Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Business, Farm, Farming, FarmOn.com, Financial, Mentor
I have been looking into mentoring programs. Which got me wondering at what point do you look at a situation and think “I could really use some guidance”?
In fact until I did some reading that 71% of Fortune 500 companies use mentoring programs – that is a huge number - I have often sort of pushed the thought of a mentor to the side. I mean I know everything I need to…right?! I mean I grew up on a farm I possibly could not need to know much more than I already do. Then a sort of calm reality hits. I know a lot about nothing!!
Ok not nothing. A lot of the things I know about are very valuable. But being a part of FarmOn.com has really taught me some amazing things about business that I had no clue about before. I now look at things more with a business mind than I ever had. Even after being in this company for as long as I have, I can now look and see that a mentor in certain areas would be so beneficial. Especially in an area like finances.
But coming to that realization gave me a sense of relief, just acknowledging that it is something I want and need.
Do you have mentor? In what areas do you think you would benefit from one?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Buy Local, Food, Fresh, New Years, Processed, Resolution, Thanksgiving
Along with snow, cold and windy days, this time of year also brings a lot of reflection and a time for thanks-giving. I often wonder how many people go around the table and say what they are thankful for. Or, how many people make New Years resolutions. I can not recall a time where I have ever actually made a resolution for the new year. Maybe it’s time….
I have been looking at the way we live. My husband and I do a pretty good job of trying to make some changes to be a little ‘greener’. We compost, recycle, walk when we can, buy local (as often as possible) and try to eat very few processed foods. Now, i am not saying we have it all right or that we are even doing the things we do, perfectly. We still contribute in different ways to things that are not great for our environment.
My first thought is I am not going to beat myself up for not doing things perfectly. The point is we are very aware of our choices. But, I think this next year I would like to look at some of the things and see what we can do more of….or less of. Figure out ways we can fine tune some of our green living ways.
Next year we are going to be having our own garden (we finally own our own place so its easier), use our own compost. My husband is hoping to grow enough that he can also preserve excess veggies so we have them past the season. We are also looking into energy efficient vehicles. Buying local has been pretty easy for us already….but even easier next year. My sister will be producing chickens and pork so we will have easy access to meats and eggs (we already get all our beef local).
As of right now the next year is looking promising. It seems like our resolutions will be reachable. Have you put any thought into resolutions? Maybe pick one meat to buy local, or find a local vegetable producer…..
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Central America, Deaths, Flu, H1N1, News, Swine Flu
OK, I lied I don’t really! I also do know I should not be calling it the Swine Flu, it is now the H1N1. As everyone knows it is a huge topic right now. I check out my local news online every day as well as a few different international news sources and I cannot go a day without seeing something about the H1N1.
Recently I had to go into the travel nurse to get caught up on some shots, so I can head to Central America, she asked me if I had intentions of getting the vaccine?! Hmmm….I couldn’t answer her question. Instead I turned it on her and asked if she was. She sort of seemed unconcerned and shrugged her shoulders saying she wasn’t sure. I told her I was having a hard time deciding. Especially since if you search you hear such conflicting reports. In one article you can read that the vaccine and the flu altogether are a hoax and a way for pharmaceutical companies to make big money. Then in the next one you read that it could cause up to 90,000 deaths in the U.S. alone (http://tinyurl.com/kndf84).
So, I really don’t know what to do. I am not sure if I should just trust that the vaccine is what’s best for me, or believe that i have been able to battle every other flu without a shot and this one will be no different. Being a young woman looking to conceive in the next year also throws a wrench into it. Since it appears pregnant woman are being attacked by this flu. The overload of information, that is constantly conflicting, leaves me at a standstill in the middle of a storm that I don’t know if I should run and take cover ….or dance in the rain ?
