It’s no longer a secret that the Humane Society of the United States is dedicated to their main agenda of abolishing food animal agriculture in this country. It’s also no secret that HSUS has spending power and an active lobbying core that has taken part in 25 ballot initiatives, including the most notable, Proposition 2. For years, there have been …
Active, Online Beef Ambassadors
Today I met with the National Beef Ambassador Team to conduct a workshop on social networking: using blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google and YouTube to help share the beef cattle production story. The ambassadors have a brand new blog to share information about the beef industry with consumers. Show your support and stop by to leave a comment. These are the …
From Rainy Plains to Dry Mountains
Well, I’m finally here for an exciting week at the 2009 Cattle Industry Summer Convention. I’m writing to you from the News Room at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Denver. I’ve ditched the rainy plains of South Dakota for a much more summery mountain climate of Colorado. Before the week kicks off, I thought I would give an agricultural update …
Florida’s ‘Pure’ Honey Standard
Get your sweet tooth ready for Florida’s “pure” honey standard in Florida! According the the Miami Herald Breaking Business News, Nirvi Shah reports about Florida’s big step towards producing pure honey for the world. Florida has become the first state — and possibly the first in the world — to ban additives, chemicals or other substances from honey produced, sold …
Catch You in Denver!
Are you geared up for the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver? I’m getting ready and packing my suitcase for an exciting week with beef cattle raisers from around the country. There are so many things to see in do while at the conference, and I will be working with Cindy to cover the Cattlemen’s Beef Board meetings and events …
Funny Video to Perk Up Your Tuesday, Or Not…
Remember this video? With 1.5 million views and counting, this popular video on YouTube has received comments both hilarious and depressing about the nation’s views on agriculture. Is it funny that people think that wool comes from cows, or is it just sad? How do we reach out to the folks in big cities who have never been exposed to …
A Cow’s Life
Without a doubt, Twitter is all the rage these days, and even farmers and ranchers are tweeting their daily lives from their tractors. This is a great way to promote food production to consumers, as it gives a unique insight into the lives of the people that are dedicated to growing a safe, wholesome product for consumption. While there are …
4-H CHARACTER COUNTS! Builds Strong Foundations
Character Counts Program. The Character Counts Program is taught in 4-H clubs and classrooms across the country, and it instills important life lessons in young people for the future. Educators around the state of South Dakota gathered together in Sioux Falls, S.D. on June 23-24, 2009 for the 4-H Character Counts Education Conference. My sister, Courtney, presented a speech at …
Illinois Beef Association Summer Conference
If you’re in or around Illinois on June 25-26, I would love to meet you. Tomorrow, I’m hopping on a plane to head to the Illinois Beef Association Summer Conference to present my workshop, “Table Truths in a New York Minute.” My workshop dives into the tips and tricks for utilizing online tools and social networks to tell the agriculture …
Next Generation Rancher
Lee Kopriva always knew he wanted to be a cattle rancher. From a young age, he played an active role in his family’s cattle operation, Kopriva Angus. After graduating from South Dakota State University (SDSU) this May, Kopriva is now following his dream of raising quality seedstock for producers, and he is one of the few students in his graduating …