Farm Field Trip

For my farm field trip, I visited the Udy Cattle Company, or UCC, in Southeast Idaho. The main buildings are settled in a small pocket of hills that stretches to open fields and grazing pastures. Although going on the third generation, UCC, is a relatively new operation. George Udy, and his son James, work together to produce quality livestock, along with James sister Sharee. The Udy’s raise registered Black and Red Angus cattle, registered Herefords, and a herd of mixed stock of the three. George and James have worked hard to make their cattle operation visually appealing, and yet completely functional. Themed in red and white, all the buildings on the property share this color combo, and they even have the characteristic old red barn to fit the theme. The sale barn is located on your right when you drive up, while opposite of it stands a grassy area tastefully broken up with trees and flower bushes. The cattle pens are located farther down behind the barn dubbed as the artificial insemination barn or AI barn. When working, moving or leaving, the cattle alley ways between the AI barn, Calving Barn, and Wash Barn, can be completely closed off. This makes it extremely easy to move cattle with a few people and also provides extra sense of security when no one is there.

Horses are still a main part of the Udys operation, but are primarily used in the summer months to check cattle in the mountain pastures, and for rounding the cattle up to bring them back to the main ranch. The rest of the time, four-wheelers take the place of horses. When I asked the reason behind this, George explained that four-wheelers take up less space than horses, don’t require to be fed, and don’t have a will of their own to work against you when you least need them to. Feeding the cattle consists of a flatbed trailer loaded down with four bales weighing a two tons each. Pulled by a green John Deere tractor, the cart can be towed through the snow, mud and everything else mother nature throws at them. Technology has allowed the Udys to decrease their time feeding and saddling horses, and has given them more time to spend on other necessary jobs.

While ranching is often put into a romantic lighting, there is a lot of hard work that is rarely talked about. Let’s take a brief tour of a typical winter ranching day. It starts out before the sun comes up. Rain, snow, or sunshine, the cattle must be fed. On the day I was able to help feed, it just so happened to be a snowy, windy day. By winds I mean 40+ mph winds. Ever wonder why ranchers wear so many layers? I’m convinced it is to add extra weight to themselves so they don’t get blown away. Being a rather small lady myself, I had a hard time trying to pitch hay off of a moving hay cart, with winds constantly punching my down and snow blowing in my face. Not to mention the unpleasant feeling of having hay in places it shouldn’t be! After the cattle are fed in the fields, a tractor and grain cart mixer are used to feed the young heifers and bulls that are going to be sold next year. These special few, are located in convenient pens near the barns. 

Udy Cattle Company Bulls. Photo by Natalie Mingo

While feeding the cattle, the Udys keep a close eye on the cattle to make sure that none of the cows, calves or bulls are sick. Typical signs of a sick cow are; drooping head, sunk in eyes, gunky eyes, scours, limping, standing away from the others during feeding time, and abscesses. Depending on what the symptoms are, determines what needs to be done with the sick cow. If it is a calf, some of the doctoring can be done in the fields. For full grown cattle, they must be rounded up, and brought into the barns where the cattle shoots are to doctor them. When a calf or cow is sick, the Udys use antibiotics to help the cattle recover. Along with the antibiotics, vitamin boluses are given to the cow, to help them retain a strong immune system.

While the winter still provides enough work for a full day, the main work starts at the beginning of the year when the calves start being born. When calving season starts, the Udys bring all the soon to be mothers, up close to the barns. With regular sorting, the cows that will be calving in the next few days are closely watched to make sure the births go smoothly. This allows UCC to have a high mortality rate and to ensure the calves are healthy, strong, and claimed by their mothers. Many of the cows that are ready to calve are brought into the calving barn. After the calves are born, the mothers and babies are moved to small holding pens to ensure the calves are eating properly. All the stalls are cleaned daily and kept fresh for the next round of calves being born.

