Annual Meeting At-A-Glance When:  Oct 1-2, 2010             Sept 30, 2010 pre-conference seminars Where: Best Western (Double $79; Suite $145)(Burlington, North Carolina)             770 Huffman Mill Road             Burlington, North Carolina             (336) 584-0151             (call and ask for NADA rooms) Holiday Inn Express  ($109 for double or king) 3111 Cedar Park Road Greensboro, NC  27405 (336) 697-0101    Quality Inn and Suites  ($70 for double) 3114 Cedar Park Road Greensboro, NC  27405 (336) 697-4000                          Braeburn Farm, Snow Camp, North Carolina What:   Gourmet Beef on Grass – IV              Select Sale of Devon females and bulls              Pre-conference day:  Track 1  Greg Judy                                                Track 2  Gearld Fry                                                Track 3   “Healthy Cows, Healthy Land, Healthy Families” Who:    Speakers include:              Greg Judy                              Ridge Shinn              Gearld Fry                              Dr. Charles Sydnor              Dr. Susan Duckett                 Jim Helfter              John Andre                            Michael Gourlay              Mel Coleman                        Chef Jeff Barney               How much:    Annual meeting:   $100 for members of NADA and ADCA                                                       $150 for non-members                        Pre conference:          $100 for members of NADA and ADCA                                                             $100 for non-members                        Meals included!                        10% early registration discount before June 30, 2010 Agenda Gourmet Beef on Grass - IV (click here) Pre-conference special programs (click here) Location (click here) Registration (click here) Select Sale (click here) Lodging (click here) Transportation (click here)

The pre-conferences days….

….were introduced  last year as a feature of NADA’s annual meetings to devote more time to topics that can’t be well-served in the typical classroom conference speech.  Our first  such day featured Gearld Fry and he is back again this year but this time he’s joined by Greg Judy, the country’s leading proponent of mob grazing, and by an innovative track featuring a panel of speakers on family eating habits and where we’ve gone wrong.   

Sorry, they’re simultaneous so you’re forced to choose.  Gearld Fry’s topic will be:

“Developing a vision and a plan for your Devon herd”.

          Using grass as the only management tool
          Managing and developing the new born calf-- conception to weaning.
          Developing the new calf-- weaning to 20 months
          Determining the value of the calf after the development stage

After a break for lunch, Gearld will resume at chute-side at Braeburn Farm.  He’ll go over a cow from stem to stern, explaining what he looks for in an animal.  Whether you’re a newcomer or an Old Hand, you’ll be sure to learn plenty listening to this veteran cattleman.

The day winds up with all three tracks getting together at the big open hay shed for a festival of local wines and cheeses.  It’s a chance to get in one more question, to network with other breeders and also to talk with some knowledgeable consumers.  That’s because they’ll be there for Track 3.

This year we’re tackling something new with Track 3:  family nutrition from the farmer’s point of view.  But in this case the farmer, Charles Sydnor, is also a surgeon who has always been concerned about the whole patient.  Charles has put together a program that ties together the pasture and the table in a way that hasn’t been done before.  His Braeburn Farm, host for this event,  is the perfect laboratory because it produces a broad array not only of meat but produce.  You can read more about Track 3 by clicking here.

The third track is hosted by Missouri cattleman Greg Judy, who turned the cow world upside down two years ago when he began preaching the virtues of mob grazing.  What caught everyone’s attention was the idea that it might be possible to quadruple (or more) the carrying capacity of their pastures.  But just as important is what good things mob grazing does for your cows and your land.

The benefit of hearing Greg at this pre-conference day is that, in addition to the morning classroom session, you’ll be  out in the field in the afternoon to get practical experience on how to set up a pasture for mob grazing.  Here’s a meeting that is bound to give you something to take home.  As Greg says “the important thing isn’t getting mob grazing exactly right, the important thing is to start”.  You’ll get to perfect soon enough.

There just isn’t any meeting we’re aware of that packs this much information into a single day…and that’s before the meeting even starts.  Normally you’d pay $500 or more for any of these full-day programs.  But thanks to NADA’s sponsorship, all of these tracks are just $100 for members and non-members alike!  Incidentally, you may sign up for the pre-conference day alone; you don’t have to attend the full meeting!

To register, just scroll up to the yellow box at the top of the page….click on the link….and get ready to head to North Carolina.  See you there!

Worth waiting for….

….(but not a moment too soon).  Details of this year’s Select Sale are finally coming available and you can read the rules and terms and conditions and download a consignment form…all by (clicking here).
                    
It’s not too late if you have an animal you’d like to enter in the sale….the premier Devon sales event of the year….but the deadline had been delayed until September 4th.  We’d recommend you alert NADA headquarters that your consignment is on the way just to speed the process.  One exciting entry in the event will be a pure Rotokawa from Ken McDowall’s New Zealand herd.  We’ll begin posting the consignments within the next few days.

Buyers who don’t want to attend the whole meeting are welcome to just show up for the Select Sale Saturday afternoon.  And yes, we’ll feed you.

And speaking of deadlines….

….soon we’ll be cutting off registrations for the meeting itself.  One of the best things about our Gourmet Beef on Grass conferences is the food and this year we’ve outdone ourselves with not one or two but four meals included in the price of registration.  Much of the food is being supplied by local producers.  But all those meals become a logistical problem….particularly since we’ll be serving at the main hotel, Braeburn Farm, and the auction barn.  So firm head counts are going to be necessary or someone will go hungry.

Therefore…the bottom line….your registrations for the main meeting or any of the pre-conference tracks must be postmarked no later than:  Friday, September 24th!

They’re off and running….

….and you can look for more information on this in the mail.  The NADA board’s election committee reports that it has received six nominations for the five openings on the board.  Candidates for three year terms are new-comers

            Baron Buzhardt of Saluda, South Carolina
            Kelly Heaton of St. George, Utah

And incumbent board members:

            John Forelle of Pine Plains, New York
            Deb Manahan of Fairfield, Texas
            Don Minto of Jamestown, Rhode Island
            Mike Scannell of Schodack Landing, New York
            David Schoumacher of Hume, Virginia

Finally, nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the annual meeting.

Special moments to watch for….

….in addition to all the high-powered headliners…like Greg Judy, Gearld Fry, Dr. Susan Duckett, Mel Coleman and John Andre…there are also some quiet moments on the schedule that provide lots of opportunity to just kick back and shoot the breeze with your fellow Devon breeders.  One of those will be at the conclusion of the Select Sale when we’ll gather for a final get-together at Braeburn farm for a chili fest.  Several board members think they make the perfect chili and we’ll be more than happy to judge their competition.

An interesting event is planned for the afternoon of the pre-conference day.  The three tracks---pastures, cows and food---will all meet at sundown for wine and cheese….a chance for the consumers who will be attending to get to know some “live farmers”.  So all NADA members please wear shoes!

The point is….

….the planners of “Gourmet Beef on Grass – IV” have gone several extra miles to make this the best annual meeting NADA has ever had.  In fact, we doubt any breed association has ever produced a program like this.  Not only is it jam-packed with information, entertainment and good eating, the prices for registration and for hotels has never been lower. 

See you in North Carolina September 30th, October 1st and October 2nd!

 

Devon:  the Marlboro cow….

….probably the most common comment we hear from west of the Continental Divide is: “sure, Devon work fine back east with all that grass, but you sure can’t sustain a cow on just sagebrush, much less finish it”. 

Well, in fact you can.  They’ve been doing it at Bar 10 Ranch in Utah on the north rim of the Grand Canyon.  We profiled Bar 10 awhile back (click here) when Kelly was seeing the first results from using Devon bulls on his commercial herd.  He was thrilled with the results.  Not only was he seeing more efficiency, but he was particularly excited with the mothering-ability of the cows, the ease of handling and the taste and tenderness of the meat. 

Rotokawa’s Ken McDowall made Bar 10 the last stop on his recent tour of the States….and as he flew back to New Zealand, he sent us this report.

The few days with Kelly Heaton up in the Grand Canyon and through the Arizona Strip were a wonderful finale to the whole trip. They have 250,000 acres on the north side of the Canyon and run 1000 cows with nothing but sage brush and tumbleweed to sustain them and very little water. The stock were all looking great and the calves with milk all over their faces after having a feed.

Bar 10 has been using Rotokawa 982 mainly, through AI and a bull which is a 982 son they bought from David Mannix. They are not running any registered stock at this stage and that would be difficult with the smaller paddocks 10 miles square but they have another property up at Panguitch which could be suitable.

At the moment they have their young pure Devon stock up there, where there is actually some grass of sorts, and some cattle would match what we had here at Rotokawa.  I have suggested to Kelly that he get a stud going before he finds himself in a situation where people are wanting to buy bulls from him but he can’t supply pedigrees even though the young animals are, in fact, registerable. 

Bar 10’s calving ratio has lifted from 75% to 95% since Kelly started using Rotokawa sires and the calf weaning average has lifted 100 lb. His approach previously had been that he needed cattle with a bit of fire in them on that sort of country but the Devons have changed all that and he now gets all the cattle in on musters instead of 75 %.

ED doesn’t speak New Zealand, but he figures getting “all the cattle in on musters” is a tribute to the docility of Devon-influenced cows.  Kelly had told us earlier how much easier they are to manage.  And here’s what he wrote us after Ken’s visit.

It was a pleasure to be able to spend time with Ken and Prue.  I unfortunately did not have a camera with me but earlier this year we had a professional photographer tag along as we took two chef/restaurant owners who use our grass fed beef on their menus, for a day of being cowboys.  Many of the photos have the two chefs in them.  Branding and gathering of the cattle is always a family affair as many of the photos show our kids of all ages helping any way they can. 

We brand and work cattle the old-fashioned way.  Only the skilled ropers can go into the herd quietly and rope the two hind legs of the calf and then drag it to the fire.  At that point one person brands, one person vaccinates and one person earmarks and castrates.  The whole process takes only 90 seconds and the calf is back up and with its mother.

The last photo is of Ryan West.  He is our partner in beef sales and is responsible for the marketing and shipping of all beef.  He is the reason that our beef business has steadily grown each year from its beginning.  We anticipate that we will break the 100 beef mark next year.

After his ranch experience, one of the chef/cowboys---Greg Federman---sent a newsletter to his restaurant clientele:

So I used to think that everyone should be required to be a waiter (or waitress) for one year of their life, and that everyone should be required to live in NYC for at least one year of their life.  Not necessarily at the same time. 

I believed it would make everyone a bit nicer, and a bit more understanding of all the
variables that we call 'life'.

A few days ago, I went to Bar 10 Ranch, which is where we buy all our steaks and burgers.  Local, grass fed...cows living the life they are naturally inclined to lead.  Yeah, local.  Cows are big and fat. 

I spent the day branding cattle, in order to learn a little bit more about the life cycle of what we eat.  It was awesome...riding horses around the hills to herd the cattle, eating lunch out in the middle of nowhere, and then the work.  I didn't do any roping, but I branded and gave them their immunization shots. Holy *($%#*&$^%!!!!!!  Those boys work hard out there.  They definitely earn their money.

I now add 'being a cowboy for a day' to my list of things everyone should be required to do in order to be a better person.  And we should all say "thank you" after every bite of meat we eat. 

I am in the process of trying to buy a calf (one that I branded), and following it from the farm to our plates.  If I can do it, I'll keep you all posted on the progress, and we'll offer the chance to pre-order meat from it.  I will know first hand what the cow has been doing, which just makes it feel a whole lot better.

Until then....

Greg 
 
We can only add that if you’re one of those who doubts grass fed Devon will work in the West, you talk to Kelly Heaton…..or the satisfied customers at Xetava Garden Café in St. George.

 

Harrier Fields Farm Assistance Fund….

….is still receiving donations at a local bank.  Meanwhile, neighbors and NADA friends, in particular Lee Ranney, Paul Colucci, Rob Davis and Tom Cope have pitched in with everything from hay to lumber for a new barn.  Fire gutted the three historic barns at the farm in late July.  No one was hurt but Mike Scannell and Joan Harris lost not only the barns, but two prize horses, a lot of equipment and this year’s hay crop.  There’s talk now of an old-fashioned barn-raising to help the couple get back on their feet.
There’s a website now---http://harrierfieldsfarm.com/---where you can read more about the devastating fire as well as about the history of Harrier Fields.

If you’d like to contribute to the assistance fund, send a check to:

Harrier Fields Farm Assistance Fund
C/O Kinderhook Bank
1 Hudson Street,
Kinderhook, NY 12106
(518) 758-7101

Devons at Home photo album….

….more farms have been added to the journal recording the memorable trip of more than 50 international breeders through the scenic shires of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.  (click here)

Red and herd….

