Thankful

There are so many things in my life that I have found to be thankful for! This year is one of blessing and thankfulness especially!

2 weeks ago, my older brother BJ became a father! Hudson Lee Hansen is a perfect little baby boy! Being home this week has given me the chance to spend time with him and his mommy. His daddy has been in Canada since last week at the Agribition in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Which brings me to another thing to be thankful for. A heifer that we raised and sold to the Thomas Ranch has done extremely well this show season.  HF Mustang Sally 904 was Reserve Champion at the First Lady Classic on Tuesday. We are very lucky to have been able to be there along the path as she has gotten shown. As her show season comes to a close, we are very proud of her accomplishments.

I am so thankful and lucky to have a family like mine! They have always been so very supportive of everything I do and have always told me to stand up to whatever or whoever stands in my path! Being a strong opinionated person is one trait I do get from them and one part of me that we will always have in common! :)

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Always remember to be thankful for everything you have, you never know when it will no longer be there! 

Sweet Home South Dakota

Traveling along 540 miles one way...not something you jump for joy about! But, when you have been away from home for almost 3 months, 540 miles seems like nothing! Add the fact that I have a 2-week old nephew at home and the mileage is less and less important! The most important thing on this girls mind is getting that little bundle of joy wrapped up in her arms!

The weather hasn't been too bad so far this break. The weatherman tells me it it's going to get worse though! 10 degrees on Thanksgiving with blowing snow...YUK! But then as soon as everyone is back home safe and sound, the weather gets better! Crazy how mother nature works!

I stopped by the high school today to visit! First thing that I thought of was...WIERD! It feels so different to go back there! In a way, it's like I never left, but in so many other ways, that is not my school anymore! It was good to see those few faculty members that I enjoyed talkin with while there!They started Girls Basketball today and informed me that it was very strange not to have me there! I can't wait until Christmas break when I will get to go to some games! Not to far away!

I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving and I wish you all safe travels(if you are traveling) and hope you have a blessed day with your family and/or friends! God Bless!

The things you never thought you'd miss!

On my way out to Cedar Creek Ranch today to palpate a few more cows and get some more AI practice in, it started snowing! I never ever thought I would be happy to see snowfall. But, that was when I wasn't used to the first snowfall hitting on November 17th! I am so used to it being snowy and cold from September to April, that I was excited to get away from that...or so I thought!

As the title of this blog states, there are some things that you never thought you would miss. Snow was one of those things and on the top of my list! As I spend more and more time in the "southern" half of the U.S., I realize more and more things that I miss about South Dakota. Here's my nice list and explanation for them:



#1. Small town life! I hate being in a big city (and Manhattan really isn't extremely big-My roomie does consider it rural!) I love listening to the coyotes howl at night and being able to look up at the sky and see the stars! Here, I here sirens, drunks running around, FIRE ALARMS, and cars alll niigghhtt llooonnnggg!

#2. Chores! Yeah, this one may sound a little strange! But you try living on a farm your whole life, spending your whole summer getting up every morning to do chores and work with show cattle, and then all of a sudden, you have to pay college tuition and take a lab to even touch a cow! It's rough, I'm tellin ya!

#3. My show cattle! I miss working with show cattle everyday! I love being in the show barn and in the show ring, but it's hard for that the lifestyle I was so used to and love doing is now all 9 hours north of me! Can Not WAIT for this summer when I am back in that barn!

#4. Snow! Yeah, yeah, yeah, you've all heard me complain about snow before! But put this into perspective. When you are in Kansas, in August, when the temperature is 85 and the humidity is 89%...you'd be wishing to make snow angels too! I can deal with the cold a lot better than I can deal with the humidity! Now I'm not saying I want feet and feet and feet of snow! But enough to dust the sidewalks and get stuck to your eyelashes would be awesome!

