Day at the Ranch, May 19, 2009

Yesterday, Larry and I spent the morning trying to get our new donkey, "Donkey" to either get caught or go out the gate so we could move him down the road to home. Yep, he visited the horses next door. He's now keeping our new senior bull Premier company until we get him gelded. Larry left for our Angleton home and work. I sat to cool off from the miles I walked behind "Donkey." Yep, his name is Donkey when we purchased him, so the name sticks. Thank you Natasha for such a rascal.

Then I dashed out the door to go see the cattle out back. Purpose other then to check and make sure everyone was there was to get a picture of "my" new bull calf. I claim one cow on the farm. PX 20L is my cow. I found her in the 2008 Get Back to Grass Sale Catalog and marked a big red star as the first one to look at. The picture was not of a cow of a particular great animal. Pictures are not what you will see in person. I marked her because she was a daughter of the great Lowline Bull Quartermaster. I'd been bugging Larry for Quartermaster semen for two years last fall. All falling on deaf ears. When I arrived at the sale, I headed in the barn looking for PX 45. I stood there looking at a seven year old cow, in the prime of her reproductive capacity. There was a lot to like about her and some I didn't. But then again I could pick apart any animal. I liked what I saw and had visions of her being bred to Tequila, Peyton, and Machine. I could probably think of a few other Lowline Bulls I could breed her to. I said to Larry I wanted that cow. He said there are better and she's older. "I want that cow!" He said I don't think we need her. "I want that cow." I think of the on going remarks prior to the sale about that cow. My reply kept being "I want that cow." Larry asked Lynn about that cow. She was positive. Then I happen to be in a group of individuals and asked Neil where Quartermaster worked the best in the breed. He said on the half-bloods and listed the whys. I happened to go outside about two cows before she was to sell. When I came back in she was selling. Then I spotted Larry and I saw his hand wave. I could barely contain my excitement. He was bidding on the cow I wanted. Of course you know the story, she came home with me.

She was exposed to two different bulls. I was excited when I looked at when she was palpated, Wow maybe she'll give me an Absolut calf. Yet when she calved and I took one look at my new bull calf it was obvious she was a Bruzer son. Mr. FJL11 V01 is a half blood lowline, a quarter Gelbvieh, a quarter shorthorn. He's been the best of the three percentage calves born on the farm this year. I had no doubt he would be. He's better then the Absolut heifer he had last year and she was a show quality 3/4 Lowline heifer. I'll see how he does when we wean him on his weight. Right now he's advertised for sale as a show steer or bull. He should easily make the lightweight class for a steer. Needless to say my husband is very pleased with my now eight year old cow.....who goes by the name of "Your cow."

I took alot of pictures this day and put two of my other favorites up on this post. The one at the top of the post is of the massive bloom all of the Prickly Pears are having. It's a larger bloom then I've ever seen before. All of the Prickly Pear large and small are blooming with a passion. Then there is the yard art to the left of this paragraph. I couldn't resist this shot after the photos I took of my calf. There was Chili Pepper
and my loyal "cow dog" Paige who is currently warming my feet. She long ago realized the safest place for her when the herd was around was in the mule. The cows don't pay any attention to her, she's just part of the crew to them. Paige loves to be in the mule while I'm wondering among the cattle. She's sooo cute watching her "Mommy".

May your day be as peaceful as mine! Kim

Michigan Farm Bureau - Close Up on Farm Animal Welfare

How do I feel when I watch before my eyes the one thing I love second only to my family being attacked? What emotions do I feel? Anger, Extreme Sadness and Fear. We bought the ranch to sustain us through our retirement. It won't provide a great income but one we feel we can live on. How would you feel if someone threatened your right of choice on any matter? Any matter at all. I think HSUS is after ME and other animal livestock producers. This is what I wrote on another site about my feelings for what I love, my ranch. It's not just the livestock it everything which occurs around me at the ranch.