….not surprisingly the folks who brought us Genetically Modified foods are not above practicing political spin to promote their products.  (click here)

….the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable agriculture had another successful cook-off recently.  NADA’s Sue Beal was one of the “forces” behind the event, which garnered considerable publicity.  (click here)

....we keep reading that butchers have replaced chefs as the stars of the food scene.  Personally we think top honors belong to the producers of Devon beef but then….  NADA’s annual meeting will feature one of the best during the pre-conference day, September 30th.  His name is Jeff Barney, the owner of the Saxapahaw General Store which is near host Charles Sydnor’s Braeburn farm. 

Jeff’s reputation has spread throughout the Raleigh-Durham area with people coming a good distance to enjoy the food.  Locals have taken to calling the restaurant the Five-Star Gas Station, a nod to one of the building’s former uses.  You’ll not only have a chance to hear Jeff but taste his food at several of the meals which are planned for the weekend.

….a frequent point of contention at ED’s farm is the herd boss’ insistence on naming every cow.  Now comes an article in Stockman Grass Farmer reporting British research that dairy cows who have been named give more milk.  My “deciding vote” made sure I read the article and understood it was vindication of her position.  ED is waiting for the next issue of SGF with tips on what to do with all the cows who have been named, adopted into the family, and cannot be torn from our bosom.

 

Annual meeting lodging….

….is at a premium.  As we warned, the headquarters hotel for the Oct 1 and 2 weekend is just about booked.  The first day’s session, the banquet, the business meeting, and the Greg Judy special day are all at the Best Western Burlington.  You need to phone for reservations----(336) 584-0151---and ask for the NADA block of rooms.  If you try to reserve through the hotel website, you’ll be told there are no rooms available but that’s because we’ve set aside a block.  Phone and ask for a NAD room.

Fall weekends, thanks to football, are always a problem but things are complicated in Burlington because this will be Elon University’s Parents’ Weekend and the school has reserved just about every hotel in the area.  However, about a 15 minute drive on the Interstate from the headquarters Best Western there are two motels which still have rooms available.  They’re brand new and just off Interstate 40:

       Holiday Inn Express  ($109 for double or king)
       3111 Cedar Park Road
       Greensboro, NC  27405
       (336) 697-0101
  
       Quality Inn and Suites  ($70 for double)
       3114 Cedar Park Road
       Greensboro, NC  27405
       (336) 697-4000

Incidentally, all three of these hotels offer a full breakfast as part of the price.  And you’ll be well fed at the banquet and all the events.  So this year’s meeting is truly “bargain-priced”….even before considering that kids eat free!

Trailers and campers….

….there’s room for you, too.  Cattle trailers can be left at the sale site or at Braeburn Farm (phone 336-376-3050), host for the Field Day and adjacent to the sale barn.  Here are the directions to the Alamance County Livestock Association sale facility:

From Interstate 40 and Exit 145, head south on State Route 49.
                  Travel 8.7 miles
                  Turn left on Beal Road
                  Pass through stop sign
                  Travel a short distance and watch for
                  Alamance Livestock Association’s sale facility on the left
                  Braeburn Farm entrance is just beyond on the left

And if you’re driving an RV or bringing a camper, there’s a park right across from Braeburn Farm.  Again, call 336-376-3050.

 

A marketing opportunity….

….NADA’s Bill Roberts reports buyers from seven states are lining up for the Gulf Coast Grass Fed Seed Stock Sale Sept 4th at Bay Minette, AL.  Whether you raise Devon or another breed, if your female has been grass fed and possesses the right attributes, she’s eligible for this auction.  For a consignment form click here.  For more information contact Bill at 12stones@comcast.net or phone him at 309-714-8789.

 

Some call it Florida alfalfa….

….but this southern grass crop more than stacks up to the northern gourmet alfalfa.  Both in feed value and price, peanut hay is becoming the perennial favorite in Dixie farms that are always on the lookout for the competitive advantage.  Not surprisingly, as we read recently in the Stockman Grass Farmer, NADA president Jeff Moore is among those leading the way.  You can read Jeff’s report for our webpage by clicking here.

 

A Devon Journal….

….as regular readers will recall, recently a group of international Devon breeders toured a number of farms in southwest England, birthplace of the Ruby Red Devon.  ED was among the Americans who made the trip.  You can read his impressions by clicking here and NADA board member John Forelle, who was also on the tour, was inspired to write a blog on the experience. 

With almost 700 pictures to sort through, and a reluctant computer, we’ve finally managed to take control and in comings weeks we’ll be posting shots from all 20 farms on the Devons at Home 2010 tour.  Again, our thanks to Gavin Hunter and all those who made our visit so worthwhile and so much fun. 

For the Devon Journal click here.  And remember to keep checking back for new additions.

 

Red and herd….

….for those who have been wanting to test their herd for A2 milk, the folks at the VGL Lab at the University of California/Davis say they are now prepared to process those requests.  For more information contact NADA headquarters at nada@hughes.net.

….Jim Helfter, of ABC Organics has been a good friend of NADA from its inception by sponsoring all our meetings.  He also contributes a portion of each sale to a NADA member to our treasury.  Now, as you’ll see in the list of new members below, he’s gone all the way and joined up.  We understand Jim has a number of exciting new products in the pipeline.  Hopefully he’ll be ready to introduce them at our annual meeting.

….becoming a farmer is suddenly the cool thing to do.  (click here) This is a fairly common feature in newspapers and magazines.  We can’t help wonder if any publication goes back five years later to see if the new farmers are still at it.

….vote for the top 20 farmers markets in the nation by clicking here.  A visit TO one near you seems like a good weekend trip for the family.

….PASA’s Bryan Snyder sums up all the ways local agriculture is important to your community.  (click here)

An honor roll of new members…

.....as usually happens just before the annual meeting, NADA sees a surge in new member applications.  Just in recent weeks we’ve added 15 new members and three we wanted to single out.  Nick Estrella has become our newest lifetime member and Riley Sabo and Kiril Sabo are our newest junior members.  They’re from Montana.  Here’s a list of some of the new additions:

Helfter Feeds Inc.
Osco, IL

Charles and Martha Trantham
Canton, NC

Georgia Heller
Blanchardville, WI

Kirk and Stacey Hunter
Waverly, VA

Nick Estrella
Miami, FL

Riley Sabo
Harrison, MT

Kiril Sabo
Harrison, MT

           

Harrier Fields Farm devastated by fire….

Fire, apparently started by spontaneous combustion in recently harvested hay bales, gutted three barns on historic Harrier Fields Farm near Schodack Landing, NY on July 27th.   Though none of the Devon cattle were injured, Mike Scannell and Joan Harris lost two prize horses, equipment, and their entire year’s hay crop.

Firemen from 25 rural companies were involved in fighting the blaze and an entire farm pond was drained before it was under control.  A local newspaper’s coverage of the disaster can be read by clicking here.

An assistance fund has been set up to help Mike and Joan recover from this loss.  You may send a check to:

Harrier Fields Farm Assistance Fund
C/O Kinderhook Bank
1 Hudson Street,
Kinderhook, NY 12106
(518) 758-7101

The barns which were lost were 175 years old and, with the house, were the historic setting for the very first North American Devon Association annual meeting.  Scannell was elected to the Association’s first board of directors and continues to serve in that capacity.  The Harrier Field herd has consistently led the bidding at NADA Select Sales.

You can read more about Mike, Joan and Harrier Field farm by clicking here.

Finally, several years ago photographer Peter Zander did a video profiling Mike and Joan.  Watch it by clicking here:

 

Too much of a good thing (continued)….

 

Recently NADA board member John Forelle, after his trip to the southwest of England surveying Devon herds, concluded that American breeders were handicapped by a lack of choice.  In a blog (you can read it by clicking here) John argued that, after saying Rotokawa and Lakota, Americans had run out of options in their genetic inventory.

While John saluted the contributions of both Rotokawa and Lakota, and admitted he was proud of their contributions to his Folly Farm herd, it was not surprising that his views would be challenged.  In the spirit of open debate, we are pleased that Jeremy Engh of Lakota Ranch has contributed his thoughts to the discussion.  Jeremy makes the point that Lakota and Rotokawa both have kept their lines separate to provide choice for breeders….and he also makes the extra point that creating and marketing a bull stud is no simple matter.  (click here)

Steve Campbell of Trinity C Ranch in Idaho is ED’s go-to guy in these philosophic discussions and he answered our invitation to join in.

John makes an excellent basic point. It allows everyone to play. People have different ideas of what they want their herd to be. I see this all the time at the farmers market, people wondering what makes my meat different than someone else's at the market or the "stuff" they could buy so much cheaper in the Boise Valley.

The success of Ken McDowall's program is because he had a vision and did not waver and thus it's "instant" success 30 years later. It was seven years before he sold his first bull, because he wanted to be sure of what he was selling his customers. He chose correctly.  Raising Devon cattle has risks just like any other business ad-venture. If we are into quality...it takes time, an eye for selection, mating and a vision. If we are into quantity...it takes very little of the kind of wisdom Ken acquired over the years. 

 

The Rotokawa road show….

….covered three regions of the country in July.  Ken McDowall of Rotokawa fame shared his philosophy for developing an outstanding herd in presentations in Massachusetts, Illinois and Virginia.  In Virginia, about 50 breeders joined Ken and Rotokawa/America chief Ridge Shinn in a day split between classroom discussion and a field day at Thistle Hill Farm near Hume.  Holistic vet Sue Beal joined Ken and Ridge in discussing Thistle Hill’s cafeteria-style mineral system.
Probably most valuable to the participants was Ken’s analysis of the farm’s lead herd bull, a Rotokawa 974 son, and six of Thistle Hill’s cows including animals originating at the Engh’s Lakota Ranch and the Trantham’s Lenoir Creek Farm.
In addition to the following photos, you can see a complete album of the event by clicking here.
 
 

Following the field days, Ken, and an English breeders and visitor to Thistle Hill, Shiamala Comer, embarked on a tour of several other top East Coast Devon operations.  First stop was the Engh’s Lakota Ranch where Jeremy Engh took time away from his wedding anniversary day (Devon breeders have no limit to their real passion), to put his main herd and bulls on display.  Lakota also has a very impressive embryo program underway, which we’ll detail in coming weeks.

From Virginia we dipped into North Carolina and a visit to Dr. Charles Sydnor’s Braeburn Farm.  Charles’ herd will be featured in the forthcoming NADA annual meeting.  The stop included a lively discussion of horned versus polled animals and just what constitutes a “traditional” Devon.

Next stop, way at the western edge of North Carolina:  Charlie and Martha Trantham’s Lenoir’s Creek herd.  Shiamala and Ken were both enthusiastic about what the Tranthams have accomplished….she because of the purity of the Trantham cows; he because a Rotokawa 667 son was now in place as the Trantham herd bull.

Incidentally, our English visitor has some wonderful bulls to her credit, sons of Cutcombe Millenium.  To get a taste of what we enjoyed on the recent Devons at Home tour, check out Shiamala’s website.  (click here)

Elections, 2010….

....will be an element at the annual meeting October 1 and 2.  A committee made up of NADA President Jeff Moore, Board member J.J. Barto, and membership representative Tom Cope have developed the ground rules for this year’s voting.
Five board seats will be decided and you’re invited to nominate yourself or another for one of the positions.  You’ll also be able to vote at the meeting or by casting a ballot by mail.  Here are the basics of the nominating process from the Election Committee:

From July 20, 2010 until August 11, 2010, the NADA elections committee will be accepting nominations for consideration in the 2010 election slate of the North American Devon Board.  Nominees must be members in good standing with NADA.  The commitment to the North American Devon Association Board is a three year term and includes conference calls, attendance of a Spring Board Meeting and committee work.  From August 12th to August 18th nominees will be contacted by the elections committee to determine their eligibility and
willingness to serve.  

The elections committee will produce a slate of nominees for consideration at the election which will be held at the annual meeting.  Anyone nominated but not selected for the slate by the elections committee may stand for election at the annual meeting if they are nominated from the floor.

In order to nominate someone, please send an email to nada@hughes.net and include the following:

Name
Location
Email
Phone number
Name of the person making the nomination

Hopefully a trend….

….grass fed beef cattlemen, like most farmers, seem to be far better producers than salesmen.  That’s why we hope the sale being planned in Alabama for early September is only the first of many.  NADA’s Randall Hastings and Bill Roberts are prime movers in a consignment sale of all types of animals: cows, bulls, heifers intended for the commercial cattleman.  Whether you are a seller or a would-be buyer frustrated by the lack of real grass fed genetics,  you’ll want to click here.  

 

Too much of a good thing?

New York breeder John Forelle, who was one of the band of Americans who took part in the “Devons at Home” tour in England recently, came away struck by the diversity among the herds he saw.  Somehow the native British individualism (so apparent before the social experiments of recent years) seemed to express itself now in the Devon cattle.  There were breeders, with  large meat clienteles, who preferred larger framed animals, even if it meant adding Salers genetics.  Others, more often smaller breeders,  insisted on more traditional Devon.

