employees were physically abusing animals on the farm. This is never a good thing; the abuse to the animals, the fact that people go undercover to get this footage, the affect it has on the agriculture industry and our consumers, or any other ill affect. I feel this particular incident is worse. I know it is wrong of me to feel this way, because it is always a bad situation, however this hit especially close to home. The dairy in question is Conklin Dairy Farm, a good friend of mine is the son of the owners and based on how I know him, his character, and his work ethic (all of which had to have come from how he was raised, i.e. his parents), this horrendous video is almost completely unbelievable.
While we were visiting with Brant Porteus, the Ohio Farm Bureau President, we got onto the subject of the new development with in the animal rights/welfare sector of agriculture. Through the conversation he said something that made me really start thinking. He commented that we all need to take up an active role in advocacy, for the agricultural industry, individual commodity industries, or what ever we feel passionate about. It was at this point that a light went on in my head, I want to be an Industry Advocate. Yes, I know that this is a role we all can and should take up, but I want it to be my profession. I have the passion for this industry, the want to, the drive, and the willingness and desire to learn more. I know my strengths and weaknesses, and know what I need to work on to be able to build my weaknesses and refine my strengths. It is now my goal.
Back to my trip to eastern Ohio, after we left Mr. Porteus' feedlot, we went to the stockyards in Zanesville. This was nothing new to me because I have had tours of the stockyards in Texas and Oklahoma, so while this is a smaller version, it was still something new to a lot of the students in my class.
We ended the day at Way-View Angus farm. Fred Penick is the owner/operator of this purebred Angus herd. He is working to improve the breed through genetics and selling those animals of superior genetics to commercial breeders to create a better end-product.
Overall, it was a good, educational day for me. I do enjoy agriculture, and what it stands for in this great nation. The opportunity to see it in action is a great thing.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Life
I have not blogged in a little while because I have been trying to figure out some things in my life. Life has definitely shown its good and bad sides to me here lately. My plans for graduation have been changed, which changes my plans for an internship next spring. I still do not know what I am going to do once I graduate.
I understand that I am not the only one who feels this way; especially among the college aged population. But sometimes it feels as though no one can help me. I feel bad asking peers to help me with my problems when I know they have their own to deal with.
However, I believe I have found a way to do what I want when I graduate. I have been working on my great-uncle's farm in Newark a lot since Spring Break. Since my uncle has been put into a nursing home, the sad truth is that we might have to sell the farm in order to pay for his bills. My mom and her two brothers have decided that they want to buy it. Seeing as they all live in Florida, someone in Ohio would have to look after it. That is where I come in. The goal, if we do purchase the land, is to turn it into a Living History Farm. Make it educational and open it to the public and bring in school aged kids to see how agriculture has changed and grown in the past century. I see it as a Cracker Country (FL State Fair) meets Ag Ventures meets Agarama (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton, GA). Maybe not as old-school as Agarama, but the concept is still there.
For those of you who do not know what these places are/do, let me elaborate:
- Cracker Country is located on the Florida State Fair Grounds in Tampa, FL (close to my home). It is the new home of a small "Cracker" Village the same as it would be found in the 1800's. There is a school house, church, blacksmith, general store, train station, houses/homes, smoke houses, community center/courtyard, and much more. All of the buildings were relocated from their original locations through out Florida to the Fair Grounds. It is only open to the public during the state fair in February, and to private tours. The term "Cracker" refers to the first settlers of Florida because they "cracked" their whips to herd the cattle across the state. It is still used today to describe families that have a history in the state relating to beef cattle production and still use whips to move their cattle. (It is not always a derogatory term)
- Ag Ventures is a program put on by the Florida Farm Bureau in conjunction with the Florida State Fair Agribusiness Department, and is assisted by local commodity groups and FFA and 4-H. The program is directed to third grade students in the Tampa Bay Area to come and experience some of the Florida Agriculture. Students might learn how to make butter, where honey comes from, how to grow a strawberry (and take a plant home with them), a brief introduction to the forestry department, and a little bit about all the different industries associated with Florida Agriculture.
- Agarama is just south of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA. It is very similar to Cracker Country, except it is open year round. Agarama is a working farm/farming community. The employees/volunteers who work there have extensive knowledge of how people lived in the 1700-1900s. When you enter the village, you are stepping back in time.
I do not think that I can pull off the history to that extent because this farm has only been in my family for 80 years. Many of the original buildings and outhouses have been damaged by age and weather, so those buildings will take a lot of work to redo or use at all.
