growing impatient

Here we are on the 27th of February, and we only have 5 calves on the ground!!    Needless to say I am growing quite impatient.  I love calving season!  It is such an exciting time on the farm.  New presents are "unwrapped" everyday, and Chasen does a pretty good job of sending me picture messages of these presents.  But as you may have guessed, I have only got 5 picture messages this month; extremely disappointing!!!

By now I thought we would have four times the amount of calves on the ground. The 30 heifers Stevenson Farms bought earlier this year were "due" at the end of February.  Only three of those mamma's have calved, and that was at the beginning of last month.  So either someone wrote down the wrong expected calving date, or these ladies want their calves to have the same birthday, or worse yet, they are waiting for three feet of snow/mud to be on the ground.  For Chasen's sake, and for the health of the baby calves, I hope it is option A.  

This weekend I stayed out in Lincoln, so it has been awhile since I have seen the cows.  But in my head, they all look like these mammas below: ready to pop at any minute!

I took that picture last year, and it cracks me up every time I look at it!  Another picture that cracks me up is the one below.  I mean, how often do you see a bovine sticking its tongue out at you??  But I guess I should get used to it.  I feel like all the calves are going to come out this way, taunting me with how long I had to wait until they arrived!!

judging a book by its cover

Over the last two weeks I have had the pleasure of over-wrapping close to 300 steaks for two different retail display trials we are running.  In fact I have gotten so good at this particular job, I feel I should be called Justine the Over-wrapping Queen, heck I would even settle for Justine the Over-Wrapping Machine.  Regardless of this respectable title I have fauxly created for myself, through the weeks I have developed an appreciation for the way beef is packaged and sold here in the United States.

There are several ways beef is packaged however I am going to share with you the three most common packaging systems in retail.  It is important to remember regardless of the advantages and disadvantages, all packaging systems provide a means to keep product safe from microbial contamination and allow consumers to visibly assess product quality.


In over-wrap systems steaks are fabricated from beef subprimals and placed on a styrofoam tray.  A soaker sponge (or Meat Maxi as I like to call them) can be placed between the steak and tray to capture purge loss during display.  It is important to understand purge loss is not "blood".  It is the extrusion of sarcoplasm which is rich in Myoglobin, the protein responsible for meat color.  Regardless of whether or not the Meat Maxi is present, trays are then over-wrapped with an oxygen permeable poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) film.  This film, unlike Saran Wrap, allows oxygen to interact with Myogolobin promoting the development of a bright cherry red color, or "bloom".  Over-wrap systems are the most economical way to package meat.  For this reason, over-wrap systems are common in small grocery stores were personnel fabricate steaks on site. However, due to the permeability of the over-wrap, product will lose color integrity and turn brown within 3-5 days.  Although brown colored beef is safe to eat, it is not eye appealing to consumers.

Another type of packaging system is Modified Atmosphere Packaging (often called MAP because of the lengthy and lofty name).  This type of packaging system is commonly used for ground beef.  Product is placed in a well tray, with or without a Meat Maxi.  There is enough "head space" within the package to modify the atmosphere (crazy, right??).  At UNL, we use a mixture of 80% oxygen gas, and 20% carbon dioxide gas.  This high concentration of oxygen allows the product to bloom.  Where the addition of carbon dioxide provides antibacterial properties, and promotes blooming.  Other gases used in MAP systems include: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen gas.  Independent of the gases utilized, this packaging system is very attractive for consumers.  It also allows retailers to create different label designs for different product.  With this type of packaging system, expense is significantly higher, and shelf space is decreased due to the bulky package.  MAP packaged products have an expected shelf life of 10-60 days, depending on the gases utilized.

The final way product is commonly packaged at retail is via vacuum packaging.  This type of packaging system can be observed with the marinated pork tenderloins from Hormel.  In beef products, vacuum packaging is not typically utilized at the retail setting.  Often at the packing plant whole primals, such as the Ribeye Roll, are vacuum packaged and distributed to retailers for steak fabrication.  Product is placed in a protective, impermeable bag and has all of the air sucked out via a vacuum.  The open end of the bag is then sealed preventing exposure to oxygen.  Because of the lack of oxygen, vacuum packaged beef is a purple color.  For this reason, vacuum packaged beef is limited in retail settings; however, once the package is opened, product will bloom immediately.  Vacuum packaging product provides a means for "wet-aging" product and does an astounding job at maintaining product integrity.  Plus, running the vacuum sealer is pretty cool, ha!