Calving takes up the most time in the early spring, but the Udys also have an annual bull and heifer sale in March. The cattle that will be sold are professionally photographed, and put into a catalog, while also being posted on the UCC website. The sale is the biggest event of the year as it requires the most time to set up, and preform. George and James like to take care of their buyers and do a full lunch for everyone attending the sale. The whole family gets involved with making food, washing cattle, setting up the sale barn and advertising the cattle. It is one of the biggest events in the small town we live in. Buyers come from all over the country, and can even bid on the cattle through the telephone. Last year, cattle were sold to Canada, down to Texas, and from California to Georgia. It really makes sense why UCC’s moto is “Your Source for Quality.”

Being able to visit UCC, really allowed me to see what being a livestock producer is all about. It takes a lot dedication to get up early every day, and to go to bed late. The Udys are very skilled in what they do and are constantly looking into new ways to improve their operation. Working cattle comes naturally, and through experience. Being taught through books may help one know how to run a business and how to doctor an animal, but nothing can prepare you for working cattle like hands on experience.

Thank you Udy Cattle Company for your hard work and time you take to teach those who are trying to learn the trade!

"Udy Cattle Company-Your Source For Quality-Rockland, Idaho-home." Udy Cattle Company-Your Source For Quality-Rockland, Idaho-home. 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.

Mingo, Natalie M. “Winter Feeding.” 2015. Print.

Horse and Buggy Days; Visual Rhetoric

“Horse and Buggy Days,” by Paul Detlefsen, once was one of many popular paintings created by the artist. Detlefsen, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1899. His work became popular throughout the US for his bright, down home, country themes. While working in Hollywood on backdrops, he was awarded an academy award for Best Visual Scene. (Paul Detlefsen Biography, Web) Although all the oil paintings he created seemed very realistic, they were all created fictionally. “Horse and Buggy Days,” has many sizes of prints available, but the original version was an oil painting on canvas, and was approximately 36 inches by 48 inches.

Detlefsen, became a successful artist during some of the hardest periods of our country’s history. His paintings swept the nation during the Great Depression, WWII, and the Korean War. The reason behind this can only be made by assumptions, but when looking at his art work, you find yourself feeling as if you are back in a simple way of life, safe from all the troubles of the world. In his painting, “Horse and Buggy Days,” this is particularly true. A simple buggy lay where it was unhitched while a blacksmith fixes the horse’s shoe. A young boy, barefoot, and in in overalls, stands and observes the process. In a time when our country was at its worst, Paul Detlefsen, created tranquility. He painted scenes with bright colors, deep greens and captured the image of a time when the country only had concerns of everyday, normal life. He did not focus on the war torn country, the devastation of the depression, or families struggling to make ends meet. Life during those times seemed dark and melancholy, but Paul Detlefsen, added the much needed vibrant color of life to a hard period of time.

With our current studies of the hardships behind farming, and the depression, World Wars, and other such experiences, Paul Detlefsen, through his artwork, allowed his viewers to be swept back in time to a life without the heartaches of war, drought, and depression. There are no haunting images, and no source of modern distractions. The people portayed in the painting, are doing what they love. They are not weary with troubled thoughts, war, or lack of necessities. They are a people that are living a life of happiness by working with their hands and enjoying God’s creations. When times get rough, it is the people who become content with what they have that are the most successful in finding happiness.

Mason, Forrest. "Horse & Buggy Days" Photograph. Webshots. Examiner.com, 15 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

Unknown. "Paul Detlefsen Biography." Paul Detlefsen Biography. 2015. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

An Academic Film Review of the Movie Farmland

Farmland (2014)
Director: James Moll
USA
Running Time: 77 minutes
Awards: Nominated for Cleveland International Film Festival-Official Selection, Atlanta Film Festival-2014 Official Selection, Nashville Film Festival-Official Selection.

The United States of America was founded by farmers and ranchers on July 4, 1776. In the initial years of the United States, most of the population was involved with agriculture. Food was grown primarily by families, and ate by those cultivating individuals. As technology has progressed, and society has become less dependable on their own gardens to survive, we have a society that is far removed from the reality of where their food comes from. Farmland, follows the lives of six farmers and ranchers and uncovers the truth about where the consumers’ food comes from, and the facts behind organic and commercial farms.

