Kansas

   It’s breeding season! About 45-60 days after baby calves are born, farmers and ranchers start breeding their cows back for next year’s calf crop. A cow’s gestation length is about 285 days, or 9 months, similar to humans.

   This heifer calf was born at the beginning of April, and her mom will be bred soon using artificial insemination (AI), so that she can have another calf next spring.

   On today’s farms and ranches, we use artificial insemination (AI) to impregnate our cows. This practice, which first began in the 1930s, uses frozen bull semen collected by professionals at a specialized facility. These bulls are selected for their outstanding traits, like muscling and growth, as well as docility, birth weight and calving ease. Then, farmers/ranchers/AI technicians breed the cows by hand --- with the help of some tools.

   AI is a good way to get superior genetics for a fraction of the cost. At RJ Show Cattle, my brother and I cannot afford to go out and spend thousands of dollars on a bull, when we only breed about 10 cows/year. But for $25-50, we can buy a dose of semen from the bull we want to use. Because we do the breeding ourselves, we keep very detailed records of when each cow was bred, so we can be prepared for her to calve in the spring. We can also select bulls that have more muscling, more growth, and better calving ease than our cows. This will help with genetic improvement in our herd! Because I am now comfortable AI-ing our cows, this is also an added savings for our operation.
During AI School, the instructors, Dr. David Grieger and Dr. David Nichols stressed proper semen handling techniques, and heat detection methods. They stressed over and over how important it was to do proper preparation work to ensure a pregnancy in our cows.

   In April this year, I was fortunate enough to take an AI class offered through the K-State Department of Animal Sciences & Industry. Here are a few of the students practicing with cows owned by university.

   While AI is not a glamorous process, it really is a valuable skill for a beef producer to have. I am excited to be helping at home with the AI of our cows, and to be saving us the time and money it takes to manage a bull as well.

Cheers!
Robin

Tags: Beef, Cattle, Family Farms, Farmers, Food Production, Kansas, Ranch

Yes, the grass is slowing down again, but the workload is not.  We have had several days of horseback work already moving the cattle around as not to overgraze and give pasture recovery time, plus moving them to new grass, so it doesn't get too tall.  That and we've had to take into consideration what this early Spring means for the animals.  Fly control being the number one issue in mind.  According to an article here, horn flies on cattle have been estimated to cost U.S. producers 730 million dollars per year.  I don't know about you, but I could think of a few uses for an extra 730 million.

 

It's not just about profit either, but I don't it does any producer good to be putting out mineral in the summer and see those cows fighting flies.  One of the many steps we did this year is put fly tags in.  Yes, they are costly, but when you see cattle with fly-free faces it's worth it.

Speaking of mineral, that plays a role as well.  During the summer, we add IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) to their mineral.  It's a feed supplement that passes through their system and is left in the manure that won't allow flies to hatch eggs.  Flies love the warm and moist environment that a cow patty provides.  So if you eliminate a place to reproduce, you reduce the amount of flies to a number that the tags (and cow's tails) can handle.

 

Pink eye is another concern for us, as we have already treated several cases of it this year.  Normally it doesn't show up until late May or June, but we are having to deal with it now.  We do vaccinate for it though, and this helps both the producers bottom line, and the cattle as well.

We've already worked in a few brandings and are moving on to are breeding program, so we are still in the heart of the Spring works.  As I said before, Spring, the grass, pink-eye, and flies have gotten a head start on us this year, but we aren't falling behind.  Shoot, we even got out first cutting of alfalfa up without getting it rained on.  I'd say we are doing pretty good.  I just hope we get that rain they are calling for.

 

Tags: Beef, Cattle, Cowboy, Family Farms, Farmers, Food Production, Kansas, May is Beef Month, Ranch

Mexican Steak Soft Tacos

Total recipe time: 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings

 Ingredients

12 ounces grilled beef steak, cut into slices

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup drained canned black beans

1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes

3 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

4 medium whole wheat or flour tortillas (8 to 10-inch diameter)

 Instructions

1 .Combine sour cream, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper in small bowl.