And of course there are other things that I miss too-family, friends, the comforts of "home"-but these are the ones that came to mind today as I was walking to class with the rain-that turned to sleet-that turned to snow-that turned to sleet-that turned to rain all within about 2.5 hours! :)

Because We Care

I've gotten into the habit of searching youtube videos about different agriculture related topics recently, and I came across this one. The first positive video I have seen in a very long time! I encourage all of you to check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0Hi7wqKjpE

A few things I noticed about this video were, well obviously the adorable little girl that was the best emcee for a video that you can find! But also that they never said anything about being "better" than anything else, never tried to necessarily promote the beef industry or agriculture, they simply stated the facts. They took you into their farm and showed you how they were caring for their animals. They showed you the things that PETA, the HSUS, vegetarians, and vegans DON'T want you to see! So thank you to that family for taking the time to make a video to share with everyone about what the beef and cattle industry is really like! I found a similar video for dairy cattle as well.

One thing I have noticed through my video surfing is that most of these videos that are incorrectly showing what agriculture and the livestock industry is about use the same footage! Do they all happen to be at the same place at once while they catch the small small percentage of people that do mistreat animals? or can they not find more footage because majority of farmers and ranchers actually know how to properly care for livestock? Something to think about...

One other video I would like to mention {but I will not post the link because it is so inaccurate I don't want to advertise it} is one promoting being a vegan. Yes, we are back to my vegan post now! These two young men were showing you footage of locker plants, pig farms, and chicken cages(back to the previous paragraph, yes, it was the same footage I have seen in a hundred different videos!) But, beyond that, they started out the video with a riddle. What consumes most of the water in the United States? What is a cause for greenhouse gases? What consumes most of the nation's plant food production? and then they go onto talking about livestock. Ok, first off, yes livestock consume a lot of water! HELLO...they are big animals!! and in several places, the livestock out number the people! So, of course they are consuming water, but so far, there is not a huge water shortage in this country, so until that day comes, I'm not too worried about it. Secondly, greenhouse gases..really? You are going to compare the animals that are used for several different purposes to the millions and millions and millions of people who could easily walk to work but choose to drive? Are you kidding me?! and thirdly, If you are giving me the choice between a pile of oats on a plate and a big `ol rib-eye steak...the oats don't exactly make my mouth water! Yes, it may possibly be true that if we fed the grain we are feeding to the livestock to the human population, we could possibly solve world hunger. But, when you think about it, that's not very rational considering Americans want to eat food that looks good, smells good, and tastes good! Grain and crops don't exactly cover that! So, bring on my cows, my fresh water, and my big juicy steak and I will be a happy girl!

The importance of Youth Programs

As an 11 year 4-Her, past local officer, and past SD State 4-H Youth Council State President, I see myself as a very strong advocate and example of how youth programs can really change your life!


My 4-H story starts in October of 1999 when I joined the Prairie Lassies and Clippers 4-H Club in Spink County. I started the year with my show heifer Miss Kitty, my goats Lola and Nona, and several static exhibits. When I was awarded Grand Champion Breeding Heifer at the county fair(and I must point out that I did so by beating my 18 year old brother! ;D ) I was overwhelmed with joy and I realized I had found where I belonged!

Jumping ahead to June of 2008, I was selected onto the South Dakota State 4-H Youth Council. This was a change I never knew would have such an impact on my life! The following June, June of 2009, I was chosen as the 2009-2010 South Dakota State 4-H Youth Council State President, a job that sure was a roller-coaster, but a fun one at that! I was privileged enough to personally get to know the Director of Extension at South Dakota State University, Dr. Latif Ligari, as well as the Assistant Director for 4-H/ Youth Development  Peter Nielson. Along with L.J. Osborn, Marilyn Rasmussen, Nancy Swanson, LaNell Quam, Dr. Barry Dunn and so many more that I could keep listing names for hours! This experience left me with the strength, self-confidence, and desire to continue moving forward with 4-H!
As the State Legislature was closing and voting on their FY 2011 budget, 4-H was on the list of cuts! With the self-confidence and "oh no you didn't" attitude, I personally wrote, signed, and addressed 105 letters, mailed them to all the legislators, and awaited the fait of the program that I love oh so much! Well, as most of you know, we still got a big cut! But, we dusted ourselves off and are ready to face the next legislative term that is ahead of us!
As I wrapped up as 4-Her, I continued on my path of success and desire to promote programs, as well as the love for agriculture that I gained through my 11 year experience! 4-H is where I met most of my dear friends, where I found my love for showing cattle, and where I found my passion in helping others and promoting the program itself.