Thanks to careful selection by the host committee led by Gavin Hunter, each of the 20 herds on the tour had something distinctive to offer.  Even very small breeders clearly had worked long years to develop their own special cows.  And there were some real treasures among the tiniest of herds in the most out-of-the-way places.  People like Ivan Rowe living in the splended isolation of Lands End, developing his personal vision despite the bigger-is-better trend.

In a guest blog, John argues that it is time to open up the American Devon scene to some fresh genetics.  John isn’t volunteering to sell any of his Rotokawa animals but in this controversial article he suggests more diversity…and cooperation with the “other” Devon association in making it happen.  (click here)

As always the Info page is open to all points of view.  Is it time for the issues John raises to be thoroughly aired?

 

So how did he do it?

Unquestionably, Ken McDowall’s Rotokawa bulls dominate the NADA registry as the Engh’s Lakota Ranch has long supplied much of the genetics for ADCA members.  Even in England, Rotokawa is a major “player” in show circles.  Often 688 is found in the pedigrees of the winners and actually sired the champion female in two of the past three years.

Ken is in the United States right now sharing the story of how he developed the Rotokawa “brand” back home in New Zealand.  After 30 years of work, he became an instant success.

As we write this, Ken is at the new home of the Rotokawa herd at Hardwick, Massachusetts.  Along with American partner Ridge Shinn, he is holding a series of three seminars sharing the techniques he used in breeding the likes of 688, 93, 982, 974 and others.

If you’re anywhere near Moline, Illinois, you can still sign up for the two-day program July 12 and 13, but we suggest a quick phone call to Ridge at (413) 657-7709.

The final program will be at Thistle Hill Farm near Warrenton, Virginia July 16th.  (click here)  The meeting features not only Ken’s guidelines for breeding but information on minerals and pasture management.  Again, you can call Ridge or the Thistle Hill Farm at
(540) 364-2090.

 

We are what we eat….

….NADA’s Dr. Sue Beal passes along further confirmation that we are what we eat, and that ain’t good.  Turns out the chicken and pork we eat has been laced with arsenic.  For one thing, arsenic makes the chicken look prettier.  More important it makes both chicken and pork put on weight.  (click here)

….putting in grub for an invasion of the grandchildren, ED found himself at the display case of the local supermarket, confronting a bewildering array of choices among hot dogs.  Full of doubt, we finally decided on Kosher hot dogs as possibly offering the most likely to have some concern for food safety.  Turns out that’s a common reaction.  Kosher food has grown in popularity thanks to health-conscious consumers. (click here)

       

Family-friendly annual meeting….

….that would be NADA’s annual meeting October 1 and 2 in North Carolina.  Not only has the NADA board set the lowest registration fee ever for Gourmet Beef on Grass – IV but now they’ve decreed that children under 16 can not only attend---but eat---free!  Warning:  young children with beards are not eligible for this discount. 

Again, for full details on this information-packed get-together go back to the top of the page and click on the links.

What should be the price tag for a heifer….

….is probably the most commonly asked question we receive here at NADA headquarters….asked just as often by sellers as buyers.

Generally, ED begins by asking a potential buyer why he wants a heifer.  It seems mostly to boil down to not wanting a “used cow”…although in most cases someone just starting out will more often have an easier beginning with the used cow, particularly if it has a calf at side.  Even better, is what we used to call a “3-in-1”, a cow/calf with a pregnancy.

But most people want a younger female, and the best we can do is give anecdotal evidence.  With that in mind, we generally begin with the prices at NADA’s Select Sale where, three years running, average prices have been above $5,000 for quality females.  We are also aware of private treaty sales as low as $2,000 but the average seems to be about $3500 for a good Devon.

The most recent information we received was from David Hawkins in Munfordville, Kentucky, who sold a group of Devon females to make way for more commercial Devon to handle the family’s exploding meat business.

To quote David:

We sold 33 lots to seven buyers at an average of $3,409.  Prices ranged from $2500 to $4500.  Eleven of the 33 lots were Recovery Registry animals and they averaged $3523, ranging from a low of $2750 for an open heifer to a high of $4000 each for three of them. 

We should also point out that some of these animals were shipped from Kentucky as far as California.  Many buyers, accustomed to picking up a couple of Angus at the sale barn, are almost as shocked at how far afield they have to shop as by the prices.

The reason for all this was summed up in an exchange of emails between two NADA board members, Ridge Shinn and Greg Hickl.  ED was listening in and with their permission quotes the long range thinking of two important Devon breeders. 

Ridge:

We are in the middle of a tornado that we have created with the Devon. Remember there were less than 200 registrations in the US in 2002.  I got a call from someone that wants to buy a herd of 1000 to 2000 pure Devon—I explained that it just can’t be done at this point in history.  The pressure is intense to make more and many folks will figure out how to cut corners just as the Angus association has done in the past. 

As to the pricing, if such a large order could be filled today, here’s Greg:

Market price will depend on certain assumptions.  For one good pure Devon cow in “Nowhereville, USA”, I’d put current market around $4000 bid at $6000 offered, with a mid-market at $5000.  If someone wants to buy 100 good pure Devon cows, there is very little market depth on the offer, so I’d think you’d run the average price up to around $8,700 by the time the buyer got all his order filled (1st 20 @ $5000, second 20 @ $7500, third 20 at $8500, fourth 20 @ $10,000, fifth 20 @ $12,500) .  This would assume the order is to be filled within 3 months.

Conversely, I think someone looking to sell 100 pure Devon cows would sell the first 20 @ $5000, 2nd 20 @ $4000, 3rd 20 @ $3500, and remaining 40 @ $3000, for an average of $3700.  Same assumption of 3 months to fill order.

If you assume 200 cows, the skew will be heavily to the upside as you will hit an implied “meat value” put price near (or just below) $3000, which creates the floor.  Any more demand than this and price would further exaggerate to the upside

Again, there is no breeder in the US today who could fill an order for 100, much less a thousand Devon.  But as Ridge Shinn points out, just eight years ago there were only about 200 registered Devon and today there are more than 2,000.  And that growth will increase geometrically!

No room at the inn….

….well, not quite.  But with NADA’s annual meeting still three months away the headquarters hotel reports it is almost booked.  We’ll be looking for other motels for the overflow but the search is complicated by the fact that the local college is having a parents’ weekend coinciding with our meeting.

So we urge you to check all the links in the yellow box at the top of the page…and make your hotel reservations immediately.  We’d also recommend you sign up for the two-day meeting as well as one of the pre-conference day tracks.  The Greg Judy and Gearld Fry sessions, in particular, will fill up fast.

Coming to a location near you….

….as we mentioned before, Rotokawa’s Ridge Shinn seems determined to stake a claim as an education leader in grass fed circles as well as the source for top genetics.  Ridge’s Massachusetts farm just finished hosting famed holistic management expert Ian Mitchell-Innes in a three day, intensive course in high density grazing and sustainable cattle farming.

And now, Rotokawa will be sponsoring appearances by Ken McDowall at farms in Illinois, Massachusetts and Virginia.  All three meetings will be in early July and we suggest you contact NADA headquarters at nada@hughes.net or (540) 364-3444 for information.  This is a rare opportunity to hear the man who developed the Rotokawa blood line as he shares his secrets for breeding top grass fed cows and bulls.

As for the Mitchell-Innes session, here’s Ridge’s report:

This seminar was a game changer for most attendees.  Ian very quickly demonstrated that most grass farmers have a challenge providing their grass cattle with enough energy.  Protein is generally not a problem, but too much protein many times is a problem.  He uses PH paper to very quickly check the status of the herd.  (No you don’t have to catch a cow to check the PH of the urine).  When the cow urinates on the grass simply wipe the PH paper in the urine on the grass.

The PH of the urine is opposite of the PH in the gut.  When the urine is very alkaline the gut is very acidic.  This was the case with the Rotokawa herd when he first looked at them.  They have been hammering the Vitamin A and buffer in the mineral box in an attempt to straighten out the problem.

Ian Mitchell-Innes

When I posed the question to Ian of how to change the situation with the grass, he explained that the plant holds energy, lignin and protein. The top third of the plant is where the energy resides, the middle third is lignin and the bottom third is protein.  To change the diet either offer a bigger paddock with more selectivity so they can choose mostly energy or shrink the paddock and move more often (this allows a constant balance between energy and protein).  Changing this diet will impact general health and even shedding of hair!!!

We implemented the larger paddocks immediately since we were busy with the conference and did not have the management time to move three or four times a day.  Within three days there was a notable change in the cattle—including shedding of hair!!! What a paradigm shift.  Also, do not worry about the grass left in the paddocks when you move—this is like a deposit in your savings account and will reap substantial benefits on the next time around.

Whereas I always lust for more land in an attempt to graze year round in Massachusetts, Ian explained that once these principles are applied I will find that instead of three acres per animal unit (to graze year round) that I will be able to do it with .75 acre per animal year round.  Instead of the imagined 900 acres for my eventual three hundred head herd, I will need only 225 acres.  Take the current stocking rate in your area and divide by two and then divide by two again.  The power of this suggestion/fact is remarkable and from information he provided quite doable.
This seminar sponsored by Rotokawa Cattle Co was indeed a game changer and a very positive insight into how we as grass farmers can become extremely profitable with attention to our management.

 

Devons at home (continued)….

….our initial coverage of the recent Devon tour in England has drawn quite a bit of favorable comment, not only here but around the world.  We’re still sorting through more than 600 pictures and our new, high-resolution camera is jamming up this old computer.  So until we solve that problem and post pictures in album form from each of the 20 stops, we’ll leave you with this scenic shot from Sue and Mike Farquhar’s Hansett herd….

…and a picture inside David and Sarah Tutt’s refrigerator room at Colesden.  Almost every farm we visited had a thriving meat business.  Some sold to retail outlets but more sold off the farm and even delivered.  Most of the cuts are vacuum-packed and then packaged in 40 or 50 pound boxes and marketed as “boxed beef”.  David Tutt sends his steers to an abattoir for slaughter and aging, but brings the carcasses back to the farm where a butcher comes in every Thursday to ready meat for local customers.

This was just one of many innovations we saw along the way and we’ll try to capture them all when we finally get down to a complete report on the 10-day journey.

 

Early registration deadline approaching….

….June 30th!  That’s the last day you can get the 10% discount for signing up to attend NADA’s Gourmet Beef on Grass – IV.  This year we are offering the same fee schedule…and discount…to members of ADCA and AMDA.  But non-members will benefit, too, if they take advantage of the early registration.  This year’s line-up is awesome, as the kids say, and you can’t beat the scenery and the Devon you’ll see at Braeburn Farm in North Carolina.

All the details, and registration form, are in the yellow box just above.  Your envelop needs to be postmarked no later than June 30th to qualify.

Meanwhile, the deadline for consigning animals to the Select Sale has been extended until the end of July.  NADA president Jeff Moore decided the committee needed more time, given the press of “other responsibilities” to complete its planning.  If you think you’d like to consign an animal, just contact the NADA office.

 

Trantham resigns as ADCA registrar….

Martha Trantham, the long time registrar of the American Devon Cattle Association, has resigned after the ADCA board overturned her rejection of an Australian bull for a questionable pedigree.

The president of the ADCA, Frank Heeren, says he is saddened at Martha’s resignation but understands she and husband Charlie Trantham want “to spend more time with their family and their Devon”.  Heeren confirms that it was the disputed Australian registration that was the center of a sometimes heated board discussion that led to Martha’s decision to leave.

Says Heeren:  “…the question of lineage (of the bull) is what troubled so many on the board”.  Board member Tim Henderson followed Martha in resigning.  He has been replaced by longtime ADCA insider Jeremy Engh.

NADA president Jeff Moore said he also regrets Martha’s decision to resign…praised her long service to Devon…and said her departure is “a great loss to the Devon world”.

The bull in question was Graeme Barnes’ Barnstaple Hassler, which has been used by some American breeders in their AI programs.  Australia’s president Bob Crawford reportedly also questioned the procedure by which Hassler was certified in his country.

ADCA’s Heeren, and others, liken the situation to NADA’s Recovery Registry, although that Registry has many requirements including three generations of stringent inspection.

 

Devons at Home….