Now that you have a basic understanding for meat packaging, take the time to check out packaging systems the next time you are at the grocery store, instead of just product quality.  And remember, just like a book, you can never judge meat by it's package!

ibe 2012

This past weekend provided an escape from the city lights, and was a time for family, friends, and cattle at the 2012 Iowa Beef Expo.  The Iowa Beef Expo is held on the state fairgrounds the 2nd-3rd weekend of February.  Breed shows and sales are during the week, and the IJBBA sanctioned junior show is held on the final weekend.  


Fortunately, none of the mommas decided to calve this past weekend allowing Chasen and I to head up to Des Moines Saturday evening.    I was particularly excited Chasen was able to get away from the farm so I could get my engagement ring back!  Because the ring is so unique we had to design a wedding band, and thus needed to approve the wax before they could create the band.  It looks soooo neat!!  After we picked up my ring we headed back to the east side of Des Moines to meet up with our close friends for supper at Okoboji Grill.  It's so strange how we now catch up with friends monthly instead of daily; I sure do miss those college days! Nonetheless good food and fellowship was shared by all.  To continue a night of meeting up with old friends, we drove to the ISF grounds and congregated in the bull pen.   I had such a good time!!


On Sunday morning we headed back to the fairgrounds for the commercial junior show.  Lacy, Chasen's younger sister, would be showing a heifer we raised at Stevenson Farms.     

In preparation for the show (fitting), it takes lots of helping hands.  First the calf needs to be washed and then dried with a blower.  Similair to blow drying one's hair, it is important to blow the calf's hair in a forward direction (towards the head). This helps make the calf look wider, and gives them an overall smooth look.  Much like a person, after the hair has been dried, the calf's hair needs to be combed.  Hair on the legs is "pulled up" and then sprayed with adhesive - a product comparable to hairspray.  Fitters (Kirn pictured below) then spray white paint on the calf's legs and tailhead.  This step helps the fitter notice hairs that need to be clipped off (which is the next step).  Clipping typically takes the longest time depending on how big of a perfectionist the fitter is.  

Hair is shaved off the animals topline, legs, tailhead, flank, shoulder, etc. to make the calf look its best and hide any imperfections.  After all clipping has been done, the white paint is covered up with black or red paint depending on the calf's color.  A spritz of Final Bloom, a perfumed hair conditioner, is then applied to the calf.  This is probably my favorite step because: 1. it smells amazing and 2. it means the fitting process is over, yay!!!  Now we are off to the showring; it was such a lovely day!!

The heifer weighing 870 pounds at check-in and therefore was placed in class 422.  The fitting process began around 7:00 am and was finished by 10:45-perfect for her class that began at 11:00. The judge was a gentlemen from Oklahoma; and in a class of 12 heifers, we placed 4th!  We were pretty excited about this accomplishment!!

In summary, growing up I was never exposed to the show cattle industry.  We raised feed lot cattle.  In the summer we preferred their hair was gone, and they only got "washed" when it rained.  When I started dating Chasen we traveled to quite a few IJBBA shows.  It was such an eye opening experience for me!!  But through the years, I have learned and experienced that showing cattle is a great way to spend time with family and friends.  And at the end of the day, we are all passionate about the beef industry and raising cattle.  Although I am still learning the ropes to showing cattle (and may never fully understand it all), I am truly loving every minute of it! <3




   

the importance of anatomy

I got off the phone with Chasen about 5 minutes ago and my ears are still ringing.  Let's just say he was excited and screaming like a 4 year old on Christmas morning.  Although my ears are in pain, I too have a beaming smile on my face.  What can I say, I guess his enthusiasm for raising cattle is contagious!  