Director James Moll, traveled across the country to meet six young farmers and ranchers who are in their twenties, to unveil the next generation of farmers and ranchers. From Pennsylvania to California, Texas to Minnesota, and Georgia to Nebraska, Farmland, takes us into every aspect of our most common foods. The cinematography artistically captures the distinct features of each season and the machinery used at each operation. All of the farms documented, are in the heartland of farming communities. Surrounded by fields of crops and range land, away from all city life. A typical misconception about farms is that of the red barn, chickens, a few hogs and cattle and the pitch fork wielding man and woman. This myth is dispelled within the first few minutes of the film by the sweeping camera views of the shops, barns, and houses on each operation.

There are two general kinds of farmers and ranchers; Commercial Growers and Organic Growers. Commercial growers, are under a lot of pressure from the media on what should and shouldn’t be used on crops. The use of Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are used on commercial grounds. While the media has constantly put a negative light on GMOs, the truth behind them is that farmers are able to produce more crops on less ground, with less resources such as water, and fertilizers. David Loberg, a corn and soybean grower in Carroll Nebraska, describes how the use of GMOs, has drastically reduced the amount of herbicides and pesticides his farm uses. Now, because of the new varieties of plants that are genetically modified, he is able to use less chemicals on his grounds. Another point illustrated, is how pesticides and herbicides work. Used early on in plant growth, pesticides and herbicides are more affective. The microbes in the soil then breaks down the chemical structure of the sprays. By the time the crop is ready to harvest, all traces of the sprays are gone. There is no chemical residue on the produce that we receive from the grocery store, which comes from a farmers’ field. The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, also has a very strict testing cycle that insures all the produce and meat in the USA, is chemical free.

Organic farmers, do not use any sort of pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides on their crops. Fertilizers must be all natural, meaning that they are not processed. Such as manures and soil conditioners. What the biggest struggle for organic farmers are, is weeds and pest control. Because no chemicals can be used, organic crop fields have problems with being over ran with weeds and being contaminated with pests. Sutton Morgan, an organic produce farmer in Brawley California, has a hard time getting water to his crops through the weeds. While some would simple say to pull weeds, it becomes an impossible task on 750 acres. Sutton, says the way his farm can stay afloat is by hitting niche markets in the organic industry. Because there is such a high demand for organic, and not as high of yields of crops from organic farms, the price for organic products is high. This allows for organic farmers such as Sutton Morgan, to keep his farm from falling too far into debt.

When it comes to meat, Leighton Cooley, from Roberta Georgia, a chicken farmer, pointed out how false information from the media can send the public into false misconceptions. It is federal law, that chickens cannot be fed or injected with artificial growth hormones or steroids. But because society was so concerned and misinformed about chicken farms, a company started labeling their chicken products as “Artificial Hormone Free,” and made millions, when in fact, all chicken in the US, are hormone free. Brad Bellah, from Throckmorton Texas, raises All Natural Cattle. This means that if a cow gets sick, it is separated from the All Natural herd, and put into the commercial herd. All natural cannot receive any type of antibiotics. However, even commercial cattle, are not slaughtered until all traces of medications have left their systems. What each producer stressed, is that the consumer is very uneducated when it comes to their food. They have not been told the truths, and are not finding the truths by themselves. The consumers have been told falsehoods, or seen falsehoods through videos posted on the internet. Each of the farmers documented, expressed how animals deserve to be respected and how they are living creatures. Anyone who mistreats an animal, is not a normal human being. David Loberg, explained it best, “They are not mentally stable human beings. They have no compassion for life.” Ranchers and farmers depend on the health of their animals. Mistreatment of their chickens, hogs, cattle or any animal, is not the mentality of the majority of farmers.