Have you decided what to do? Or do you have any good links to well balanced information?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: BSE, California, FarmOn.com, Harris Ranch Beef Co., In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan, Omnivores Dilemma
I have done a lot of reading lately as well as listening to people around me and on the net. At times it can be so uplifting and inspiring, the kind of reading that makes you look at yourself and re-evaluate. Then there is the other kind. The kind that is so disheartening you wonder how things will ever change. Or how our world is going to make the changes we know deep inside us need to be made.
Today was the second kind of reading. It is no shock to anyone that there has been a lot of media on Michael Pollan. He has a couple of very popular books out on food and sustainable farming. Now I do have to say I myself have not read his books yet. In some ways I am reluctant. There are so many people who love the books and really get inspired and motivated to make changes and seek more information. THEN you have the people who are so turned off by what he has to say they are willing to do anything to stop him from spreading his word.
I read an article about a man in California that threatened to pull his funding if the University allowed Pollan to give a lecture! ( http://tinyurl.com/yh5mudx ) The man who threatened this is the Chairman of Harris Ranch Beef Co. Which to my understanding is a feedlot in California. It is my belief that responses just like this are huge part of why farming gets such a bad name in the media.
Now, I am all for defending what we do and why we do it. But, shutting down someone who is of different opinion by force is not going to be very affective. If we can learn to listen to the other side and logically and calmly debate the points and give the reasons why we do the things we do on farms and feedlots etc. I think people would have a far better understanding of our world. Jumping to defense by disclaiming someone like Pollan really is not going to push us forward in anyway. And reality is he might actually have some good points!
I don’t believe that we can set up a system the way we have and not expect that at some point we are going to have to look at the sustainability of it and the effects it is having on our environment and economy. It is time we take a look at how we are running and see what kind of changes we can make to have a more sustainable system. I know when I see that a few cases of BSE can literally bring a billion dollar industry to it’s knees….that’s when it is time to take a look and see what we can do! The lost connection between the farmer and consumer is proving to have grave affects on our industry. It’s time to reconnect and build that relationship back to what it once was!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: #agchat, ag, Agriculture, facebook, twitter
Recently I have kicked my Twitter account into action. I had set one up quite some time ago and never really caught the tweet-bug. I could not figure out what the buzz was all about.
THEN….I discovered other people using twitter. There are a few people who tweet too much for my liking, it starts to feel like spam. But, it is proving to be a very effective communication tool. One of the FarmOn partners discovered a chat on Twitter called #agchat. This is a chat that is every Tuesday, it is moderated and has a new (sort of controlled) topic.
Last Tuesdays was about youth in agriculture. I started out like everyone else on the chat, I introduced myself and tried to keep up. It didn’t help that I totally had a mental lapse and was removing the #agchat from the end of my sentences …thus leaving me frustrated that my tweets were not showing up. Someone kindly did fill me in! The conversation really got me thinking. I agreed with a lot that was said…and well….my view point slightly differed from a lot of what was said.
I believe our youth in agriculture problem is a lot bigger than trying to get everyone to take a 4 year degree program so they can become better farmers and/or support the farm through a ‘real’ job(not that anyone on there used those terms….but I know people out there think it!). I have watched a countless number of my friends go into diploma programs or degrees to learn about….production?! Isn’t that what they spent most of their life doing already. Reality is we know how to produce. It’s the business end of things that needs help. And not in a stuffy classroom from some professor who likely has not marketed a farm in years, if ever! We need to learn from our peers. We need to learn from the innovative farmers out there who are making it happen!
We also have problems beyond that. We have farms who have never addressed succession planning. Farms that the 70 year old grandpa or father is still running the show, like I said they know how to produce the heck outta anything. But our world has changed people want to know the farmer more intimately….how do they want to do that? I would say Social Media is a big one. Places like Facebook and Twitter are exploding with people sharing ideas, pitching their product, connecting and networking.