In this country, the greatest on earth we have so much freedom to choose which side we are on in any discussion. We truly are blessed. I choose to be a rancher, I choose a much smaller income when we sell our business on the coast. I do so because I love walking outside and seeing the cows with calves grazing. A blue bird landing on a fence post nearby. Sitting in our mule (motorized) watching my husband on the dozer clearing mesquite trees and having a 12 week old skunk walk by me within arms reach. I enjoy watching a pair of turkey buzzards raising a pair of chicks....did you know they are ground layers. I didn't until Larry found the nest. We have our second nest this spring on the ranch since we have purchased our property. I love walking quietly up to one of the stock tanks to see the turtles sunning themselves. I enjoy watching the interactions of the cows in the herd. And they have taught me so much about life just as my horses have. I love being covered with dirt, hot and sweaty. A shower and cool glass of tea on the porch in the evening is my reward for a wonderful day.

On occasion I spend time online searching for something that will alleviate the fear I have of someone taking my right to choose my rural ranching lifestyle away from me. As I was searching the web I ended up on Michigan Farm Bureau. I was thrilled to see a six part video announced to be added to You Tube this week. Videos that show researchers, farmers, and the truth about what farmers do. The title of this six part series is titled, Close Up on Farm Animal Welfare. I love the whole series, but I thought I'd leave you with a touch of what is talked about.

I love the introduction to each segment by Ernie Birchmeier but especially his introduction for Segment 3. He talks about the evolution of our confinement systems to be able to feed a hungry nation. He says this segment will show, 'How we do, Why we do, What we Do.' No truer words can be spoken. Listen closely to the President of Michigan Pork Producers and his experience of raising hogs outdoors. That would have been back when he was growing up. They talk in soft tones of Why we got to where we are. Sows eat, squash, and step on their babies causing death and injury. Inclement weather can take even more death loss. Pigs are happy when given a little to eat and their body is clean. They really hate being dirty. They roll in mud because they can not sweat, it keeps them cool and the bugs off.

Segment 6 starts by giving the statistics about where we were and where we are today as far as the number of people each farmer contributes to feeding meat to the consumer. Imagine taking my ability to feed 143 people away from me. 143 citizens of my country will not have the food I produce, will they be hungry. What if one plant farmer quit. 143 plus people will go hungry. No meat no plant food equals a minimum of 143 hungry people. Could you be one of those people? Why would an organization want that to happen to their fellow citizens? I have the ability to produce a minimum of 40,000 lbs of beef on the hoof each year right now. That equates to approximately almost 21,000 lbs of beef to the consumer. If you do the math I can contribute 1.5 lbs of beef per household of four 365 days a year for 38 families. That is 153 people. I have the capacity to produce more meat then the average family needs in a year.

My favorite Segment is number six, but if your unfamiliar with the discussions of the previous three you might not understand what is being said if you don't know about farming and ranching. I love hearing the personal understanding of the importance of agriculture to this country. Please hear the stories we tell, the love we have for our profession, and the dedication. If you learn about us, you will side with the producer who desires to provide the consumer with the safest, cheapest, and most abundant food in the world.





The half truths and downright lies of a lobbying organization declaring they are for animal rights. Versus the organizations who are for animal welfare and are doing front line work for the benefit of animals. Don't believe HSUS or PETA or AFL. These groups are dangerous to my lifestyle and yours. Don't give to them, your money is being used to lobby unjustly about my job, my life, and what I choose to do which under the Constitiution and the Declaration of Independance is a God given right of the American people.

The printed article can be found at the Michigan Farm Bureau their online You Tube page is at Michigan Farm Bureau

Kim

Hunger in America

We say not me! I'm won't go through that! Hunger only occurs with the homeless, and I won't be there! Really, you really think that way! Please, I've been homeless and couldn't put food on the table and now my income level is at what most people only dream of it being. I won't go hungry again, I can grow my own food on the land I own outright. That's a good thing. But what about you? Do you even know how to grow your own food. This is the picture we see on TV and the streets of what hunger looks like in America. You say they don't look hungry. Eventually it gets to looking like this.
Is it really what you want to see? I'm seeing the first signs! People with backpacks walking along the road in the rain and cold. I'm seeing the first signs with passage of Prop 2 in California. HSUS has gone into Ohio, Missouri, and North Carolina to try to pass similiar measures.

