Tales of the Fair

I'd first like to say that I have a follower, and I'm so, so, so excited! My very first. I hope I don't scare her away.

Now for this entry, I hope to find some pictures someday to add. I think they add a certain, something.

As you may recall, I used to show dairy heifers at the fair. I loved doing it. We would bring our animals in on a Friday and the next day would be show day. This meant we woke up very early in the morning, scrambled to get our whites ready for show, and then finally taking off. We would arrive at the fair before the sun had fully risen in the sky, so many times there was still a gentle fog on the ground.

Going in the barns where are heifers were kept, the scent of fresh sawdust and soap would hit my nose. I loved that smell-and I still do! Before doing anything else, I would say hi to my ladies and take them for a bit of water. Then I'd clean up under them, making sure no stray clump of poop was left behind.  After this, it was out to the wash stand to clean up, most of the time this resulted in an extra shower for me, but it always meant a squeaky clean Holstein as well.  I would then put a blanket on the freshly washed bovine and bring her back to her clean stall. There she would eat all she wanted and drink whenever she felt necessary. I would brush her and make her look just perfect for the judges.

I know I've made it seem like showing is a fairy tale, but it's not. One family always made this very, very clear. There were three sisters and a brother in my 4-H club who always had their string of show cattle just across the aisle from me. Whenever I would finish with my chores, I would sit on my tack box and just watch them. It was pure entertainment. The oldest would yell at her sisters and then all three would yell at the brother for everything from "she's using my straightener" to "YOU LET MY HEIFER SIT IN SHIT!" (which is a VERY bad thing to do!) They acted as though the show they were preparing for was the end of the world and if their cows weren't perfect, they would have to answer to the big man Upstairs.

I don't believe most shows are this high strung. However, what's done is done, and that was one experience I'll never forget.

A Correction

I must issue a correction
My mother informed me today that she fed me my first McDonald's burger when I was 9 months old and that my doctor said it was perfectly OK.
I suppose this is something I can let go.

Actually, this is all tongue-in-cheek. Yes, my mother did feed me a burger at a young age from McDonald's. Yes, I survived. No, I am not overtly obese. It was just a joke, intended to make people laugh. And yes, it really did happen. I suppose though, a burger is much better than a soda or **shudders** straight whiskey! (Yes, I've heard of this happening... I don't want to know!)

Tractors Aren't Biased

As I gear up for the #agchat conference at the end of August (I have 3 sponsors so far!) I have been reading more and more into things that I've been finding.  I've read both sides of the argument that big seed companies should not help promote such events.  As a relative newcomer to this issue and to the conference itself, I think it's crucial to point out first that I may have missed something and that second, I could be wrong. I'm not perfect, but my opinions still count, right?
I do not believe big seed companies should sponsor the event I'm going to attend. I think they cater to a specific group of people, and not all farmers in general.  On the same note however, I do not believe little seed companies should be sponsors either.  Heck, I don't think companies who produce any sort of food item should be sponsors (although if they want to sponsor individuals, that is entirely different and I in no way can or will oppose that).
Now, this is an issue that could be discussed until everyone is blue in the face.  Instead of doing that, why not consider alternative options, ones everyone can agree upon.  Take tractors for instance.  They are not biased!  There are small tractors for small gardens, medium tractors for small farms, big tractors for big farms, and SUPER HUGE TRACTORS for the SUPER HUGE FARMS.  Why not invite tractor companies to sponsor this event? Get Massey-Ferguson, John Deere, maybe New Idea, Ford, International, and all of those other companies to take part.  In reality, they have just as much stake in the issue of farming in the United States as the seed companies, if not more! (Because let's face it, a bag of seeds is much less expensive than general repairs to a planter!)
If you disagree, that's fine. Throw seeds, hoes, rakes, shovels, small poultry animals, whatever... I need some of those things anyway.

Stringles for My Baby

This morning I packed my daughter's lunch for daycare and I found myself thinking about her food. When I was a baby, I have no idea what I ate, although my mom once informed me that she had given me pieces of a Mcdonald's burger well before I was six months old.  I grew up being the oldest of five and had a pretty good idea of what my siblings ate (because I fed them sometimes) and even some of my cousins. But, what about the world outside Mercer County, Ohio?
I'm currently am reading an amazing book by Novella Carpenter, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer. In the book, Carpenter describes her first ten years or so of farming a vacant lot behind her urban apartment, in the "ghetto" of Oakland, California.  In one of the chapters, she describes how far away she has to go (about 30 minutes out of the city) in order to find a real grocery store. In her neighborhood, there are only small convenience stores, selling candy and sodas.  What do babies eat? Surely their parents don't feed them soda and candy, right?  And, not just in Carpenter's neighborhood alone, but those similar all over the world.
Keeping in mind the countries growing obesity epidemic, my honest answer will have to be that perhaps they do (or did) give their offspring this, not because they were too lazy to get to the store and pick up either a jar of pre-made baby food or a simple to eat banana, but because they either didn't know any better or didn't have the means of transporation.  Both issues are huge.

