Traveling in Style

In Transit 

Just hanging out in the airport headed to Oklahoma. Hoping that I find Spring down there. 

And yes, I caught a couple people eyeing my I Heart Beef Sticker!

Heartland Acres Agribition Center

Hands on Ag Learning

Last spring I had the opportunity to visit the Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Independence, Iowa. Obviously, I fell for the Boy because of his charm and dashing good looks, but when I arrived in Independence to find out that his family was involved in a hand-on agriculture learning center, that helped teach people where their food comes from I was sold. Seeing the worlds largest tractor - Big Bud - was pretty cool too.

Or the story goes something like that.

The Big Bud

Currently, Heartland Acres is in the running for the Site of the Year in the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, and they could use your votes. So here's the deal, Heartland Acres has decided to provide a give-a-way gift. All you have to do it follow the link, vote, and then comment on my blog that you've voted. Sunday is when the voting ends, so I'll draw then. 

How simple is that, and wouldn't it be great if a place where people can learn about and experience agriculture won. 

Oklahoma Youth Expo Gilts

Grand Drive

As mentioned earlier I am posted up at the Oklahoma Youth Expo this week. Yesterday, was a new experience for me. Not only did I take my first hog photos, but I also did my first hog video!

Below is the Grand Drive video from the Breeding Gilt Show. A couple things. A Grand Drive is the finals. Livestock show first in classes which may be divided by age, weight or breed. Then those animals of similar classification are shown against each other in a division, and finally each division winner is shown against each other in a Grand Drive. Clear as mud? In this show these animals will be used later in life for reproductive purposes. However, most junior shows will also have a market division. Those are the ones that feed us.

The Incredible Egg

The egg – definitely edible

photo courtesy of spiritmag.com

Today, my travels are taking me home from San Antonio. The weather was beautiful, grass was growing and you can’t beat the Riverwalk. As I sat in the middle seat, on the plane ride home, I found myself between a lady with a delicious smelling egg McMuffin and a beef nutritionist from NCBA. Food all around me. And to my delight a fresh off the press Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine in front of me. 

My first remark to my new beef friend, you think we can get a steak on the cover of the next issue? This month’s issue of Spirit discusses the egg, how to cook it, why it’s such an important part of our culture, nutritional information and how to start raising your own hens.

What did I learn?

Iowa is the number one egg producing state in the country. So now we know Iowa is full of chickens, corn and cattle.

Nutritionally some eggs are better than others.

The traditional brands of eggs (they used Market Pantry Grade A Large Eggs) that you buy in the grocery store are great for you. An awesome source of protein, low in calories and provide us with Vitamin A, and Calcium.

However, there are brands that provide even more nutritional value. Eggland’s Best Cage-Free Grade A Large Brown Eggs were used in comparison against the above brand. These eggs are lower in cholesterol have 11 more vitamins and minerals, including Folate, than the conventional raised eggs.

Why?

It’s not because they are brown or because they are cage free. The egg’s nutrition depends on what the hen is fed. But remember, because there is a difference in diet, and that free-range eggs come with more input costs, so you are also going to pay more for them.

But I disagreed with a little bit of what they had to say.

Click on photo to enlarge.

The articles were good. I love this graphic below that actually explains what all those words on the cartoon actually mean. Good job Southwest. The only bone I have to pick is with the “Backyard Bounty” article by Kathryn O’Shea-Evans. O’Shea-Evans talks about her first experience with home-raised eggs and how easy it is to start your own egg-laying flock in the backyard. Chickens are one of my biggest fears so I don’t think there will be a coop in my backyard anytime so, but good for any surbanite or town people that want to raise their own food. 

This what I have a problem with:

“Best of all, the flocks are more than food producing. They’re pets,” Kathryn O’Shea-Evans.

“I’d probably keep my chickens even if they stopped laying eggs,” says Katy Skinner the Yacolt, Washington-based creator of TheCityChicken.com.

“One customer became so attached to her birds that she paid $1,500 for a hysterectomy when her hen had an impacted egg,” Robert Litt, co-owns Portland’s Urban Farm Store, “The chicken cost four dollars!”

I hope that as more people take part in the “raise some chickens in your backyard” craze,  they keep things in perceptive. Chickens are livestock, not pets. Yes, you may have named them, but their purposed is to provide food. It worries me that when issues come up with conventional egg-laying farms, consumers will see those chickens as similar to their pet chickens in the backyard. It is wonderful if you can provide eggs for your family through locally grown methods, but not everyone has this option. Some people need or even want to go to the grocery store to buy their food. Thoughts?

To the Incredible Egg story click here. 

Things to see in San Antonio

An afternoon stroll in San Antonio.

A couple weekends ago I mentioned that I was in San Antonio. Remember the Texas Women style post, and me thinking it has to do with something in the water?

Well, I am pretty sure they aren't drinking any water out of San Antonio's River Walk, but it's pretty nonetheless. 

If you're in San Antonio you have to check out the River Walk.

There are a million delicious places to eat along the Riverwalk. The Little Rhein Steakhouse is one of my favorites.

And it was nice to see some signs of Spring. 

I stayed at the Menger Hotel, which is an old historic hotel.

Beautiful detailed craftsmanship.

And of course I loved it's turquoise walls. It didn't hurt that I could also look out my bedroom window and see the Alamo.

