This year I got my Master of Beef Advocacy Degree from the National Cattleman's Beef University and The Beef Checkoff Program.

As soon as I could I but it to work, I joined the Idaho Beer Council at the Elementary School in Gooding Idaho for their food fair to promote the importance of Beef in a balanced diet.

Life on the Farm Living the Education:

There are those who have stated out loud that a degree in agriculture will not be needed , and that the children of those in agricultural  family’s will no longer be able to learn from generations of knowledge. I am a member of the Agriculture Millennial Generation and at my age most of my education comes from the Agriculture Boomers; first hand knowledge or job training so to speak. I am the future of Agriculture; when I finish high school I plan to get a degree in Agriculture, Public Relations (promotion), and Business. Just to insure that you as a consumer can rest easy, and know that the next generation of the Agricultural community who grows the food that you are eating is educated and has your best interest and health at heart.

My on the job or first hand knowledge comes from two families that have a total of more than  200 years of hands on  knowledge, and College degrees in the beef cattle producing community.

My goal is to have both a seed stock or pure bred herd and a commercial herd.

I guess the best place to start is at the beginning; I have learned of should I say have lived with this knowledge as long as I can remember.

I am writing this for the consumer that may or may not know that there are two entirely different types of cattle, Beef cattle and Dairy cattle and the two should not be confuse with each other. Dairy cattle are raised to give milk; and beef cattle are raised to grace your dinner table.  I will be talking About BEEF cattle.

Red and Black Angus (beef cattle)

Holstein (Dairy Cow)

Beef Cows – “a beef cow does not spend a single day in a cattle-fattening feedlot, but instead lives on grass and hay her entire life, being retained for breeding and nursing: her job is to generate more cattle. Beef cows have a nine-month gestation period and usually give birth to a single calf either in the fall or in the spring. Most these calves are called "commercial" cattle as opposed to "purebreds," which are born from both a sire and dame of purebred ancestry. The majority of calves in this country are born in the spring and sold in the fall. The average calf weighs between 80 and 85 pounds at birth and lives on a diet of grass and its mother's milk. The calves run beside their mothers until they are weaned, which usually occurs when the calves are between six and eight months old and which time the calves will weigh between 500 to 650 pounds.”

The best Pure bred heifers are usually registered and kept to restock the herd, and the others are sold as commercial heifers; they are called replacement heifers. Cows are called heifers until they have conceived and have given birth to a calf.

“The Bulls that are used are usually purebred cattle in which multi-generational pedigrees have been maintained by a breed association; these bulls are produced by purebred breeders; who’s sole intent is to provide seed stock for the commercial beef cattle producer. These purebred producers test their cattle for weight gain and meat quality, and keep extensive records on their pedigreed livestock. When commercial producers purchase a bull in the spring or fall of the year, they are aided by a pedigree and by computerized records that indicate how a particular sire's offspring might perform. The price of these commercial bulls usually ranges from $1,500 to $4,000, while the purebred sire that was used to produce them might cost upwards of $20,000 or more.” Only the best of a breed makes the grade to become a registered purebred bull. A mature bull can weigh anywhere from under 2000 lbs to over 3300 lbs.

Steers are bulls that do not make the grade as a commercial bull.  A steer is a bull that has been castrated  to prevent breeding with cows and heifer calves it can also be thought of as a form of birth control; in addition "also to prevent them from being aggressive and hurting other cattle or those working with the cattle. As well as improving the quality of the meat for the consumer." Castrating a bull calf is done at a very early age two or three days old and sometime even a little older.   The elastrator  bloodless method is when an elastrator band (it looks like a very small rubber band) is placed around both testicles to cut off the blood supply to the testicle and causes the scrotum to fall off in about  two weeks. This method is much like putting a rubber band around a wart to cut off the blood supply and the wart dries up and falls off; this is a very humane practice. Most of the beef that makes it to your dinner table comes from these types of cattle (steers). A finished steer can weigh about 1200 to 1400 pounds.

“Many ranchers consider themselves grass farmers. Their job is to convert grass to beef as efficiently as possible. Cattle spend between 80 and 100 percent of their lives on grazing lands and have played a role in the sustainable agricultural and Eco systems for centuries. Their manure and urine naturally fertilize the grasslands, and their hoofing action breaks up the crust of the soil.” Ranchers and cattlemen are great environmentalist and cattle play a key role in maintaining soil productivity and keeping forages in a healthy condition.