Now, all of this is still in the works, but with life dealing me a poor hand, I think it is fair to say, you may have a shotty hand, but compared to the others at the table, it might be the best one. So I am thankful for the hand I was dealt with. I may not win the jackpot, but I will be happy with the winnings I do receive.
I understand that I am not the only one who feels this way; especially among the college aged population. But sometimes it feels as though no one can help me. I feel bad asking peers to help me with my problems when I know they have their own to deal with.
However, I believe I have found a way to do what I want when I graduate. I have been working on my great-uncle's farm in Newark a lot since Spring Break. Since my uncle has been put into a nursing home, the sad truth is that we might have to sell the farm in order to pay for his bills. My mom and her two brothers have decided that they want to buy it. Seeing as they all live in Florida, someone in Ohio would have to look after it. That is where I come in. The goal, if we do purchase the land, is to turn it into a Living History Farm. Make it educational and open it to the public and bring in school aged kids to see how agriculture has changed and grown in the past century. I see it as a Cracker Country (FL State Fair) meets Ag Ventures meets Agarama (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton, GA). Maybe not as old-school as Agarama, but the concept is still there.
For those of you who do not know what these places are/do, let me elaborate:
- Cracker Country is located on the Florida State Fair Grounds in Tampa, FL (close to my home). It is the new home of a small "Cracker" Village the same as it would be found in the 1800's. There is a school house, church, blacksmith, general store, train station, houses/homes, smoke houses, community center/courtyard, and much more. All of the buildings were relocated from their original locations through out Florida to the Fair Grounds. It is only open to the public during the state fair in February, and to private tours. The term "Cracker" refers to the first settlers of Florida because they "cracked" their whips to herd the cattle across the state. It is still used today to describe families that have a history in the state relating to beef cattle production and still use whips to move their cattle. (It is not always a derogatory term)
- Ag Ventures is a program put on by the Florida Farm Bureau in conjunction with the Florida State Fair Agribusiness Department, and is assisted by local commodity groups and FFA and 4-H. The program is directed to third grade students in the Tampa Bay Area to come and experience some of the Florida Agriculture. Students might learn how to make butter, where honey comes from, how to grow a strawberry (and take a plant home with them), a brief introduction to the forestry department, and a little bit about all the different industries associated with Florida Agriculture.
- Agarama is just south of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA. It is very similar to Cracker Country, except it is open year round. Agarama is a working farm/farming community. The employees/volunteers who work there have extensive knowledge of how people lived in the 1700-1900s. When you enter the village, you are stepping back in time.
I do not think that I can pull off the history to that extent because this farm has only been in my family for 80 years. Many of the original buildings and outhouses have been damaged by age and weather, so those buildings will take a lot of work to redo or use at all.
Now, all of this is still in the works, but with life dealing me a poor hand, I think it is fair to say, you may have a shotty hand, but compared to the others at the table, it might be the best one. So I am thankful for the hand I was dealt with. I may not win the jackpot, but I will be happy with the winnings I do receive.
Friday, April 23, 2010
I recently went through a scholarship interview. In the preparations, I was meditating about my views and goals for my life. I have always had a passion for agriculture. I used to feel as though being a large animal veterinarian was my calling, my only goal was to go to college, get accepted to one of the top schools of veterinarian medicine for the time that I would be attending, and then start my own practice in a rural area where I would live happily ever after.
I have accomplished the going to college part. However, through the classes I have taken here, I have realized there are a lot more issues facing American Agriculture, Animal Agriculture specifically, than I could ever have thought of. When I would ask how to fix the problem, almost everyone would respond, "People do not know and do not want to know."
What does not make sense is why we can acknowledge the problem, but nothing is being done. Now, I know that this is a slight exageration. There are people in different commodity groups doing research and promotional programs to help educate their consumers. Although, I feel that it should not be left up to just the comodity groups. Agriculturalists need to work together, on a whole, to fund, create, and publish things that will help combat the issues we are facing.
We hear more and more about the Humane Society of the United States, and that they have a hidden message to remove all animal agriculture in the United State. They are being funded by our consumers, other groups and organizations, large and small. We need to band together to be able to match their forces, and eventualy over come them.
I have accomplished the going to college part. However, through the classes I have taken here, I have realized there are a lot more issues facing American Agriculture, Animal Agriculture specifically, than I could ever have thought of. When I would ask how to fix the problem, almost everyone would respond, "People do not know and do not want to know."
What does not make sense is why we can acknowledge the problem, but nothing is being done. Now, I know that this is a slight exageration. There are people in different commodity groups doing research and promotional programs to help educate their consumers. Although, I feel that it should not be left up to just the comodity groups. Agriculturalists need to work together, on a whole, to fund, create, and publish things that will help combat the issues we are facing.