So here is my story about the importance of anatomy.  JF Ebonys Joy 9154X is a purebred Simmental heifer Chasen bought this fall at Janssen Farms female sale.  I was at the auction with Chasen and didn't even realize he was bidding on her until he made the final bid.  I was quite shocked when the auctioneer shouted sold to buyer number something-something-something and pointed his gavel at Chasen.  My brain started swimming as I began to wonder how we would get a 1100 pound heifer home with my impala!  After the hot flash and light headedness dismissed, I was able to gain excitement on Chasen's big purchase!  JF Ebonys Joy 9154X (pictured above) is a first calf heifer safe-in bred to JF American Pride (a purebred Simmental bull) thus resulting in a purebred calf.  Because of this reason, Chasen and I have been hoping for a heifer out of JF Ebonys Joy.

Well, yesterday morning, JF Ebonys Joy calved.  After making sure the calf was breathing and cleaned off, Chasen walked out to check the sex of the calf.  By just "looking" at the calf Chasen determined it was a bull calf.  He called me on my way to campus and was quite depressed.  I tried to cheer him up, telling him we could keep him around for a herd bull, or take him to a sale next spring to gain some exposure for Stevenson Farms.  Regardless of these two outstanding ideas, I was not able to improve his mood.  So I left it at that.

Approximately 30 minutes ago, Chasen was tagging the "bull" calf and administering a Vitamin B shot.  While holding the calf Chasen began to brush off its sides and more importantly the area underneath the tail.  In this process he discovered the calf he determined as a bull was actually a HEIFER!!! Thus the reason he called me screaming like a 4 year old :)

After this little anatomy scandal, I know now Chasen will never just look to assume the sex of a calf.  In light of this whole ordeal, I think I remember Chasen saying if JF Ebonys Joy 9154X had a heifer calf he was going to buy a keg and have a party.....guess I will have to remind him of this recollection.  But then again, I don't want to ruin his good mood!!

my 2 cents

At the moment, agriculture production, due to a recent media release and tv commercial, is in the public hot seat.  Through these media publications, agriculture appears a phony and menacing industry.  For those of you that grew up in production systems, we know this is not at all the case!  And for those of you that are unfamiliar with agriculture production, I can assure you the same!  


Sunday evening I was traveling back to Lincoln after a lovely weekend in Iowa.  For this reason I was not able to watch the Grammy Awards, or more importantly, their associated commercials.      Earlier this fall BEEF magazine posted an article relating to the Chipotle commercial that was aired Sunday evening.  After reading the post, I took time to watch the commercial, and was thoroughly disgusted with Chipotle's translation of agriculture production in the US.  I was also quite disturbed by the fact country music singer Willie Nelson participated in the production of the commercial; but then I realized the lack of credibility Willie Nelson has in today's generation and got over it :)  


Regardless, growing up on a farm and being educated in Animal Science, or as I prefer Animal Husbandry, Chipotle needs to get their facts straight.  After this counterfeit Chipotle commercial, consumers are left questioning producer management practices.  Animals are crammed into buildings, and later expended out like a vending machine.  They are then placed on a conveyor belt and "pumped" full of pills and a sludge-like substance.  They exit the other end of the building plump and are packaged into "meat cubes" or some type of compact shippable item.  The commercial continues to strongly create a corporate and industrial feel to the food eventually placed on the table.  How more wrong could they be!??  Consumers, rest assured this is not at all the case!!  


1.  Bacon still comes from pigs, and hamburger from cattle, not "meat cubes" or the latter.
2.  Regulations have been set in place by the USDA-FSIS to ensure no residues are left in our bacon or hamburger that will be consumed by humans or our pets.  
3.  Producers check their livestock everyday to ensure they are healthy and comfortable.  
4.  Healthy, comfortable pigs and cattle make healthy,delicious bacon and hamburger.