My information
Dad, Grandfather, Grandmother, Great Grandfather.
and two of the best cattlemen in my area.

Science Backed information

http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu

 http://business.highbeam.com

Beef Production Medicine and Management

http://www.agintheclassroom.org

My next blog will be - Cattle the Digestion Process and What They Eat.

Feeding and caring for animals at Will Feed

Tracking Beef’s Shrinking Footprint ( fromThe RAAA news letter)

A study published in this month’s Journal of Animal Science found that raising a pound of beef in the United States today uses significantly fewer natural resources, including land, water, feed and fuel than in the past. “The Environmental Impact of Beef Production in the United States: 1977 compared with 2007” (Journal of Animal Science, December 18, 2011) by Jude Capper, Ph.D., Washington State University, documents that each pound of beef raised in 2007 used 33 percent less land, 12 percent less water, 19 percent less feed and 9 percent less fossil fuel energy than equivalent beef production in 1977. Waste outputs were similarly reduced, shrinking the carbon footprint of beef by 16.3 percent in 30 years.

According to Capper’s research, improvements in the way cattle are raised and fed in the United States between 1977 and 2007 yielded 13 percent more total beef from 30 percent fewer animals. Raising more beef from fewer animals maximizes natural resources while providing essential nutrients for the human diet. As the population increases, it is crucial to continue the improvements demonstrated over the past 30 years to meet demand for nutrient-rich beef while reducing resource use and mitigating environmental impact. Turning back the clock on these advancements is not the solution to feeding a world population that recently reached 7 billion and will grow to 10 billion by the year 2050, concludes the author.

“As the number of mouths to feed increases and the quality of diets in many areas around the world improves, the demand for nutrient-rich protein like beef will increase,” says Capper. “At the same time, resources like land, water and fossil fuels will become increasingly scarce. These realities are like two trains speeding toward each other on the same track. If we listen to alarmists shouting at us to slow down, we could face a head-on collision of epic proportions. The only way to avoid this disaster is to accelerate the pace of progress.”

Capper attributes much of the reduction in beef’s environmental footprint to raising cattle on grass pasture before finishing them on an optimal balanced diet of grasses, grains and other forages in a feedyard. According to previous research conducted by Capper, each pound of grain-finished beef requires 45 percent less land, 76 percent less water and 49 percent less feed and at the same time generates 51 percent less manure and 42 percent fewer carbon emissions than grass-finished beef.

“As we work on solutions for the future it is important to understand how far the U.S. livestock industry has come in reducing its environmental footprint in the recent past and how this significant reduction was achieved,” says Capper. “The facts are in. Improved cattle diets in the feedyard and responsible use of science-based technologies to improve the ability of cattle to convert feed to pounds of beef, reduces the amount of land, water and fossil fuels it takes to raise beef. “

Capper says focusing resources to provide more nutrient rich foods like beef, which provides more than 10 percent of the daily recommended value of ten essential nutrients and vitamins for less than ten percent of daily calories (based on a 2,000 calorie per-day diet), is a critical success factor in meeting nutrition needs at home and abroad.

”Making the best use of resources like land, water and energy to raise nutrient-rich beef is the key to sustainability,” says Capper. “The result is delicious, healthful beef you can feel good about.”

This project was supported by the Beef Checkoff Program through a research grant from state beef councils in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Washington.

Learn more about your beef checkoff at

Power of Protein

There are plenty of powerful health reasons to put high quality protein including lean beef protein, at the center of your plate:

Manage your weight

Lower your risk of heart disease

Improve your blood sugars

Make your bones stronger

Read the entire article by following the link.

Beef Nutrition Facts

Red meat's fat profile is often misunderstood and a common misperception is that animal proteins provide only saturated fat.  Surprisingly, half the fat in beef is monounsaturated, the same type of heart-healthy fat found in salmon and olive oil.  In addition, one-third of the saturated fat in beef is stearic acid, which studies have shown has a neutral or cholesterol-lowering effect. 

the Idaho Beef Council