Blogging will be light…

….as we head out to carry the Devon story to the American Forage and Grasslands Council meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It’s at the Amway Grand Plaza from Sunday, June 21st  through Tuesday the 23rd.  Drop by and talk about your farm with NADA President Gearld Fry.  We’ll also be able to put you in touch with top breeders if you’ve decided it’s time for Devon genetics in your herd.

In just the past week, we’ve matched up about a dozen prospects with NADA members and what is significant, we think, is the demand for Devon bulls.  Clearly people with established herds have been getting the word that they can improve the quality of their beef pretty quickly with a prepotent Devon bull.  Interestingly, two of the farmers we’ve talked with have been Angus breeders for many years and now want to totally transition into Devon.  If you’re going to be attending the AFGC meeting, or are in the area, this would be a good opportunity to talk with Gearld about Devon genetics.

Right after Grand Rapids, ED heads for Massachusetts and the seminar NADA’s Ridge Shinn has set up at Rotokawa Cattle Company.  The featured attraction is New Zealand’s Ken McDowall, who developed the famed Rotokawa strain of Devon.  But Michael Gourlay of Hardwick Beef is on the program, too, and he’s had more experience than probably anyone in selling gourmet Devon beef, both retail and to restaurants.  You might want to call Ridge and see if he can still fit you in.  (413) 657-7709

Post-graduate education…       

….seems to be a passion with many of the Devon breeders we know.  They never stop learning and growing.  NADA board member Bill Roberts, after a career selling veterinary medicines, has moved into holistic treatments and recently attended an intensive workshop he writes about in his Viewpoint blog.  (click here)

The latest on the Waxman bill….

….which is what they’re calling the Food Safety Act on Capitol Hill these days.  Waxman is the chairman of the House committee considering the measure.  Brian Snyder, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, has been very active in trying to work with the committee to eliminate the bill’s more objectionable features.  Here’s part of his report on the negotiations to the PASA membership:

There are some things for us to like in this bill, and some things to worry about, though I don’t think the worry at this point should rise to the level of panic. 

The principle gain so far has been inclusion of language under the Food Traceability section that would exempt farms from registering with FDA if they are direct marketing to individual consumers, including through restaurants and grocery stores.  That exemption language is quoted as follows for your convenience:

‘‘(4) EXEMPTIONS.—
            ‘‘(A) DIRECT SALES BY FARMS.—Food is exempt from the requirements of this subsection if such food is—
     ‘‘(i) produced on a farm or fishery (including an oyster bed, a wild fishery, an aquaculture facility, a fresh water fishery, and a saltwater fishery); and
     ‘‘(ii) sold by the owner, operator, or agent in charge of such farm or fishery directly to a consumer or to a restaurant or grocery store.
‘‘(D) RESTAURANTS AND GROCERY STORES.—For a food covered by an exemption under subparagraph (A), restaurants and grocery stores shall keep records documenting the farm that was the source of the food.
‘‘(E) FARMS AND FISHERIES.—For a food covered by an exemption under subparagraph (A), farms and fisheries shall keep records, in electronic or non-electronic format, for at least 6 months documenting the restaurant or grocery store to which the food was sold’’.

As compared to previous drafts of the bill, this one has lowered the annual fee to be paid by food “facilities” from $1,000 to $500, which made the thing more palatable to the committee as a whole, but unfortunately also focused the burden of paying for an inspection system more clearly on the backs of small businesses (i.e. for big companies, this is mere pocket change).  That pricing system – still a significant controversy in the bill – is a major focus of our input to the process right now, as is an effort to determine a more exact definition of “facility.”  We are very concerned that farms may be considered a facility, needing to pay the fee, even if they are only minimally processing food for sale to the public. 

For the most part, we believe the threats that exist to be in the form of “unintended consequences” of legislation that is aimed at solving big problems with big food processing and distribution systems.  I fully realize that some groups and individuals out there have theorized that this bill, and those that preceded it, were in fact designed by big ag/industry representatives with the intent of putting the small guys out of business. We do not take that view, and are not ready to give up on the “system” just yet. 

Some tips on direct marketing….

….that we found helpful from a Farmers Market Association in New Mexico.  You may want to review their checklist.  Turns out “meat on a pick” isn’t the way to do it.  That’s just giving grazers a treat; not creating customers.  We’d also be interested in your tips to increase beef sales.  But for the advice from New Mexico click here.

The Art of Breeding Devon – Quality….

NADA President Gearld Fry resumes his series on breeding Devon with a discussion of selecting genetics to insure meat quality.  Strangely, for people in the meat business, quality is far down the list of traits that are usually considered by cattleman.  In fact, ED heard one well-known bull salesman tell an audience that he doesn’t score his animals for quality, “that takes care of itself”.

We consider it reassuring that in this day of ultrasound and dna, you can do a pretty good job of ranking your cows with your eye.  Or as Yogi Berra once said:  “You can observe a lot by looking”.  Here are Gearld’s guidelines to restoring health (and tenderness and flavor) to the beef industry.  (click here)

Incidentally, Gearld will be manning the NADA booth Sunday through Tuesday (June 21-23) at the American Forage and Grasslands Council meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It’s at the Amway Grand Plaza.

The neighbor notices….

Not many people seem as determined as Rich and Linda Maurer---who farm near Madison, Virginia---to get everything right.  It may be their “civilian background” as engineers but it seems to ED that they have thought out every angle in this business of raising cows.  Springhaven Farm is a small place but there’s a lesson in every acre. You can read Linda’s series on “Getting Started” by (clicking here).

Rich recently wrote us about the reaction of a neighbor who hayed one of their fields.  Clearly their attention to detail was noticed.

“The field we hayed has had NO pesticides, herbicides or petro-chemical additives in the last 4 years.  Only rotational grazing, periodic "clipping", some over-seeding with orchard grass, clover, ryegrass.  Sooooo, after our neighbor had cut the "grass" in our hayfield, he stopped to talk about the grass and the soil.  

“First of all, he was amazed at how "dense" the forage was.  He also commented on the variety of forage, commenting particularly on how the field, which used to be almost total fescue, was now a very dense mixture of many grasses/legumes.  

“Secondly, he commented on the organic content of the soil and went on to say how much better it was than his own fields (surprised me that he was willing to compare our fields to his own).  "That soil really holds a lot of moisture" was one of his exact quotes.  I didn't see him get down off the tractor and dig into the soil, so the fact he could tell that from on top of the tractor says something!!  

“Finally, he commented on how healthy our cows looked.  These cows were probably at their low point for the year, by our measure in any case, coming out of winter with nothing but hay and 70 days of strip grazing.

“Following the cutting and baling of the hay, the field rebounded quickly and was suitable for grazing within a short time, 2 weeks or less.  

“So, it's interesting that some of the "old timers" are taking note of this whole "sustainable agriculture thing".  We're hoping for a healthy crop of new calves this September.  Maybe when our neighbors see we don't have to pull our calves, they'll consider adding some of "those fancy brown cows", which is how a local dairyman refers to our herd.”

Congratulations to the new officers….

…of the New Zealand Red Devon Cattle Breeders Association.  Karen Schumacher was elected president; Alan Cudmore, vice president; and the Council includes John Dunn, Wayne Aspin, Colin Nash and Kevin Fletcher.

The New Zealanders also voted to incorporate Breed Plan in their operations.  Breed Plan is a software program developed by the Australians to make comparative analysis of cows, much like EPDs in the United States.

We thought you should know….

….that the long awaited movie “Food Inc.” featuring Michael Pollan has finally debuted.  The first screening was in New York and you can read the Times review by clicking here.

….that rancher and activist Mike Callicrate is ruffling feathers again, this time by addressing an open letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack after sitting through one of those USDA “listening sessions” on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).  (click here)

….that Beef Magazine is taking a poll, asking cattleman whether they’re for a mandatory NAIS or would like a voluntarily version or would just like the whole idea scrapped.  So far, they’ve recorded more than 24,000 votes.  You can record your opinion by clicking here.

….that the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has released a landmark position paper signed by physicians across the country calling for a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) foods.  The organization says animals studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food.

….that the July issue of Bon Appetit has not one but two articles which feature grass fed beef.  Not exactly a mass market publication but the readers definitely are what marketers call the “influentials”.

….that an old farmer has recently distilled a lifetime of experience into a few simple guidelines.  You can save yourself some harsh lessons by clicking here.

             

Open for business….

….after a break that turned out to be a little longer than expected.  Blame it on important research in Tuscany where we tracked down some of the trade secrets of bistecca alla fiorentina.  That’s the monster steak featured in all the best, or at least most expensive, restaurants and along with Chianti it’s what the region around Florence is best known for.  (Mrs. ED tells me there were a couple of old guys who painted there, too but we didn’t have enough time to check that out.)

The authentic bistecca alla fiorentina must come from Chianina cows, a huge animal that grows to be as tall as a man.  A tall man.  And the steak is a t-bone weighing two to four pounds.  It is offered up reverentially to the patrons and then cut at the table.  I’m told some Italians can eat the whole thing but it is generally served up family style.

Chianina cows lived a pampered life, occasionally pastured but more often kept in stalls or small pens.  They are fed grass right in their stalls and, being temperamental animals, do best when they have the same caretaker at all times.  I had been lead to believe that Chianina cows are grass fed but several butchers confided that they knew they were generally finished on grain.

The butcher shops were even more interesting than the art galleries.  And a few are even world famous, particularly this one in Greve.  Macelleria Folonari is a shop deserving of a pilgrimage.  It features a series of rooms, each dedicated to a different meat.  Even wild boar have a special room.  This particular butcher shop (and you should check out their website by clicking here) suppliesmost of the bistecca for the entire region.  But in our research we learned that not only is Chianina not truly grass fed but many restaurants are substituting beef imported from Spain.  Imported beef is cheaper than the meat produced locally.  A good Chianti covers a multitude of sins.                    

And we also learned that there are two distinct grades of Chianti….the export stuff and the better vintages that are reserved for the locals.  The difference was considerable.  And I was diligent in this particular area of research.

But, Mr and Mrs ED are back and, as the headline promised, NADA headquarters is open for business.  There were almost 200 emails awaiting our attention, lots of registrations and several new membership applications.  We’re sorry for the delay but we’ll catch up shortly.

Several people should be thanked for keeping an eye on the internet to make sure we didn’t miss anything.  We appreciate the contributions of Sue Beal (who has a new blog up on the NAIS controversy) and Bill Roberts, Jeff Moore and Steve Campbell for forwarding a number of articles.  So here we go….

Don’t “just say ‘no’”….

….is the advice of NADA board member Dr. Sue Beal.  Sue attended one of the government “listening programs” where comments were solicited on the National Animal Identification System.   NAIS is a bad idea that has been killed more than once, but the bureaucrats and Big Ag keep resurrecting it and Sue says it’s time to recognize that it’s just not going to go away.  Read her thought-provoking blog by clicking here.

A worried “animal scientist”….

….among the articles stacked up in our In-Box is one forwarded by board member Jeff Moore of Dixie Devon.  As you may have noticed, this website generally and Gearld Fry, in particular, have been a little hard on the university boys.  Until now they have not deigned to notice our barbs nor the growing body of literature on old-fashioned animal husbandry, which is making a comeback.  The professors have stuck to their “bigger is better, if a little chemicals are called for then why not pile it on” mantra.  Meanwhile, an increasing number of us have been going back to the wisdom of the past, realizing that the professors and their grants from the big chemical companies have just about killed American agriculture.  We are too polite to remind them here about what they’ve done to the quality of the meat they’re inflicting on the consumer.

Now, at least one professor realizes the Ag schools are being left behind.  It’s not a particularly gracious article but you can read the fear between the lines.  (click here)

Worried about the wrong thing….

….at least that’s what a contributor to the website Slate thinks.  He writes that while Big Ag is focused on the healthy food movement and sustainable agriculture, it faces a much more real and less subtle threat:  water.  (click here)

 

Dreams fulfilled….

….for NADA member Dennis Bruce and his wife, Nancy.  They’ve now retired and have left Ohio for their Powder Horn Ranch in Big Timber, Montana.  They’re certainly off to a good start with this 8-month old bull calf, Double Trouble, grandson of Rotokawa 688 and son of Longacres Double Clutch.  That’s dad in the background.

Dennis writes that he’s focusing on prepotency, performance and phenotype in an all natural feeding environment.  It’s clearly working with Double Trouble.  Dennis is also looking for other

breeders interested in developing polled Devon from sexed semen.  The goal is to produce not only seedstock but “the finest-flavored tender beef in the British tradition of excellence.”  You can reach Dennis at dbrucemontana@yahoo.com  

And just to prove there is pretty scenery (and dreams) back East, new NADA member Dave Roffey sends along information on the website for his new farm in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.  It’s at www.roffeycattlecompany.com.

 

Gimme a Break….

….thank you.  The NADA office is closed for R & R…for you non-military types that means “rest and rehabilitation”…or…“vacation”.  The office will re-open and posting on the website will resume June 1st.  The registry is closed, too but you may continue to mail in your paperwork and it will be processed as soon as we return.

While we’re gone, keep two events in mind:

The Rotokawa seminar featuring Ken McDowall takes place at Hardwick, Massachusetts June 25th to the 27th.  Call Ridge Shinn for details at (413) 477-6500 or email him at ridge@bakewellrepro.com

NADA president Gearld Fry will be manning our booth at the American Forage and Grasslands Council annual meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan June 21-23.  If you want to know more about Devon drop by and say hello and for an advanced course in grazing consider attending the whole conference.  Details are at the website:  www.afgc.org

A Man in his Element….

….in the encyclopedia, that entry would have a picture of Fry in the field with his beloved Devon.  Gearld did a swing through several eastern Devon farms this week.  Here at Thistle Hill, Fry linear measured the 22 Devon heifers that are 2 and 3 years old but also spent most of his time with the bulls.  We also pulled tail hairs on everybody for DNA tenderness workups.  Fry’s energy is amazing; he bounds out of the truck to open gates before the wheels have stopped turning; and when we stop for a break, he’s at his computer recording all the data he’s collected.  He worked from dawn…and then drove in the dark to start at his next stop at the following day-break.   Here are just a few scenes of a “day in the life”….           

A final word about those bulls:  several didn’t measure up and were steered within 24 hours.

Why all the fuss about Devon?

That’s what Joel Salatin seems to be asking in a recent article in ACRES, USA.  Joel, who  gets many of his calves from sale barns, thinks there’s much ado about nothing in this pure bred business.  He argues essentially that a cow is a cow is a cow…that if we carry this docility thing too far, our cows will be pets and no one will want to eat beef.

But he particularly targets Devon:

“Frankly, the folks who say Devon are the best for pastured beef just wear me out.  If that were the case, are we supposed to let all the other breeds go extinct?  I mean, don’t we all want to have the best?  It would philosophically reprehensible to me to suggest that none of the other breeds except mine have a place at the table…what happened to diversity?  I think when we market our specific breed as the be-all and the end-all, we practice genetic elitism that if carried to enough converts could jeopardize genetic diversity at its base.”