So I ask….is there a place for tweets on your farm?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Agriculture, antibiotics, debate, FarmOn, feed, Food, livestock, PETA, Sensational, sustainable
Very recently on our FarmOn Fan Page, we posted a link to an article about the controversy surrounding the use of antibiotics in livestock feed. One of the site objectives is to support the young adult involved in agriculture and to provide the voice of agriculture in the social media world in an attempt to balance the discussion and dominating influence of groups such as PETA. Once the link was published we received an immediate response from a young adult reminding us that those kind of ‘sensational’ statistics and articles are exactly what groups like PETA look for to support their cause. So we removed the link. However, we got to thinking about that after a bit and realized that it is impossible to encourage a balanced viewpoint if there is never an opportunity to have a discussion and allow both (or even several) sides of the discussion to be represented.
A recent blog at the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska, stated the following:
“ Family farmers will need to carefully evaluate their interests in the growing debate over antibiotics in livestock feed and the findings of antibiotic resistant staph bacteria in hogs. The new finding has led to renewed calls for a ban on routine feeding of some antibiotics, which would impose some costs on livestock farmers. But there could also be significant benefits.
The corporate takeover of hog production was made possible by total confinement systems that depend on feeding antibiotics. Most family livestock farmers also feed antibiotics. But those producing on a modest scale have the potential to adapt better than mega farms to restrictions on routine antibiotic use in feed that allow continued use to treat disease.
Family farmers would be well served by resisting the instinct to immediately take a defensive posture. The first step is giving researchers the time to learn what is happening.
If this turns out to be the smoking gun that leads to tough restrictions on feeding antibiotics, it could force changes in practices that are integral to total confinement hog production systems. Such systems have always relied on early weaning and high stocking rates to pay for expensive buildings by pushing more pigs through them. It will be more difficult to make those practices work if antibiotics cannot be fed.
Without total confinement and the controlled environment it provides, it will be tough for mega farms to raise hogs with low-wage laborers, who have neither the experience nor motivation to exercise the management and judgment to adapt to changing conditions in the barn.
The initial effect of a ban would likely be to raise hog prices as producers adjust by farrowing less often and lowering stock rates. Smaller operations using less expensive facilities will likely become more competitive with the mega producers.
It may present the opportunity for new approaches that enhance both human life and family farming.”
So what do you think? Agree or Disagree?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Celiac, Challenge, Diet, FarmOn, Food, Gluten Free, Healthy Food, Processed Food
Processed food free = extremely hard! I have been trying for the last 10 or so days to cut out processed foods from my diet. Basically I need to start over again. Going into this challenge I knew it would be hard, just not this hard. What adds to it is I also follow the Celiac diet which can at times feel very limiting.
Since I started the challenge I have struggled deciphering what is processed and what has just gone through a process to get to my plate. Obviously everything goes through a process, but that does not make it a processed food. My husband and I recently had a friend over for supper, I thought it would be a good idea to have dessert so I began to look at ice cream. Have you ever looked at the ingredients to ice cream? After spending a solid ten minutes discussing it with my husband we passed on the ice cream convinced it was processed. There were a few ingredients in there that we didn’t even know what they were!
Eating out has become an issue too. We were in Vancouver the last five days, making just staying wheat free a challenge in it’s own. Luckily we were staying with my sister-in law which allowed us to make many meals in rather than eating out. But then when we did eat out the battle between what is processed began. It felt nearly impossible to know if what I was eating was cheating or not! So I do think I can do better but need some help. I need some suggestions on how to quickly determine if something should be skipped. Anyone out there please help de-process me!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Celiac, Challenge, Food, Gluten Free, Healthy, Healthy Food, Lifestyle, Processed Food, Processing
Recently I have been challenged by someone I used to call close to me, to stop eating all processed foods for a month. I say they used to be close to me because i hate being challenged. Especially when it comes to food, AND when the person challenging me knows that I am too competitive to say no!
Due to some recent health concerns I have really been looking at my lifestyle to see what I could change to make a difference. First I looked at my physical activity. No problems there. I walk 1+ Hours a day and hit up the gym. Food….well here is where it gets sticky. My Husband and I in general, when we are at home, eat very healthy. I stay away from all Gluten. So I know that is not causing any problems. BUT, there is the occasional…*insert scary music* processed item that makes its way to our kitchen!!