These last two statements bring me to my next point. Yesterday, McDonald's Corporation made a considerable announcement that it will require its US pork suppliers to outline plans to phase out the use of sow gestation stalls.  Unfortunately, this phase is supported by the Human Society of the United States.  The decision is based solely on improving the welfare of the animals.  With that being said, let's read #3 again..................(almost done reading).............(ok done).  Although gestation crates seem cruel and entrapping, they are our way of protecting the vulnerable sows and gilts during their pregnancy.  Pigs are highly aggressive and even cannibalistic animals.  In a large sized group, they will fight each other to determine their pecking order of each pen.  For weaker, less aggressive animals, not only does this mean they will have a higher level of stress, but they will also suffer from a lack of nutrition.  Fully resulting in a decrease in sow efficiency.


Pressure from conglomerate organizations such as McDonald's, Chipotle, and others, is pushing agriculture to go back to our roots of raising livestock cage/crate-free, with no antibiotics, or feed additives.  This presents a challenge to the industry because we are impaling the animal's health and production efficiency.  With decreased animal efficiency, there will be less product available for consumers.  Prices for animal products will escalate, and we will all be grumpy and hungry. I guess what I am trying to say is, we are setting ourselves up for only disaster.  As of today the world population is at 6.994 billion; ten years ago it was 6.2 billion.  With our population increasing exponentially, we are going to need to produce more food than ever before.  Currently world agriculture produces 17% more calories/person than we did 30 years ago.  Although this is quite an achievement, this will not be enough, especially if consumers demand us to change our efficient production methods. 


Alas, as an agriculturalist, I know this is not the first media burden we have been plagued with.    And as always, we hope to find some middle ground that allows us to produce a safe and wholesome product in an efficient way.  After all, we are producing a product that we serve to our families as well, and healthy animals makes healthy meat!

happy i love beef month!

Many a discussion have been held on the importance of celebrating Valentine's Day.  For some it is a day of chocolates, flowers, sweet cards, and a few extra kisses.  For others it is simply a reminder they remain single (by choice or chance) and for that reason is loathed.  I am a simple romantic and for that reason LOVE Valentine's Day.  Heck, I have had my card picked out for Chasen for over two weeks now!!!  Yet I somehow have managed to resist the urge to buy a box of chocolates--looks like I do have self control.....or am just waiting for them to go on sale haha.

Regardless, whether you are a romantic or a rebel on Valentine's Day, everyone can find a reason to celebrate the month of February!!  Last year, the Beef Checkoff program claimed February as "I Heart Beef" month!  You may have seen this logo, or at least you should expect to see it soon through communications and publications courtesy of your state Beef Council.

Although I love beef every month, and every day of each month, this campaign was developed by the Checkoff program to improve sales of middle meats during their typical winter slump.  This drop in middle meat sales occurs not by a decrease in quality or a surplus of beef; but simply the fact most consumers are not firing up the grill with 3 feet of snow on the ground.  Through the month of February the Checkoff hopes to remind consumers of their passion for steaks such as the T-Bone, Porterhouse, Ribeye, Strip (my favorite), and Tenderloin.  With February also being the month for Heart Health, the Checkoff wants to share with consumers the 29 lean cuts of beef that can be part of a healthy, low saturated fat diet. 

I found the following statistics on the Beef Checkoff's webpage and thought they are a great way to put beef in your month of February!

• In this month of romance, 62% of Americans prefer beef.  Nothing says "I Love You" like a great steak dinner on v-day. 
• 35% of Americans prefer a Ribeye steak, with 32% having preference for a T-bone steak when sharing a meal with a significant other.
• Americans often associate beef with celebrations (50%), followed by chicken 18%, pork 17%, and then fish 15%.
• 60% of Americans feel that beef is the best way for their dinner partner to show gratitude or appreciation.

As I mentioned before, I love beef every day of every month.  This may be done through a juicy steak dinner, or delicious hamburger for lunch, but mostly it is through the joy of raising cattle--and by the looks of this little guy he knows it's true!  Hopefully you too can find a way to make beef part of your daily lives!

manic monday

I can definitely tell it is a Monday.  And in case anyone was wondering, being sick on a Monday, makes everything about being a Monday worse.