About the only place where we agree, is in Joel’s argument that he would rather create his own bulls on his own pastures using line breeding.  He calls this “using nativized genetics”.

But we think he is missing the point of the Devon movement.  It is indeed based on the purity of Devon genetics and it is because that purity has stood the test of time---at the dinner table.  Beyond that, purity  means a concentrated gene pool guaranteeing meat quality and consistency from calf to calf…steak to steak. 

If the American cattle industry has specialized in anything, it is diversity and the result of all that diversity Saladin argues for is poor doing, sick and infertile cows, and most of all a declining quality of meat for the American consumer.  If there is any testimony to the results of diversity it is in the declining quality of our meat supply, not to mention statistics that indicate that only 60% of the cows in this country bring forth a calf every year.

We think Joel might part with a few of the dollars he makes on the lecture circuit and buy a Devon bull.  He’ll taste the difference. That’s what an increasing number of commercial cattlemen are doing today.  They have all the diversity they want in their herds, but they benefit from Devon genetics in that terminal cross.

As an aside, we might add that Joel carefully uses several different breeds of chickens in his poultry operation and, at one point, worries that their genetically-endangered.  And at another he brags on his industrial turkeys outperforming heritage turkeys because his turkeys are moved daily instead of every two months.  Apples and oranges, Joel.

Finally, ED feels he needs to say a word in defense of the hobby farmers that Joel disparages.  In the case of Devon, when the whole cattle industry went overboard chasing after the industrial model cow and corn and feedlots and cross-breeding, it was those hobby farmers who loved their animals and protected the Devon genetics that are so much in demand today.

Cows as family….

….NADA board member Sue Beal, DVM, would say there’s something to the idea.  And it’s in our self-interest.  A well-cared for cow is not only healthier, she is better behaved, and yields more tender meat.    Sue references Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the British author and television personality (and a Devon breeder) who spends a good deal of his River Cottage Meatbook arguing that there is an almost mystical relationship between the meat eater and the cow that traces back through the ages.

Sue also forwards an excerpt from a Scot born in Zimbabwe that she found particularly moving:

“She started reading the Botswana Daily News. There was a story of a 
politician who had made a speech urging people to take more care of 
their cattle. He said that it was a shocking thing to the conscience 
of a cattle-owning country that there should be cases of mistreated 
cattle. People who allowed their cattle to go thirsty while they were  
driving them to the railway siding should be ashamed of themselves, 
he said. It was well-known, he went on, that the quality of the meat 
was affected by the experience of the cattle in their last days. An 
animal that had been stressed would always produce beef that tasted 
less than perfect, and perfection was what Botswana wanted for its 
meat. After all, Botswana beef was fine, grass-fed beef, and tasted 
so much better than the meat of all those poor cattle which were kept 
cooped up or which were fed food that cattle should not eat.

Mma Ramotswe found herself agreeing with all of this. Her father had 
been a great judge of cattle and had always told her that cattle 
should be treated like members of the family. He knew the names of 
all his cattle, which was a considerable feat for one who had built 
up so large a herd, and he would never have tolerated their suffering 
in any way. It was just as well, she thought, that he was no longer 
able to hear this news of the thirsty cattle.”

 

 In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
                                                                                        Alexander McCall Smith

Going too Far?

At least the food editor of Bon Appetit thinks so. Andrew Knowlton writes in the June issue that while restaurants should want to promote their farm suppliers, listing every ingredient (e.g., “Eagle Rock Farm cilantro”, “Skogly Fields butter beans”) is getting tedious.

Bon Appetit opts for a statement on the menu along the lines of “We take great pride in using only the freshest and highest-quality locally and organically farmed produce and meats.” But Knowlton adds:

“Restauranteurs, don’t be offended when I ask why you’re serving fresh tomatoes and asparagus in the winter. (Here are) a few things to look for when deciding whether your restaurant is truly a friend of the farmer or one merely capitalizing on a movement. Seasonality will tell you a lot. Does the menu change from season to season?

“Ask your server where the goat cheese is sourced from, whether the beef is grass fed. Chefs who truly care about their food will have schooled their staff members on the ingredients.”

Which reminds ED that the other day when he was in Wegman’s he asked a butcher to point him to the grass fed meats. The butcher pointed to a display of organic, but corn fed, steaks and in the discussion that followed it was clear that the butcher clearly did not understand the difference between organic and grass fed. Work remains to be done!

What’s Behind the Obesity Epidemic….

….speaking of work to be done, the government continues to peddle the myth that a low-fat diet is the answer to obesity. Others point to too much fast food and television and computers. Nobody has asked why people keep getting fatter despite the fact that people have been following the expert advice by cutting their consumption of dietary fat significantly.

But author Gary Taubes has concluded after a seven-year study that it’s not the number of calories we consume, but the kind.. His conclusion provides more ammunition for beef growers. You can read a Beef Magazine review of “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by clicking here.

They Claim They’re Listening….

….the USDA is holding “listening sessions” throughout the country on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Is it only ED, or wasn’t that bureaucratic scheme pronounced “dead” a long time ago. Or was it a long time ago that we said, don’t believe it; the bureaucrats never give up once they smell money and power. We suspect it will take more than a stake through the heart to finally lay this one to rest.

Anyway the USDA listening sessions coming up are in Southern states:

Austin, Texas on Wednesday, May 20; Birmingham, Alabama on Thursday, May 21; and Louisville, Kentucky on Friday, May 22.

You can visit the USDA website for more details, updates, and instructions on submitting your views if you are not able to attend a listening session. Additional information is available from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.

As the saying goes: we report, you decide.

Germany Bans GM Corn….

….making that country a GM-Free zone, along with a number of other European Union nations. Monsanto says it may go to court to lift the ban on its seeds and they have the money and the lawyers to do it. Again this year, the U.S. is planting millions of acres of genetically-modified seeds. Dr. Joseph Mercola explains why the government and the rest of us should be concerned. (click here)

‘Tis the Season….

….for shopping for Devon. And we understand from a number of breeders that business has been brisk. Wayne Atkins of Landrum, South Carolina was at Thistle Hill recently, buying a young bull and some bred cows, heifers and Devon-cross heifers to launch a new herd specializing in the production of grass fed beef. And chickens and pigs.

NADA board member Bill Roberts mentioned in passing that he smoothes his sales with a written document detailing his business procedures. You can read it by clicking here. We like the fact that Bill guarantees to file the transfer papers immediately and urges the buyer to join the Association. ED goes one step further and presents buyers with a complimentary membership in NADA. That not only insures we won’t lose track of a Devon, it creates a member, and it supports the Association in its promotional efforts. This is a miniscule cost in sale that generally goes into the thousands.

Boosting the Value of your Herd….

….if you’re not satisfied that you’re getting all you can from your Devon herd, you should consider the seminar Rotokawa Cattle Company is hosting in north central Massachusetts next month. Master Breeder Ken McDowall, who developed several of the great Devon bulls of all time, will be sharing his secrets in the classroom and out in the pasture. An added benefit is the chance to see what may be the best concentration of Devon cattle anywhere. Incidentally, you’ll also hear some money-making tips on butchering from Hardwick beef manager Michael Gourlay. For details on the June 25th – 27th weekend contact Ridge Shinn at ridge@bakewellrepro.com or phone (413) 477-6500.

Because we can….

….our regular feature of items that come across our desk and are too good not to share. We find it reassuring that some people refuse to be intimidated by Swine flu and offer shelter to homeless pigs. (click here)

What’s in a Name?

Well, maybe $3 a pound. That’s what the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association hopes it has found by discovering the “Denver steak”. On the other hand, maybe “discovering” isn’t quite the right word.

NADA’s Mike Debach of Leona Meats in Troy, Pennsylvania reviewed the claims the Association is making for its new product…the Denver…and concludes that it’s “just a glorified chuck steak that they’ve cleaned the junk off of”. The NCBA spent $1.5-million in research to come up with several new shoulder cuts that it hopes will increase consumer spending. Read the story in the New York Times by clicking here.

The Butterfat Difference….

....more than once we’ve discussed butterfat and the impact it has on the quality of the calves we raise. High butterfat content translates into healthy cows and, yes, later into healthy consumers.

One of our non-farm readers---Netty Graham---recently wrote about the difficulty she’s having finding raw milk that is rich in butter fat and wondering if there was a difference in breeds when it comes to butterfat content. We turned to NADA board member Ridge Shinn for the answer.

Different breeds typically have higher or lower amounts of butterfat. Once we understand that fat (the right kinds in the correct ratios) is good for us and is indeed essential, then we want more rather than less.

Typically high volume (of milk) correlates to lower fat. The Holstein produces lots of milk at a not very high butterfat percentage (2 to3%). Jersey is quite high in butterfat (4% is typical) and lower in volume. In reality , the Devon is near the top of the list in butterfat percentage. (Doug Flack in VT is getting 7% butterfat—he does sell raw milk). The Ayrshire is somewhere between the Jersey and the Holstein on the continuum.

Ms Graham responded to Ridge’s e-mail and detailed the plight of today’s (determined) health-conscious consumer.

I very much appreciate all the information you provided.

My husband and I buy pastured/grass fed beef, poultry, eggs, pork; buy locally-raised vegetables and fruit (freeze as much as I can to "winter us over"), even make my own bread and condiments (to maintain control of all ingredients) and most of all, buy raw milk - wouldn't have it any other way. I'm determined to stay out of the mainstream/industrial food chain.

Having said all that, my raw milk (and raw cheese) sources require quite a ride to obtain it. Fine. But I cannot, for the life of me, obtain raw butter, nor can I buy raw heavy cream for making butter and ice cream at home. So, my solution (thinking now) is to buy as high-in-fat raw milk as I can, skim off the cream when I need to make butter and of course, drink the rich milk with it's cream when I don't need to make butter.

Choose That Heifer’s First Sire Carefully….

….the impact could be lasting. Idaho rancher Steve Campbell is back with some thoughts on a very controversial aspect of breeding. It’s an idea that goes back a long way…and re-surfaces from time to time. Does a heifer’s first mating indelibly stamp her? That’s the question Steve examines in his latest blog. (click here)

Good News from Washington….

….at least one leader in sustainable agriculture thinks so. Brian Snyder, the executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture has not joined the critics of the so-called Food Safety legislation (H.R. 875) making its way through Congress. The critics say the target of the suddenly health-conscious Industrial Ag folks and their allies on Capitol Hill is less food safety than the safety of their bottom line.

Snyder, who has said he doubts there’s a serious threat to local farmers’ markets and farm sales, nevertheless went to Washington recently to talk with the major advocate of the bill. Here’s what he reported to his members:

…I personally led a small group of sustainable advocates including good friend Russell Libby, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), Fred Hoefner of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and PASA farmer Joan Norman of One Straw Farm in a meeting with members of Rep. Henry Waxman’s staff and others. Waxman is chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee which WILL BE the committee deciding the fate of food safety legislation on the House side. Amazingly, we were told by Waxman’s point person on food safety legislation that we were the very first group from the sustainable/organic community they had met with in this process!

The news from Washington was “good” in that we were assured there is no hidden effort underway to shut down locally-based agriculture, and we were also asked to provide input to the process to help avoid “unintended consequences” as legislation moves ahead later this spring and summer.

ED must confess he is much less reassured than Snyder by the conversation with a couple of unnamed aides to California’s far-out, big government proponent Waxman. There is no one in Washington we can think of that has been a more vigorous advocate of more regulation in all fields than Waxman. And we note that Waxman, himself, apparently didn’t bother to meet with the Snyder group.

Second, the language in H.R.875 is so broad, any self-respecting bureaucrat will be able to drive a hefty book of rules and regulations through the holes. Far more likely than “unintended consequences” are the consequences an Ohio farm family faced recently: a raid by agents with guns drawn. Hopefully Snyder will consider this story. (click here)

We hope the leaders of this group of sustainable ag organizations---in their attempt to be “reasonable” understand that behind the scenes there is a stable of Monsanto lawyers. And that bunch doesn’t earn millions for being “reasonable”. They specialize in “hidden efforts”….that’s why they placed their guy right in the White House.

More on GM….

….no, not the automaker but Monsanto’s genetically-modified foods.

Just scroll down to find any number of links to the not-so-hidden efforts of this chemical giant. We’ve reported on their attempts to monopolize the pig industry (is anyone looking into the Swine Flu scare in relation to Monsanto’s financial interests?)…the fact that food-related illness has soared since the introduction of GM foods…and just-recently that GM foods contain extra high levels of the pesticide Roundup.

Now there are indications---more accurately, speculation---that there could be a connection between GM fruits and vegetables and the explosion in children’s allergies. Read more by clicking here.

Take It to the Bank…

….there are several things you can be sure of whenever these flu scares pop up. First, the inevitable pictures of people wearing masks. So we thought we would try to balance the panic-y press coverage with a picture of our own.

In addition to all the pictures of people wearing masks, you can also be sure there will be comparisons with the big flu epidemic of 1918. Twenty-million people died and we’re left to conclude that’s what we’re facing. What doesn’t get recalled is the Swine flu non-epidemic of 1976...dozens were killed by the vaccine in that one and they’re still processing billions-of dollars in lawsuits….and of course there’s the big Bird flu non-epidemic of 2005 as well.

Most of all, what you can bank on is a big run-up in stock prices for the chemical companies….companies now protected by a law from anyone who was killed by bum vaccine.

 

Devon Grass Fed University….

….that’s what NADA’s board of directors envisions for the Association. At a two-day (and night) meeting in Dallas, the board decided to intensify its dedication to membership education with a series of programs aimed at helping those members who want to take their herd to a higher level.

The conference was held at the same hotel that witnessed the birth of NADA three years ago and, under the guidance of non-profit association consultant Diane Miller, took a giant step in outlining the programs and guaranteeing the funding to fulfill its founding promise. Most significant, was the pledge---in writing---that each board member made to support what might be called “the compact in Dallas”.

The board also decided to make a major push to increase the demand for Devon beef and, to that end, will be working with large commercial herds to place top quality bulls. And, with the annual meeting just six months off, final approval was given to the details of what will be a four-day series of events. The field day and sale will be held at Ted and Pat Stevens’ ranch near Longview, Texas. There will also be two pre-conference days…one focusing on pastures and one on breeding. Members and guests will be able to choose to attend all or any part of the four-day event. Details to come. And here are some pictures of the board deliberations.

Secrets of a Master Breeder….

….could be the sub-title for the seminar Ridge Shinn’s Rotokawa Cattle Company has planned for June. Ridge has asked Rotokawa founder Ken McDowall to come out of retirement in New Zealand and share his techniques with a limited number of Devon breeders. This is a three-day meeting June 25th to the 27th at Hardwick, Massachusetts.

There’ll be plenty of classroom theory as Ken discusses the elements of pairing the right sire and dam to create outstanding progeny but he’ll also take attendees into the pasture to review his original Rotokawa herd…discussing their strong points but also how he’d breed them to make them better. Shinn, no slouch as a breeder either, will contribute his own views and you’ll be on the ground floor for the possible launch of the next 93 or 982.

