You just think you're a Vegetarian

Tomorrow is National Ag Day....So in Honor of all the Farmers and Ranchers around the world..... Let's all have a toast and share some funs facts to pass on to consumers. Every human being relies on some facet of agriculture every day, even if they don't consume meat :) Here are a few facts (along with sources) to keep in mind this week!

*9% of all milk produced in the U.S. is used for ice cream production, 90% of all Americans enjoy eating ice cream at least one a year--> www.ffanewhorizons.org

From the American Farm Bureau Federation--> www.fb.org
*Today's farmers produce 262% more food with 2% fewer inputs compared with 1950
*Farm and Ranch families comprise just 2% of the U.S. Population
*Americans enjoy a food supply that is abundant, affordable overall and among the world's safest, thanks in large part to the efficiency and productivity of America's farm and ranch families

Visit www.agday.org for even more facts and information on National Ag day
*The top five agricultural commodities are cattle/calves, dairy products, broilers, corn and soybeans
*41% of U.S. total land acreage is farmland.... In 1900 the average farm size was 147ac, compared to 441 ac today

Now... here is the part that I want you all to pay close attention to.....This is important... it's a game changer... it's something you may already know... it  may be something you wish you knew last week...

By-products...... from animals...yes, even those vegetarians and vegans you know use something every day made from an animal (this is your fuel.....now you can educate them the next time they start in about that juicy steak you're having at dinner) ...

instrument strings*gelatin for drug capsules*ingredients for surgical sutures*hides/skins for

leather goods*pigskin footballs*drum heads*chewing gum*tennis racquet strings*cake mixes*photo film*shampoo/conditioner*candles*crayons*cosmetics*medicines*antifreeze*detergents*Emery boards......

oh the list goes on and on....

and Don't Forget......

If you see a farmer tomorrow make sure to take the time to tell them Thanks!!!!



 

There's still a place in America, where families are bound by love and common goals and where you are measured not by what you have but by what kind of person you are----

Darrell Sifford in "A Love of the Land"

Is AgVocating for you?!?!?!?!?!

I recently had the privilege of attending the Arkansas Women in Ag conference in North Little Rock and came home with newly acquired knowledge on a variety of topics along with a renewed feeling for the need to AgVocate. Some of you may be wondering what it means to AgVocate..... and as the guest speaker of the conference, Carrie Mess, A.K.A.  Dairy Carrie put it so simply-- it is "Telling your Story" or Advocating for Agriculture.

Carrie truly is an AgVocate for this amazing industry and her whole presentation was to educate all of us on how to educate society and our consumers on OUR practices, OUR processes and OUR stories.... because---If we do not, someone else will.

Ok, so now you are wondering just who that 'someone else' is. This my friends is where things get scary, where we start to see just why those of us in this industry need to learn how to and find our own way to communicate to our consumers. The 'someone else' is typically those people who do not understand our way of life, do not live our way of life and who more than likely think our way of life needs to be dealt with and abolished.

For those of us in the industry we are very aware of who this 'someone else' is... The first two organizations that will pop into our minds are HSUS (Human Society of the United States) and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)..... For those of you unfamiliar with the actual motivation and purpose of these organizations, please do your research. While they advertise their "Love" for 4-legged furry critters---most will be pleasantly surprised that it is a far cry from the "Love" most farmers and ranchers will show for their 4-legged furry critters and their way of life. The "Love" these two groups (and many others like them) portray is nothing more than their way to get YOUR money..... and NO!!!  YOUR money donated to organizations like HSUS will not go to your LOCAL Humane Society.

Back to the conference: After listening to Carrie, along with other presenters (I will be highlighting some of these presentations and speakers in the days to come) through the two day conference... I left that Friday afternoon asking myself just how I was going to tell our story so that the generations after us could carry on in our footsteps and continue to Build a Legacy in our family name.

So here I am today... writing this blog post trying to find my voice in a small knit Agriculture Industry trying to educate and feed an ever growing world population, sharing via social media outlets, Facebook , Twitter and Instragram-- fun but educational blurps from our life with a small commercial cow/calf herd AND AgVocating as a new member of our Team BEEF Arkansas.

Now tell me---
 What is your story? Do you raise crops? Cows? Horses? Sheep? Hogs? Chicken? Timber? Participate in a Farmers Market?  Just enjoy the scenery and serenity of living in the country? Enjoy eating a big juicy steak? What about a homemade breakfast wtih a cold glass of milk, bacon, sauage and eggs?