….that’s what our English colleagues called their international breeders tour of  20 Devon farms in the Cotswolds and the shires of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.  And ED was so overwhelmed by the people, the scenery and the Devon that he can’t come up with enough adjectives…or the space to write it all.  With more than 600 pictures, and those darned “other responsibilities” we’ve decided to break our report into chapters.  The individual farms and cows will come later but first, for introductory purposes:

Seven Americans joined 57 breeders from Brazil, Australia and New Zealand who just couldn’t wait for the next World Tour in 2012.  In the picture (left to right) honorary American Ken McDowall joins David Schoumacher, Bill Walker, Prue McDowall, Nancy Walker, Wooz Matthews, Joan Harris, and John and Patricia Forelle.  The Forelle’s were nervously checking emails all the way…awaiting news of the birth of their first granddaughter.  She graciously waited until just after the tour ended.

Brazil fielded the largest delegation by far…25 men and women including the incomparable Carmen Barcellos.  Their president Elisabeth Cirne-Lima did much of the translating along the way.  Bob Crawford led a group of 16 Australians.  And Karen Schumacher had 8 of her New Zealanders, in tow.  One of the great treats in these tours is to put flesh and blood to what have been long email friendships.

Three people were the English “force” behind the tour…Gavin Hunter and Angus Cottey pictured here along with Lisa Roper, who never stood still long enough for ED to get a picture of all three.  But she was everywhere…as dedicated to Devon as anyone in England…and you’ll see pictures of her along the way.  We also want to thank tour leaders Juliet Cleave in Cornwall, Sue Farquhar in the Cotwalds, and Mike Farquhar who commandeered a min-bus to handle the overflow registrations.

Trying to sum it all up, as we said, is just about impossible.  But your average Englishman is still one of the delights of the world.  Warm, funny, proper, polite, patient and as enduring as that Bronze-age stone fence we saw on a farm near Land’s End.  ED firmly believes that the scenery in southwest England is so varied and so beautiful, all the world’s Devon must head there after this life for a just reward.  And in visiting 20 farms, we undoubtedly saw more beautiful Devon in one tiny little corner of England than exist anywhere else.  Alright, if you insist, just a few pictures to whet your appetite for what’s to come:

Tilbrook Cashtiller was waiting for us on the first day…calf at side. It was generally agreed that this two-time champion of the Royal Show would win a third top ribbon if she was brushed off and entered again.  There was also a son of the late, great Tilbrook Sunset tied nearby…clearly destined for big things.    But you’ll have to wait for his picture.

Lisa Roper also had a treat waiting at Ford Abbey…her great bull Aesop.   Ken McDowall was so impressed he got off the tour for the night to spend more time with him.  Like so much we saw, Ford Abbey goes back more than a thousand years and was the setting for a good deal of history.  Lisa’s herd has produced genetics that we saw again and again in the other herds we visited.

And finally, there was ED’s personal favorite….Millenium Falcon…at Ivan and Joan Rowe’s Goldings farm right at the tip of Lands End.  Ivan was properly modest…said he was afraid his moderate-sized animals would be too-small for American tastes but he told us he bred what he liked and didn’t pay much attention to fads.

Which brings up several reservations that ED feels should be noted to fill journalistic requirements.  First, there is a good deal of Salers blood in English herds.  Some estimates are that perhaps 40% of breeders have used Salers.  But there are many breeders who are adamant on the subject of purity and make sure you know it.  To some extent, European law forces Devon breeders to go that way and we’ll have more on that along the way.  But most admit they’re doing it for what they call “lift”…a taller bull.  As one put it:  “When I look out at my herd, I want to see the bull standing out.”

ED did try very hard to understand exactly how you “lift” a bull without “lifting” the cows, but it was something that kept getting lost in translation.

Second, more than a few breeders do use grain, at least for their calves, bulls and show animals.  And the odds are that when you order a box of Devon Beef---the common way it is marketed---you could be getting at least some grain fed product.

Finally, because of the wet weather and soggy fields, all breeders take most of their animals indoors for the winter.  Some even calve that way, without any apparent ill effects.  It doesn’t look healthy to an outsider, but no one is more conscious of the health of their animals than the English breeders we met.  They and their neighbors had been devastated by the Mad Cow scare of a few years back, so all emphasize their biological safeguards and proudly display their government certificates.

As we said, this is just an introduction.  Lot’s more on the way.

 

Secrets of a master breeder….

….make sure your schedule makes room for one of the three programs Rotokawa guru Ken McDowall has planned on his up-coming visit to the States.  As we said above, he was on the Devon tour and will be heading home .  Ridge Shinn convinced him to share his ideas on breeding with stops in Massachusetts, Illinois and Virginia.  For details, contact Ridge at Rotokawa or NADA headquarters.

 

Mass marketing grass fed beef….

….this development in one Virginia city may be the push we’ve been waiting for.  The Arby’s chain in Richmond is now serving grass fed beef in their franchises…and they tell the story pretty well on their place mats.  You can click on the picture to make it larger and easier to read.  It’s printed on the napkins too. 

And for good measure Arby’s is also handing out Jo Robinson’s pamphlet “You Are What Your Animals Eat”.  (click here)  We trust you’ll drop in at your Arby’s and tell them all about what’s going on in market-leader Richmond.

 

Up-dating Gourmet Beef on Grass – IV….

….the NADA Board recently met at the scene of this Fall’s annual meeting in North Carolina…checking out details on the seminars, the field day, the Select Sale as well as an exciting multi-track pre-conference day.  Quickly adopted was a decision to invite all members of the Devon associations in the country to attend at the same low rate available to NADA members.  Just $100…with a 10 per cent discount for early registration by June 30th.  So you’ll want to fill out the registration form and get it in the mail right away.  Just go back up to the box at the top of the page for all the details.

The number of pre-conference tracks continues to grow.  Gearld Fry will again have a full day to discuss selection, breeding and management of Devon cows.  Greg Judy, of mob grazing fame, will talk about and demonstrate how it’s done.  And the third track is aimed particularly at our consumers of grass fed beef…with a field day added on so they can see a multi-species farm in action: cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and vegetables.

The Alamance County Livestock barn will be a beautiful setting for the Select Sale.  There are a number of new features this year…including provisions for those with animals beyond 500 miles from the North Carolina site to submit their consignments by video.  And the Sale committee will also produce a video of all the consignments so you can begin to focus on what may be help for your herd.  Also, for the first time, bulls will be admitted to the sale.  Deadline for consignments is June 30th, too, so you’ll want to quickly decide on your entries.

Dr. Charles Sydnor’s Braeburn Farm is a beautiful setting for the field day portion of the weekend events and the Select Sale facility actually adjoins his property.  There’ll be plenty of time to view some of the best Devon anywhere, get acquainted with fellow breeders, and also exchange views with local “foodies”, who are plentiful in the Raleigh-Durham area.

So review all the information you’ll find by following the links in the box above…and get your registration in now. 

  

Other board action….

….a decision was made to establish a classified section on the website.  Use of the listing will be limited to members of NADA but, yes, an interested business or any non-member can join and then make use of the classifieds.  The introductory rate is $25 for 25 words for 25 days.  25-25-25.  We call that creative marketing here.  A picture is another $25 and of course you can stack as many  words (and pictures) as you like.

The board also modified the fees for the Registry.  Note that, as of October 1, 2010, calves will be $25 to register…over a year, $50.  And if you’re one of those who waits to register until after you’ve sold that animal, it will be $100 for any Devon more than a year old registered within 90 days either side of a sale.

 

More on the Tallgrass problem….

….we’ve received a lot of comment about our report on Tallgrass Beef’s citation from the federal government for having failed to pay its suppliers in a timely manner.  Tallgrass is resisting the action and says it has settled accounts with most of the complainants.

The reactions were mostly of the “how can cattlemen be so stupid” variety; meaning, why would they ship without cash in fist and having failed to receive payment, why did they continue to ship?  It did seem to ED that the producers were exceedingly naïve in this situation but he turned to wiser heads hoping for some insight.

People who are experienced in beef marketing tell us it is common to ship before payment, but you need to be certain of your buyer---check with other providers--- and certainly don’t continue the arrangement if you’re not being paid as agreed.  These sources tend to mark it up to the lack of any sales or business experience on the part of most of us.  As one put it:  “Farmers are producers, they’re not salesmen.  They’re uncomfortable with selling; they don’t like it.”

Another told us:  “The strength of a Tallgrass is that they take the dirty work of actually selling off your hands.” 

And still another:  “There are so few options for grass finished cattle that the producers are waiving that right (to payment with 24 hours as stipulated by the Stockyards and Packers Act) and essentially financing the float time until the retailers pay the processor or distributor like Tall Grass.  Some retailers pay in 45 days and many in 90 or 180 days.”

The producer who fights the system, we are told, winds up forced to sell his grass fattened cattle at the sale barn at half the price.  In Nebraska, the sole organic certified aggregator in the state quit and producers were forced to sell their animals in the commodity market.  They will not be back.

And we’re told this isn’t a situation limited to the grass fed beef industry.  Produce farmers also tell us hair-raising stories about what happened to them when they went to distributors to handle their food.  ED was about to say “there oughta be a law” but then he realized there was.  The problem, as Pogo said, is Us.

 

Help on the way….

….perhaps in this action by the government.  But it will be a long time in coming.  (click here)

 

On the other hand….

….there are just not many places where a farmer/rancher can turn to process much less sell his beef.  And the number of the places seem to be shrinking.  (click here)

 

Whatever happened to the blizzard baby….

….for a time the NADA home page featured this picture of a little bull calf, less than a day old, born in a snow bank in last winter’s big blizzards.  The calf’s first four days were confined to a small circle of trampled ground protected by his mama from the rest of the isolated crowd.

Well, if you’re like Mrs. ED you worry about these things, so click on the picture and you’ll see that Baby Blizzard is doing quite well, thank you, and mama is still keeping close watch and a wary eye on photographers.

 

Off to see the original manufacturers….

….a group of about 50 international Devon breeders will be traveling in England in coming weeks, visiting some of the picturesque Devon farms of Devon and Cornwall.  A stop at the British Royal Cattle show is also on the schedule.

The American delegation includes NADA board members John Forelle and David Schoumacher and their wives, and NADA’s Bill and Nancy Walker and Joan Harris.  Ken MacDowall may be from New Zealand but we’re going to give him a special pass for the American section of the bus.  Breeders will also be on board from Australia and Brazil.  A complete report will be forthcoming in a fortnight.  Tally-ho!

 

Meet your new colleagues….

….we’re falling behind again so here is a list of some of NADA’s new members:

Mike and Linda Wright
McDade, Texas

David Stutzman
Kutztown, Pennsylvania

J.T. Grumski Family Farm
Sunbright, Tennessee

Tom and Regina Tesnor
Waynesboro, Tennessee

Brazos Valley Cattle Company
Longview, Texas

 

Red and herd….

How many Devon area there?  We get that question quite a bit and based on registration numbers at the various registries…and allowing for duplication…we generally answer that there are in the neighborhood of 3,000 in this country.  NADA’s Sue Beal told the Board recently that there are about 10,000 worldwide and while Devon are no longer on the Endangered Species List, they are still considered to be “recovering”.

A woman well-known in eastern grass fed circles---Becky Brown---has returned to the region and affiliated with Midwestern Bio-Ag, a whole farm biological and organic consulting company.  Becky managed two grass fed organic livestock farms earlier in the East and is a great friend of Devon.  You can reach her (either for consulting help or to renew your friendship) by emailing her at brownsuffolk@hotmail.com

The questions about the safety of GMO feed are finally beginning to filter into the mainstream media.  When even the New York Times is editorializing, you know Monsanto’s got trouble…with a capital T…and that rhymes with “G”.  (click here)

Dr.Joseph Mercola was one of the first to warn against GMO and particularly these Roundup resistant seeds.  His latest on the subject can be found by clicking here.

NAIS raises its ugly head again, this time in the guise of “more flexible rules”.  Not surprisingly the notice from the USDA was short, limiting the opportunity for any kind of real examination of what is proposed.  (click here)

It’s a natural progression in the ongoing development of healthy foods:  the farm to table movement.  Again, it is the New York Times that seems to be ahead of the story. (click here)

In a newsletter addressed to her colleagues at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, our blogger Dr. Carolyn Matthews underscores the importance of nuitrition and healthy eating in the overall vitality of a nation.  (ED wonders if perhaps that’s at the root of our current problems.)  (click here)

Time for a commercial.   If  this subject particularly interests you, there’ll be a special track at our annual meeting on just this subject.  The full day session is titled “Your Food
System:  Past and Future” and you can get the details at the top of the page.

If you’re one of those who grows impatient waiting for the utility company to show up to see if it’s safe for you to dig a hole, you may want to consider these photos entitled “The Farmer and the Post Hole Digger” sent to us by Bill Roberts.  (click here)

 

Gourmet Beef on Grass – IV….

Greg Judy, who has become a grass fed farming celebrity, will headline the NADA 4th annual meeting to be held in Burlington, North Carolina this fall.  Judy will be featured in a full-day session, one of three special pre-conference tracks on September 20th.  He’ll be back during the regular meeting the next two days with other presentations on what he has learned at his Green Pastures Farm near Rucker, Missouri.