I had someone tell me today it would never happen, no one could stop the production of meat. Another wrote yesterday how stopping meat production could cause an increase in pollution. No leather for your baseball gloves or footballs they become vinyl. Vinyl is synthetic produced in a chemical plant. The result goes even further into our lifestyle then you think.

If you think it can't happen, guess again. Agriculture operates on a very small margin, people are only willing to pay a certain amount for chicken, pork and beef. These are the three meats that Americans eat the most. If the price goes up restraunts and manufactures will go out of business and grocery stores will carry less. Those who can't afford it won't buy the meat. If meat prices rise so high there will be a demand for more plant food production and we don't have enough land to feed our country on plant production alone never mind helping to feed the 6.7 billion and growing human population of the world. The number one cause of social and political instability in the world is hunger. Learn about Agriculture and your food systems in this country. Don't let hunger in this country become our legacy of my generation for not stopping left wing animal rights groups.

Kim

Pork Prices

I had two courses in college where we had $10,000 dollars on paper and had to invest the money (on paper) in the Futures Market in Agriculture Commodities. At the end of the six weeks we had to let the class know how much we made. Both times I made just over $1,000,000. The closest anyone else came was a good friend when we took one of the classes together. He also made over a million but was slightly under me. The next closest student in both classes was $250,000. The friend and I worked together on reading information on the agriculture markets and then made trades based on our discussions together. The one thing I understood was how the speculators entered the market and exited the market. I understood how emotions could drive the market, too. Back then we didn't have instant communication as we do now. We had to do all of our trades based on a one day delay via the Wall Street Journal. I loved this particular exercise in these classes.

Pork prices are down. How is it determined. First the Futures Markets for Agriculture Commodities for the most part are traded on the CBOT and CME. From my classes I stayed clear of Pork Bellies. This was the only way back in the '80's that Pork was traded. Pork Bellies were just too volatile for me. Since then Lean Hogs have been added.

Pork Bellies is the way to trade Bacon. Yeah, funny name to me. Lean Hogs is the other instrument to trade Live Hogs. Late last night I took a look at the prices. Hog producers were already reeling from the high grain prices of last year. The outlook for prices and making money for this year was dismal at best. Now enter the current flu virus. Pork prices have tumbled severely. This is such a blow to the producers. If I had the money late last week when the virus hit the news, I would have sold contracts in one or both of the instruments to market hogs. This morning I would have purchased contracts to exit the market and made a boat load of money.

On April 23, Pork Bellies closed about $83 dollars from the charts I read. Yesterday they closed at 75.875. Lean Hogs on April 24 closed at just under $74 from the charts. Yesterday it closed at 69.17 and currently are trading at 10:50 am at 68.300. Some of this is speculation and institutional driven. But, it is based on the falling purchases by consumers of pork in the grocery store. On a Lean Hogs contract that is a profit of almost $2000 per contract in five days.

If you want to help producers please buy pork. You will not get the flu from eating pork!

HSUS President & CEO Pacelle on Swine Flu

I have never in my life seen such a blatant outright piece written with half-truths and down right lies in my entire life. Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of HSUS, blog post dated April 27, 2009, A Possible Connection: Swine Flu and Factory Farms, is the source for all of his half-truths and down right lies. This man is blaming everyone involved in animal agriculture production for Swine Flu and other diseases and pathogens. He is responsible for two of the most egregious forms of asking for donations and getting huge amount of dollars only to spend a fraction on what was raised. Katrina, HSUS receives 37 million and only spends 4 million on animal victims of Katrina. The most recent is the Micheal Vic, where they raise money only to say, 'Put the dogs down.'