A great side benefit is the chance to see the original Rotokawa herd which moved to the United States last year. For details and to reserve one of the limited number of places, contact Ridge at (413) 477-6500 or ridge@bakewellrepro.com.

The Demand for Devon….

….is still very strong and the supply of females, in particular, is still very limited. But check the Breeders Index (click here) to learn what’s available. And if you don’t find a breeder in your state, or the state next door, contact NADA and we’ll put you in touch with a nearby Devon breeder who may be able to help.

Two of the more interesting requests we’ve received just in the past few days….

• Becky Brown, who had managed a grass fed herd in Virginia, is now located in the Upper Midwest and is looking for 15-25 Devon and/or Devon cross steers to finish. Becky’s working for Gary Zimmer and is setting up an Educational Foundation streamlining the best organic systems of production. This seems to us to be a good chance to spread the word about Devon.
• Devora Kimelman-Block is looking for grass fed animals that are at least 1,000 pounds for kosher slaughter in Baltimore. She will buy 6 to 10 animals at a time and pay for delivery to the slaughterhouse. This seems to us to be a huge opportunity and a natural fit for Devon breeders. Email Devora at devora@kolfoods.com. And check out her website: www.kolfoods.com

Both of these leads, and many more, have come from the appearance of the NADA booth at sustainable ag and grass fed shows this Spring. Our next stop is the AFGC meeting at Grand Rapids, Michigan in June. It’s one of the largest and most important programs of its kind and we hope we’ll see you there. For information click here.

The Art of Breeding Devon – 2….

….Gearld Fry gets serious---and controversial---as he digs in to the first characteristic he thinks is important in breeding Devon. The subject is breed purity and he fires a salvo at many Devon associations worldwide which he thinks are on a slippery slope that will cheapen our breed. Be sure to read (and ponder) the whole thing. (click here)

‘Tis the Season….

….for flies to make their appearance and, while we’ve found that many Devon seem uniquely resistant to them, it’s by no means universal. You may welcome these tips on organic parasite control (including lice) from the National Sustainable Agricultural Information Service. (click here)

Also the Season….

….for protests. But this sort of thing should be encouraged. Some Harvard university medical students are demanding their school sever its links to the big pharmaceutical companies. Right now, Harvard has about the worst record of any university in welcoming drug industry money into the classroom via faculty grants. ED can’t help but wonder if this could spread to the Ag colleges. Read the article by clicking here.

It Ain’t Grand Theft Auto….

….so we doubt a video game about gardening is going to lure many kids away from their action favorites. Still, we can hope and those of us who are grandparents may have a present idea for their little granddaughters, at least. (click here)

The Second British Invasion…

….the Beatles got here first of course (**see note below) but now comes Tilbrook Sunset, a great bull raised in England by Gavin Hunter. Gavin is best-known perhaps for his cow---Tilbrook Cashtiller---which has dominated the British Royal Show for two years in a row. But before Cashtiller, there was another award-winner: Sunset.

NADA board member Bill Roberts has put together a small group of Devon breeders here in the colonies to import semen from this impressive animal. (Full disclosure: ED is one of those breeders) The project was long-delayed by health regulations and then export restrictions, but the red tape was finally snapped in the past week and the semen is on the way.

Roberts was familiar with Sunset and he was a major reason for the trip to Devon which Bill chronicled on this website two years ago. You can read the series by clicking here.

Bill was devastated to learn on his arrival in Britain that Sunset had just died in an accident. But fortunately, technicians had managed to collect some semen. Here’s what Bill reports:

“Tilbrook Sunset had just died from an injury sustained while being collected at UK Sire Services before my trip to the UK. His progeny were a testament to his greatness. The females were fine-boned yet deep and broad with plenty of heart girth. They were identifiable in their femininity but carried a very desirable broad muzzle. The frame score and docility were undeniably Devon. While great in individual traits, Tilbrook Sunset’s "balance" and flow of the parts to make the whole was what set him apart from the crowd.”

Pictures of two of Sunset’s daughters are below so you can make up your own mind.

The group of breeders Bill put together includes Kim Miller, John Forelle, Rich Maurer and Cathy Cochran.

Now before you history buffs write in with your demands for accuracy, ED understands there were actually two earlier British invasions: the one led by General Thomas Gage in the Revolution and Admiral George Cockburn’s burning of Washington in the unpleasantness of

1812. So technically with Tilbrook Sunset, we’re looking at the Fourth British Invasion.

Gearld Goes over to the “Dark Side”….

….but he returned safely. NADA president Gearld Fry was selected to keynote the meeting of the New Zealand Angus Association and by all accounts was a big hit. It was standing room only as Gearld discussed his philosophies with the Kiwis and apparently they couldn’t get enough.

Two sessions scheduled to last only an hour stretched into five hours, as the Angus breeders looked for information on how to turn their Angus herds into grass fed animals. Short answer: Devon bulls. But New Zealand breeders have their own version of EPDs which have trapped them in the “bigger is better” mentality. They call them EVBs for Expected Value of Breeding.

Gearld reports it was a stimulating exchange of ideas. But it wasn’t all work. He also got away for a week of fishing with his old friend Ken McDowall of Rotokawa fame. Incidentally, Ken is planning to come to the States in June to check on his Rotokawa herd, now comfortably grazing in Hardwick, Massachusetts and watched over by Ridge Shinn.

More on Butterfat….

….one of the pillars in the Fry approach to selecting breeding stock. He’s written about it several times (click here)(and here) we’re sure he discussed it in New Zealand, as well. Judging animals by their butterfat production was close to a lost art, when Gearld re-introduced the question of a cow’s escutcheon a few year’s back.

It still produces lots of email to us, to wit:

Gearld, thanks for all the great information you have on the web. It has revolutionized the way I see our cows.

My question is: if a cow shows signs of butter fat (which leads to intramuscular fat), would a bull that is ultrasound-tested for high IMF produce females with high butter fat?

Thanks, Dean Kling

Gearld’s answer:

Dean, There is a chance of a glitch in ultrasound readings, be cautious. Most are accurate. There is a good possibility that a bull that is masculine and has an IMF reading of 5-6%+ would be high in butterfat. Take a look at his mother and observe the hair on the udder. If she has a bald udder you are looking at a cow that has a high potential for butterfat. But remember, no breeder has bred for consistency of any trait in a long time. So even if your bull is high in IMF, he may not pass that trait on. Hope this helps.

The Monsanto Watch….

….takes us back to genetically-modified foods. They’re questionable for all sorts of reasons but now there is documented evidence that GMO products are heavily-laced with the weed-killer Round-up. That’s because Monsanto has developed GMO plants that can’t be killed by Roundup but, of course, that leaves all the more for us to consume. Read the latest by clicking here.

The Campaign Begins….

….for what accuracy should call The Unsafe Food Bill. With Congress taking up H.R. 875, it’s not surprising to read in the New York Times that naturally raised pigs are killers; that we’re all going to die unless we switch back to factory pigs. The catchy title is “Free Range Trichinosis”.

To quote the author, James E. McWilliams, on the Times Op Ed page:

Is free-range pork better and safer to eat than conventional pork? Many consumers think so. The well-publicized horrors of intensive pig farming have fostered the widespread assumption that, as one purveyor of free-range meats put it, “the health benefits are indisputable.” However, as yet another reminder that culinary wisdom is never conventional, scientists have found that free-range pork can be more likely than caged pork to carry dangerous bacteria and parasites. It’s not only pistachios and 50-pound tubs of peanut paste that have been infected with salmonella but also 500-pound pigs allowed to root and to roam pastures happily before butting heads with a bolt gun.

You can read the whole Times article by clicking here.

The timing of this piece was certainly coincidental, what with Congress getting ready to act on a bill that would make life difficult, if not impossible, for natural food producers. We have had considerable experience with anonymous “scientists” and their “studies” in agriculture…and usually find the hand of the Big Chemical Companies and their henchman somewhere behind the scenes.

Generally, the studies turn out to be skewed one way or another and then picked up and repeated throughout the press. See for instance that “grass fed cows produce more methane” and are-endangering-the-earth-nonsense.

Well surprise, this “study” was published by Liebert, Incorporated, which also publishes “Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News”. Can anyone say Monsanto? You mean they would support confinement pig operations?

And it turns out Author McWilliams is the guy who is credited with writing “Just Food: How Locavores are Endangering the Future of Food.”

One of the commentators at the Times On-line Operation nails it:

Mass food processing operations pose the biggest threat to eaters' health. When the supermarket ground the beef it sold, an E coli contaminated grinder could poison at most a few hundred people. When beef grinding was switched to a central location, processing millions of pounds between cleaning, an E coli contaminated grinder could suddenly poison millions of people.

Similarly with mass hog feeding operations. Disease that breaks out amongst a herd (flock? school?) of hogs can affect at most all of the hogs present. Raising ten thousand hogs is therefore a lot riskier than raising a hundred or so.

And then there was this comment:

Is anyone surprised a magazine named 'Foodborne Pathogens and Disease' specializes in scare-mongering? But more seriously, some of its’ claims (I can't get to the original article) are extremely suspect. As other's point out, they don't appear to define 'free range'; neither do they define the 'conventional pork' that they use for comparison. There's no set standards for either of those.

The article says, "...higher rates of salmonella in free-range pigs..." yet salmonella contamination is typically from preparation —from butchering to packing to cooking— practices; it isn't something endemic in the animals' tissues. The same is true for toxoplasmosis, it's mostly food prep and handling.

Of course, these comments de-bunking the article do not appear in the Times print edition, nor do they appear in the blogs which have given McWilliams article wide circulation. Incidentally, we checked McWilliams credentials. He is “a fellow in agrarian studies” at Yale.

Because we Can….

….it’s time for a link to another wonderful piece of video that has nothing to do with Devon…or farming….or food. The setting is the main train station in Antwerp, Belgium. Seemingly by accident, some folks start dancing to music on the loudspeaker and eventually everyone joins in. Actually, it was apparently planned and triggered by a young dance troop, but what resulted went beyond anything they could have imagined! (click here)

‘Tis the Season….

….to finally track down Devon females and get your herd started. This young heifer from Bill Roberts Tennessee farm is on her way to a new home and new Devon breeder in the Adirondacks in New York. She’s one of five females Bill has just sold. If you’ve been looking, we recommend you check out all the listings in our Breeders Index and place your order….or at least get on a waiting list. Several new breeders have been added to the Index in recent weeks so check it out. (click here)

“Amazing Grass Fed Meat”….

….the description is not ours, but the headline of an article in Mother Earth News. It is one of the best summaries of the benefits of grass fed beef, not only to the consumer, but to the economy and our environment. Our thanks to Deb Manahan of Five M Ranch in Texas, who passes it along. (click here)

Incidentally, Deb is the chair(man)(woman)(person) of NADA’s annual meeting which will be held this year near Austin, Texas in mid-October.

Final details on the meeting will be worked out at the NADA board meeting in Dallas April 23 and 24 at the Wyndham Hotel North, 4441 W. John Carpenter Freeway near the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. NADA board meetings are always open and you’re welcome to attend.

Campbell’s Corner….

Idaho’s Steve Campbell provides so much of the material we use on this Info page that we thought we’d give the Trinity Ranch owner his own featured section this time. And of course you can check out his regular blogging by clicking here.

Steve gives a lot of thought to his cow’s nutrition and with this contribution he introduces us to Dr. Maynard Murray, who was a physician and surgeon in Chicago in the mid -1900s. Like another pioneer---Dr. Weston A. Price---Dr. Murray searched for clues to the riddle of why some populations were healthier than others. His search led him to sea minerals.

"A cubic foot of seawater sustains many times more living organisms," he noted, "than an equivalent of soil. Seawater is literally alive, especially if its temperature is warm.”

We’re not sure he was the first, but Dr. Murray certainly was a pioneer in recommending the use of sea minerals on pastures.

“No other crop is more receptive to sea minerals than grass. Grass grows in all places and at all times, it grows on everything and nothing. It is the predominant species of green plant on the 30% land mass we live on and it is a true survivor. Give grass the pure life force of sea minerals and it will take up every single mineral. Other plants make their own selection from the 'menu' served up by sea minerals, but grass loves them all.”

You can read the whole article by clicking here and check out a website dedicated to the work of Dr. Murray by clicking here.

Enough about what grass “eats”, Steve also forwards an article about what we eat; or more precisely how we should prepare what we eat. This is the view of natural food expert Dr. Joseph Mercola.

“Just as a vegetarian diet is not healthy for everyone, eating meat is not healthy across the board either. There are numerous factors that influence the quality or health-value of the meat you eat, such as:
• Whether or not it’s organic (conventional meat is loaded with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals)
• Whether or not it’s grass-fed (essential for healthy meat)
• Whether or not it contains nitrates, preservatives linked to cancer (processed meats are a big-time no-no)
• How it’s cooked

Any time you cook meat at high temperatures, whether you’re grilling, frying, broiling, etc., some pretty nasty chemicals are created:
• Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs): These form when food is cooked at high temperatures, and they’re linked to cancer. In terms of HCA, the worst part of the meat is the blackened section, which is why you should always avoid charring your meat, and never eat blackened sections.

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): When fat drips onto the heat source, causing excess smoke, and the smoke surrounds your food, it can transfer cancer-causing PAHs to the meat.

• Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): When food is cooked at high temperatures (including when it is pasteurized or sterilized), it increases the formation of AGEs in your food. When you eat the food, it transfers the AGEs into your body. AGEs build up in your body over time leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.

In other words, even if you are a protein type who thrives on red meat, eating grain-feed beef that’s been charred to a crisp will NOT improve your health.

In order for meat to be its healthiest, it should be organic and grass-fed, and it should be cooked as little as possible, or even eaten raw. You can also quickly sear the meat on both sides, leaving the inside mostly raw. This gives the illusion that you’re eating cooked meat, with many of the benefits of raw.

Many people are concerned about parasites or other infections. It is important to recognize that the quality of the animal is of utmost importance here. If you are consuming factory farmed animals that are fed and housed poorly than this is certainly an issue.  Infections become far less likely if you are consuming meat from appropriately fed and humanely raised animals.

Additionally one can supplement with hydrochloric acid when consuming your meal to help increase the pH of your stomach which is designed to kill most pathogens.

So while there are many variables involved, the majority of people feel their best when they include some healthy sources of lightly cooked or raw animal protein in their diet.”

And no update would be complete with news about that Poster Child for Bad Food:  Monsanto.  We pause here so you can “hiss”.  Michael Pollan of The Omnivores Dilemma fame, is the narrator of a new film, “Food, Inc”.