Judy burst on the scene several years ago with his book, “No Risk Ranching”.  That was followed by “Comeback Farm”.  In recent months he has become the foremost advocate of mob-grazing.  He will demonstrate that technique after a morning lecture with a demonstration at nearby Braeburn Farm.

The other two tracks at the pre-conference day will feature NADA’s Gearld Fry on cow and bull selection for gourmet beef and another with a group of experts discussing the health benefits and techniques of natural farming and animal husbandry.  That session will take the health topic from the pasture to the table.

Gourmet Beef on Grass – IV will be headquartered at the Best Western motel in Burlington and Dr. Charles Sydnor’s Braeburn Farm in nearby Snow Camp, North Carolina.  Braeburn Farm is practically a text book of multi-species farming: cattle, pigs, chickens, and vegetables.  Sydnor not only has one of the outstanding Devon herds in the country, but he also had developed a local meat business that grosses more than $300,000 a year.

Also featured at this years meeting will be Dr. Susan Duckett, author of many studies on grass fed beef; John Andre, South Carolina pasture specialist; Michael Gourley of Hardwick Beef; Mel Coleman, a veteran beef marketer; and many past popular features including beef testing from member herds.

Of course, there will again be a Select Sale of featured Devon females…but this year with a difference.  A limited number of Devon bulls will also be auctioned.  And there will be video coverage of the consignments so you will be able to see the animals before they go in the sale ring.

There’s lots more to tell but ED wanted to get this quick summary up on the web.  Obviously the meeting committee has outdone itself….not only with the most exciting program yet…but at a bargain price of $100…and an invitation to all American Devon Association members to join us at the NADA price.

We advise you to register early…not only to get the 10% discount…but to insure yourself of a “room at the inn”.  This is both a football weekend and a parents’ weekend in North Carolina and our guaranteed rooms at just $79 are going to be snapped up fast!

Government moves against Tallgrass….

The USDA has cited Tallgrass Beef, the major supplier of natural grass fed beef in the U.S. for failing to pay its cattlemen suppliers.  According to the government, Tallgrass owes more than $1.5-million to almost 50 farmers and ranchers…a violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act.

Bill Kurtis---the founder and chairman of Tallgrass and Chicago CBS broadcaster---tells us that the situation for his company has changed dramatically since the government first began its investigation last November.  Kurtis claims most of the producers who complained now have been paid or have entered into new contracts in which they waive their complaint.  Kurtis says he expects the government action to be dismissed without penalty.

The government filing---which you can read by clicking here---alleges that, in addition to the $1.5-million it owed producers as of last November---the Tallgrass books show liabilities of more than $4-million and assets totaling just over $1-million….a deficit of $3.2 million.  A number of well-known farmers and ranchers are among those waiting payment, including Terry Gompert of the University of Nebraska.

USDA says Tallgrass did not supply records as requested by the government and also has not filed a bond as required when slaughtering more than $500,000 in livestock annually.  Tallgrass has 20 days to file an answer to the complaint and after that a decision will be made as to whether a hearing will be necessary. 

Without satisfactory answers, the government can require Tallgrass to post a bond covering its operations and pay for all livestock purchases by cashiers check up-front.  There could also be civil penalties added to any finding.

Kurtis, after a long career as a CBS newsman, founded Tallgrass in 2005.  The organization is headquartered at Kurtis’ Red Buffalo Ranch in Sedan, Kansas.  He has become perhaps the best-known spokesman for the grass fed industry in the United States.  It has been reported that he has personally invested $7-million in the venture.

Kurtis did not comment directly on the government claim that his company is $3-million in the red.  But he did say Tallgrass has no plans to reorganize or declare bankruptcy.  As he put it:

“Our sales are good; our operation is in full swing. While we are conducting a full audit, we feel we are solvent.  We are pursuing a new offering of capital.”  He also promised a formal answer to the complaint which is being readied by his legal department.

We first reported “slow pay” complaints against Tallgrass last year in our “Red and Herd” section.  Some cattleman have told us they have felt pressured to continue shipping to the company, hoping eventually it will straighten things out and they’ll receive full payment.  Industry sources say they believe Tallgrass has been hobbled by two factors: excessive executive payroll and a failure from the first to find a market for the ground beef it produces.

 

A natural match….

….and the only wonder is why it hasn’t been done before.  Rotokowa Cattle Company is featuring holistic management guru  Ian Mitchell-Innes in a three-day seminar at Hardwick, Massachusetts, June 22-24.  Mitchell-Innes will be lecturing on holistic farming and financial planning as well as mob grazing.  Read more about the program by clicking here.

And Rotokawa Cattle follows that up with a series of seminars by master breeder Ken McDowall.  Ken will be speaking at Hardwick July 7th and then takes off on a tour with stops tentatively planned for Illinois, Virginia and California.  More on this as soon as details are set.

The world turned upside down….

….no, not the British Empire, but the cattle world.  Just when U.S. cattlemen are making inroads with natural, grass fed beef, Argentina, which has been the leader in the field, is suddenly going in the other direction.  (click here)

As NADA board member Ridge Shinn comments:

“Argentina was so far ahead in the 100% grass fed beef business (90% raised entirely on grass) is now rapidly sliding backward to where only about 50% of their beef will be 100% grass—the rest is going to American style feedlots.

“This is huge for the world cattle culture.  Just when we have discovered the benefits to a grass-only diet for bovines, some parts of the world that raised cattle on grass as a matter of course are now following the US down the road of large hard-doing cattle finished on concentrates. This creates problems for everyone involved: cattle, humans (their diet) and the environment.  It takes more energy to produce the concentrates than one gets in calories of feed.  This methodology is absolutely unsustainable eventually—one can only even attempt it when fuel prices are subsidized.”

For an in-depth treatment of grass fed beef, the environment and energy costs, you might check out Ridge’s article on his website by clicking here.

Meanwhile, both USDA and American trade officials reportedly are getting ready to relax the ban on Brazilian beef.  But a group of US cattle associations are fighting the move.  (click here)

Brazil has been looking for this crack in the door for a long time.  Other than the safety concerns, this would allow "rain forest" beef, which is tough as nails, to begin to filter onto our shelves.  As Ridge Shinn comments:  “It will meet American supermarket standards; cheap and not very good.”

And as a postscript, we might mention that beef prices continue to soar in the states…up about 20% since last winter…and that, of course, is a reflection of the reduced cow herd and increased prices at the sale barn.

 

Red and herd….

….Jenny Sabo, who writes on our blog, has just been interviewed for an internet audio program, Food Chain Radio.  Not exactly an elegant title---Women of the Dirt---but you can find the podcast by clicking here.

….if you’re Devon hunting but your bank account can’t support a full blood herd, we suggest you give Walter Lynn a call at Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  Walter has a herd of Devon/Red Angus cows that he’s ready to disperse…about fifty 3/4 to 15/16 Devon with calves at side by a Devon bull.  You can reach Walter at (252) 985-0408 or lynnfamilyangus66@yahoo.com.   ED wonders if this would be a fit for the Hawkins family in Kentucky.  Keep reading.

….we hear that David Hawkins dispersal sale is going very well.  The Hawkins family is transitioning to a grass finished beef business and is running out of pasture trying to keep up with son Weldon’s aggressive marketing.  So far there have been breeding stock sales to Dennis O’Hara in New York and Jeff Price, Dave Waters and J.T. Grumski, all of Tennessee.  To see what’s left, you can contact David Hawkins at dhawk@scrtc.com.

….cows get a clean bill of health when it comes to one of those greenhouse gases linked to global warming.  In this case at least, scientists have determined that grazing ruminants are good for the environment.  (click here)

….are farmers markets the answer?  Perhaps not, according to a study by the University of Illinois.  Surprisingly, the study concludes that the farmers market phenomena has been over-hyped.  Selling off the farm or by the half and quarter far out-paces farmers markets, where consumers are price resistant , find the shopping hours inconvenient, and are concerned the frozen product will spoil before they can get it home.  You can read the study by clicking here.

ED note:  feel free to place the apostrophes wherever you wish in “farmers markets”.

….finally, blogging will be light next week as ED checks out the NADA board meeting which will be held at Dr. Charles Sydnor’s Braeburn Farm, site of this year’s annual meeting.  We expect the board to approve the final agenda for the meeting and it will be a big one!  A word to the wise:  book your reservations early.  Motel rooms in the area are  limited and it will be one of those infamous college weekends.

 

The Pharo Philes…(cont’d)…

….we offered a mild dissent recently to a column by Colorado bull producer Kit Pharo in which Kit once again took a shot at what he called breeders of “older genetics”.  Kit lumped breeders under three headings---functionality, form and pedigree---and found only functionality worthy. You can read what we had to say by scrolling down or by clicking here. 

Now a colleague from Australia chimes in.  Bob Crawford, the president of the Devon Cattle Breeders Society of Australia, wrote to us following the appearance of the Pharo remarks:

“I would like to suggest that there are another group of Breeders besides the ones who concentrate on Functionality, Form and Pedigree and these are the breeders who concentrate on the numbers especially the estimated breeding values.

“Australian Devon breeders like those in the States combine all the four parameters to produce Elite cattle. Cattle that are do- ers!  Cattle that are fertile and reproduce themselves consistently with high retention rates within the herd.”

A few days later, in a response to a question about rating herd retention, Bob elaborated:

“In terms of herd retention many Australians have quick recall computerized ‘Stockbooks’ that give the Breeder the ability to look up the results for a particular sire.

‘In our own stud ( Mount Lookout) for instance we can say that our Havilah Ranger Sire HAV V130  had 78 females retained in the herd. These females are retained after we have visually assessed the Functionality,Form, Pedigree and when possible the EBV or the scan data.

‘The higher retention rate really is a result of the predictability of the Sire which in turn is a result of the four assessments- a circular argument!  Such retention levels are not reproduced by using a composite bull!’

Clearly Bob deserved more space than this Info page of quick blurbs would offer, so we asked him make his case supplementing his argument with pictures.  (click here)

 

Get your Bulldust here….

….before leaving the chill winds of Australia (been waiting a long time to say that) we wanted to mention another communiqué from the colonies.  Sal Edwards, the editor of Bulldust, says the Devon magazine is changing its subscription policy:

“We are now implementing an International Subscription Form for the magazine so subscriptions will need to be made individually by your members and directly through us. The cost for each will remain the same. I will endeavour to upload the new form to our website www.devoncattle.com ASAP but you can download a version right now by clicking here. These subscriptions will need to be received in order to receive issue 72 of Bulldust.”

 

Open house at Sabo Ranch….

….June 19th at Harrison, Montana.  The day includes lunch, a tour of the Sabo Ranch operation (integrated and multi-layered), and two afternoon class sessions, one for eaters of local food, and another for producers of it! You’ll want to reserve a space right away because after serving 200 people in the rain last year, the Sabos are limiting attendance this year to 150.  For the details contact: saboranch@gmail.com or 406-685-3248. 

Jenny has contributed to these pages before.  She is a thoughtful observer and chronicler of all that she sees and does.  Here is her latest essay, A Conversation with Nature.  (click here)

 

PS….

….before the Sabo Field Day, you Westerners have an early chance to learn more about Devon at the Small Farm Journal’s auction at Madras, Oregon, April 14th through the 17th.  NADA’s Steve Campbell, of Trinity C ranch in Idaho will be on hand with the NADA booth to talk Devon. 

 

President grandpa….

NADA president Jeff Moore, he’s the one in the center, proudly displays two new grandchildren and is smart enough not to play favorites so the older ones are in the picture, too.  That’s Braden Lee 4, Miles Ethan 5 weeks, Jeffrey Chase 1 week, Adalina Grace 2.  Miles and Jeffrey put the Moores through some tense moments before making perfect debuts and we thought you’d like to know Jeff Senior is okay now.

 

And speaking of new….

….(we will do anything for a transition)…here are some of our new members.  New and old, we’re looking forward to seeing you all at NADA’s annual meeting in North Carolina October 1 and 2.  The exciting details will be coming now very soon.  Our board meets at the site in two weeks to put the final okay on the agenda.

Now about our new colleagues:

Dennis O’Hara
Schuyler Falls, NY

John and Teri Guevremont
Little Washington, VA

Leroy Yoder
Dundee, OH

Larry Rudebusch
Bruce, SD

Church Matthews
Hume, VA.

 

Red and herd….

….we mentioned Steve Campbell above and he sends along a tip that sparkling water may be just what’s needed in your diet.  Steve also recommends bicarbonate of soda for your cattle.  ED’s have some every day. (click here)

….and Bill Roberts of Brentwood, TN has news of a way you may be able to simply skip the flu.  File it away for next year.  (click here)

….finally, if you’re saturated with news of all the foods you shouldn’t eat, you may appreciate this cartoon…thanks again to Dr. Joseph Mercola’s newsletter.