HSUS as reported by Micheal Johnson of the Charlotte Observer quoted: “The Humane Society of the United States is trying to help out from the top down,” said David Miller, executive director of one of those dog-and-cat shelters, the Humane Society of Charlotte. “That's confusing for people sometimes.” And yet this is what was said by Victoria on the Facebook Group Stop the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) :

'HSUS infuriates me to no end! I am a shelter director and I can tell you for a fact that we get people all the time assuming if the give to HSUS we will be helped. We have never seen ONE RED DIME from them. We are in a county with an 11.5% un-employment rate and I can't even get them to send us a donation to help us continue our spay/neuter certificate program. You would think after all their yapping about that, they would be willing to help shelters continue their programs when they are financially incapable of continuing!!! Tells you that they really don't care about those of us actually working with the pets that they supposedly hold so near and dear to their hearts. HSUS does not operate one single shelter in the US and are nothing more that a massive lobbying organization I will never support them after what they did to horses in this country. We have a small hog business and farm on a small scale and this group will be the end to all of us if we do not stop them now.'

Victoria's post was dated March 11,2009. Obviously they would rather put her small farm out of business then help the shelter she is head of. Pacelle would say she is running a Factory Farm without even knowing her. I guarantee her pigs are treated with the utmost respect and care!

Pacelle uses in the first paragraph the H1N1 influenza virus is what humans are contracting. Further down Dr. Micheal Greger, a senior staff member of HSUS, writes about H1N1 as a swine influenza virus. The influenza virus humans are contacting is not H1N1! It is a combination of swine, avian, and human virus. Time and again research has shown the virus mutates. This is a totally new virus. Pacelle says it has been traced to a major area of pig farms in Mexico. Mexico does not have the built in safety system the U.S. has for their food supply. We have the safest food system in the world. A local restaurant owner in the Clear Lake (NASA) area is a immigrant from Lebanon. In the Middle East if you want chicken for dinner you go to the local market tell the merchant you want 'that chicken.' The chicken is alive when you pick it out, the merchant carries it in back of the shop, harvests the chicken for you and brings it out to you. No USDA inspection like we have here. Where would you like to purchase your chicken? Pacelle refuses to acknowledge the safety systems in our Agriculture products.

Dr. Paconna interviewed on ABC Early Morning National News is quoted as saying, 'You can't get the flu from eating pork.' Don't let Pacelle say you can as he implies in his blog post. I've heard the same statement all day long on every news program I've watched. I've been watching as we received rain all day.

By the time you finish this post you are sure you are going to get influenza and it is all of the pig producers fault in this country. Even the picture he shows is misleading. There is no dirty floor the pigs are standing on. In fact they look pretty happy pigs to me. Pigs are very curious, intelligent and expressive animals. Happy pigs have the kind of face you see on these pigs. The slats of wood are the cover over an automated flush system to remove manure. Pacelle has once again shown a false statement of how our pork producers are concerned with the welfare of their animals to bring a very safe product to market for the consumer.

Again, Pacelle has shown what HSUS is all about. He and the rest of HSUS wants to get rid of Animal Production Agriculture as quoted in his March 30, 2009 blog post. Notice I highlighted Policy of HSUS on wanting to eventually do away with Animal Production Agriculture.

We believe in the Three R's—reducing the consumption of meat and other animal-based foods; refining the diet by eating products only from methods of production, transport, and slaughter that minimize pain and distress; and replacing meat and other animal-based foods in the diet with plant-based foods.

I'm just exposing the man for what he is, head of a deceitful lobbying organization!

Kim

Edited on 4/30/09: In an above paragraph I stated H1N1 is not a human virus. Yesterday, even the President uses H1N1 virus as the name of the flu currently infecting humans. So I apologize. Now my question is who is wrong? If swine do have H1N1 virus affect them as a stated in Pacelle's blog and known as swine flu then what is the name of the current virus affecting us. It obviously evolved, mutated, changed, converted, or changed to be able to affect us as proved by the US Center for Disease Control as being of Swine, Avian, and Human origin. My point of HSUS trying to instill fear hasn't changed!

On top of that please understand you can not get the flu from eating pork.