Food/Politics blogger Marion Nestle saw a screening of the movie and writes:

I talked my way into a press screening of Food, Inc. last night.  Good thing.  This film is the riveting documentary directed by Robert Kenner due for release soon but already generating lots of buzz, and for good reason.  It’s a terrific introduction to the way our food system works and to the effects of this system on the health of anyone who eats as well as of farm workers, farm animals, and the planet.  It stars Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan, among others, but I was especially moved by Barbara Kowalcyk, the eloquent and forceful food safety advocate who lost a young son to E. coli O17:H7 some years ago.  I can’t wait for the film to come out so everyone can see it.  I will use it in classes, not least because it’s such an inspiring call to action. 
Here’s the trailer for the movie, which we hope will win a screening at a theater near you.  (click here) 

We checked around the internet and found a list of locations were Food, Inc. has been booked.  (click here)

Heard Around Ed’s Corner….

More friends of Devon….a high school girl preparing a power point report for her class and requesting information from NADA headquarters writes that “the Devon breed (has) become one of the favorite breeds of cattle”….an organic seed and mineral dealer asks off-hand if ED has ever seen a Devon; he’s been reading about them on the internet; thinks they’re pretty cows and sure would like to actually see one….and a Farmer’s Market vendor, begging ED for more grass fed beef than he can supply, confides there’s no price-resistance ever for her quality products.

The Art of Breeding Devon….

….with his blog this week, NADA president Gearld Fry begins an important discussion of what Devon breeders should be all about. At least those who want to have an impact on the success of the breed. There’ll be four more articles to follow, as Gearld considers all the major considerations in breeding for a superior beef breed.

This approach isn’t for everyone, of course, It’s still fine to enjoy looking at a small group of beautiful Ruby Red Devon but Gearld opens some avenues in this series that ED doubts ever were explored by the commercial beef industry when it launched its’ “bigger and faster” campaign.

Read “The Art of Breeding Devon” by clicking here.

Since Spring is a time of renewal, as well as new starts, we thought you might want to review several other articles we’ve posted along the way on “getting started”. You might click here and click here.

Incidentally, Gearld’s views are certainly not without supporters in the commercial beef industry. He is in fact in New Zealand right now keynoting the annual convention of that country’s Angus breeders. And before leaving, he was the keynoter at an American convention of commercial breeders.

NADA’s Test Kitchen….

….at least that’s what it seems like, around here. We sometimes lose track of the number of “experiments” we’re trying to improve our personal herd. Currently we’re tracking several approaches to soil fertility and three to mineralization.

Until now, we’ve been very satisfied with our chelated minerals that come with the label Ridge’s Beef and Dairy mix. But while we can see the improvement in our herd health, it undeniably comes with a cost that only a seedstock producer may be able to justify. Our bloggers Bill Roberts and Steve Campbell recently came up with articles that we decided to pursue.

Roberts is a proponent of a cafeteria-style approach….putting out 12 minerals and vitamins and letting the cattle decide what they need. This approach, too, is somewhat expensive at first but since the cows apparently settle down and consume only what their body tells them they need, it may turn out to be the most cost-effective in the long run. Certainly it is a way of determining the shortcomings in your forage in a way that is more telling than a simple soil test. Let the customer decide!

Steve Campbell, on the other hand, argues for a simpler approach and one that is less costly. He uses Redmond Trace Mineral Salt and Conditioner along with natural soda. Natural soda is also one of the minerals in the Roberts cafeteria offering.

And it is the natural soda---sodium bi-carbonate---that our two test herds immediately consumed voraciously. In fact, we’ve had to order another shipment. Clearly something’s wrong here with pastures that are high quality, whatever test you want to use. Our suspicion as that our water is very acidic and we’re checking that out.

We’ll let you know about that and about what the two approaches as the year wears on.

The “Red Meat” Scare….

….most of the press had a field day this week with a not-very-scientific study that came to the conclusion that eating meat would kill you. Leaving aside that the actual results came nowhere near justifying the headlines…and leaving aside that the study didn’t consider what grass fed meat might do…and leaving aside that they lumped everything from bacon to meat in pizzas under “meat”….and leaving aside…..well, you get the idea.

NADA board member Dr. Sue Beal had this comment:

It's interesting to me how the headline varies from the reality of
the study - slight increases in mortality, not adjusted for other
aspects. Also the huge variety of meats that got lumped into the
groups/categories of red and white meat.

I'm also actually amazed at what is called meat here, too. Comparing
real meat to processed meats and bacon and such is really not
accurate.

If you’d like to read about the study in detail click here.

ED didn’t used to be much of a conspiracy nut, but you have to wonder sometimes who is behind something like this….who pays the so-called scientists and how they get reporters to fall for it.

 

More on “Safe” Food….

…..opposition is growing to the bunch of bills moving through Congress under the mis-leading catch-all title of “safe food”. And a truly important voice has been added to the ranks of the critics. Dr. Joseph Mercola, who authors the most popular healthy eating blog on the internet, weighed-in this week. (click here)

And the influential Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture….which only a week ago was dismissing the concern of H.R. 875 as a “myth”, now is taking the threat to sustainable ag more seriously. This is just a part of a lengthy communiqué PASA executive director Bryan Snyder sent to his membership.

I realize many of you have been inundated with urgent information and panic-driven action alerts of late with respect to food safety issues. This is NOT another one of those messages. But I also don’t want to minimize the importance of pending food safety policy initiatives to both our farmer and non-farming consumer members, especially given the mood of the country in the wake of the great peanut scandal in recent months.

There have been many alerts sent out of late regarding several legislative initiatives involving food safety, most particularly the HR 875 bill introduced by Representative DeLauro (D-CT). … this and other initiatives were discussed last week by our partners at the National Sustainable Ag Coalition (NSAC) in Washington D.C. at their annual meeting. At this meeting, NSAC decided to form a Task Force to follow these developments and, more importantly, to craft over time (months, not years) some policy statements that will help to inform and guide this legislative process as it unfolds. You will be glad to know that PASA has secured a position on that Task Force, and we’ll be involved every step of the way. With respect to HR 875, I am told that even Rep DeLauro does not expect her bill to be viable in and of itself, and that another, coming from another member of the House, will receive more emphasis later.

Meanwhile, the internet has come alive with blogs and even videos from people attacking 875. Here’s just one example…one of the calmer voices in fact. (click here)

Because we can….

….from time to time we post articles and videos that have nothing with Devon or beef or even healthy food. It’s just something we enjoy and think you might, too. Here, for instance, is the timeless story of a boy and his dog. (click here)(WMV File, 5.28 megs)

 

On the Road Again….

….this time NADA’s Executive Secretary joined ED and “The Booth Babe” carrying the word on Devon to the 12th annual Northwest Pennsylvania Grazing Conference in DuBois. Turns out it almost wasn’t necessary. Again, we found the reputation of Devon preceded us as it has at other stops.

An unscientific sampling indicates that after “where can I buy a Devon”, the most often asked questions are about docility and the quality of the meat. (Even ED can knock those out of the park!)

Commercial cattlemen were looking for Devon bulls as well as females to make their herds more grass friendly. The market for semen was also apparent. From our early experience, we now display a brochure which lists the breeders on the website Breeders Index…and we supply the names of NADA members who are in-state or in neighboring states. We also take the names of all visitors and send them a link to our video---“Devon...right from the start”. And for those without internet, we mail a complimentary CD.

If you haven’t checked out the video, or if you haven’t forwarded it to everyone on your contact list, we urge you to do so now. (click here)

 

Across the Pond….

….our English colleagues are also witnessing a Devon renaissance, too. The report there is that in the past seven years membership in the United Kingdom Devon Cattle Breeders’ Society has more than doubled. The Society now lists 550 members; 500 of whom are actually breeding Devon cattle.

We also hear that a group of Devon breeders in Devon---where else---are planning a farm tour for June of 2010. The tentative dates are the 5th to the 15th, timed to coincide with the Royal Cornwall Show. When details are firm, you’ll be the first to know.

And speaking of Devon…the place, not the cow…we’re indebted again to Steve Campbell of Trinity C Ranch in Idaho, this time for a fascinating video about “A Farm for the Future”. It’s almost an hour long, so pour yourself a cup of coffee and settle down. It’s worth the time. ED isn’t at all sure that the solution this young woman finds in her return to the family farm in Devon is the likely form of sustainable agriculture in the future, but it is certainly thought provoking. And the scenery sure is pretty. To view the video click here.

Here in the colonies, we note that Michelle Obama has started a garden on the White House south lawn. Sure it’s a publicity stunt, but the fact that the image makers think it’s a good idea, tells you that something’s going on here. You can decide the what. (click here)

NADA board member Ridge Shinn says “now if we could get them to raise Devon…..” Well, if Devon were good enough for George Washington….

Up-dating Minerals: The Proper Mix….

….this is a cautionary note to those who decided to adopt Steve Campbell’s recommendations in his blog “Minerals: The Proper Mix ”…now is the time to pull the Redmond’s Conditioner. You can read the original article by clicking here but if you don’t have time, just be sure to stop feeding the Conditioner.

A Losing Battle….

….even in the best of times, thinking is not one of those things that Congress does well. But there’s blood in the air now, and the race is on to prove who can be the loudest and most red-of-face about all the problems this country now faces.

Peter Gasper, a Milking Devon breeder in Kansas, has sent us several articles underscoring the dangers we face, not only from the NAIS crowd, but the so-called “safe food” proponents. A recent hearing in Congress devoted a half day to supporters of the National Animal Identification System and just a half hour to opponents.

And it could be smooth-sailing for H.R. 875, the Safe Food Act, a bill that our correspondent Peter Gasper says could compromise or even eliminate farmers markets, organic farming and even grass fed production. Our old friend Monsanto is right in the middle of it and one reporter says even a major sustainable Ag association has bought the propaganda that we’re not the targets.

The bill has the wonderful title “The Food Safety Modernization Act”, which if you think about it at all is a dead-giveaway. Who is in the business of selling modern food and who wants to sell the old-fashioned kind? The same chemical companies who have plagued our families with cradle-to-grave health problems, know how to sell their products if nothing else.

As this reporter says, these people are into packaging, and just as they package a box of cereal filled with High Fructose Corn Syrup as “a healthy breakfast”, they can package a piece of legislation with the name Safe Food that will actually accomplish just the opposite. We live in Orwellian times. Whether you’re a conservative or a liberal, put aside the politics and pay attention to the article by clicking here.

Peter also includes a link so that you can contact your Congressman. (click here)

Eat Your Veggies…Not!

We’ve touched on this subject before but it gets more and more troubling. Thanks to Steve Campbell of Trinity C Ranch in Idaho for bringing a Time magazine article to our attention. It wonders what the souped-up growth that modern science has brought to vegetables has done to its nutrition. Those veggies may look bigger and better, but are they? The “money quote”, as they say:

Less studied, though, is the "genetic dilution effect," in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and as many as six minerals in one study of commercial broccoli grown in 1996 and '97 in South Carolina. Because nearly 90% of dry matter is carbohydrates, "when breeders select for High yield, they are, in effect, selecting mostly for high carbohydrate with no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield."

You can read the entire article by clicking here.

 

Steve Campbell comments:

I wonder if this is also pushing the Type- two diabetes numbers ever higher. I am convinced there is a direct correlation between High Fructose Corn Syrup and diabetes. Carbohydrates turn to sugar in the system.

Steve says the decline in nutritional values began with the wide-spread use of fertilizers in the last century, particularly following World War II. That’s when the “bigger-faster” movement really took off. As Steve explains:

Bugs (grasshoppers etc.) are natures cleaning crew. Plants that do not have enough mineral nutrition for humans are the perfect food for them.  When the bugs’ food-supply of low-nutrient plants, brought on by incomplete fertilizer, goes up, the population of bugs naturally increases. So the chemical industry responded with pesticides that "control" the above-ground bugs and literally kill the soil microbes as a side effect. Under this scenario we don't have the below ground microbes bringing minerals to the plants. It was and is a vicious cycle: incomplete NPK fertilizer, pesticides, harvesting plants devoid of nutrition.

The cure for bugs in our crops is not more chemicals, but more minerals, and not just NPK, but a "periodic table of the elements" mineral package available in the soil along with below ground microbes to carry them to the plants. These same bugs will not eat those highly nutritious foodstuffs, the kind of foodstuffs that would truly keep humans healthy, as the bugs do not have the equivalent of a human liver. If they were to eat the highly nutritious or "high sugar" plants, that "sugar" would turn to alcohol in their systems and they would die.

 

 

The Monsanto Plot Thickens….

….it is the giant chemical company Monsanto, of course, that controls the GM (genetically-modified) field and therefore much of agriculture today. We’ve written several times about Monsanto’s maneuvering not only against farming but the livestock industry. (For a primer, here’s a background article that tells the story. Click here.)

Now we think we’ve identified the Mr. Big….he’s a lawyer who glides smoothly between Monsanto and government and can be credited with greasing the skids for one of the company’s biggest triumphs: growth hormones in milk. Actually, he only does Mr. Big’s dirty work.

His name is Michael Taylor; a name that has popped up several times in government regulation stories. When it gets “hot”, he fades into the background. Well, he’s back again and (surprise) wouldn’t you know he was on the Obama transition team---handling the “safe food” stuff. We’re indebted to a free-lance reporter, Linn Cohen-Cole, for the story on this Washington Insider.

As the President lays the groundwork for an all-out revamping of the food industry, it’s worth keeping in mind that from the Secretary of Agriculture to the new head of the FDA, whatever the public pronouncements of devotion to “safe food” it is insiders like Michael Taylor who really call the tune behind the scenes.

ED Note….

…while no one has complained, it might be fair to wonder about the recent heavy dose of healthy food news and comment in a grass fed website. It seems to us that all these issues are a part of raising healthy, quality beef as well as the not-always-positive role the government plays in insuring the nation’s safe food supply.

A lot of mischief can be hidden behind those simple words “safe food”. After all, who can be against that? But the United States is one of very few countries that permits genetically modified products in its food supplies. We consume more of it than any other country in the world. There is no requirement that GM products be labeled, unlike the strict labeling rules for just about everything else.

The industrial cattlemen routinely feed genetically modified corn and soybeans (those are the major gm crops) to their cows. We grass farmers put down seed, particularly to finish our steers and there is no way we can know whether those seeds have been genetically modified.

We have a right to know what we eat. We have a right to know what our cows are eating. And the government and the big chemical companies are conspiring to prevent us from knowing.

 

The Beef Industry Cries Foul…

….sorry, ED couldn’t resist. There’s lots to disagree with in this article from the pen of a spokesman for the industrial beef industry. But he does make a companion point to the item above. Why is it that beef always takes the wrap for obesity---even Michael Pollan buys into that canard---when there are far more likely candidates. (click here)

As we noted, there’s lots to disagree with in the article. There is a big difference between beef from the feed lot and beef straight from the pasture. But even Michael Pollan seems to have trouble distinguishing between the two and in his latest big repeats the simplistic “cut down on beef to reduce your fat intake” nonsense.

Fry Wows West Virginia Group…

….NADA President Gearld Fry recently keynoted the Applachian Grazing Conference in Morgantown, WV. Sorry, but our correspondent’s pictures of the keynote crowd were blurry but from this photo of one of the break-out sessions that Gearld handled, it’s clear that it was an impressive crowd of serious cattlemen and women.