Due to the fact that our life is led in quite the healthy manner I have now been challenged to ditch absolutely everything processed and see how much better I feel. I will blog on this a few times (note: this could get scary as i can get extremely irrational when not allowed to eat what i want).
The first problem I have already run into, what is considered to be processed? So I put the very mean Challenger to work in finding out some information for me. Processed foods that are not as healthy as fresh foods include:
* canned foods with lots of sodium
* white breads and pastas made with refined white flour, which are not as healthy as those made with whole grains
* packaged high-calorie snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks
* high-fat convenience foods, like cans of ravioli
* frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners
* packaged cakes and cookies
* boxed meal mixes
* sugary breakfast cereals
* processed meats
Wish me luck. And yes I do know that all Whole Foods and fresh local food is way better for you and it is what everyone should eat (it’s how we do usually eat). But sometimes those delicious Salt & Vinegar chips just call my name too loudly
Filed under: Uncategorized
If you could farm anything what would it be? This question has popped into my head so many times lately. I mean the possibilities are endless! You’ve got your cows, horses, miniature donkeys, sheep, llamas, wheat, corn, hay, pumpkins or good ol’ Burdock…..Burdock?
Canada is considered the “Sleeping Giant” of the medicinal plant industry. A pristine environment, vast resources for crop production, relatively cheap land, well educated producers, adequate infrastructure, as well as motivated research and extension teams could all contribute to the development of the medicinal plant industry. Burdock happens to be a plant that ,according to the book Canadian Medicinal Crops, could potentially be grown profitably in Canada. Burdock is used as an over-the-counter traditional herbal treatment for a variety of disorders. Who knew?
I’m sure there are people out there who are already growing some of these crops and know a ton about them. But why aren’t we learning more about them? I have been doing some research and have now been convincing my husband that we need to grow a medicinal crop it is definitely worth looking into, not only is it kind of cool….but i look at it as a great way to diversify the farm. It is also said that this industry is expected to be about ten times what it is today…which would be about $500-$700 billion per year.
Definitely something worth looking at!
Filed under: Uncategorized
Have you ever worked in a company or on a volunteer board or on a farm with someone….ahem…a little shall we say ….not old, but ‘experienced’? I have! Likely pretty much everyone has. Here is where I insert the disclaimer. Working with someone a little higher up in the age category is not terrible, it can be really great and you can learn so much. It’s just that …well…they are older.
When you look at the farming model we have used over the last few decades, well, it’s not really working anymore. It’s not that the farms are not still producing amazing products it’s that they are not using a business model that allows for a sustainable farm. So, the way I look at it is, the young blood in farming needs to step it up a bit. I know what you thinking “I’m brilliant, everyone should follow my ideas and the farming world will be saved..” OK so not everyone is like me and thinks that way Likely you are terrified to talk to the elders on your farm and suggest anything new. But what would it hurt? What is the worst thing that can happen?
Out of the 8 people on the FarmOn team only 1 is not under the age of 35. We have a general rule that usually works well for us when we are trying to reach the target group of 18-35. If our elder thinks it doesn’t make sense or is a little too ‘wild’ then the new idea is a go! Laugh all you want, or if you are in the older age group be mad all you want. Reality is – our age group thinks differently. We like the things that seem off-based, wild and a little edgy!
I think farms need to diversify. No I don’t mean a beef producer should go out and buy a flock of sheep. I mean we need to sell differently, we need to market differently. Cut out those middle guys who don’t think our work and efforts that go into the product are worth more than the 19% farmers generally get now, instead strive for 80%. Think seriously about this ‘Local’ food movement that sometimes appears to be a fad. It’s not! People really do want to buy directly from a farmer they want that connection, use it start marketing locally!