 

In the Devon Spotlight….

….are two heifers from the Sabo Ranch in Montana.  Several years ago, Mark and Jenny Sabo decided that, as they entered into organically principled cattle ranching, that Devon were their cattle of choice.  After attending a couple of classes with Gearld Fry, they purchased some Red Angus heifers and Gearld implanted Rotokawa Devon embryos, resulting in 10 full blood Rotokawa Devon calves. 

The Sabos also purchased a Devon bull through Bakewell Cattle Co, and have been using him for three years on their Red Angus cows.  The result is a nice herd of half-blood animals they sell for breeding stock, and 100% grass fed beef

You can see these hardy, gentle cattle for yourself on June 19th and see what the high mountain West can produce for the Devon world.  The day includes a delicious Devon Beef lunch, a tour of the Sabo Ranch operation (integrated and multi-layered), and two afternoon class sessions, one for eaters of local food, and another for producers of it! 

Jenny Sabo writes that if they have at least 5 Devon attendees who want to stay an extra day they’ll extend another day to talk Devons, and discuss in detail what the Sabos have learned in raising and selling 100% Grassfed Beef directly to local markets.  You’ll want to reserve early because last year this Field Day drew 200 people in the rain and they’ve decided to limit this year’s attendance to 150.
 
Email the Sabos at:  saboranch@gmail.com or phone 406-685-3248. 

 

On the road again….

….and it will give Westerners an early chance to learn more about Devon….whether you want to build an entire herd around this wonderful animal…or are looking to improve meat quality in your commercial operation.  The NADA booth will be on hand for the Small Farm Journal’s Auction at Madras, Oregon, April 14th through the 17th.  NADA’s Steve Campbell, a veteran cattleman from New Meadows, Idaho will be on hand as well to talk Devon.  There’s more information at the Small Farm Journal’s website.  (click here)

 

 It’s raining Devon at Lakota Ranch….

….well that’s a stretch but the Enghs clearly are not resting on their considerable laurels in Remington, Virginia.  Jeremy Engh tells us that Lakota is winding up a year-long, aggressive embryo program with 158 calves already on the ground or due this Fall. 

Here’s Jeremy’s scorecard from what must be the largest flushing program ever attempted by a Devon breeder:

“We have 25 weaned from our 2009 Spring recips; 13 from the Fall still on cows here in Virginia;  45 calves in North Carolina that I pick up in May; 30 that were born this Spring in Winchester, Virginia; and have 45 due in November back in North Carolina.

“We have had great success and are quite excited as we will have the first calves from the Tappuwae bulls and Isca Mustang from New Zealand, 15 line bred Noyl boy calves, and several Buckeye calves out of different females. This fall we will see the first calves from Bel Mur Clay out of Australia that we bought at the Graeme Barnes sale in 2008 as well as imported embryos from the Tappuwae and Tirranah herds.”

And that doesn’t complete the Lakota expansion.  The Enghs also bought the Stonebridge herd out of nearby White Post, Virginia and are extremely excited about the addition of a new herd sire Crooked Tree N10.  That bull goes back to one of the top Devonshire cows of the 70's.

It’s not always polite to ask a cattleman the size of the herd, but Lakota was already the largest Devon herd in the country and ED would estimate the Enghs must have at least 300 mouths to feed.  Looks to us like a good place to go shopping if you’re starting or enlarging your herd.

Jeremy concludes:  “It will be nice to see the different bloodlines from top herds around the world performing in the same environment.”

 

The Pharo Phactor….

….Colorado seedstock producer Kit Pharo has been in the forefront (and taken plenty of blows) in the “bigger is better” suicide spiral of the commercial cattle industry.  As most of our readers know, Kit focuses on the functionality of the animal over everything else.  And he gets no argument in this corner over his emphasis on efficiency, particularly since he winds up making the case for grass fed beef.

But in recent months, Kit has developed something of a case against pure blood animals, particularly Devon.  We’re sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he sells composite bulls but here’s his latest outburst.  There are, he says, three kinds of breeders: those who emphasize function, those who emphasize form, and those who emphasize pedigree.  To quote Kit on the last:

“Less common, but gaining in number and popularity, are the Pedigree Breeders. These producers are convinced that only certain animals and/or lines of animals are worthy of being a part of their program. Most of the hard-core Pedigree Breeders that I am familiar with are focused on the concentration of older genetics. If the pedigree looks good, it doesn’t seem to matter how the animal looks or functions. Pedigree Breeders will do a considerable amount of line breeding and in-breeding to maintain the so-called purity of their herd. I’ve seen some pedigree-bred cattle that looked very useful. I’ve seen others, however, that were absolutely horrible.”

We’re not sure just which “pedigree” breeders of “older genetics” Kit has been hanging around with, but certainly not any in this Association.  ED has never seen a group of cattlemen and women who are more interested in function than Devon breeders.  But the function they are focused on is not only the cheapest cow, but the quality of meat in that cow.

In fact, in his speeches (and we’ve heard many) Kit almost never deals with beef quality.  His ratings of bulls----fleshing, calving ease, disposition, udder, longevity----only indirectly have any bearing on what the consumer is interested in:  the taste, tenderness and quality of what winds up on their plate.

The whole point of the pure bred animal is to develop not just the function, but reliable, predictable function.  Unpredictability has been as much a bane of the commercial cattleman as inefficiency.

Devon breeders want to have it all: the Pharo Phunctionality and a quality piece of meat.  Every time! We don’t think you have to choose.

 

Red and herd….

….this seems to be the day for ED to disagree with his betters.  Television newsman Bill Kurtis, an old friend from CBS days, is featured in an interview in Cattlenetwork.  Bill, more than most, has put his money (a lot of it) where his mouth is, in being an early and strong mover in this grass fed business.  He’s the principal in Tall Grass Beef and in the interview he argues that the government should level the playing field with the corn-fed cattleman by subsidizing natural beef farmers.

It’s not clear why the playing field would not better be leveled by simply ending corn subsidies.  The current situation seems to us to be as ridiculous as government subsidized tobacco (replaced by the current buyout program in effect until 2014) while decrying the threat of smoking.  In any event, you can read the interview by clicking here.

….it’s not enough to raise that quality animal, many farmers, particularly in the East, are finding it increasingly difficult to pin down a butcher to guarantee slaughter dates.  The shortage has even come to the attention of the New York Times!  (click here)

….in what might be titled the “Adventures of Louise”, Bill Roberts reports that a Recovery Registry cow named “12 Stones Louise”, which he brought up to Tennessee from Louisiana, has continued her travels.  Bill sold Louise to David Hawkins who in turn sold her to David Waters, who has just flushed and successfully transplanted 5 embryos. 

Louise comes from the famous Sims herd, that was profiled recently (click here) and so carries on the genetics of her sire, the famed Mr. Mayeux.

….whenever calving season rolls around, we hear questions about horned versus polled animals.  Many breeders particularly are looking for ways of avoiding the nasty job of de-horning.  We asked the Lab at the University of California that does our dna testing and were told there are tests run by another, private independent lab that indicates the possibility of polled genetics.  You can check it out by clicking here.
  
....and finally, Dr. Carolyn Matthews, an occasional blogger at this website and director of integrative medicine at the Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, sends along a poem she uses in some of her speeches.  It was written by a long-forgotten 16th century poet.

                The best six doctors anywhere
                And no one can deny it
                Are sunshine, water, rest and air
                Exercise and diet.
                These six will gladly you attend
                If only you are willing.
                Your mind they’ll ease
                Your will they’ll mend
                And charge you but a shilling.

 

 

Our cover girl

….is a young cow on Bill Roberts’ 12 Stones Farm in central Tennessee.  She illustrates a major “take-out” (pardon the news jargon) we’ve just completed on NADA’s Rescue and Recovery Registry which we’re permanently posting in our Registry section.  The program identified Devon females whose registrations had lapsed through inadvertence, neglect or the weight of other concerns.

12 Stones Mildred, pictured here, is part of the heritage of three well-know Louisiana breeders:  Bobbie Womack, Lea Vern Sims’, and Bernard Mayeux.  Mildred, in fact, was sired by Bayou Farms Mr. Mayeux, one of the great all-time Devon bulls.  She is now seven years old, and has delivered a number of outstanding heifers calves and with the three generation, plus a lot of paperwork and inspections, has passed the Recovery Registry test.  You’ll want to read the history of these Louisiana breeders in the 12 Stones case study in the Recovery Registry.

Before the program closed at the end of last year, a total of 38 cows had been accepted for study.  We urge you to read the entire history of the Recovery Registry to see what a worthwhile program this has been.  Some historic genetics have been rescued and restored to their important place in the history of the Devon breed.

Bill Roberts and NADA registrar Wooz Matthews both played key roles in the Recovery Registry.  Roberts, by finding 17 animals to incorporate in his herd, did the hard work of documenting their history.  Matthews supervised the filings, coordinated the DNA, insured the accuracy of all the filings, and kept the 6 breeders in the program on track in the demanding process.

If you care about Devon, it’s an interesting story.  (click here)

                     

Go West, young man….

….well alright, ED is stretching the adjective a bit, but from my perspective you all seem young.  But while talking with Bill Roberts we learned that local allergies are forcing him to relocate out West and in preparation for the move he is cutting his herd back to just the females he can fit in a big stock trailer.  If you’re in the market for some outstanding cows and bulls, we urge you to check Bill’s sales lists by click here (PDF)

And Bill also told us about the birth of a new Devon enthusiast.  Just last year he sold 4 Devon (two were Recovery Registry “finds”) to Asgaard Farms in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.  Farm manager Jim Norman and his wife have just welcomed a new baby boy, Jakub Francis Norman.  Jakub was 8 pounds 8 ounces at birth and 21.5 inches…which we think makes him a Frame Score 5.   While Asgaard Farms is primarily a goat dairy and cheese operation, Jim purchased the Devon for their fledging grass fed beef operation. 

 

A star is born….

….out in Oklahoma.  Her name is Rhee Drummond and she has suddenly made the media big time with an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America and a profile in Forbes magazine.  Rhee blogs under the name Pioneer Woman (click here) and she illustrates the talent lurking among cattlewomen everywhere.  You can read the Forbes article by clicking here.

Those are Martha Stewart’s teeth you hear grinding.  ED has gotta try that short rib recipe!

 

Speaking of talented women….

….we’ve been remiss in not plugging the HBO movie on Temple Grandin.  Claire Danes stars in the story of a person who turned a handicap into a fulfilling life serving animals, both two and four-legged.  If you missed the movie, it’s now on DVD and can be ordered through Amazon.  (click here)

 

Feeling threatened, Big Ag?

As the saying goes, if you think people are out to get you, just could be you’re not paranoid.  In the case of Big Ag, the years of ignoring us seem to have ended.  Right now they’re somewhere between Phase 2---attacking---and Phase 3---playing the victim.  We have illustrations of the new defensive mood of the pooh-bahs.

Old-fashioned Ag interests (we like that almost as much as the term “Big Ag”) are upset at the agenda at a recent farm meeting in Kansas City.  Seems the organizers felt our agriculture paradigm is broken and, presto, critics jumped on the heretics.  This is Kansas City, after all, Big Ag Central, and there’s such a thing as loyalty, you know              

Then there is the demand that Hollywood not award an Oscar to the movie Food, Inc.  Actually, the Big Ag people were a little late with their protest.  The voting for Best Documentary was already completed and by the time you read this, you’ll probably already be aware of the Oscar results.  (click here)      

 

It’s a matter of taste….

….individual taste.  Dr. Sue Beal sends along a link to a new diet that we suspect will have trouble catching on.  Warning: this link contains explicit subject matter.

 

Creep feed warning….

….probably a sign worth having if you’re a cattleman out West.  Bill Roberts (heading that way you remember,  if you were paying attention earlier on) found some pictures of a Montana herd patiently waiting its turn at the feeder.

 

Are you line-breeding or in-breeding…

It’s a close and controversial call and a debate that will probably go on as long as there are breeders.  In the January issue of Stockman Grass Farmer, NADA board member Ridge Shinn weighs in on the debate.  Former Bakewell partner Gearld Fry, of course, is a strong proponent of line-breeding, but Shinn and Ken McDowall of Rotokawa fame have some serious reservations.  You can read their views by clicking here.

Gearld’s views on the subject of line-breeding can be found in a number of his columns in our Blog section.  You can read one by clicking her

So far as Ed knows there’s never been a comprehensive, controlled study on the subject of line-breeding and its pitfalls.  Several Devon breeders we’ve talked to report excellent results in the first generation but there are mixed reviews on successive breedings.  We’re always happy to hear about your experiences.