Fry is now off to New Zealand, where he’ll headline a meeting of Angus breeders (words fail!), and then he has to hurry back for a Spring meeting of the NADA board. That will be in Dallas, April 23 and 24.

The Art of Breeding Devon….

….with everything else he is doing, Gearld has still found time to produce a four-part series for this website on “The Art of Breeding Devon”. It’s the best compilation of Gearld’s thinking we’ve seen so far and we hope to combine the series into a booklet to present to new members of NADA. So pour a cup of coffee…and dig in. (click here)

 

The Devil is in the Milk….

From time to time we are brought into a discussion among some leading minds in the grass fed cattle field (ED refuses to call it an “industry”) and we are reminded about what a tremendous resource circles in and around NADA. People like rancher Steve Campbell, whom we referred to above and is a frequent blogger on this website, and Dr. Jerry Brunetti and Dr. Will Winter, who have been involved in NADA conferences and are friends of Devon. Recently we became aware of a discussion among Brunetti, Winter, a Milking Devon breeder in Florida and Dr. Tom Cowan, who is on the board of the Weston A. Price Foundation. The subject is R2 milk (something we have not done enough with here, ED admits) and begins with cattleman Dennis Stoltzfoos in Live Oak, Florida talking with Brunetti. (click here)

Noted Chef Chooses Devon….

….and he’s also written a book that meat producers and meat eaters should have at the ready. His name is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (you’d never guess he was British) and in England he has his own television show and newspaper column and is the author of eight books. Mostly though he farms in Devon and, naturally, raises Devon for his own table and his neighbors’.

The book is “The River Cottage Meat Book” and thanks to NADA board members John Forelle of Folly Farms for leading us to it. Fearnley-Whittingstall is a stalwart (that’s British, too) champion of real food. The book is far more than some recipes and beautiful pictures, though that would be enough, but it is a complete discussion of meat, its role in our society, and the ethical questions a carnivore faces. It’s also the first time ED found a discussion of meat butchering not only understandable but entertaining. In short, this is the post-graduate course for fans of Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. It’s available at Amazon.

We’ve also just started on a book we should have read long ago: “The Untold Story of Milk” by Ron Schmid, ND. Thanks to Sally Fallon of Weston Price for recommending this book (she also wrote the foreward). Dr. Schmid is a farmer, too (in Connecticut), and if you have any lingering belief that the government is here to help and protect us---whether you’re a farmer or a consumer---this will dispel all remaining illusions.

The betrayal of the public trust by our public officials as recounted here is outrageous. And today’s supposed healthy, organic milk doesn’t fair much better. Both Schmid and Chef Fearnley-Whittingstall are devastating in their discussions of confinement farming…whether we’re talking dairy cows, pigs, stockers, or chickens. We’d better hope there is a merciful God.

Reading this book, ED couldn’t help but consider the government’s current efforts with NAIS and the so-called “pure food” laws now before Congress. Government supervision is in the air and it is going to come down hard on us, all in the name of “public health”. Read about dairies, or pigs, or feedlots and ask yourself if you really want the government taking care of us.

ED also couldn’t help but notice the website, just before he sat down for this update of an “enlightened” Colorado cattleman and how it related to these books. It’s a big operation and the cattleman promotes his product as “natural”. He has also followed all the advice of the health establishment and so promotes his beef as lean, heart friendly, low in cholesterol, etc. Meanwhile, he’s pumping his animals full of corn. Nothing is more dangerous than a little knowledge.

 

Well, Some Things May be More Dangerous….

….our current nominee would be Monsanto. We reported recently on the chemical giant’s attempts to patent pigs in Germany. Turns out much the same thing is going on here in the United States. Monsanto holds the patents on the GMO seed business and they’re spending millions on detectives…even using airborne surveillance…to put still more small farms out of business.

The claim, of course, is that they’re only protecting their patents. But it goes way beyond that. And Monsanto is one of our government’s favorite chemical companies. Internet health blogger Dr. Joseph Mercola has a report on what’s happening and we urge you to click here.

Dairy Cow Sell-Off….

….NADA’s Steve Campbell of Trinity C Ranch in Idaho notes that the nose-diving economy is taking its toll on dairy farmers. Steve calls our attention to this item in Allan Nation’s blog.

American dairymen aren’t waiting for a government bailout. They are taking matters into their own hands and are sending cows to the abattoir at a record pace. In the first two months of 2009, dairymen have culled 100,000 more dairy cows than during the same time last year. The meat analysts at Cattle-Fax expect dairy liquidations to continue at a high rate for several more months due to low milk prices and high hay prices.

Dairy cows tend to wind up as ground beef, particularly at McDonald’s. Steve wonders what all that rGBH dairy cows are dosed with is going to do to fast food customers. rGBH is a growth hormone that is injected into cows to increase milk production. Guess who has the patent? If you guessed Monsanto, go to the head of the class.

Growth hormones are bad enough, not only for us, but for the cows. They get sick. But don’t worry. Science has also devised antibiotics for that. Of course, antibiotics aren’t without problems, either. But to quote from an article that prompted Steve’s concern:

When cow's milk is consumed by human non-infants, it behaves as a cancer-accelerator. IGF-1 is not destroyed in the pasteurization process nor during human digestion and is therefore biologically active in humans, being associated with breast, prostate, and colon cancers.
IGF-1 promotes cell division. As cells divide, at some point they are instructed (by their genes, in combination with hormone signals) to stop dividing or they are instructed to die so that the creation of new cells is matched by the death of cells and no net growth occurs; this is called "programmed cell death." If "programmed cell death" is prevented, then cells don't die at the right time, causing out-of-control growth of cells, which is another way of saying cancer. Cancer is uncontrolled cell division.

To read the whole article click here.

C’mon Ed, Lighten Up….

….fair enough.

….We note that the NADA slide show has now had more than a thousand views at YouTube. If you haven’t seen “Devon…right from the start” you can click here.

We hope you’ll send it not only to all your Ag contacts, but friends and family as well. We’ve seen a growing awareness of Devon and the benefits of grass fed beef (as many consumers as farmers visit our booth wherever we go) but most people still need to hear the message.

NADA will be at the Northwest Grazing Conference in DuBois, Pennsylvania, Tuesday, March 17th. Kit Pharo will be the featured speaker. For a reservation phone (814) 374-1372, Ext 4. The meeting is at the Tri-County Church; registration just $25.
….This is the time of the year when the grass starts popping up, and so do college students looking for internships. Troy Bishopp---the Grass Whisperer---offers an opportunity for a bright, hard-working youngster in central New York.

The Intern will be focusing on grazing/grassland management as well as BMP implementation, outreach and promotion of mitigating pesticide/herbicide using alternative sustainable methods. The position has a very robust work plan and will be hands-on. To find out more about this "green" job opportunity and to apply, go to www.thesca.org and click on serve, then click on internships then browse all internships. When you get to this page, type 8254 into the search box and hit apply. That will bring up the job site and description. If interested in pursing an application please contact the SCA admissions office @ (603) 543-1700 Ext 367 and ask for Hanna Palmiter, placement coordinator or e-mail hpalmiter@thesca.org for more details.

Calving by the Numbers (Revisited)….

Catching up with a week-old problem: Steve Campbell’s thoughts on “Calving by the Numbers” is finally up and the link is working. Steve covers all the bases on this one and we wanted to be sure you didn’t miss it.

Thanks to all who pointed out the problem. It’s connected somehow with a revamping of the website that is going on behind the scenes here at NADA. Well, actually the revamping is being done somewhere out there in “provider land”. ED fears there are going to be quite a few more growing pains but supposedly we’re going to be, as they say, “more user friendly”. File that with, “we’re from the government and we’re here to help you.”

In any event…now please…read Steve’s post by clicking here.

 

Real Food, Real Medicine….

….at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, was the latest stop on NADA’s “magical mystery tour”. Close to 200 foodies and farmers attended the three-day conference to hear presentations by Weston Price president Sally Fallon and cattleman and author Joel Salatin.

Once again, we talked to a number of farmers looking for Devon genetics and steered them to nearby breeders (if you can “steer” someone to genetics). Mrs ED has done this enough now that she’s overcome her shyness and qualifies as a “Booth Babe”…a term we learned is popular in the conference circuit. Also rewarding was the number of people who told us they’ve heard of Devon…and even regularly browse the NADA website…and were looking for Devon beef. We were able to help with that, too. (Incidentally, we set a record for the number of daily visitors in February and we thank you for that.)

Fallon, who spoke at several of the sessions, demolished what has long been the accepted scientific wisdom about cholesterol and fats. But she focused much of her fire on a North Carolina health official who opposes the sale of raw milk and insisted he was speaking for unborn children. It is government prescribed guidelines, she said, that have given us a generation of unhealthy, allergy-ridden, obese youngsters.

Salatin took after government programs which, he said, under the guise of protecting public health, are actually protecting big chemical and feed companies. The industrial agriculture paradigm is collapsing all around us, according to Salatin, and rather than fix the problems, government bureaucrats are attacking the solution. Nevertheless, he argued, the small farmer in the final analysis will save agriculture.

Next stop for the NADA tour is DuBois, Pennsylvania. That will be the Northwest Grazing Conference, Tuesday, March 17th. Kit Pharo is the featured speaker and registration is just $25. For a reservation phone (814) 375-1372, Ext 4. The meeting will be held at the Tri-County Church in DuBois.

Not-So-Light Reading….

….but well-worth your time. ED is no conspiracy theorist but he suspects there is something of a “perfect storm” brewing. The political climate is certainly ripe for regulating and we suspect things like NAIS and so-called “food safety” may be able to ride the wave. For the longest time we thought Big Ag was barely aware of the feeble efforts of organic producers much less the tiny grass fed beef industry, but now ED is not so sure. It sure feels like they’re coming after us and---as the kids would say---Big Time!

If the government gets NAIS (National Animal Identification System), what’s to prevent it from imposing “health” requirements on cattlemen and insist we use all the vaccines and insecticides and pesticides prescribed by Big Ag? What’s to prevent it from insisting that all animals must be processed through a government-inspected and regulated feed lot…just for health reasons, of course?

Never happen, you say. Well, check out the following links and see if you don’t notice the pattern that’s bothering ED.

First, those new “health” proposals and what they could mean for small farmers. What’s interesting, among many things, is how the bureaucrats have quietly slipped in NAIS. The number of vague “authorizations” give Washington all it needs to institute state-run agriculture. (click here)

Meanwhile, NAIS is also moving through Congress on its own. There’ll be a hearing on the measure March 11th. Details and contact numbers are in this press release.

If you get the impression that the Ag peoples are determined to get NAIS either through this bill, or hidden in the Food Safety bill, you’re right!

On the other hand, Congressman Ron Paul is leading the charge to change federal policy on raw milk. Whether Paul is tilting at windmills or has a real chance with this measure, we don’t know. (click here)

Now, as a matter of balance in this report, ED talked to two board members---Kim Miller and Ridge Shinn---who do not see things as quite this bleakly. They think consumer acceptance---even demand---for healthy, natural food has reached a point that it cannot be denied. As Shinn puts it:

Really, at the end of the day, the consumers are all powerful--they are the ones capable of pulling healthy product from the farm around, over or under the Monsanto's of the world. I am always reminded that there are no GMO potatoes because McDonalds did a focus group and found their customers did not want GMOs in their French fries; they put the word out that they would not buy GMO potatoes and so there are no GMO potatoes. The power of the consumer is magnificent; the real challenge is to get them educated.

 

Devon Taste Test….

You can come to take for granted the delicious taste of Devon beef. So it was fun recently to get a note from a relatively new member of NADA---David Hawkins of Mumfordville, Kentucky---reporting on the first steaks from the steer calves he bought along with other animals from board member Bill Roberts.

Here’s part of David’s letter:

I thought I would share our experience last evening that I consider to be the final validation of our decision to use Devon as the cornerstone of our fledgling grass finished beef business. To celebrate our son and partner Weldon's birthday, we grilled ribeye and sirloin steaks from pure Devon and Devon/South Poll cross steers that were part of our first group of grass finished animals. This group was comprised of three pure Devon and five Devon/South Poll crosses.

The steaks were grilled with only salt and pepper as condiments and varied from medium rare to well done. I am elated to report that all the steaks were superb. They were tender, juicy and flavorful and the tenderness did not change across the range of cooking times. I have enjoyed eating beef all my life and I can say without reservation that I have never eaten better.

The following information is for your Anecdotal/Scientific File. The group of 8 animals mentioned above ranged in age from 20-24 months. We ultra-sounded the group a few days before slaughter to confirm our visual evaluation of the degree of finish. We knew the ultrasound results of the grass finished animals might under-estimate their degree of finish but we wanted a baseline and the information concerning ribeye area.

The ultrasound results revealed an average ribeye area of 1.06 s.i./100#. The quality grade ranged from mid-select to mid-choice. One of the younger, larger framed steers was pulled from the slaughter group for further finishing and seven animals were processed at an average weight of 972 lbs. After the carcasses were aged for 14 days we asked the butcher to estimate the quality grades for the animals. He said all the animals were low choice or better.

We had not shared the ultrasound results with him, thus lending further credence that ultrasound underestimates quality grades in grass finished animals. As we have discussed before, these animals were raised and finished in record drought conditions here in Kentucky. The best forages we had were not very good and the final 90 days of finishing were done with oat hay harvested at the boot stage before any grains formed. The oat hay contained approximately 10% alfalfa and was purchased from a neighbor. We would have preferred another 30 days of finishing, which would have the animals at approximately 1050 lbs live weight, but did not have enough hay to accomplish this. Five of the seven animals slaughtered were pre-sold to bulk beef customers and two will be sold by the cut.

My only concern is this superb Devon beef is not gone before our next group is harvested later this year! Choosing Devon as the foundation for our grass finished beef business is the best farming decision we have made. We look forward to spring calving and seeing those new Devon calves here at Emerald Glen Farm. I want to say again how much we enjoy and learn from the NADA website. Thanks.

Sincerely
David, Nadine and Weldon Hawkins
Emerald Glen Farm
Munfordville, KY

ED would only add that this report confirms what other field tests have shown: that whether it’s Devon or a cross using a Devon bull, you can expect the same high quality of meat. It’s what we’ve been advising farmers in our travels with the new Devon booth: don’t be discouraged and don’t wait if you can’t find females. Get started with a high-quality Devon bull and see if your customers don’t rave.

A Picture is Worth….

Recently we ran this picture of an ear of corn dressed up like a gas tank for a story about the ethanol scam. (If the President really is looking for budget cuts, this is one!) The original picture was supplied be the ethanol industry. Well, our “colleague in charge of not letting ED get by with anything”---Steve Campbell---spotted something not right with that picture. As he put it:

It is interesting that the kernels of corn in this picture are all "dimpled" on top. This is a sure sign of a nutritionally-deficient kernel of grain. The reason this is probably what industry puts out is that is what 99% of the corn looks like today.

Calving by the Numbers….