We also got our research schedule for the week, which as you may have guessed added to the Mondayness of today.  Our meats group has three different research projects going on this week, it's going to get a little crazy around here!  For one project we will weigh whole product, fabricate steaks, weigh steaks, take pictures of the steaks, trace muscles within the steaks, and prepare samples for WBSF.  Needless to say, all of our knives will get a lot of use this week!


Being a Monday, however, makes me excited for the weekend!  I am heading back to Iowa to attend a meeting with Chasen.  "Spouse's" are invited to attend this weekend, and being his fiance, Chasen has been quite insistent on me going!  So on Friday evening, I am invited to supper as a part of the Ag Leader's Institute through the Iowa Farm Bureau.  From what he has told me, it sounds like a neat opportunity for young farmers and ranchers to enhance their leadership and advocacy skills.  There are four weekend meetings held this spring, and then in the fall Chasen will get to fly to Washington DC to meet with lawmakers that work with ag policy.  How cool is that?!! 


We should be done with the conference by 3:00 on Saturday afternoon, giving us enough time to get back to Knoxville to see the renovation of the barn in the daylight!  This past weekend the barn on Stevenson Farms got re-sided and a barn quilt was hung.  The quilt is a piece of siding from the old hog barn we tore down early this summer.  This fall Tamra painted the Stevenson Farms logo (which I so keenly designed) on the wood, and had the Amish hang it this weekend.  When Chasen mentioned the quilt this morning, I insisted he send me a picture.  After seeing it  I am soooo much more excited to see it in person!

Heading back to the farm, I will also get to see the baby calves born last week.  They should be quite spunky by time I get there, and I must admit I am excited.  Chasen took Roxie back with him yesterday, so she will have all week to bond with the calves as well. The game of tag she plays with them is quite adorable--I will make sure to take lots of pictures!!

All things considered, today has been quite hectic, and the rest of this week is not looking much better.  Needless to say, I will be counting down the hours until my car is east bound!

calving season has officially started!

Well it's official, calving season has started at Stevenson Farms.  Yesterday afternoon one of Chasen's heifers calved.  Here is a picture of the little guy :)  Chasen said they were not supposed to start calving until the end of February but this little guy must like surprises!



Or maybe he likes the weather...it was 60 degrees out!!  I sure hope calving weather stays this way through the end of March.  It would be a first for me to move/feed cattle without tromping through 2 feet of mud--imagine what Roxie, my corgi, looks like after a day of being on the farm in this mess, ugh!!!!  Not to mention the mud's effect on feed efficiency and calf health.


Anyway, it is a good sign the calf was born in the afternoon.  It means that the Konefal feeding method Chasen has initiated is working!  The Konefal method was developed, or more so recognized, by Gus Konefal.  Gus, a Hereford breeder from Manitoba, began feeding his cows twice daily, once at 11 am and again at 9 pm.  The cows through the early hours of the morning focus on feeding and gaining energy instead of going into labor.  I mean these ladies y got some things figured out!  The Konefal method should be started 1 month prior to calving to allow the mamas to adjust to the new feeding schedule.  Research at Iowa State University indicated that 80% of females calved between the hours of 7am and 7pm; which for a producer means a few more minutes of shut eye through the night.  Don't get me wrong, cows need to be checked every 2 - 3 hours, but this method allows producers to get back to bed sooner.    


Although Chasen may get consistently crabbier over the next few months due to lack of sleep, I know that he truly enjoys this time of year.  And I do too!  I am simply ecstatic to head back in two weeks to see all of the little boogers running through the pasture.  If there is one thing that makes producers smile, it is witnessing a newborn calf stand for the first time, take it's first drink or first step outside, or seeing a pasture full of newborn calves playing together, or ......  Ok I realize I listed more than ONE reason, but all of these things truly bring joy to a producers life.  I guess what I am trying to say is calving season, although the long nights, and hard pulls, and cold weather can make it quite miserable at times, it is the true way farmers are able to interact and thus appreciate new life on the farm.  It makes our job feel worthwhile!


We sure do have our work cut out for us this spring, with over 100 head of mamas to calve, 30 being heifers there may be a lot of late nights.  But that next morning I can guarantee there will be lots of smiles!!!