2. Spread each tortilla evenly with sour cream mixture leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Top with black beans; place steak slices on 1 side of each tortilla. Top with tomatoes and lettuce. Fold tortillas in half to serve.

 

Nutrition information per serving, using top sirloin steak: 326 calories; 12 g fat (5 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat); 64 mg cholesterol; 505 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrate; 4.7 g fiber; 32 g protein; 8.5 mg niacin; 0.7 mg vitamin B6; 1.5 mcg vitamin B12; 3.3 mg iron; 30.7 mcg selenium; 5.5 mg zinc.

 

Recipe adapted from and photo as seen in The Healthy Beef Cookbook, published by John Wiley & Sons. More great recipes can be found at: www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/springhassprung.aspx 

 

Happy Beef Month,

Kiley Stinson

 

Tags: Beef, lean beef, Kansas, May is Beef Month, Nutrition, Steak, recipe

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed Tuesday, April 24 a positive test result as part of its enhanced surveillance program to test cattle for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, often referred to as “mad cow disease”). USDA confirmed this animal did not enter the human food supply or animal and pet food supply.

The bottom line remains the same: Beef is safe. The BSE agent is not found in meat like ground beef, steaks and roasts. Experts in human and animal health agree that U.S. beef is safe from BSE because of the progressive steps taken by the U.S. government over the past two decades. The world’s leading scientists, medical professional and government officials agree that BSE is not a public or animal health risk in the United States.

Please visit http://bseinfo.org/ for the latest information and follow @BSEInfo on Twitter for the updates.

Tags: Cattle, Beef, Food Production, Kansas, Ranch, BSE, Mad Cow

It seems that we all have to do more with less these days. From what we buy at the grocery store, the gas we fill our cars with, and the time we have each day. Making the most of what we have can be challenging, but there is one group who has been doing great with what they have. In fact, this group has been improving what they have in order to be more efficient and sustainable.

That impressive group is our American cattle ranchers.

Cattle ranchers celebrate Earth Day everyday and have always been environmentalists. Taking care of the land is necessary for the success of a cattle herd and ultimately the ranch. Over time cattle ranchers have made huge improvements to preserving the water and land. Researcher, Dr. Jude Capper from Washington State University, discovered that today’s beef uses 30% less land, 14% less water, and 9% less fossil fuel energy than beef produced 30 years ago. What is even more impressive is that we are producing 13% more beef with 13% fewer animals. 

This research along with many personal accounts of environmental stewardship remind us that those that raise beef animals are also caring for the land. For cattle producers, Earth Day is every day!

To hear more about the Cattlemen’s Stewardship Review check this out: http://www.explorebeef.org/StewardshipReview.aspx

To learn more about beef and the environment check out this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLR3J6Ba4GE&feature=relmfu

Eat Beef!
Kassie

Tags: Beef, Cattle, Cowboy, Family Farms, Farmers, Food Production, Kansas, Ranch, Earth Day

Here is a really good stir fry recipe done Chinese style with sirloin and a black beef sauce that gives it a kick of big flavor.

Chinese Stir Fry Sirloin with Black Bean Noodles

1 lb         USDA choice sirloin steak, sliced 1/8 in. thick strips
4 tbsp       canola or peanut oil
2 cup        beef stock
1 ea          onion diced large
1 ea          green pepper diced large
1 cup        dry shitake mushrooms soaked or2 cups fresh shitake
½ cup       Black Bean Sauce
1 bunch    green onions chopped
1 cup        Cornstarch slurry to thicken
1 pkg        wide rice noodles cooked

1. Preheat wok or large sauté pan on high for 2 minutes.
2. Now add 2 tbsp of the oil, beef, and stir fry for 2 minutes to brown the beef.
3. Remove the beef from the pan.
4. Next, add remaining oil and vegetables to the pan and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Now add beef, beef stock, black bean sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Thicken lightly with cornstarch slurry.
6. To finish, toss with noodles and green onions to garnish.