And speaking of Rotokawa and Ken McDowall, Ridge Shinn sends along a picture of Rotokawa 93 taken just the other day.  Ridge tells us 93 has just completed a successful breeding season with his Rotokawa herd.  A lot more 93 calves on the way but Ridge and partner Chuck Lacy haven’t decided when they’ll be ready to part with some of their prize animals.

Red and Herd….

Business is really good…if you’re a lobbyist.  The rest of the economy may be in the dumps but the government and the lobbyists are enjoying a banner year.  We read recently that bureaucrats today receive about double the salary as the average in the general economy….and now a report that spending on lobbyists is up 5%...with farm-related lobbyists now receiving about $100-million a year!  (click here)

Whole Foods isn’t complaining either.  They’re reporting an almost 80% profit increase in the first quarter.  No report available from the farms supplying Whole Foods .

 Whole Foods Market said earnings during the company's first fiscal quarter increased 78.7 percent, compared with the same period a year ago. 

The Austin, Texas-based company said sales rose 7 percent during the 16-week quarter ended Jan. 17, to $2.6 billion. Increased purchases of organic meat were among the drivers, the company said, according to a report by the Associated Press.

"Our first quarter results exceeded our own expectations on both the top and bottom line," CEO John Mackey said in a news release. "While many of our competitors have gone back and forth on their pricing strategies, we remain focused on continuing to strike the right balance between driving sales over the long term by improving our value offerings while maintaining margin." 

Whole Foods Market operates 289 stores throughout the country, and expects to open three more next quarter.

 

But some farmers in Missouri are smiling.  Consider this from the latest issue of Small Farm Today.

GM Contamination

The U.S. federal jury ruled on Dec. 4 2009 , that Bayer Crop Science LP must
pay $2 million dollars to two Missouri farmers after their rice crop was
contaminated with an experimental variety of rice the company was testing in
2006.

Bayer admitted it has been unable to control the spread of its GE organisms
despite "the best practices". It shows that all outdoors field trials must be stopped before our crops are irreversibly contaminated.

Greenpeace International reported that the costs incurred from the
contamination are estimated to range from $741 million to $1.285 billion
dollars. The verdict indicates that Bayer could be liable for a large
portion of these costs. These were the *first two* of more than *1000*
currently pending lawsuits.

 

Sure fire ways to prepare beef….

….from Jonathan and Lucinda Gingerich of Kokomo, Indiana in a recent newsletter to their clients.  Lucinda writes:

I learned a new cooking technique I'm just in love with and thought I'd share it with you.

1. Dredge meat in flour, salt and pepper
2. Brown in preheated pan with some melted butter or coconut oil
3. Reduce heat and pour broth over (enough to cover the meat)
4. Bring to a slow simmer.  Just so bubbles break on the surface
5. Simmer uncovered for 6-8 hours,.
   Delicious
   So far I've used this method for stew meat, roast, and even short ribs, and I was amazed!! (I confess...I've hated short ribs in the past)

ED sampled some delicious Devon steak on a visit to Charles Sydnor’s farm in North Carolina.  (The Sydnor’s Braeburn Farm will be host for this year’s annual meeting.)  And Charles technique certainly proved out in three recent tests on ED’s grill.

Simply put your steaks on the fire for exactly 90 seconds on each side.  Then transfer them to an oven set at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.  If you prefer thick steaks and you like them medium rare, that’s all there is to it.  Perfection…every time!

 

Talk about a pure bred….

….not Devon but we report this news under the heading:  “Because ED Can”, here are some pictures of the new Ford truck powered by hydrogen.  Well, it’s actually so new it won’t be out until 2012.  We have to wonder where people are going to find hydrogen fuel, particularly in rural areas.  This may explain why Ford was reluctant to take government money last year.  That would have told the government---owners of competitors GM and Chrysler---more than Ford wants them to know.

 

Surviving the Blizzard of ’10….

….part of the Thistle Hill herd that has come through the Blizzard of ’10.  Most days they did get a little hay but there were some when they had to go without.  The little bull calf in front arrived right in the middle of the storm, almost four feet of snow, temperatures near zero and winds of 50 mph.  He’s 4-days-old in the picture, a Rotokawa 974 grandson, as is the older calf lying nearby.  Mom, standing in the background, calved on a little corner of the hay, protected from the winds by drifts, while the other cows kept their distance.  Are we mistaken, or is the calf saying “bring it on”!

A number of  hay bales had been pre-positioned  before the storm hit but ED hadn’t expected anything like this and was quickly in rescue mode.  And carrying hay over icy and snow-clogged roads to five separate pastures spread over 10 miles left ED in poorer body condition than the Devon.   Blogging will resume soon.

Meanwhile, our love for Devon has been enhanced by respect for the way they handled weather far worse than anything they’d ever experienced.

 

More on the Grass/Grain fed controversy….

….a study by an Australian university purporting to show that grain fed beef is easier on the environment than grass fed continues to draw fire…most of it based on the feeling the study leaves out almost as much as it includes.

First, if you missed it when we first posted it, you can click here.

We pointed out many of the flaws in the study and recently NADA board member Ridge Shinn emailed his own views:

“One big oversight is the biological impact of growing grain to feed ruminants.  Our quest for “efficiency” has produced a cow population dependent on antibiotics and drugs to produce beef that is compromised by  E Coli.

“Grass fed cattle increase soil biology when grazed correctly, have virtually no acid-resistent E Coli, need no antibiotics or hormones to finish.  According to Clemson University the resultant meat has a proper ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 for human health.”

We’re seeing an increasing number of attacks on grass fed meat and they can’t be ignored.  Nor can we ignore the fact that this is a well-funded attack machine that obviously now feels it is being hurt by the healthy food movement.

 

A new venture for Fry….

….former NADA president Gearld Fry is partnering with South Poll breeder and country music legend Teddy Gentry in a new grass fed marketing company.  American Prairie Beef  plans to develop a gourmet branded beef product linking producers, distribution and consumers.  Besides Fry and Gentry, the other principals---all veteran cattlemen---are Ronald Bolze, Tom German and Myron Wolff.

 

Still another recall….

….although it might be more efficient to simply note when there isn’t a recall underway.  The total amount of meat in that California scandal has now jumped from a million pounds to six-million pounds. 

MONTEBELLO, Calif. (AP) - A Southern California meatpacking firm has significantly expanded its recall of ground beef and veal that might be contaminated with E. coli.

The recall includes approximately 4.9 million additional pounds of products by Huntington Meat Packing Inc. under the Huntington, Imperial Meat Co. and El Rancho brands, the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said.  The original recall was announced Jan. 18 and was for 864,000 pounds of meat.

The original recall was expanded based on evidence collected in an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by the Office of the Inspector General, according to FSIS. Inspectors found the products were prepared in a manner that did not follow rules to prevent food safety hazards.

 

Red and Herd….

….there’s some confusion in agricultural circles over just where President Obama is headed with his Ag policy.  First Lady Michelle Obama may have her organic garden and the President may talk sustainable and “green”, but still the tilt all seems to be toward Industrial Ag and high tech bio-foods to “feed the world”.  Writer Marian Burros captures the conflict in an article for Politico.  (click here)

....we haven’t forgotten two causes of recent years:  NAIS and Monsanto.  And there’s good news on both fronts meaning bad news for NAIS and Monsanto.

Those Department of Ag road shows surveying sentiment among farmers about the National Animal Identification System turned up no support for the bureaucratic nightmare.  So the feds are going back to the drawing board.  (click here)

Don’t break out the champagne just yet.  “Leaving it to the states” puts the Big Ag lobbyists in a stronger position in many states…and bureaucrats have yet to meet a program increasing their power that they’ve ever given up on.  NAIS will be back, with a new and gentler title.

And don’t expect Monsanto to change its ways any time soon, either.  But the giant chemical company did suffer a major setback recently when it pulled back two of its GM corn varieties.  Monsanto had run into difficulty getting the seeds through the European approval process and rather than reveal all its research just threw in the towel.  (click here)

Memo to Steve Forbes:  maybe you should consider taking away Monsanto’s “company of the year” award while you’re calling on Al Gore to return his Oscar.

….farmers markets meet the laws of supply and demand.  It’s not that the demand for farm fresh products has declined, it’s just that the proliferation of farmers markets has fragmented the customer base.  The article in the Wall Street Journal also leaves out another factor:  the increasing number of supermarkets featuring local and organic sections at prices undercutting the farmers. (click here)

 

Beef  is not a commodity

….writes NADA board member Greg Hickl in a new blog.  Whatever the product, buyers always naturally try to force sellers to accept the lowest price.  The argument is always “I can get it cheaper somewhere else”.  And most farmers, coming from the auction barn experience, have trouble convincing themselves that not all beef is alike.

Hickl, with broad experience in business, brings what he has learned to our marketing challenge.  (click here)

 

Monsanto the company of the year?

….yes, according to Forbes magazine.  That has caused the nation’s leading natural health blogger, Dr. Joseph Mercola, to go ballistic.  Forbes calls the criticism of Monsanto “vicious”, when it has only “been working to make humanity better fed.”

The government is investigating Monsanto for anti-trust violations but Forbes claims “Monsanto has close to a monopoly in some seed markets” because they are making “seeds that are too good.”

As Mercola puts it:  “Apparently, Monsanto’s decades-long attempt to control the seed market -- which has led to lawsuits against small farmers and genetically modified plants that never regerminate, forcing farmers to buy seeds year after year -- is apparently just a result of their being “too good.”

Mercola is calling on readers to boycott Forbes.  You can read the whole article by clicking here.

We report, you decide….

….here we go again with another “scientific study” from a university…this one in Australia…which concludes grain fed is easier on the environment than grass fed.  The holes in this report are obvious but first read the article and then be sure to read the comments.  (click here)

Buried deep in the article is a comment by Christopher Weber of Carnegie Mellon University in the States who says comparing grass fed and grain fed can be skewed by the numbers you choose.  You can tip the scales one way or another.  But her conclusion:

"To some extent, all of this bickering about carbon footprint is missing the forest for the trees.  In terms of air pollution, water pollution and odor, concentrated feedlots are a disaster. In terms of other environmental impact, there is no question that grass fed is better. My problem is that people really play on the carbon footprint angle, when it's really not clear. "

This has been well-discussed within a number of internet chat rooms, where we found this:

“I’m sure the ‘findings’ in this paper were pre-determined by how the lines were drawn around the two systems being compared and the assumptions used by the authors.  

”They then leave out much of the environmental cost of producing grain for livestock and ignore the externalized costs of chemical farming.  Even with those serious gaps in logic included, it takes a little fuzzy math, cherry picked data points, and selective use of facts to prove their point.”

And NADA board member Sue Beal, who tipped us to this discussion adds:

“It's the same thing I run into when I've been talking with the green house gas guys. They keep forgetting to add in certain things...... like the cost of fuel to run the trucks and haul the manure to the digesters that they are proposing be set up for county wide use...... or the costs of buying and running the equipment and fertility and spray etc for chemical no till systems.

“Some sort of crazy accounting if you ask me. And the papers only quote the high spot numbers, not really looking at the whole study much less looking outside the box at what's really happening in the ecology.” 

Pollan plugs grass fed on Oprah….

….and that’s telling the story to about 25-million viewers.  Michael Pollan’s words, as quoted by the American Grassfed Association website:

"I'm very picky about the meat I eat," Pollan said. "I eat grass-fed beef, which is now becoming more common. Yes, it's still more expensive, but it's a very sustainable product."

When he's buying dairy, he said, he looks for  milk from grass-fed cows.
"It's got more beta carotene, more omega-3s, all this kind of stuff," said Pollan.

AGA Executive Director Carrie Balkcom said she was amazed at how that simple statement chased traffic to her website.  She called the number of hits “phenomenal”.

Speaking of good publicity…

NADA board member Ridge Shinn seems to have decided to be a one-man promotion department for Devon grass fed beef.  Recently Shinn and his herd were featured in Time magazine and now they were profiled in the Worcester (MA) Telegram.  Ridge’s dedication…not to mention the photographer’s…prompted them to trudge out into a pasture in one of those monstrous downpours the Northeast has been enduring recently.  (click here)

 

In case you missed it….

….new Obama budget takes a cut at farm subsidies; about 10-billion over 10 years.  But it increases the school lunch program by the same amount.  The reduction is achieved by capping payments at $30,000 and limiting the program to farms with incomes of less than $500,000….a reduction of $250,000.  Read the article by clicking here.

 

The survival course….

….and Devon pass the test.  This winter has been the coldest, wettest, hardest many of us can recall, particularly in parts of the South.  NADA board member Bill Roberts says that’s certainly true in Tennessee.