The hardships behind farming comes from more than one source. The reason young farmers and ranchers have such a hard beginning stems from the facts that farmland is decreasing every day. David Loberg, stated “Since the depression, farms have been consolidating. There are less farmers than there originally was, which means there are less farms to come home too.” When the depression hit, there was too much product in the market, and not enough money to keep the economy going. The government then started implementing the consolidating of farms. Generational farmers, have either expanded their farms and business to become a larger operation, or they have sold off their farms to such larger farms. It is hard to find “homestead” parcels as there once was in the USA. Another obstacle is the way our tax system is set up. Because of the increase in land value, and the high taxes on the land, an individual desiring to own a farm has major financial difficulties to overcome. Whether it is paying off loans, or praying that the first few years of crops will be sufficient to make the tax payment. Farming is becoming a lost art to those who are not already a generational farmer.

In conclusion, farming is largely under false precepts. Society listens to one source of information and takes it as truth. Genetically modified organisms have allowed farmers to decrease the amount of pesticides and herbicides used on the land. Organic farmers have a hard time producing high enough yields of crops as commercial growers. The videos of animal cruelty circulating the internet, is not what all farmers do. At the end of the film, it shows each of the farmers on their land, and the work they have put into it. Demonstrating that it is not an easy task to make a living in a society that is constantly being led against them by false information

The Farm Bill: Country of Origin Labeling or COOL

Country of Origin Labeling, also known as COOL. A little known sector of the Farm Bill, which has high favor in the eyes of most consumers, but is highly disliked by livestock producers. What is COOL?
“Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) is a labeling law that requires retailers, such as full-line grocery stores, supermarkets and club warehouse stores, to notify their customers with information regarding the source of certain foods. Food products covered by the law include muscle cut and ground meats: beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat, and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts; and ginseng.” (Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), Web.)

COOL is found under the “Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946,” found in subtitle “D” of the U.S. Farm Bill. The bill for COOL, was passed on May 1, 2002. Regulations specified were issued September 30, 2002 and was supposed to go into effect for all commodities specified by September 30, 2004. (Agricultural Marketing Act, Subtitle D) What the purpose of the two year delay was supposed to do, was to allow the government to apply all regulations of COOL, to their entirety by 2004. What the government was trying to accomplish in those two years was requiring all producers of specified COOL commodities, to have detailed records and knowledge of where their products had been grown, raised, processed, and harvested.
What ended up happening was that companies, and small operations were having a hard time meeting all the requirements the government had issued. Because of this, the Farm Bill was once again amended in 2004, to allow all commodities under the act, besides fish and shellfish, to have until September 30, 2008, to meet all requirements.
Yet again another problem arose, Mexico, and Canada, took the new requirements of COOL, to the World Trade Organization or WTO. The main problems Mexico and Canada, had with COOL, is that they felt it caused discrimination to the products sold to the USA, by their countries. WTO, sided against the US in this instance and COOL, was once again amended in 2013.
Yet again, the new regulations of COOL, caused problems primarily with livestock producers. ‘“National Cattlemens’ Beef Association president Scott George said in a teleconference that COOL – which requires labels on meat indicating where the originating animal was born, raised and slaughtered – creates a multitude of problems for livestock producers. The most significant, George said, “is the threat of trade retaliation from Canada and Mexico.”’ (Farm Futures, Web.)

In conclusion, Country of Origin Labeling, went through congress again on May 29, 2015, and the vote repealed requirements of COOL for beef, pork, and chicken. Although it is no longer required for these producers to provide the detailed documents, many producers will still continue to provide the origins of their products. Many companies are being established that are not part of the Farm Bill, and will give consumers the information they want to know.

"Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)." Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

"Country of Origin Labeling Creates Sticky Situation for Livestock Interests." - Farm Futures. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.

"H.R.2393 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015." H.R.2393. Web. 26 Oct. 2015. 

A Stitch in Time, Saves Nine.