We’ve said before that Steve is one of the more thoughtful breeders we know. Case in point: Steve’s blog this time deals with some of the important numbers to consider when planning your calving season (and choosing the cows and bulls to work with). A long time ago ED started calving his herd as three-year olds and that pretty well ended all problems. But, if you’re like Steve, you want to know why. Read “Calving by the Numbers” by clicking here.

 

Roundup Alert….

….hopefully this has nothing to do with you. You’ve stopped using all herbicides (and pesticides) a long time ago. Roundup was considered the safest weed killer and the Genetically Modified industry created crops resistant to Roundup so their fields could be sprayed. Turns out Roundup is not safe….and that’s one more reason to be suspicious of GMO foods. (click here)

 

Real Food, Real Medicine….

….is the title of a conference at the University of North Carolina at the end of February featuring Joel Salatin and Weston Price President Sally Fallon. The NADA road show will also be making a stop and if you’re planning to attend, please stop by. The dates are February 27 through March 1 and you can get details and register by clicking here.

Rotokawa Herd Update….

….traveling the Northeast recently, ED and fellow-board member John Forelle treated themselves to a detour to check out the transplanted New Zealand Rotokawa herd at Bakewell Reproductive Center in Hardwick, Massachusetts.

First discovery: it’s no long “Bakewell” but “The Rotokawa Cattle Company”. Makes sense. Ridge Shinn, and longtime associate Chuck Lacy, have been clearing the decks of all other cattle interests to focus on their new Rotokawa herd spread over four farms. Getting them here has been documented earlier. The heat and drought in their lengthy California quarantine was an ordeal for the animals, one that was unnecessarily prolonged by bureaucratic obstructions. Ridge and Chuck broke the logjam a few months ago and the odyssey is finally over, but not without some cost.

The hardship of the quarantine and then the cold of the North resulted in the death of several animals, most tragically the famous Rotokawa bull 982. Fortunately, plenty of semen was collected before the trip from New Zealand to the States and so that line will continue to prosper.

More fortunately, Rotokawa 93 is alive and well. ED had to admit it was a little like approaching a shrine to make it up a snowy hill to where he was standing like a king among some younger bulls. Ridge said 93 was still down a few hundred pounds from the ordeal but it sure wasn’t noticeable. There is no question this bull knows he is a star. Over a period of a half hour and a series of pictures, 93 seemed to pose whenever I moved near for a picture. And he froze as long as I wanted.

Finally, when ED turned, 93 walked away into the nearby woods…revealing his best side! Unfortunately, a younger bull walked in front of the lens and in the bright sun I didn’t realize he had partially blocked the shot. But if there was ever a picture that defined “meat” in a bull….

Ridge is managing the herd in several distinct groups. The bulls are all in one lot and the heifers, pictured here, are in a second group. They appeared to be unaffected by the trans-continental journey and we never could decide which one was the best. All had that “Rotokawa look” and some are clearly ready for breeding. None will be sold anytime soon, however. Ridge told us that he and Chuck plan to focus for the next few years on building the herd to about 100. There is no timetable for selling females, but four bulls will be sold this year. If you’re in the market get in touch with Ridge at ridge@bakewell.com.

So far, about 18 calves have been born to the mama cows since their arrival in this country. And Ridge has been keeping them particularly close…pampering them with the best nutrition under the daily care of a recently-retired dairy farmer who has turned his operation into a spa for these special animals. And among this herd….

….was one bull calf that Ridge said was born with a label “herd sire”. He thinks he may already have the next 982 in this one although, of course, you can never be sure how they’ll grow up.

Meanwhile, we were pleased to hear that Rotokawa breeder Ken MacDowell continues his relationship with Bakewell….excuse us, The Rotokawa Cattle Company….and plans a trip to the States in June. Ken will continue as a consultant to the herd and is sure to be happy with the way Ridge has been caring for his heritage.

93 In Commercial Herds….

….we’ve noted here before the increased interest among commercial cattlemen in Devon genetics. A number of people who raise Angus, Herefords, Simmentals and Charolais have come up to us at the NADA booth saying they realized the time has come to switch to grass and their breeds just weren’t going to be able to manage the transition. These calves at Trinity C Ranch in Idaho are an indication of what happens when you use a top Devon bull on your Angus cows.

Tribute to Charles Walters….

….the legendary founder and editor of Acres USA. Walters passed away recently at the age of 82. His influential publication continues under the leadership of his son, Fred. NADA president Gearld Fry, who collaborated with Walters in writing and is a longtime friend, offers this reminiscence. (click here)

Incidentally, Fry has been invited to be the keynote speaker next month at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Angus Association.

An Invitation from “Down Under”….

….our Australian “cousins” are interested in putting together an on-line chat room for younger Devon breeders. We weren’t sure what “younger” meant but clearly ED doesn’t qualify. If you still have hair though you’re probably eligible. So if you want to share experiences and ideas with other young breeders---and make some Aussie friends---we suggest you get in touch with Sal Edwards, the editor of Bulldust Magazine. Sal’s email address is: s.g_edwards@myaccess.com.au

 

Better Living through Chemistry….

….just when you think our experts in the Big Ag industry have thought of everything, they come up with….patented pigs. That’s the latest effort by Monsanto to gobble up the food industry. They’ve started in Germany but where could it lead? (click here)

Meanwhile, press coverage continues on mercury contamination of corn fructose. Now, Dr. Joseph Mercola…who authors the most widely-read health site on the internet, chimes in. (click here)

And what’s the real cost of putting a little ethanol in your tank? More than the cost of straight gasoline but the real cost in health and environment impact is about the same…or a little worse. The bottom line is there’s no point that can be reasonably be made for ethanol….except the most “reasonable” of all: politics. (click here)

Kids Survive Corn-fed Beef Show….

….board member Sue Beal sends along a story that you won’t read in any of the Ag magazines, irony-laden though it may be. Fortunately, all the youngsters survived. But what is it going to take for the industrial ag folks to learn?

Date: Thu 5 Feb 2009
The Rocky Mountain News [edited]

At least 11 kids have been sickened by _E. coli bacteria, likely transmitted during field trips to the National Western Stock Show in January 2009. There are 12 lab-confirmed cases and 8 others are pending, according to Denver Public Health. Just one of the 12 is an adult.

So far, all confirmed and probable cases live in Front Range counties, from Boulder to El Paso County, Denver Public Health reports. The pattern of transmission suggests that some kids who went to the stock show with their teachers contracted the bacteria, then spread it at child-care, pre-school, or school settings.

E. coli infections can be very serious in young children and in the worst cases lead to kidney failure.

[Byline: Bill Scanlon]

NADA’s “Deep Bench”….

….this Association’s secret weapon, if you will, is its membership. Pound for pound, we must have the greatest reservoir of talented cattlemen and women anywhere. Speaking of pound for pound, there are plenty in this picture at Steve Campbell’s Trinity C ranch in Idaho. Despite winter conditions, this Devon-cross calf and mom in the background raising another calf inside, aren’t short of any body condition. Rotokawa 93 is the sire.

Maybe it’s those long Idaho winter nights, but Steve spends a lot of time researching every topic of possible interest to farmers and ranchers. Gearld Fry even told us recently that Steve probably spends more time poring through old books than he does.

Bill Roberts in Tennessee is another scholar/cattleman and recently he has been pursuing the topic of minerals. You can read about his mineral cafeteria by clicking here. At the same time, Steve Campbell has been doing his own research out west and has come up with a different approach.

ED takes no position with regards to which is best…both clearly get results and it may depend to some extent on your soil mineralization. So we can only recommend you read what both men have to say (and many others) and then run your own experiment. But right now read Steve’s approach by clicking here.

Incidentally, Greg Judy, whose mob grazing technique has been sweeping the cattle industry, would say you really shouldn’t need any minerals at all. Simply manage your cows to restore the fertility of your soil. But more about that later.

Telling the Devon Story….

….Gearld Fry, who has been staying close to home caring for wife, Margie, was able to slip away for the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture in State College. He spent fulltime at the NADA booth talking with would-be Devon owners, setting up meetings with area Devon breeders, and even arranging some bull sales. The only word to describe the conference is “awesome”. About 2,000 farmers interested in producing healthy food spent from two to four days choosing among scores of break-out sessions devouring the information they need.

As we noted above, NADA has quite a “deep bench” of cattle experts and again supplied much of the talent for the grass fed/grass finishing track. Board member Ridge Shinn opened the session…came back at the midpoint…NADA member Chick Debach from Troy, Pennsylvania gave an insider’s look at butchering…and board member Bill Roberts finished up. Roberts topic was the future of the cattle industry and we were surprised to learn that the number of family farms has actually been increasing in recent years.

NADA’s executive secretary Kim Miller and wife, Diane, were featured in another track…telling how they had mentored a young couple by setting them up in a poultry operation on the Miller’s farm.

Mob grazing expert Greg Judy got a real workout, speaking three times at the session. Judy is now putting about 800,000 pounds of pressure per acre on his pastures and he’s not sure yet that he’s reached the limit. You can do the same with a very few animals, he says, just by reducing the size of your paddocks to even fractions of an acre and keeping your cows moving. The two key advantages are: the trampling of the grass and the depth of the root system with the long rest periods. That organic matter is all the fertilizer you need, says Judy, and those deep roots bring up minerals from deep below the surface so there’s no need for supplements.

Other speakers at the conference were mob grazer Kevin Fulton from Nebraska and Dr. Jerry Brunetti of AgriDynamics. And all the while, Fry, Wooz Matthews and John Forelle were at the new NADA booth converting interest in Devon into commitment. It was an exhausting but exhilarating four days.

 

Ridge Shinn	Chick Debach	Bill Roberts
Kim and Diane Miller with new farmers	Gearld Fry talks Devon	Wooz Matthews shares info
Kevin Fulton	Greg Judy	Gearld Fry at breakfast

Winter Green-Up….

….is the name of a new conference on the grass fed circuit. This one was staged at Albany, New York and sponsored by Cornell University. The initial session drew a packed house of more than 200 people who braved cold, snow and ice to hear from Kit Pharo and Dr. Allen Williams. This was also the debut for NADA’s promotional effort at grazing conferences across the nation, providing information on Devon both for pure bred farms and ranches and also for commercial cattlemen looking for bulls to not only improve the performance of their herds but particularly improve the quality of their beef.

ED was again struck by the clear tide moving toward grass fed beef. And many of the Angus, Hereford, Limousine and Black Baldy folks we talked to had already “discovered” Devon thanks to this website and were ready to hear more. There seems to be pretty clear acceptance now that the days of “bigger is better” are over and the pendulum is swinging back to the basics.

The new Devon slideshow “Devon…right from the start” was a big attraction at Albany as well as at State College. Close to 100 attendees at the two meetings signed up to receive their own copy of the presentation. If you haven’t seen it, turn up your speaker and click here.

The Antibiotic Menace….

….has spread to vegetables. Well actually it has always been there, at least in recent history. But Scientific American now reports on a study that reveals that farms fertilized with manure from cattle, hogs and chickens raised in conventional agriculture are producing veggies contaminated with antibiotics. Yes, even organic farms. (click here)

So when we raise our cattle naturally, we are cleaning up a lot more than just the nation’s meat supply.

As If Corn Fructose isn’t Bad Enough….

….we learn that it probably contains mercury. Read the story in the Washington Post by clicking here.

The Obama Plan….

….for agriculture may be getting lost in all the controversy over the so-called “stimulus bill”. We won’t go there but here, thanks to PASA’s Brian Snyder, is a link to the White House thinking on farming. (click here)

In the Devon Spotlight…

….a Devon heifer stands up to the bitter cold in the mountains of Idaho. She’s one of Steve Campbell’s herd at Trinity-C Ranch near New Meadows. Steve has been a thought-provoking contributor to this website and we’re fortunate to have his articles. He’s been working on two that will soon be posted; one on calving and the other on using a commercial salt mix as pasture fertilizer.

You can read more about Trinity-C and the Campbells by clicking here. Steve also offered a testimonial on Devon for a new flier NADA has prepared for western cattlemen. You can check that out by clicking here. You may also want to make a copy and send it to your friends looking for an escape from the industrial beef trap they find themselves in. It seems almost every day, we talk to a rancher out west who is ready to seriously consider the grass fed alternative.

The new slide show NADA is premiering in coming weeks at farm shows in the Northeast is also provoking interest in Devon. We’ve heard from both veteran cattlemen and newcomers saying that “Devon…right from the start” convinced them to either transition to Devon or start using a Devon bull in their herd. One prospect was steered our way by pasture specialist Jim Gerrish, and we certainly appreciate his kind words.

If you haven’t checked out the slide show, you can watch it by clicking here.

 

4 Eyes Better than 2 (cont’d)….

….in his current Viewpoint article (click here), Bill Roberts writes about turning over the mineral problem to the consumer: his cows. A good part of the expense of a mineral program is that the cow, in order to eat the mineral it wants has to eat a lot of minerals it doesn’t need. The answer is to put out a lot of different minerals but that seems unwieldy. We asked Bill how he does it.

Basically I have two "bull-type" (with top rubber flap) mineral feeders with three compartments each and two regular weather vane feeders. That gives the cattle 8 choices. I am getting another feeder which will mean they will have 11 choices. Optimum would be 12.

The feeders are made of space age plastic with three compartments in the circular feeder. The heavy rubber top is easily removed for filling.

My cattle have not touched the old mineral mix since I offered the multiple choices in the feeders.. They told me by their consumption that they needed the 1:1 Ca:P free choice and the A Mix and the BCV mix. My cattle are visibly better off and the conversion of the below average quality hay I am feeding is apparent as well.

My cattle needed primarily Vitamin A and A-B vitamin complex to stimulate rumen function. The immediate increased utilization of my hay was obvious. Once my cattle got balanced, the consumption tapered off. The free choice system ultimately decreases the mineral expense because they do not over-consume to make up deficiencies of one or two needs.

For the in the mood to be on the “cutting edge” of mineral technology, Bill has sent along plans for a 15-unit feeder. You can download the plans and some pictures of the unit by clicking here (PDF).

Reading Bill’s report that hay consumption went down once his cows’ mineral intake was self-adjusted prompted an interesting observation from Mrs ED…but then all her observations are interesting. Noting the obesity increase in the United States, she wondered if part of the problem was that we had all increased our consumption---statistically true---because our bodies were desperately looking for the minerals they needed and couldn’t find in today’s processed foods. Of course, foods are now constructed intentionally to increase consumption but this idea that we’re also trying to make-up for essential mineral shortages is worth considering.

More on Pure Bred vs Full Blood….

….is a debate that continues to bubble within the NADA board. The terms are widely used and misused. Sometimes the confusion is innocent; sometimes not. ED has now talked to a respected English breeder and he confirms what Bill Roberts told us earlier: that Salers are often used in Devon herds and after several generals the progeny are considered “pedigreed”…the English term for “registered”.

According to this breeder, bulls should never be used but in practice often are. And he sent along several pedigrees that demonstrated that, in fact, Saler bulls are opening used to “punch up” the size of Devon cows. Many English breeders disapprove of the practice but they’ve been outvoted.