We are out of grass and on poor hay and no supplement except for the Helfter mineral program.  Despite the odds against them, our cows are prime examples of the adaptability and survivability of Red Devon Cattle.  Vista Knoll L6 (pictured) is still nursing her spring 2009 calf, and on his way to being a top herd suspect.  The world needs to know about this kind of efficiency on otherwise wasted roughage.

Red and herd….

…that Time magazine article advising that we eat more grass fed beef (and featuring Ridge Shinn’s Rotokawa Cattle Company) has prompted a follow up in Drovers magazine.  Being a voice for the industrial cattle industry, Drovers had its own “take” but still not bad.

The planet: Eat more beef
By Greg Henderson  |  Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Following last fall’s scathing attack on the beef industry, TIME magazine has now published another feature that focuses on the beef industry and climate change. In fact, TIME says, “Environmentalists have been giving cows a bad rap in recent years.”

The positive message about beef from TIME, however, identifies grass-fed beef as the politically correct choice for your plate. Indeed, conventionally-raised cattle that spend their final months in a feedlot where they are “”stuffed with corn and soybeans” are still bad for the planet, according to author Lisa Abend.

Similar to many mainstream media reports on cows and climate change, Abend relies heavily on some often quoted, yet disputed reports. For instance, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2006 report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” was cited for its claim that livestock account for 18 percent of the world’s man-made greenhouse-gas emissions.

Abend also quotes anti-beef crusader Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, who says, “Much of the carbon footprint of beef comes from growing grain to feed animals, which requires fossil-fuel-based fertilizers, pesticides, transportation. Grass-fed beef has a much lighter carbon footprint.”

But not all those interviewed for this story are anti-beef. Maine farmer and author of The New Organic Grower, Eliot Coleman, says, “The idea that giving up meat is the solution for the world’s ills is ridiculous.”

Conventionally-raised beef may remain politically incorrect, according to TIME, but this story at least recognizes that there are environmental benefits to grazing cattle on land that is unsuitable for farming. — Greg Henderson, Drovers editor.

Thanks to Gearld Fry for spotting the article and passing it along.  And if you missed the original Time article click here.

….you’d think that a grazing meeting in Florida would be sponsored by the University of Florida, but no, Ino Valezquez, whose farm will host the field day activities, tells us to credit the University of Nebraska.  First, you can read about the March event by clicking here.

As to how the University of Nebraska got involved in a Florida meeting, Ino explains:

Terry Gompert, certificate educator of Holistic Management International was my instructor in Holistic Management at the University of Nebraska.  He accepted an invitation to organize the event in Florida. So we are very excited that people down here have the opportunity to know what Holistic Management can do for them.

Thanks to NADA I had the opportunity to hear about HMI in Oct 2008 at the Conference in Rhode Island where Abe Collins spoke.  That was a blessing for me and I want others to have the opportunity to learn about Holistic Management and at the same time show them how good Devon cattle do down here.

….NADA annual meetings are always chocked full of interesting and important education material.  This year’s meeting in North Carolina is developing a particularly powerful line-up, both in seminars and on the farm.  Dr. Charles Sydnor’s Braeburn Farm is practically a laboratory for “polyface farming” (sorry, Joel) with Devon, pigs, chickens, turkeys and produce…all direct marketed in the Chapel Hill area. 

We hope you already have set aside the dates, October 1 and 2 and we have inside information that an important figure in the grass fed field will be featured at the pre-conference special day in a hands-on program you’ll definitely want to join.  ED’s lips are sealed…but only for a few more weeks. 

An advance team from NADA led by President Jeff Moore visited Braeburn Farm recently to confirm arrangements at the annual meeting headquarters hotel, the farm and the nearby sale barn, a brand new facility still under construction.  Again this year there’ll be a Select Sale under the watchful eye of Gearld Fry.  Sydnor has is just instituting mob grazing and that’s sure to be a major attraction during the weekend Field Day.

….a grass fed beef testimonial is in the latest newsletter from the Paleo Diet Folks.  Dr.
Loren Cordain takes us full circle tracing the history of beef.  As Devon breeders all know, we’ve been here before.  (click here)

The farming game….

….or, “things are really slow in town”.  So slow that the latest hot on-line fantasy game is FarmVille.  After a day in snow-clogged pastures what could be more fun than to come inside and click on this Facebook adventure.  Actually, we’re told millions are doing just that…even farmers.

For the story click here

Thanks to Dr. Carolyn Matthews for the link and if you can’t wait to get started just click on http://www.farmville.com

Save the planet: eat more beef*

             
….and that asterisk at the end of the headline in Time magazine told the story with the picture of a Devon cow at Ridge Shinn’s Rotokawa Cattle company in Massachusetts.  As Time explained the asterisk succinctly “Grass feeding required.”

At a time when the industrial beef industry has been attacking the natural, grass fed approach to raising cattle, the story in the nation’s leading news magazine must have been a blow to Big Ag.  Ridge, a founder of NADA, and along with partner Chuck Lacy, instrumental in bringing the famous Rotokawa herd to the U.S., spent many hours with the Time reporter and it paid off with an even-handed article on the benefits of grass fed beef.  And the picture linking Devon with grass fed is a message that won’t be lost on America’s cattlemen.

The article appears in the January 25th edition of the magazine and you can read it by clicking here. (PDF)

Essentially the same article is up on the internet and to link to that click here.

Whether you use the magazine or the internet version, we hope you’ll see that reads the article.  We’ll be distributing it at the NADA booth in early February at the annual PASA meeting.

Guest blogs….

….and this time we have two you’ll want to be sure to read.
First, Jenny Sabo enters the health care debate from another angle.  She’s says we’re focusing on the wrong thing when we limit the discussion to what she calls “sickness care”.   (click here)

And a new writer to this web page---Mitch Fry of Greenbriar, Arkansas---confesses that he has found that raising grass fed beef isn’t as easy as it sounds.  Mitch is a Little Rock fireman but his heart is on the farm.  And yes, he is related to that “other” Fry.  (click here)

Coming attractions….

….we mentioned the PASA meeting above.  The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Farming annual meeting is always a must-attend in the Northeast.  Again this year NADA is one of the sponsors of the conference and we hope you’ll stop by our booth.  It’s the weekend of February 4th at State College and you can get all the details by clicking here.

That same weekend will feature the annual meeting of the American Grassfed Association in Louisville, Kentucky.  They have a powerful line-up of speakers with a particular emphasis on the end product: your steak.  Details by clicking here.

Then we want to mention the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group annual conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee January 20-23.  (click here)
    
And finally there’s the annual Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service meeting in LaCrosse, Wisconsin the weekend of February 25-27.  (click here)

 

Welcome to new members….

Chuck Lacy
Jericho, Vermont

Gene and Joan Hostetler
Tampico, Illinois

Luke (Lucky) Garrod
Doyle, California

Sheldon Headings
Sheffield, Illinois

Ottis Wagner
Rock Hill, South Carolina

There has been quite a burst of new memberships recently.  We think it’s probably because folks are trapped inside with their checkbooks.  And speaking of writing checks (a shameless transition), don’t forget it’s time for renewals if you’re a NADA member.  Still a great buy at $50….even better if you make the Annual Meeting part of your travel plans this year.  Watch for details soon, but the meeting will be near Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina at Dr. Charles Sydnor’s Braeburn Farm, October 1-3.

This current  Info will be brief because, by coincidence ED and NADA president Jeff Moore are off right now for Braeburn just to review the facilities for the annual get-together.  (If your tub at the motel doesn’t drain well, talk to Jeff.  That’s on his checklist!)

Red and herd….

Alan’s Blog at the Stockman Grassfarmer’s website reports that Michael Pollan’s newest book came out last week.  “Food Rules, An Eater’s Manual”, is the title and it tells consumers to eat animals that have themselves eaten well.

Pollan said the feeding of high grain diets changes the nutritional quality and healthfulness of not only ruminant animals, but also pigs and chickens. He said all animals are healthier when they have access to green plants - and so are their meat and eggs. The food from these animals will contain much healthier types of fat as well as appreciably higher levels of vitamins and antioxidants. Pollan concludes Rule 27 with the following advice, "It’s worth looking for pastured animal foods in the market - and paying the premium prices they typically command..."

Watch your back is always good advice, particularly for a cow who finds herself lost in a strange, new town.  (click here)
 

Even the old-timers admit….

….this is a pretty bad winter.  Much of the nation is gripped by the worst cold weather in a generation and snow has been seen in places like Dallas and Florida.  NADA’s Dr. Sue Beal reminds us this means our herds need extra energy.  She writes:

For every degree below 32F, a dry-coated cow needs an extra 1% energy. More than that if she's wet or standing in mud. In wet cattle it's calculated to be 2% extra (above maintenance) for every degree below 59 - and mud can increase the maintenance energy requirements by between 7 and thirty percent. 

That's energy - not protein.

Lots of animals - particularly, but not exclusively,  those who are not as accustomed to cold or for whom there is a sudden cold snap - won't drink cold water. It’s well-proven that warmer water increases intake in cattle and horses. Lots of belly aches, colic and rearranged rumens (dry and less active) in these cold snaps. 

Requirements for mineral and salt also vary.

Homeopathic Aconite is a good remedy to have on hand for ailments from sudden weather changes and storms.

 

And the magic letter is….

….W!  A reminder from registrar Wooz Matthews that the year designator for tags and tattoos is “W” for 2010.  Whatever happened to “V”?  Don’t ask.  It’s a very sad story.

 

Thinking about Florida….

….may help.  Although the temperatures in the Sunshine State have been only marginally better. But NADA member Ino Velazquez of Zolfo Springs promises winter will be only a distant memory by the time the big 4-day Florida Grazing Event rolls around in March.  Sponsoring the event will be the University of Nebraska and Holistic Management International.  Ino will be a speaker and his Devon farm will be featured.  For details you can click here.

 

Don’t give it away….

….is the advice of NADA’s president Jeff Moore.  Jeff has been in the grass fed business longer than most of us, but he’s still learning new tricks.  Jeff has discovered there are dollars in what he’s been having the butcher throw away.  Hint:  that’s Jeff’s guinea pig in the photo…for some reason he’s called “Moose”…and grandson Braydon in the background.  Braydon is a testament to grass fed beef, too.  (click here)

          

Red and herd….

….there are so many meat recalls that ED has to go back and double-check each new one to be sure we’re not repeating ourselves.  Here’s the latest from CNN:

A beef recall is under way in a half-dozen states involving possibly contaminated products from the Oklahoma company National Steak and Poultry, according to the firm and federal inspectors.

The USA Agriculture Department officials said a cluster of illnesses involving the E. colibacterium was reported in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, South Dakota and Washington state.

And the New York Timeshas a story that again catches the industry and the government  caught taking shortcuts that finally catch up with them.  Again, the villain is hamburger. The answer for the government…and for the consumer…is simple: eat locally-raised grass fed meat.  Don’t buy commodity ground beef at the supermarket…or the fast food counter.(click here

Of course, good stuff can be bad for you, too.  There’s a growing awareness that all the anti-biotics they’re pumping into industrial meat is becoming a serious problem, too.  For the consumer…and the farmer.  (click here)

And while not quite “mainstream” the press is beginning to pick up on this story, too.  Just a short blurb like this on the AP wire will trigger countless stories across the country.

Overuse of antibiotics on farms identified as "serious emerging concern."

In a story appearing on over 120 news websites, the AP (12/29, ) reports that Americans are increasingly at risk from "the widespread practice of feeding livestock antibiotics," and the issue "is now gaining attention because of interest from a new White House administration" and a "flurry of new research" linking antibiotic usage in animals to drug resistance in people. "If we're not careful with antibiotics and the programs to administer them, we're going to be in a post antibiotic era," said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Thomas Frieden. The trend was called a "serious emerging concern" by several federal agencies this summer, including FDA deputy commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, who "told Congress this summer that farmers need to stop feeding antibiotics to healthy farm animals."

The best advice, and one we should all be pounding away at in all our contacts with the public:  know where your food comes from; know your farmer.  One route is the internet.  Many of us have websites but few go as far as Will Gilmer of Sulligent, Alabama.  He not only blogs, he tweets.  And he video podcasts on the farm.    When he goes out to check his 450 dairy cows, about 700 “tweeters” follow.  His website has logged more than 20,000 visits. 

To quote Gilmer:  “We’ve got to have the support of people not involved in agriculture and we’re not going to get that unless we’re directly engaged with them and telling them what we’re doing.”  His website is:   www.gilmerdairyfarm.com

And in a related item, ED ran across a video the other day produced by a well-known Devon breeder simply telling the story of his lead bull.  Anyone in the seedstock business could easily duplicate this idea by Lakota Farms’ Jeremy Engh.  (click here)

We thank Dr. Carolyn Matthews, Dr. Sue Beal, Ridge Shinn, and The Furrow magazine for their contributions to this “Red and Herd”.