A mom, her boys, too many cows and lots of farming
To say it's a bad time to be a farmer would be an understatement the size of the grain piles dotting the Kansas landscape. During the past few years farming has become a losing proposition. Grain prices are down, international rhetoric and negotiations have killed export opportunities and a drought has made it nearly impossible … Continue reading Taking Care of our Farmers
We keep our animals healthy and trust the companies producing the end products will likewise keep the beef fresh and safe for consumption. How do we know? Because federal inspectors are in processing facilities daily and put their seal of approval on nearly everything that goes out the door to the public.
An inside look at mother cows and their calves - and another reminder that mothers rock!
It's Valentine's Day so while it is not the only day to express my love for my Farmer, it's a good day to remind others why it's great to have a Farmer for a valentine. I'll admit, being married to a farmer is never easy, but there are so many great parts of being a … Continue reading 5 Reasons To Love a Farmer
As a farm wife I so often hear people talk about their love and support for farm families and local farms. The moms and dads, brothers and sisters growing wheat and hogs is exactly who they want to purchase their food from. But mention Tyson, Cargill or any company name and that love dissipates quickly. … Continue reading Behind the Company
I always enjoy writing - not as much the forced, daily writing that comes with a journalism gig I once held - but the spontaneous, personal blogging that allows me to share our farm life and stories of raising crops and cattle in the heart of America. Ironically, it seems that the same life I … Continue reading Our Crazy Hectic Life
I just finished a podcast about women in agriculture. It wasn’t your usual, more women need to farm, instead it focused on the lack of women in leadership and decision-making positions at the many national farm and food organizations. As someone involved in both policy and advocacy, this issue caught my attention. But it also … Continue reading Women Lead Ag – Just Look Locally
Conveniences in food purchasing and preparation are leading to continued decline in connection to agriculture We Americans want it all. We want the big paychecks and the 40-hour work week. We want well behaved kids but don’t want to tell them no. We want big houses but little upkeep. And we want the trendiest, healthiest … Continue reading Distance Distorts Understanding
It’s National Farmers Day. To many people, farming is a simplistic occupation and the farmer a nice but traditional man who plants the seeds and harvests the crop. But when I look at my farmer, I see a man who has 100 jobs, a million responsibilities and a variety of skills that serve him in … Continue reading National Farmer Day: The many hats of a 21st Century farmer
Jeff Bezos and his multi-billion-dollar company, Amazon, made news again this week when he announced the purchase of Whole Foods, an upscale grocery store chain that specializes in organic, natural selections. Amazon has spent nearly two decades perfecting the mail-order business, allowing people, like myself, to bypass local retailers, traffic and the check-out line by … Continue reading The demise of the grocery store: removing another link between consumer and farmer