Tags: Beef, healthy lifestyle, lean beef, Kansas, lean cut, recipe, Steak

I really admire Ms. Burkholder’s blog because she addresses “hot topics” in the industry, where she quite literally grabs the bull by the horns. She calls on her industry friends to provide an expert opinion and also fully understands why those in the urban setting can get the wrong impression of what happens on a farm/ranch. Check out her thoughts on Lean Finely Textured Beef here: http://feedyardfoodie.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/looking-for-good-answers-to-hard-questions/.

According to the blog, “Feed Yard Foodie is a site where people can come to read about the real story of beef, written by someone who actually gets their hands dirty.”

Blog on girlfriend!

Cheers,
Robin

Tags: Beef, Cattle, Family Farms, Food Production, Ranch

 

So, as I was moving some beeves around today a horseback on a beautiful Kansas spring day, I was ruminating about feeding the world not only a delicious dish of beef, but a healthy one too.  I have to admit that I kind of felt sorry for those other wanna-be meats.  After all, the only thing they really had going for them was health benefits.  Now, that that’s vamoosed, I’m thinking they’re gonna need some marketing help.  I have the following suggestions.

 

Chicken:  It will taste like whatever you put on it.

Fish:  God made this for vegetarians and Lent.

Turkey:  We’re like taxes, we’ll be there once a year, but you’ll like us (unless we are in burger form).

Tags: Beef, Cowboy, healthy lifestyle, lean beef, Heart Health, Nutrition

Media journalists have been creating quite the buzz lately about America’s food supply.  This time, America’s beef happens to be their “bull’s eye.”  Popular media outlets have mainly been accusing food chains of using "pink slime" in their hamburger patties. However, Boneless lean beef trimmings (BLBT) have been an acceptable component of commercial ground beef and for ground beef purchased by the Department of Agriculture for distribution through Federal food and nutrition assistance programs for nearly two decades.

The American Meat Institute (AMI) says “boneless lean beef trimming (BLBT) are safe, wholesome, and nutritious and calls the process similar to separating cream from milk.”

“Small cuts of meats left over from larger cuts are trimmed down, run through a process to take the fats away -- and the end result is nutritious, lean beef, says AMI. Everything is done under USDA inspection.

Ammonium hydroxide is used as a processing aid to produce a lean meat product that is added to ground beef. It is also used in a variety of other processed foods, such as baked goods, gelatins and cheeses. It can also occur naturally in foods. A very important aspect of meat safety is the protection and control of pathogens such as E. coli. Ammonium hydroxide is used as an antimicrobial to control E. coli O157:H7, which may be present in various food sources, including beef.  In the treatment, naturally occurring levels of ammonium hydroxide in beef are increased slightly to create a pH that eliminates harmful bacteria.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration consider ammonium hydroxide as a “Generally Recognized As Safe” food additive.

I encourage you to listen in on the video below. It is an informative conversation about Ammonium hydroxide and boneless lean beef trimmings.

For more information here are a few websites I recommend you take a look at.

Food Safety News: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/03/beef-products-inc-gets-support-from-food-safety-leaders/

Ammonium Hydroxide Q&A: http://www.foodinsight.org/Resources/Detail.aspx?topic=Questions_and_Answers_about_Ammonium_Hydroxide_Use_in_Food_Production

Pink Slime is a Myth: http://pinkslimeisamyth.com/

Until Next Time,
Kiley Stinson

Tags: Beef, Food Production, hamburger, lean beef, Nutrition

Farmer’s Market Vegetable, Beef and Brown Rice Salad

Tags: Beef, healthy lifestyle, Heart Health, Kansas, lean beef, lean cut, Nutrition, recipe