I thought I’d better call your attention to the Rural Route radio program that I did last week. There was a vegan named Jeff Popick on last Tuesday and then I was on Wednesday to discuss what they discussed on Tuesday. It was an interesting topic to say the least…all about the belief of vegans…vegetarians that don’t eat meat or products from animals…ie eggs and milk…because they don’t think animals should suffer.

This misinformed man was passionate about his beliefs and showed me that we can be passionate and wrong all at the same time! After listening to it, I decided to write a column on it and so that will come out in today’s Farmers’ Advance. I really just wanted people to see that this vegan thing is extreme and they would like to shut down animal agriculture. Those of us in agriculture need to make sure we are good ambassadors for our industry. We need to be positive and excited about agriculture. We also need to be well informed so we can stand up for our industry and not afraid to argue for our livelihood!

If you want to listen to Mr. Popick and his wild ideas you can go to www.facesofag.com and click on the Rural Route Vegan Style to listen. Prepare to be enlightened!

I thought I’d better call your attention to the Rural Route radio program that I did last week. There was a vegan named Jeff Popick on last Tuesday and then I was on Wednesday to discuss what they discussed on Tuesday. It was an interesting topic to say the least…all about the belief of vegans…vegetarians that don’t eat meat or products from animals…ie eggs and milk…because they don’t think animals should suffer.

This misinformed man was passionate about his beliefs and showed me that we can be passionate and wrong all at the same time! After listening to it, I decided to write a column on it and so that will come out in today’s Farmers’ Advance. I really just wanted people to see that this vegan thing is extreme and they would like to shut down animal agriculture. Those of us in agriculture need to make sure we are good ambassadors for our industry. We need to be positive and excited about agriculture. We also need to be well informed so we can stand up for our industry and not afraid to argue for our livelihood!

If you want to listen to Mr. Popick and his wild ideas you can go to www.facesofag.com and click on the Rural Route Vegan Style to listen. Prepare to be enlightened!

I have now burned my tongue on my perked coffee. It’s perked this morning because it’s a little cooler and raining so I don’t mind a little more heat in the kitchen. Otherwise when it’s this hot, I try not to turn any heat making devices on!

So who out there has perked coffee? Am I the only one? I love coffee from a Bunn coffee maker, but I have to save up for that right now….not a big priority on the “need” list. So let me know what kind of coffee maker you have!

I have now burned my tongue on my perked coffee. It’s perked this morning because it’s a little cooler and raining so I don’t mind a little more heat in the kitchen. Otherwise when it’s this hot, I try not to turn any heat making devices on!

So who out there has perked coffee? Am I the only one? I love coffee from a Bunn coffee maker, but I have to save up for that right now….not a big priority on the “need” list. So let me know what kind of coffee maker you have!

I haven’t had my second cup of coffee yet this morning…so sorry if this post sounds lathargic.

We are still getting rain this morning. It stopped yesterday but now we are getting more! I ventured into my garden yesterday only to find the coons and lack of rain has kept me from getting much of my sweetcorn. Looks like I’ll have to find some to freeze somewhere else. But I have found someone who will butcher my chickens when they are ready. While standing in line at the feed store I approached the Amish lady in front of me, knowing full well they would have someone in their clan who butchered chickens for profit. And sure enough I struck gold…her sister does it! She told me just where she lived so in the end of September, I will be heading south of Hillsdale with my big, fat, chickens!

Maylene is still carrying on out in the barn. Her calf is gone, but like I suspected she has adopted Marnie, the calf next to hers, as her own….Oh, I wished she’d get over it!

Big Daddy needs the computer…better get to my coffee anyway…more later!

I haven’t had my second cup of coffee yet this morning…so sorry if this post sounds lathargic.

We are still getting rain this morning. It stopped yesterday but now we are getting more! I ventured into my garden yesterday only to find the coons and lack of rain has kept me from getting much of my sweetcorn. Looks like I’ll have to find some to freeze somewhere else. But I have found someone who will butcher my chickens when they are ready. While standing in line at the feed store I approached the Amish lady in front of me, knowing full well they would have someone in their clan who butchered chickens for profit. And sure enough I struck gold…her sister does it! She told me just where she lived so in the end of September, I will be heading south of Hillsdale with my big, fat, chickens!

Maylene is still carrying on out in the barn. Her calf is gone, but like I suspected she has adopted Marnie, the calf next to hers, as her own….Oh, I wished she’d get over it!

Big Daddy needs the computer…better get to my coffee anyway…more later!

We had a great rain yesterday and it was so badly needed that I just can’t bring myself to complain outloud about the humidity it has left behind. But I tell you what…when it’s this humid, everything in the barn is wet and sticky…including the cows. My overalls seem to collect the moisture and add weight my load. But I’m not complaining…..:)

I will complain about Maylene. She is one of our former 4-H projects who just delivered her second calf yesterday morning. This time she had a bull and she has a very strong affection for her little boy. Her stall is on the end, by where the calves are kept and she can keep an eye on Mitch (Sarah and her girlfriend named him) the whole time she’s in the barn. She hasn’t stopped bellering yet! We can hardly talk while we milk because of her big mouth! Mitch will be headed to the stock yards today, so hopefully that will put an end to her noise…unless she adopts one of the heifers nearby….:(

We had a fatality last night among our meat chickens. One dollar down the drain! JW decided he needed to take meat chickens to the fair this year…so last week ten little chicks arrived and are in our back room. He only needs 2 for the fair, but I wanted some for my freezer so I told him I would provide the feed, he had to provide all the care. I guess chicken husbandry isn’t one of his strong points because under his care, one died. And you know it was one of his!

Well, I’d better get to work while it’s semi-cool.

We had a great rain yesterday and it was so badly needed that I just can’t bring myself to complain outloud about the humidity it has left behind. But I tell you what…when it’s this humid, everything in the barn is wet and sticky…including the cows. My overalls seem to collect the moisture and add weight my load. But I’m not complaining…..:)

I will complain about Maylene. She is one of our former 4-H projects who just delivered her second calf yesterday morning. This time she had a bull and she has a very strong affection for her little boy. Her stall is on the end, by where the calves are kept and she can keep an eye on Mitch (Sarah and her girlfriend named him) the whole time she’s in the barn. She hasn’t stopped bellering yet! We can hardly talk while we milk because of her big mouth! Mitch will be headed to the stock yards today, so hopefully that will put an end to her noise…unless she adopts one of the heifers nearby….:(

We had a fatality last night among our meat chickens. One dollar down the drain! JW decided he needed to take meat chickens to the fair this year…so last week ten little chicks arrived and are in our back room. He only needs 2 for the fair, but I wanted some for my freezer so I told him I would provide the feed, he had to provide all the care. I guess chicken husbandry isn’t one of his strong points because under his care, one died. And you know it was one of his!

Well, I’d better get to work while it’s semi-cool.