So, in closing, I encourage each and everyone of you to find a program that fits your interests! Whether it be 4-H, FFA, FBLA, FCCLA, or whatever, find something that fits what you enjoy doing! Mine was agriculture and promoting agriculture in a positive way! 4-H and FFA are the best programs you can find to do that! {My school did not have FFA, hence why I was not in it!} But please, go out and make something of yourself! Be the strong leader that you can be! Bring out that personality that so many people could fall in love with that is hiding deep down inside of you! That is what 4-H did for me! It brought out the shining star that I knew I could be, I just needed a little extra push!

Oh and P.S. CONGRATS to my cousin Cully Williams on being selected as 2010-2011 District VI FFA Treasurer!! :) So proud of you cuz! And also Big Rob on winning the Exemplary Speaking Contest and advancing to the state competition! And to other District FFA winners, Congrats to all and good luck at the State Competition!

Dr. Temple Grandin

Nobody can understand the livestock industry and especially working cattle quite as well as Dr. Temple Grandin. Not only did this autistic woman re-create the way we think about cattle working operations and handling livestock at slaughter plants, but she also received her PhD, wrote several books, and had an HBO movie made about her life!

If you've never heard about her or her amazing work within the livestock industry, I encourage you to check it out! Go to youtube and search her videos! Watch her movie! Read one or all of her books! She is quite an amazing woman and I believe that as livestock producers, there is much to be learned from her!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ycu3JFRrA
Here is a link to one of her videos. K-State had the honor of having her speak last week, however I was unable to go! But, from the reports I have heard about it, she talked a lot about free-range chickens. What exactly qualifies as a "free-range" chicken? Wouldn't that mean that they could go wherever they wanted? Which as we all know, is not really plausible! What is the price that someone is willing to pay for "free-range" eggs? Do they taste any better? No, but people want to know that the animal was treated well while living! Which is what Dr. Grandin is trying to do! She has developed simple fixes that help reduce stress on an animal when moving to and from locations! Check it out! If you're not impressed, I don't know how to impress you!

Respect for a Breeder...

Don't let the books and pictures fool you! Artificial Insemination is no easy task! My last 3 days have been spent learning how to AI Cattle. We started out with a book session Thursday night learning the basics of the reasoning behind why it works, sire selection, anatomy of the cow, semen handling, and tips on technique. Looking through the book and at the pictures, they make it sound like a simple task. Feel through the rectum wall, grab onto the cervix and insert your gun! Yeah, may sound easy, but let me tell ya, it is NOT!

In the cow session day 1: I went 3 out of 10...and that's just getting the gun to the cervix! I only passed one through on my own!  (Now, if you have ever palpated cattle before, this next comment will make total sense to you, if not, you may want to look up the definition of palpation or try it sometime!) Holy Rectal Wall muscle strength!! I never realized that the rings in the wall of the rectum could squeeze your arm quite that tight! I swear some of those cows were gonna cut of complete circulation! So, needless to say, my arm was quite sore at the end of day 1!

Now on to day 2! On the second day, we started working more on semen handling-getting it from the tank to the water as quickly as possible-then out of the water to the warm gun quickly-putting the warm gun in your shirt-and getting it to the cow as quick as possible. Notice the pattern-quickly, quickly, quickly...When you've got 15 students working on 11 cows and out of 2 semen tanks..it takes time! The nice thing about it was that all the semen was already dead from our previous practice in the classroom (which was ok with them because they really didn't want the cows bred anyway!) But regardless, we were practicing from start to finish! However, my luck was even worse today! I had two passes where i had the gun right on top of the cervix, one all the way past and into the horn, and only one in the correct spot! Although I had a good day compared to some, I was hoping for a little better! Never the less, I now know how to do it and with a little more practice(and a lot of resting my still sore arm) I could become a pro!