Coming from a long line of farmers, my family has many “wives tales,” or farm folklore sayings that appear in all sorts of circumstances. What do I mean by “wives tales?” Old sayings that don’t have any scientific backing to them but have been handed down from generation to generation as wisdom and truths. I would love to cover all my favorite “wives tales,” but I will spare you all the boredom and just cover one that has a lot more meaning to it than meets the ear.

“A stitch in time, saves nine.” Back when farming first started, farmers relied on horses, mules, and oxen to pull their equipment and work the land. Harnesses made of leather were used to attach an animal to the desired piece of equipment. Those harnesses took one heck of beating. Between being in the sun all day, to being soaked in animal sweat, the leather would crack and the stitching would rot. My Great Grandpa was very meticulous on checking all his harnesses before and after working to make sure they were in proper working order. If he found a stitch coming lose, or one that was rotting, he would take the time to re-stitch it before anything else was done. He would just say to my Grandma, “A stitch in time saves nine.” By fixing that one small damaged stitch, my Great Grandpa, was able to keep his harnesses in working condition and he was able to keep working his fields by not being holed up with a rotted and falling apart leather harness.

The phrase may have been primarily used for farming and fixing harnesses, but it is also a very insightful phrase. The stitch, can be used to describe any problem, trivial or major. By taking the time to fix the problem when it first starts to appear, you save more time in the long run by not having to fix an even bigger and nastier mess. When it comes to farming, it really pays off to fix the tractors and equipment when a problems fist shows up, rather than wait and see how much worse it can get. You can even apply the phrase to family and friends. Don’t wait to help someone you know needs help. Don’t wait to tell your family how much you care. By doing it now, you save a lot of heartache and lost memories. Or in other words, “A stitch in time, saves nine.”

Although I wish this was a picture of my Great Grandpa, sadly it is not. But I imagine that he had a similar outfit and leather harnesses.

Walters, Claire. “Horse and Plow” Photograph. Webshot. "History of Plows." Gene and Matt Tractor Sales. Gene and Matt Tractor Sales. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <www.geneandmatttractorsales.com/historyofplows.php>. 

Tracing the Origin, or Not.

With canning season just about through, at least for me, I decided to trace my home grown produce all the way back to the very beginning. By that I mean the origin of the jars I like best, and the farm that my favorite bean seeds come from. I’ll go ahead and start with the jars.
I’ll admit, I have used all three common brands of jars, Ball, Kerr, and Anchor, however my favorite is Ball. No real reason for this except they have the most stylish jars with pretty cornucopia designs. Anyway, Ball jars were created by the Ball brothers in 1880. They created all sorts of new inventions for jars, including the idea of rubber sealing rings. If you are interested in the history of canning lids, here is the link to the Ball Timeline, http://www.freshpreserving.com/sites/all/themes/freshpreserving/library/TimelineOfLidTechnology.pdf
As hard as I dug to try to find where the materials come from to make the jars, I had no luck. Ball, claims to be US made and so I hope they are honest! And for those concerned of BPA, Ball jars and products are “BPA free.” American made and BPA free. Double win.
If I wanted to be here all day, I would go through all the seeds I use in my garden. But an entire book on seeds does not sound very fun, so I’ll stick to my favorite garden plant. Drum roll… Green beans! Being relatively new to the whole garden thing, I did not have a very “fruitful” harvest. My bush bean plants produced like a charm though! I even had enough for food storage, freezing and to eat. It was delightful to have fresh beans for dinner, especially since I have never had fresh green beans before.
My husband and Mother-In-Law, prefer to use Blue Lake Bush beans. They are known for being hardy, quick maturing and to produce season long. They weren’t kidding when they meant season long! We buy bulk seeds from Mountain Valley Seed, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. My bush bean seeds came from Idaho. Now the frustrating part comes in. I could not find a farm listed that supplied these seeds. When researching Idaho bean farms, I had no such luck either. At least I know they came from US soil. What I did find out, is that Organic seeds are ridiculously priced. One pound of commercial Blue Lake Bush Beans, is $4.95. It is the same price for treated bean seeds as well. A pound of Organic Blue Lake Bush Beans? A whopping $18.42. Almost four times more in price.
Why is organic so much more? There is no use of pesticides, herbicides or any chemicals used. Sure that can be a good thing, but not protecting crops from bugs, fungi and weeds creates lower crop yields. And thus, the outrageous price.
What does treated seed mean? Typically it means that the seed is coated with a substance that will protect the seed from developing fungus and rotting in the soil. It is not commonly used in home gardens, as it is easier to plant all the seed at the correct time. Treated seed is used mostly by farmers who have lots of ground to plant, and have to start earlier than recommended, in order to get all the crop in the soil by the right time.
Whatever your preference is, there is no difference in taste between the three products, it just comes down to personal preference.
Tracing products back to the very original origin, is rather difficult and can be frustrating. Personally, I am not very concerned with where my food comes from, but I prefer it be from the USA.