Hello, people walking into my shot. You now get to be apart of my things to see in San Antonio blog. 

And if I come how could have removed this gate and transported it onto the airplane, it would have been coming with me. I love it!

On the Road Again to a Cattle Show

Load up the heifers and the kids

On Sunday, I will be hoping on a plane to Pennsylvania for the National Junior Angus Show. More than 3,000 people and more than a 1,000 head of cattle will all gather for one of the largest junior national shows in the country.

While I am moving east, the Boy will be making his way to the Junior National Hereford Expo, an equally as large cattle event, in Kansas City.

See what is inside a trailer here.

On my way home from the July Fourth weekend I saw this livestock trailer. Whenever, I see a trailer on the highways I always wonder where they are coming from or where they are headed. During the past two weeks there has been hundreds of these trailers on the road all headed to a junior national.

So what makes these events so unique? We'll I grew up going to junior shows and junior nationals was the highlight of the year. It was more than just showing a heifer, it was where I got to see my second family and my friends that really understood my passion for livestock, I got to travel across Canada and into the U.S. I learned more life skills at a cattle show than anywhere else. I also got to dominate at Quiz Bowl - yes I was that girl.

Since, next week will be crazy you probably won't be hearing from me much. I'll try to post some photos on the Crystal Cattle facebook page, and I'll be working on lots more videos like this one I did a last year. I love capturing these moments at the show. I know it sounds funny that at 14 years old a kid can say they have been working towards these moments their whole lives, but it is true.



My blogger friend Melissa at Born in a Barn wrote an awesome post on packing the trailer for the National Junior Angus Show. Take a second and check it out here.

National Junior Angus Show Videos

The Champions are being slapped.

Well, I am five days in to this seven day event. I've had an awesome time in Pennsylvania. The people here know hospitality and how to put on a good cattle show. I've snapped hundreds of photos and we have taken hours of footage. I wanted to share with you a couple of the videos I have finished editing so you can see the excitement. I also think you can tell by these videos that showing cattle is definitely a family affair. Nothing better than a cattle show.

Off to Australia

I love Oz

Actually, today I am not going to Australia. However, it was a year ago today that I was packing my bags to hop on a plane to Australia. I spent one of the most memorable months of my life in that wonderful country.

Although, I missed the Boy terribly, and it was an odd feeling to be so out of touch with my friends and family I would go back in a heartbeat. And I've already told the Boy that next time he is coming with me.

So since I have been reminiscing I am declaring this week Australia week! At least the next couple of days. First we'll reminisce about the posts I wrote while I was there, and then I'll share some more good stuff with you!

Selling Australian Cattle - this was an awesome day at an Australia auction market.

They sure do like chicken in Australia - chicken plus chips equals an odd combination. I loved all the lamb, beets on sandwiches and burgers, and Tim Tams I ate in Australia, but there was no way I was eating chicken flavored chips.

Koalas, Kangaroo and Dingos oh my - now you can't visit Australia without seeing a Kangaroo. However, my family found it a little harder than we originally thought. For a short time we thought that all we had heard about seeing kangaroos everywhere was just a ploy to get us to Australia.

The Australia Feedlot - besides surfing, one of my favorite parts of my trip was visiting an Australia feedlot. This was a very progressive feedlot in Australia, and I was impressed with the quality of care for the cattle and the cattle themselves. There is actually a Part 1 and Part 2 to this post. Plus, I got to spend the day with my awesome friends Shelly and Matt.

365 days ago I went to Australia

Across the Ocean 
I was a year ago today I flew from Kansas City to Minneapolis to Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia, for a 30 day trip of a life time. I shared a few Australia posts yesterday and today I've got a couple more posted to share with my mates (get it).

Yes, that really is the Sydney Opera House - definitely one of the most exciting moments for me on my trip. There I was thousands of miles away from home, in a city where I knew no one, standing there looking at the Opera House. Going to Australia was always a dream and goal of mine and seeing the Opera House made it all seem real.

Mary had a little lamb - Yup there are lots of sheep in Australia. That was the one thing I brought back for myself was an Australian sheepskin. And it is so soft. Lamb is one of the things I miss the most about Australia. We ate it, like I eat beef here, and so far I have been too afraid to cook it here. I need to import one of my Aussie friends so they can do some cooking for me.

My Million Dollar Aussie Ideas - yes when I was in Australia I figured out how to make my millions. Now, I haven't found an investor to start on this little project, so if you are interested let me know. It involves possums and hair straightens. No animals were hurt in this blog post.

Cows really do fly

Please fasten you seat belt and remain seated for the remainder of the flight.

You might not believe me until you watch this video but cows really do fly.



My friend Jamie May shared this video with me to the first of 14 schedule flights of North Dakota cattle headed to Kazakstan. Cattlemen in the United States are know for their superior beef and dairy cattle genetics and therefor often export live cattle to other countries.

My family has also been involved in exporting cattle genetics. Our went in the form of frozen embryos and were sent to Australia.

According the information below this YouTube video of the flying cows Fargo Jet Center and Global Beef Consultants entered into an agreement to support the 2011 airlift mission over the next several weeks. Approximately 2 flights per week will depart Fargo enroute to Astana Kazakhstan. Fargo Jet Center ground crews handle both the aircraft and the loading of the cargo. There are approximately 195 cows per flight. Have a safe trip!