How can the urban population, or even those not near stores, be reached by the fresh food (even healthy food) community? It is my belief that it is the responsiblity of the farmer to do this. In the past, it would have been the marketing, but now that times have changed, I don't believe the current marketing strategies work. Going by Carpenter's example, if people in urban settings have a visual representation of a farm, perhaps their curiosity might lead to learning and learning might lead to healthier choices.  This is something that must be done, proactivity may be this country's last chance.

So, what did I pack for my daughter's lunch? I cut up some mozzerella string cheese (she can't quite handle the "string" part of it) from Organic Valley, sliced some purple grapes, and added some fresh blueberries. I wish the fruits came from my house, but it did not. However, they are locally grown.  Other than having a healthy, happy baby girl, my hope is that maybe, just maybe, the idea of using fresh fruits and veggies (or heck, anything OTHER than candy and soda) might turn on a light in another parent's head, and they will start doing the same.  I know I can't solve the problem, but perhaps I can help. 

How now, brown cow?

There I am in all my glory! I won't tell you which lovely lady I might be, but you can probably figure it out for yourself. When I was in third grade, I was enrolled in 4-H (Mercer county, Ohio). I LOVED taking projects and crafting and cooking, all that stuff. My second year in, I begged and begged to take a cow to the fair. I really wanted to show a pretty dairy heifer and spend time with my friends.
Now, for those of you who have experienced the dairy heifer dilemma, you understand how much hard work is involved. The first step is to pick out your animal. For me, it was easy. I had my eyes set on a pretty little intermediate who I quickly named Diamond. The next step is to break the animal. This doesn't mean causing physical harm, it just means to train her so that she can be led and does so without agitation, anger, and most importantly, without hurting you or anyone else around you.  All of the before mentioned must be done while showcasing the animal's dairy-ness. For the most part, Diamond was very well behaved. We tied her up in the barn and gave her the softest bedding possible with straw and sawdust. It was my job to clean up after her after each and every pee and poop, make sure she always had fresh water available, keep her well fed, brush her, keep her clean, and ensure she got enough exercise.
When it came time to bring Diamond to the fair for the show, we loaded her up into the trailer with the neighbor's fair cows and we were off! Now, you may ask, what are people learning about? I will tell you, I learned lots! I had to learn the names of each of the most well known breeds, body parts, how to properly feed and care for animals, and I learned the beginning traits of good animal husbandry.  For my intense studying skills, I was given the award of best first year dairy project (that means I was a know-it-all). 
My heifer, Diamond, didn't fair as well. The animals on my dad's farm are not bred for their breed characteristics anymore, but rather to make sure they are able to birth easily and get enough to eat. Typically Holsteins are large, bony, and sometimes delicate creatures with long, narrow muzzles (white and black or white and red/roan in color). The ladies on my dad's farm are short and stocky with wide muzzles to help them to eat lots of yummy pasture grass.  At the fair, each cow is compared to others her age and the best looking one will win an award. My heifer was well behaved, but not what the judges were looking for.
There is something very special about participating in the fair. It may not matter to anyone else but the participants, but that little bit matters more than anyone can imagine.

Introducing Myself

Me (without makeup!)

My name is Joanna, I'm 23 years old and underneath all of this makeup, I am a very proud farmer's daughter. (My father is a third generation, organic dairy farmer. I tell everyone this.)
Throughout my entire life, I have had farming in my blood, although when I was younger, I often scoffed at the thought of being a farmer and the lifestyle. When I left for college, I had no idea how much I would miss it and eventually return home, happy to be a member of the lifestyle and community once more (though still holding onto my precious grooming).
I have found an interest in the new and not-so-messy aspect of farming following a Farm Bureau conference held in March of this year.  The conference covered many different topics, one of which was social media representation. Now, I've always been addicted to online social media and I've practically always had  website of some sort, starting from the age of ten, so social media is something I've been participating in for quite a few years. I started with twitter when it first appeared on the scene, and of course had a Myspace account and Facebook.  After the conference, I realized I could use my addiction hobby as a way to promote businesses and even the farming community, however I was never exactly sure how I would do that.
When I applied to attend the AgChat Foundation's Agvocacy 2.0 conference, I did not think I would be chosen. In fact, I wasn't. I had been placed on a waiting list. Just a few days following though, I recieved an email stating I had been selected.
I've started this blog as a way to keep up to date on things pertaining to the agriculture community. I realize I may be the only person reading, but that's fine. I plan to use my skills previously honed on friendship alone as a way to further my education on the subject of social media representation.