We hear more and more about the Humane Society of the United States, and that they have a hidden message to remove all animal agriculture in the United State. They are being funded by our consumers, other groups and organizations, large and small. We need to band together to be able to match their forces, and eventualy over come them.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Ramblings of a pensive mind....
Some people amaze me.
Today's society is as displaced and distanced from production agriculture than any generation before. And yet, many Americans and Europeans feel as though they should have a say in how agriculture is raised, both livestock and crop.
It is something that, as Ohioans, we have seen a lot of, with more to come. The Humane Society of the United States has put forth efforts to change how we raise livestock, specifically veal calves, pregnant sows, and layer hens. I can admit that some of the practices we use are not the most pleasant things to see, and could be done differently. However, the way we do things has a reason, and I feel as though those who are trying to change things do not want to learn the reasons for the way we do things.
Many people are worried about the Carbon Footprint of agriculture production. Through the equipment we use, the storage facilities for manure, how we use the land and the chemicals put into the earth and eventually into the ground water.
As I have talked to people (both with agriculture background and not) about ways to remedy this problem. Almost every one of them has said that we need to educate people, specifically the consumer. But no one has said who should have that task set upon them. Many of the people reading this blog have a passion about agriculture education through the classroom or extension. So I will pose a question to you: Who is responsible for teaching the general public (and agriculture producers too) about agriculture?
Sometimes I feel as though everyone just wants to put blame, or responsibility, on someone else. However, we all have a part in what is done.
In a couple of days I will voice some of my opinions as to ways we can assign who is responsible for education. But I would like to get some other opinions first. I am a fan of learning as many views before I create and share my own.
Today's society is as displaced and distanced from production agriculture than any generation before. And yet, many Americans and Europeans feel as though they should have a say in how agriculture is raised, both livestock and crop.
It is something that, as Ohioans, we have seen a lot of, with more to come. The Humane Society of the United States has put forth efforts to change how we raise livestock, specifically veal calves, pregnant sows, and layer hens. I can admit that some of the practices we use are not the most pleasant things to see, and could be done differently. However, the way we do things has a reason, and I feel as though those who are trying to change things do not want to learn the reasons for the way we do things.
Many people are worried about the Carbon Footprint of agriculture production. Through the equipment we use, the storage facilities for manure, how we use the land and the chemicals put into the earth and eventually into the ground water.
As I have talked to people (both with agriculture background and not) about ways to remedy this problem. Almost every one of them has said that we need to educate people, specifically the consumer. But no one has said who should have that task set upon them. Many of the people reading this blog have a passion about agriculture education through the classroom or extension. So I will pose a question to you: Who is responsible for teaching the general public (and agriculture producers too) about agriculture?
Sometimes I feel as though everyone just wants to put blame, or responsibility, on someone else. However, we all have a part in what is done.
In a couple of days I will voice some of my opinions as to ways we can assign who is responsible for education. But I would like to get some other opinions first. I am a fan of learning as many views before I create and share my own.
Day at the Farm
During spring break my uncle was hospitalized and then put into a care center. Since he was out of the house for a while, we decided to take the opportunity to clean the farmhouse. My Uncle John has lived with his 2 brothers for the last 30 years as bachelors in this house. While the brothers have passed away, Uncle John is now the only person living there. They lived in the depression era and did not throw anything away, mail, garbage, food, clothes, broken tools, etc. So as you can imagine, there is 30 years of "junk" to clean out. We have been at it for 3 weeks now and have only accomplished cleaning out one room.
But don't let my yammering fool you, I have enjoyed it all. I go over there almost every day after class, and on the weekends when I can. We have found some interesting stuff. Letters from family in Poland to my Great-Grandmother. Family papers and bible. Tools from when they built the house. Pictures of my family that have not been seen in the past 15 years. In the process I will talk to cousins and other family members and they will share with me some interesting stories about what they remember about the farm and the family.
I am looking forward to getting back there tomorrow to see what I can find.
But don't let my yammering fool you, I have enjoyed it all. I go over there almost every day after class, and on the weekends when I can. We have found some interesting stuff. Letters from family in Poland to my Great-Grandmother. Family papers and bible. Tools from when they built the house. Pictures of my family that have not been seen in the past 15 years. In the process I will talk to cousins and other family members and they will share with me some interesting stories about what they remember about the farm and the family.
I am looking forward to getting back there tomorrow to see what I can find.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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