AND

How are you telling it? Blogging? Sharing via social media? Member of Team BEEF? Member of a local organization (Cattlemen, Women in Ag, Farm Bureau, etc)? Talking to consumers at the grocery store?

Don't forget...........if you are talking to someone, anyone, about YOUR industry and YOUR agricultural lifestyle--you are an AgVocate!!!

2014 YCLC First Session

The YCLC program (Young Cattlmen's Leadership Class) put on by our State Cattlemen's Association kicked off its 4th year this week.  I'm proud to say that I am one of 22 participants this year. I am proud to be a part of this great program and proud to be part of the biggest class they have had to date. The program is full of information on our Beef Industry. The information ranges from the County level to State level to the National level from legislative issues, family farms, commodities, marketing, telling 'your' Ag story to leadership within the industry.

 

 
This first session was spent in Little Rock touring the Department of Ag, Plant Board and State Capitol along with networking opportunities and tons of classroom education. We were introduced to the history of our association, the structure of the Association along with the history and structure of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

The goal of this program is to get the younger generation of farmers and ranchers involved with the Agricultural Industry. The information within the program as well as the tours that we took are a great reminder that unless you are speaking up and being active in whatever it is you are passionate about, someone else will be and you may not like the decisions they make that ultimately affect you and your operation.







Does your state association have a Young Cattlemen's Association? Are you an alumni in it or interested in being in it? How do you make your voice heard for Agriculture?


Below are pictures from our 1st Session :)

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Primo Nato

Primo Nato- Italian for 'first born'.

I can't begin to tell y'all just what this means to us here at McClung Cattle Co. It means the start of our future, our family legacy, our dream, our foundation. It also has meaning that stretches beyond our cattle, beyond us, to those that came before us. Those that are no longer with us but that left their own legacy, those whose legacy influences us everyday and who are helping us in ways we here on earth can't even begin to fathom.

My mother-in-law's family was Italian. Their love of family and family legacy is something that was passed onto my husband. This love as among all Italians is a strong bond and one my husband still feels from his Mama everyday. Her love for her son, my husband, along with his dreams and aspirations is why I have chosen to nickname our first calf this year Primo Nato.

I personally couldn't think of any better way to describe this little calf. It represents and reminds us both of those things in our life we have been so abundantly blessed with: family, dreams, hard-work, love from those in Heaven and most importantly this life together that we are building.

So with no further ado, I formally introduce you to Primo Nato........................

 

I should probably tell you that Primo's Mama is VERY protective... Yes, she is a good mama.... She won't let us get too close at this point and the bottom picture is an accurate reflection of what happens when I go out into the pasture with them.

Herefords and Baby Moo's

My husband and I raise a small herd of commercial cattle currently. We are slowly studying and learning breed information and bloodlines on the Hereford breed . Hopefully within the next few months we'll be looking at starting a small registered Hereford herd as well-- and maybe throw in a few miniatures too--- they are so stinkin' cute!!!

I posted Saturday that we were on our way to the Magnolia Hereford Association sale, which I think as a big success. We got to see plenty of good cattle and I was able to snap a few pictures for your pleasure ;) 

..........Enjoy

 

Don't look..... Don't look at how long it's been since my last post. It's Pathetic. Pitiful. Embarrassing. BUT it's LIFE! And life is exactly what has been going on in our neck of the woods. And lots of it.

Our calendar and appointments and other 'things' seem to be never ending and the days getting shorter but still I find myself ready to be back at this blogging deal. Ready to fill your ears with MORE of my rambling and even more of all the randomness that is my (our) life.

So much has changed but also remained the same over the last 2 years....Maybe eventually I'll get around to catching all of you up but for now I'll charge ahead with the current state of Faith, Love and Cattle in my life. All of which are still in full force and growing stronger on a daily basis.

Faith-- This one... WOW... is the only word to describe it... It is the center of everything and seems to have had it's ups and downs but God is good and thus my Faith is there. When I feel myself losing a little Faith in something or someone or some situation one teeny tiny prayer and God reminds me that there is no need to let my Faith waiver because He is there and has everything under control.

Love-- We still got it and it's stronger than ever! I still find myself falling in love everyday with my life and all the bigs and smalls, goods and bads that make it what it is.

Cattle--Those that know me, know this is more than in full force. We've got Momma's on our place that will be giving us baby moo's soon (we're praying that the weather will warm up just a touch soon too) and we just returned from my 1st ever NCBA convention as well as our yearly trip to the Dixie National. To say I (we) have cattle in our lives would be a gigantic understatement but also one of the biggest Blessings in our lives.