"Bean Bush, Blue Lake." Mountain Valley Seed Co. Mountain Valley Seed, 2015. Web. 27 Sept. 2015. <http://mvseeds.com>.

"Canning Lids." Ball. Hearthmark, LLC Dba Jarden Home Brands., 2015. Web. 27 Sept. 2015. <http://www.freshpreserving.com/>.

Farming is in the Blood

Farming runs deep in my ancestral line. Both on my mother’s side, and on my father’s side. If I wanted to write a book, I would start at the very beginning of my ancestry line! But to make this more reader friendly, I will stick to the most recent generation.

My Grandpa on my father’s side, owned a barley farm, and raised his five kids on the land. Growing up, my grandparents raised their five kids in a “bomb shelter.” As my uncle puts it, “It probably wouldn’t have withstood a bomb, but was more of a basement.” It later on would be added on to, and the ground level added much needed room and comfort. As kids, we loved playing in the basement of that house. It had its own kitchen and so many little crooks and crannies to hide in. Perhaps my most memorable feature of that basement, was the blue, green and brown carpet in the bathroom. A typical early era design, which my dad swears was the same carpet he grew up with.

Along with a new addition to the house, my grandpa installed an irrigation pivot on his farm. As my uncle says, “It was the first one in that area of Idaho. All of the neighbors showed up from miles around to see it run the first time.” Pivots, are a system of pipes and support terraces on wheels. Hooked up to a well, the pivots allowed for more crops to be watered, creating greater crop yields. Even though the pivot my grandpa installed was the newest design, it still had a long way to go before it could be as efficient as the pivots seen today.

Let me expound on what I mean here. The first center pivot was created in 1938, by a man named Frank Zybach. His invention started out with a lot of flaws and not many farmers saw any potential in the design. But in the course of 25 years, there was over 10,000 center pivot systems in Northwest Nebraska alone. Because of the increase in water, U.S. Astronauts could see the lush, green crop circles in Nebraska from 270 miles in space. In 1976, Scientific American magazine called center pivot irrigation systems “perhaps the most significant mechanical innovation in agriculture since the replacement of draft animal by the tractor.” Pivots created higher crop yields, less manual labor, and more acreage of land available to water. The first pivots, consisted of a series of Rain Bird sprinklers lined up in a row. A great invention for the time, but as my dad put it, “Those Rain Birds, sat so far up on the pivot that when the water hit the ground, it packed the soil down until it was as hard as a rock.” Great for not letting the top soil blow away, but not so ideal for plants trying to push through the top layer of soil. Today, center pivots have sprinkler heads that allow low pressure water to spray uniformly across plants.

As well as the center pivot did, tragedy still struck the farm. A hail storm pounded the barley. The crop was ruined, and because it happened the year my Grandpa decided to not buy crop insurance, he had to take out loans to keep his operation going. Debt came crashing through the roof, and the farm was sold while my dad was in college. And there you have it. Farming is not for the faint of heart, and is a constant gamble, but once you are a farmer by heart, you are always a farmer.

Ganzel, Bill. Wessels Living History Farm. Living in the 1950s & 1960s. York, Nebraska 2006. Web. 9 Sep.      2015