Our English source says English record-keeping has been very poor in the not-too-distant past and there was an attitude of “anything goes”. But this same breeder says the situation today is much improved and the records are open and reliable.

ED can only recommend that in dealing with English breeders who occasionally provide semen for the American market, you need to beware.

 

Two Large Chains “Diss” American Beef….

….ED heard two troubling stories recently with the same theme: that there’s not enough U-S beef to satisfy the market. In fact, a butcher at one of the Winn-Dixie stores in Florida told investigative reporter Nell Liquorman that calves were no longer born in the United States. All beef here supposedly originates in Mexico.

And a professor at Texas A & M is circulating a letter criticizing McDonald’s for going south of the border for its meat supply.

McDonald's has announced that they are going to start importing much of their beef from South America. The problem is that South Americans aren't under the same regulations as American beef producers, and the regulations they have are loosely controlled.

They can spray numerous pesticides on their pastures that have been banned here at home because of residues found in the beef. They can also use various hormones and growth regulators that we can't. The American public needs to be aware of this problem and that they may be putting themselves at risk from now on by eating at good old
McDonald's.

American ranchers raise the highest quality beef in the world and this is what Americans deserve to eat. Not beef from countries where quality is loosely controlled. Therefore, I am proposing a boycott of McDonald's until they see the light.

David W. Forrest, Ph.D
Department of Animal Science
Texas A&M University

The Angus Underground….

Just because you’re not hearing about the Angus crisis over Curly Calf Syndrome doesn’t mean it’s gone away. It’s just that the American Angus Association is doing all it can to keep the lid on.

But behind the scenes, thoughtful Angus breeders are engaged in a frenzy of emails trying to get information. A source let us in on one chain of communications that makes for fascinating reading as frantic cattlemen try to find ways to protect their herds while the Angus Association is trying to protect reputations.

You can eavesdrop on the conversation by clicking here.

 

The One that Got Away….

….fortunately. You may think fishing is a pretty safe pastime but then you’ve probably never fished Falcon Lake in Texas. (click here)

 

 

Devon…Right from the Start!

….that’s the title of a new slide show that sums up the history as well as the important attributes of the Devon breed. It was produced just in time for a series of agricultural meetings NADA will be attending this year. You can watch the presentation by clicking here. Be sure to turn your sound up!

There’ll be a permanent link on the home page that will take you directly to the slide show and with 30,000 people visiting this site every month it will be an important tool in promoting our favorite cattle to a wide audience of people in agriculture as well as the many consumers who check us out looking for information on grass fed beef.

We also urge you to send a link to the YouTube site to all your friends and anyone you think might be interested: other farmers and ranchers, coop managers, even Ag agents. Maybe especially Ag agents. You just fill in the address line and hit send. For the form just click here.

The slide show, the new NADA booth (scroll down) and a lot of printed material have all prepared as part of a major promotional effort. We’ll be sponsoring a number of sustainable ag events in coming weeks. Meetings in Albany, New York and State College and DuBois in Pennsylvania are all on the calendar.

Keep checking this space for future scheduled appearances. And if you are aware of a grass fed or sustainable ag program we should be attending, let NADA headquarters know immediately. We can’t hit them all, of course; it depends on volunteers to man the exhibit. But at a time when so many farmers are disillusioned with the industry and dispersing their herds and looking for alternatives, this is the right moment for the Devon story.

Incidentally, permit ED a brief commercial: booths and brochures and fliers and slide shows and particularly attending trade shows are not cheap. At a time when dues notices are going out, this is just one answer to the question “what does NADA do for me”. We hope you’ll get your check for renewal in right away and perhaps even something more to help with this promotional effort.

If you get your money in by February 15th, renewal is just $50. After that, you’ll have to join again…for $100!

Nation: No Pure Cows….

….Allan Nation raised eyebrows---and some temperatures---in Devon circles recently when he wrote in the Stockman Grass Farmer that “I guarantee you a (grass finished breed) hasn’t been available for 40 years.” Nation was reviewing the history of the Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn breeds before he came to that conclusion and we’re not sure if this is his judgment of just those three or, as it seems, all breeds. To quote from his conclusion:

The primary lesson to be learned from studying breed histories is that seedstock breeders are, and have always been, dedicated followers of fashion.
Typically, through history there has been only one dominant breed at a time and everyone changes their cattle to match it.
Shorthorns were bred for milk yield in one century and beef yield in another.
Herefords and Angus were bred to finish easily and then purposely bred to finish not so easily.
Herefords got big and then they got small. Then they got too small and then they got big again.
Breed are what breeders make them and can change as rapidly as women’s hemlines.

Since Allan was primarily discussing three specific breeds---Angus, Hereford and Shorthorn--- it may be his conclusion was intended to apply to only those three…but his “guarantee” that no grass-finished breed is available is certainly off the mark. ED has studied a number of pedigrees going back more than a hundred years and Devon, for one, has maintained its historic purity and it certainly finishes on grass.

Ridge Shinn, one of the founders of the North American Devon Association, studied a number of breeds with Gearld Fry before settling on Devon and had this to say about Allan’s “guarantee” there is no breed that finishes on grass:

Allan is wrong on that—but not by much. Most breeds are only shreds of what they were. Almost all have been polluted by breeding up. The Devon and a few other “rare breeds” are the only true residuals. There are subsets of most breeds to be sure, but Gearld and I have been looking for them for years and they are few and far between. It is very hard for folks to resist the pull of the current market fads.

As I have said throughout the formation of NADA, if we can resist the market pressure and hang onto purity, we will have what no other breed has and will have a very valuable tool for 100% grass-farmers and will be able to maximize the return to a viable rural economy. While commodity prices go up and down, our Hardwick Beef (albeit still a small company) has maintained the same price for 3 years and is now increasing the price with a premium on ½ Rotokawa Devon steers because of the increased yield of high value (rib and loin) meat. If folks can obtain $2.10 a pound HCW and sell steers to harvest at 18 months, they can begin to put together a living at this.

While Stockman Grass Farmer provides a wonderful service to grass farmers, many if not most of its readers are Angus and Hereford breeders and ED can’t help wondering whether Allan’s words are intended as a kind of reassurance to them. His “guarantee” that there are no pure grass fed genetics is a “green light” for Angus and Hereford readers to simply stop feeding grain and claim they have grass cattle.

ED, of course, can’t speak for all Devon everywhere in the world, but certainly he is aware of many Devon that thrive on grass and produce the kinds of calves Ridge Shinn is talking about above. In fact, ED plans to have a filet mignon tonight…not only finished on grass but from a pasture with a heavy content of fescue. And if it’s like its predecessors it will be tasty, tender and juicy.

There’s another interpretation of Allan’s conclusion; not a happy one. Read it again:

…all breeds of cattle were grass-finished at one time, but I guarantee you that “breed” hasn’t been available for 40 years.

Intentionally or not, Allan seems to be saying there’s no need for anyone---Angus, Hereford or other breeder---to abandon their herds. He may even be giving them the “green light” to use corn in finishing since cattle that finish on grass aren’t “available”? We hope we’ve misread what appears to be the bottom line in his blanket “guarantee”.

We certainly agree with Allan that the individual animal and the management of that animal is important. But our advice to those who want to stay with Angus or Hereford, is put a Devon bull in your pastures. The result will be steers with the same attributes…the same taste and tenderness…the same healthy fat profile…and better yields… as a 100% Devon steer thanks to concentrated and---yes---pure Devon genetics. And all, from start to finish, entirely on grass!

PS: the steak was superb. No marinade, no sauce, just a squirt of lemon at serving.

Four Eyes are Better Than Two….

….Bill Roberts’ Viewpoint returns this week with some interesting new findings on the use of minerals. Bill has been busy moving his herd across the state of Tennessee (well, halfway across) from near Memphis to just outside Nashville. He’s always been one of the most thoughtful cattlemen that we know…taking nothing for granted and making his decisions based on patient observation.

Read Viewpoint by clicking here.

Giving cattle free choice among a dozen or more minerals seemed complicated to us. Bill will soon have a follow up Viewpoint describing how he does it.

Meanwhile, he also discussed the ways in which he upgraded his pastures in his previous farm and it called to mind an article we read recently. A European study indicates that a multi-species pasture actually improves the taste of beef. (click here)

Re-charge Your Batteries….

….at one of the following cattle meetings. ED generally finds something at any conference that pays for the expense of attending. And this is the new NADA booth that will be at two of the meetings, complete with slide show and new printed material. Kit Pharo quoted something the other day that we thought rang true:

“The farther you have to go to be among your contemporaries, the farther ahead you are.” Anonymous

With that in mind we note the conference sponsored by Clemson University February 12th and 13th featuring Kit and Dr. Susan Duckett, Annibal Pordomingo, Bill Hodge and others. The theme: “Profitable Approaches for Managing Forage-Based Operations.” You can get the details and a registration sheet by clicking here.

At the end of this month there’s a forage meeting in the Northeast sponsored by Cornell. Here are the details and registration form on that one. (click here)

And a few days later there’s the pre-conference track at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture which will feature a number of NADA members. Again, complete details by (clicking here)

Profile: Bar 10 Ranch

One of the canards we hear frequently is that Devon may be fine back East…in the land of thick grass and small pastures…but they sure wouldn’t work in the West. Their legs are supposedly too short and they’re just not tough enough for the “open range”.

We’ve always thought that was nonsense and overlooked the origin of Devon in the United States, where they were selected by the Pilgrims precisely because they were so tough, could look after themselves, thrive on the worst forage, calve regularly and produce the best meat and milk.

But the myth persists, even among some Devon breeders, and so we thought we’d ask Kelly Heaton, whose Bar 10 Ranch near St. George, Utah sits right on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon. You can probably count the blades of grass in these pictures.

Kelly and his brother, Gavin, have been introducing Devon into their head of almost a thousand head and within five years expect that all of the mother cows on Bar 10 will be ¼ to 3/4 Devon-influenced. So how are Devon doing? Here’s Kelly’s reply:

Thanks for asking my opinion. We have been extremely pleased with the Devon-influenced cattle that we have produced on our ranch.

We average about 8 to 12 inches of rain annually and our cattle graze year round on the range. The only thing we supplement with is minerals and an occasional protein lick in a drought or deep snow. (That generally happens less than 30 days per year). Our carrying capacity is 1 cow per 150-200 acres. Our cows have to travel at least 2 to 5 miles a day to find the feed and water that they need to sustain themselves and their calves.

Right now we’re using 688 and 982 and mamas and babies here are all 982s. (Yes, we line breed.) As you can see, our ranch requires an animal that tracks perfectly, converts feed and water efficiently, has a calf every 11 months, calves unassisted and protects her calf from predators (coyotes and mountain lions), and has the ability to turn marginal feed into high quality meat and milk. Some might think that this is too much to ask. We know that it is possible. We have always had a select few of our herd that meet these requirements and actually thrive on our range year in and year out. The challenge has been to find a sire and a breed that could improve these select cows with predictable results.

We believe that the Devon breed, and particularly the Rotokawa Devon, to be a pure, genetically dense line of cattle, that have been protected from fads and trends for thousands of years. But, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. We are currently running approximately 200 head of Devon-influenced cattle and our cows have had a calf every year and weaned an 8 month old calf averaging 550 pounds on the least amount of supplement that we have ever fed.

In addition to our mother cows doing such a great job, they are also a pleasure to be around. Some of the old-timers have it in their heads that “wild cattle” are the best cattle to cover country, but we have seen our Devon cover more country, have no contact with humans for 6 months at a time, and when located be just as gentle as when they were last worked. By the way, it’s the law in Utah that we brand our calves.

Our ½ Devon steers, when weaned and finished on irrigated grass pastures, have all graded low choice to choice and the flavor and tenderness are unequaled in any other breed. Moving cattle can take up to a week and we do it the old-fashioned way. Because of our hot climate we prefer a red-hided animal, as it has been proven that the red hide versus the black hide is much cooler, allowing our cows to spend more of their time working and not shading up.
As you can see we are “steaking” a lot on the Devon breed, and thus far, are extremely pleased with the results. It almost sounds too good to be true, but Devon has opened our eyes to just how amazing the design of a pure cow can be. Now our cows work for us instead us working for them.”

Kelly not only raises beautiful Devon beef on his ranch but he and his wife have produced five beautiful children, too. Here are two examples that he cut out of his personal herd: Lindsay, age 11, and Preston, 9.

We thank Kelly for taking the time to write such a complete answer to our question, and providing some excellent photos. You can learn more about Bar 10 Ranch (and see more “purty pictures”) by going to their two websites:

www.bar10.com

www.bar10beef.com

But we wanted to add that the Heatons also do a thriving recreational business at their ranch. This picture of Whitmore canyon shows not only the tourist mecca but if you look very carefully at the left hand side of the picture, you can see part of the Bar 10 herd in their winter pasture. The Inner Gorge” of the Grand Canyon is in the background.

Trimming Feed Costs….

….with the high cost of feed it’s not surprising that cattlemen are looking forward to cutting that expense which makes up about 70% of the average operation. It’s also not surprising our Ag colleges and the Ag industry have come up with a way of solving the problem by having us spend more money.

The report includes one line that might have given the game away but of course the scientists glossed over it to get to their technically-satisfying solution involving scales, ID tags and radio transmissions. The line that jumped out at ED:

Fortunately, research increasingly shows that some genetic lines of cattle can achieve the same performance as others but with significantly less feed.

But rather than use some low-tech way of finding those cattle---maybe by looking---Colorado State University proposes a system that includes:

…an RFID reader (which) identifies the animal as it visits the feeder, while load cells under the feeder accurately measure changes in the weight of the feed. All the information is transmitted to a computer system using specialized software to track each animal’s daily intake.

Another advancement toward selection for feed efficiency is application of the concept of net feed intake, also called residual feed intake, which is a more useful selection tool than feed-conversion ratios alone. Scientists define NFI as the variation in feed intake remaining after the requirements for maintenance and growth are accounted for. It is the difference between actual feed intake and the amount of feed the animal would be expected to eat based on its size and growth rate. An efficient calf eats less than the expected amount of feed and has a negative NFI.

The trait is moderately heritable (emphasis ED’s), and by using the NFI measurement, breeders can improve feed efficiency with little or no change in growth or mature size. This contrasts with selection for feed conversion alone, which favors growth rate and leads to larger mature-cow size and higher maintenance requirements in the cow herd.

Now you can read the whole thing by clicking here but we thought a whole lot easier system might be to just use Devon…or at least just select your cows using linear measurement. There probably aren’t any cattlemen still around who could simply use their eye.

We asked NADA President Gearld Fry for his reaction to this latest “scientific” breakthrough.

The research is looking at feed intake and conversion. What it is not looking at is structure. Cows whose shoulders are the same width as the rump length…and heart girth equal to top line are always the best converters and reduce intake dramatically.