So, next time you see someone AI a cow, or hear someone talk about it, remember to show them some respect about it! It's not an easy task and several farmers and ranchers know how to do it and do it well! Until you have tried it, you can't possibly imagine the difficulty level and the amount of time and practice it takes to get good at it!

Everything but the Moo!

Have you ever thought about how difficult it would be to be a vegan? Now, I'm not talking vegetarian, because that's a whole different conversation. Vegan...not using any part of the animal...where do they get their products?
Think about everything you use on a day to day basis. Could you do it? Obviously, I am not a vegan, nor do I ever plan to be because, well frankly, I like my pasta and my jell-o a little too much!

Take a look at this picture and see how many things on here you use every day.

I don't know about you, but that looks like a lot of things to me! If you are a vegan, or know one, please ask them how they do it!! Everything they use almost has to be homemade! And even then you might use things made from animal remains. I have never met a vegan before so I have always been curious that!

Now vegetarianism, that's a whole different ordeal! Even though I am not, I can understand and see how you could live by doing that! Not eating meat would actually be a fairly simple task! However it is not nearly as healthy for you! Meat is a great source of Zinc, Iron, and especially protein! I am not going to sit here and tell you that you should eat red meat or you will not be a good person! That is one more challenge college has thrown at me...my roommate is a vegetarian! Does this affect our friendship and revolve around all our conversations..? of course not! But, it has made me look a little bit differently and made me dig a little bit deeper within myself to really see why I DO eat red meat. Ever thought about that? Why do you do that? My first response was, "Well, I was raised that way!" But some have more reasons not to! If we want to better promote the beef industry, we must think of better ways to advertise and promote beef. For instance: Did you know that beef has 7 grams of protein per ounce, whereas tofu only has 2.3 grams per ounce?

The start of a new journey...

Hey everyone! I decided to start this blog as a reference and starting point to look back on as I travel through life and my journey through college! My main focus throughout will be my perspective on Agriculture and how it is different and how it changes and I strive to get accepted into one of the hardest things to get into...Vet School!

To better understand where I am coming from, you need to know a little bit of history about me!

I was raised on a small farm in northeastern South Dakota where the grass is either green, gone, or flooded! My dad and my brother farm on the family farm west of Turton. We have a grain operation (raising corn, beans, and wheat) but we also run a cow/calf operation of purebred Charolais, which is where I come in! :) I may not be much help when it comes to the grain, but when you put me out with the cows, I am in Heaven! I have been showing cattle with my brother for 13 years now and have loved every minute of it! As I was getting older and starting to plan my career after graduation from high school, I started to consider the idea of vet school. I was leery about the idea until I job shadowed Dr. Jon Schmidt with Trans Ova Genetics. That's when I knew where I belonged in this world!

So, upon graduation from Northwestern Area High School in May of 2010, I moved 9 hours from home and began my college career at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS...which brings us up to present day. Not realizing how much of a bubble South Dakota really was in, I went to my first Animal Science class expecting it to be all cowboys and cowgirls with their boots on and ready to get dirty! Not so! Forgetting that there are many different types of veterinarians other than cow, sheep, horse, and pig people, I was thrown into a room with people wanting to focus on and be vets strictly for exotic animals and even one student who raises iguanas! I felt so out of place in an environment I was sure I would blend into!
As time went on, I found my group of people that did have the same interests as me and were in Animal Science & Industry for the same reasons I was...Large animal and Livestock!

So, as I continue down this path towards distant success, I hope you will travel with me! I am sure to experience many new and challenging things and hopefully open up my mind and broaden my view on "agriculture." Will this bring me closer to my small farm South Dakota roots? Only time will tell...