The man who taught me linear measuring won this same kind of feed-out at the Denver National 19 out of 20 years running. Politics beat him the 20th year. He never laid a hand or tape on the animals he sent to the test. He selected them by eye and they were always from a particular sire line and commercial cows. The system is only into science and not reality or genetics.

They will never help the producer with these studies because they gloss over paternal genetics.

Change We Can Believe In….

….but sometimes it’s hard, particularly when we hear the government is going to consider (again) paying farmers not to produce. This time it’s dairy farmers but, of course, when dairymen cull their cows it will have a big impact on beef prices. Read the details by clicking here.

 

Worth Quoting….

….with all the invocation of Lincoln currently, NADA board member Steve Campbell went even farther back for other words to live by as we re-order (change) our society.

"There seem to be but three Ways for a Nation to acquire Wealth. The first is by War, as the Romans did in plundering their conquered Neighbours. This is Robbery.

The second by Commerce, which is generally Cheating.

The third by Agriculture, the only honest Way; wherein Man receives a real Increase of the Seed thrown into the Ground, in a kind of continual Miracle wrought by the Hand of God in his favour, as a Reward for his innocent Life, and virtuous Industry."

-- Benjamin Franklin

And finally….

Devon on the Road….

NADA will be taking its roadshow to two grass fed events in the next few weeks:

January 31…Winter Green Up Grass Feed Beef Conference, Latham NY

February 5-9…PASA Farming for the Future, State College, PA

The Cornell University Winter Green Up Conference is a one-day event at the Century House outside Albany (yes, where NADA held its’ first annual meeting). Kit Pharo and Dr. Allen Williams will be the speakers along with Bill Hodge of the University of Georgia and Kathleen Harris, director of the Northeast Livestock Processing Service. NADA board member John Forelle and ED will be debuting our new promotional effort and we look forward to meeting some new folks and talking Devon.

You can get information and registration information by clicking here.

PASA’s annual meeting at State College, PA is always packed with more information than one person can possibly absorb. ED and Mrs ED generally split up to monitor as many of the sessions as possible. Once again NADA is heavily represented in the pre-conference grass fed beef track. NADA’s Sue Beal, Ridge Shinn, Chick Debach and Bill Roberts will be joined by Greg Judy in this two-day program. That’s followed by two more days of the full conference. If there’s only one program that you can spare time for every year---other than NADA’s annual meeting---this would be the one we’d recommend.

Again, complete information can be accessed by clicking here.

Consumer’s Guide to Grass Fed Beef….

….as long as we’re on the subject of PASA, their newsletter this month has an interesting article by Shannon Hayes on “The Difference between Grain-Fed and Grass-Fed”. If you’re in the business of selling grass fed beef, this is an article you may want to copy and distribute to your customers. (click here)

Shannon’s cookbook---“The Grassfed Gourmet”---now has a companion volume---“The Farmer and the Grill”. She and her family produce grass fed meats at their farm in upstate New York and you can check out her website (and order the books) at www.grassfedcooking.com

New Name…Old Address….

….mentioning Ridge Shinn’s participation in the PASA meeting---he’s giving not one, but two presentations---reminds us that Bakewell Reproductive Services in Hardwick, MA has re-organized. The new name is The Rotokawa Cattle Company, reflecting the recent import of almost 100 Rotokawa cows from New Zealand. Ridge continues as the head of the company but we understand partner Chuck Lacy is now taking a more active role. (Lacy has just applied for NADA membership) And Gearld Fry has severed his connection with the organization but not his friendship with his former partners.

It was Ridge who asked Gearld to consult with the Northeast Livestock Alliance about six years ago, where Gearld first became closely acquainted with Devon cattle. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

It’s fair to say that Devon breeders are looking forward with some interest to the marketing plans of the new company. The Rotokawa Cattle Company is bound to have a major impact on both the price and supply of Devon cattle.

Do You Smell a Tax Coming….

….most of the experts say “no”….that the EPA tax on beef and dairy cows---still on the drawing boards---is not likely to go into effect. The economic climate, they say, is not right. ED is not so sure. President-Elect Obama has ruled any income tax off the table…if only for the moment…but he is said to favor using tax policy to influence not only energy consumption but global warming. That would certainly include cow emissions.

You can read a summary of the situation (be sure to follow all the links) by clicking here.

 

Postscript: Select Sale 2008….

….one of the highlights of the Select Sale last October was the unscheduled birth of a bull calf just hours before the auction. Clearly he survived the excitement and the 400-mile ride with a half dozen much larger cows. Bulls Eye T10 is now not quite three-months old.

Milking Devon Record?

How old is too old for a Milking Devon? This past week ED received a phone call from Ken Garland of Robbinsville, North Carolina near the Smoky Mountains. Ken had seen NADA’s ad in the Western Livestock Journal and it reminded him that, as a boy, his family had raised Devon. In fact, just like those first Pilgrim’s at Plymouth Colony, the Garland Devon were 3-in-1 animals…providing meat, milk and muscle for the Garland Farm.

Ken’s dad used the Devon to haul logs out of the woods and one old Milking Devon was still providing milk for the family when she was 21-years old. That’s all the more remarkable when you consider that today’s pampered dairy cows wear out at about the age of five!

Ken now just does vegetable farming but he still thinks Devon are about the best cows around and says maybe he’ll have to get back into them. We certainly hope he does! He’s a delightful man and his phone call was the highlight of the week here.

 

Grass Fed Beef in Bon Apetit….

….the latest issue (February) of the popular magazine for “foodies” features a steak on the cover and an article with recipes and tips entitled “50 Ways to Eat Green”. And we couldn’t have written a better subhead: “Carnivores, rejoice! Red meat is not only delicious, but it can also be downright good for you.”

The article includes questions you should ask your local farmer…yes, you should buy local…and what you need to know to buy a side of beef and some websites to check out…yes, Jo Robinson’s Eat Wild and Heritage Foods USA…and a summing up of why the reader should eat grass fed beef:

“Cows are meant to graze on grass. A corn-based diet actually makes them sick, so they need to be routinely treated with antibiotics. Taking cows out of the feedlot also solves the waste-management problem and helps improve the fertility of the soil.”

And since this is a full-service website, ED thought he would include Bon Appetit’s receipe for “Chimichurri steak”. (click here)

Reflections for a New Year….

….from North American Devon president Gearld Fry includes speculation on the mysterious origins of the Devon. The breed, some say “race”, goes back thousands of years…certainly well before the birth of Christ. Gearld wonders how Devon managed to remain pure in the face of the pressures and fads that have swept the cattle industry over the generations. He also wonders how unsophisticated early farmers were able to develop such a perfect animal. The secret weapon, he thinks, may have been a common milk bucket.

Read Gearld’s musings by clicking here.

 

Is She “Pure Bred” or “Full Blood”….

….that is a question most of us never considered when we first joined the ranks of new Devon breeders. But as we’ve noted here before, economics is forcing many experienced cattlemen to reconsider their grain-based operations. There are many reports of Angus, Hereford and other commercial cattlemen---and even seed stock operators---liquidating their herds and moving into grass feds. And some of these folks are taking their time and doing their homework before settling on a breed.

ED was talking to one of those men just the other evening; a longtime Hereford farmer from eastern Tennessee. He had just visited a well-known Devon operation and came away puzzled that his host had referred to his animals as “full blood”. The Tennessean said he spent most of the day at that farm and was convinced he had not seen a single full blooded cow.

The terminology has troubled ED, too. The dictionary defines a full blooded animal as one “with unmixed ancestry”. The definition of a pure bred is one “without the admixture of other blood over many generations”. So it all depends on what your definition of “many” is. But clearly a “full blooded” Devon has not a drop of any other breed.

How can we know? Probably impossible but ED is open to being convinced. We’ve heard it said that a sure sign is if the Devon has horns, but that’s certainly not true. We’ve also heard it said that the mutation in Missouri 80 years ago that created polled Devon was more likely a midnight visitation from a Red Angus or Red Polled cow. Again, how can we know?

NADA board member Bill Roberts tells us that Salers are used more or less openly in Devon herds in England and the English continue to insist they are “pure”…apparently leaning on the definition that “many” is anything more than one. ED received the same report from some American breeders who attended the World Devon Congress in Australia.
Of course, most of us use the term “pure bred” in conversation without considering the technical definition. Our cows are pure Devon…the registration papers are good enough for us. But if NADA is going to recognize all other Devon associations worldwide, perhaps it is time to ask just what those papers really mean.

The Angus Agony (cont’d)….

…..92 bulls have now been listed by the American Angus Association as carriers of Curley Calf Syndrome. AAA has set up two categories: AMC, meaning a carrier and AMF meaning “free” of the recessive gene. Most, if not all these bulls, have been used in commercial semen sales so the scope of the actual problem is breath-taking.

Without testing, it’s impossible to know the status of your Angus until the birth of the defective calf. And if you’re dealing with commercial cattle, you are really at sea without a life vest. You can go to the Angus website www.angus.org for details on what that Association is doing to deal with the problem and you can see the list of carrier bulls by clicking here.

 

Feast or Famine….

….these may not be the best of times for those of us in the cattle business, but if your job is raising government subsidies the uncertainty right now is not easy on the nerves. Will he or won’t he? “He” being the President-elect of course. And then there’s ethanol. The politicians in Washington are beginning to suspect they are being “had” on that one. The Wall Street Journal had an article recently on the farmers’ conundrum. (click here)

 

Correction….

....our picture of the month was mis-identified for a time. It is now correctly labeled on our home page as coming from Hi-Gain Ranching in Westminster, Alberta, Canada. Brady Wobeser tells us the temperature was 58 degrees below zero, which even Albertans consider cold. Of course, that was the wind chill temperature; the actual temp was probably something closer to a balmy minus 43! Sorry for the mistake.

The Pic of the Month….

….is a Devon/Angus cross at Steve and Debra Campbell’s Trinity C ranch in Idaho. And there’s a back-story connected to the picture. NADA’s president, Gearld Fry, writes that Hardwick Beef has been paying an extra 25-cents a pound for half-blood Devon steers because of the amount of saleable meat per carcass. Hardwick weighs every steak, road and grind and has discovered the Devon advantage. As Gearld says, this real world report is better than university research.

You’ll want to read “Rotational Grazing Doesn’t Work” to see what Ranching for Profit’s Dave Pratt thinks about some supposedly scholarly research.

Fry also reports continued strong sales of heifers and bulls. He’s sold five bulls in the past month and Bill Roberts has a similar good report from Tennessee. Roberts, incidentally, has moved his cattle operation from Memphis closer to his home near Nashville.

 

Deadline for Board Election Ballots….

....is midnight, December 31st, and response has been just over 40%. That’s pretty good considering there was no competition for the openings. Even ED can squeak out a win under those conditions. New members Ted Stephens and Greg Hickl join returning members Barto, Moore and Schoumacher.

 

The New Ag Secretary….

….is Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa. ED withheld comment for awhile although, having lived and reported in Iowa for a time, he was pretty sure that a governor of Iowa was not going to be friendly to grass fed beef. The fact that Vilsack was also named Biotech Man of the Year and the candidate of the Farm Bureau was also somewhat disconcerting.

You don’t have to do much research to discover that there’s not much “Hope” in this Obama appointment…certainly nothing radical. Vilsack is not only a big corn and ethanol booster, but he’s sure genetically-modified food is the answer to the world’s problems and, as governor, he never came across a rule limiting animal confinement programs that he didn’t gut.
The only “Change” that might be forthcoming is a cap on subsidies for the richest Ag outfits, something Obama suggested during the campaign. So the politics of the appointment leaves ED a little mystified. Vilsack was a Clinton supporter in the primaries though he was briefly a candidate for President himself. He did get out of the way in time to clear the way for Obama to sweep the Iowa caucus and launch Obamania.

Allan Nation of Stockman Grass Farmer had this to say about the Vilsack nomination:

“This ends the speculation that a "sustainable ag" candidate might get the nod and the appointment is a major coup for Big Corn and the ethanol industry. Vilsack is a staunch advocate of ethanol and other biofuels. One of the first major decisions for Vilsack will be whether to grant the ethanol industry’s requests for billions in federal aid as a part of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus package.

“…at the current price of oil continued subsidies will be necessary to keep the American ethanol industry afloat. The Obama Administration plans to make "green energy" a major part of its economic development program so don’t look for an end to ethanol subsidies anytime soon.”

Michael Pollan, author of Omnivores Dilemma, called the appointment “a good day for corn. Less good for eaters.” He might have added “less good for natural beef producers, as well”. Pollan did say Vilsack isn’t much of a reformer and, when he was governor of Iowa, supported the expansion of animal confinement program.

All in all, as the Organic Consumers Association sums up, “this is not a change we can believe in”. (click here)

PBS’s Bill Moyers interviewed Michael Pollan just before the appointment was announced. Pollan had written an Op-Ed in the New York Times in the form of an open letter to Obama about what the job of Agriculture Secretary should be about. Pollan’s name had been put out (half-heartedly) by some in sustainable ag as a candidate for the Secretary’s job. You can read his Op Ed by clicking here and listen to the Moyers’ interview by clicking here.

Rotational Grazing Doesn’t Work….

….at least according to some research published in the Journal of Ecology and Rangeland Management. Ranching for Profit’s Dave Pratt deconstructs what passes for ag science nowadays but what’s important, we think, is the arrogance of academe as it looks down on the real world observations of farmers in the field.

The scientists proclaim that “circumstantial evidence from successful grazing managers cannot be elevated to the status of experimental data”. Pratt, who comes from a university background, responds: “Let me make sure I have this right. The experience of someone who makes a living from the land and is in touch with that land and the animals on a daily basis has less credibility than research which doesn’t have the scale, longevity or flexibility to ‘mimic’ the real world?”

Pratt says the academics’ attitude reminds him of the Wizard of Oz, whom he paraphrases this way: “Just ignore the springs that are flowing again and the increased carrying capacity, the return of perennials, the reduction in invasive weeds, the reduced input costs, the improved profitability, the overall satisfaction of the operator and the happiness of his family.”

You can read the original paper and Pratt’s comments in his newsletter by clicking here.

Another Tax on Livestock….

….Virginia’s tax collectors, who leave no stone unturned in the search for new revenue, claim to have found the authority in some wording in a 42-year old law to levy a tax on meat slaughtered for home consumption. Joel Salatin’s Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association is once again leading the charge. VICFA filed Freedom of Information Requests looking for evidence that there has ever been such a tax.

The Virginia Department of Taxation---in one of those Alice-in-Wonderland moments our bureaucrats delight in---said it had no records and if it did they wouldn’t release them because of confidentiality requirements. Nevertheless the Department has gone after Blue Ridge Meats near Front Royal, demanding back taxes. Since Blue Ridge never collected such taxes, the demand would put them out of business.

VICFA reports that two state lawmakers have submitted bills to block the Revenooers. This is a money-making idea for the states that is sure to spread.

Our Christmas Story….

….again this year is the honored dead at Arlington National Cemetery. For the past 16 years, the Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine has been sending 5,000 wreaths to decorate the graves and school children from Maine volunteer to come down to place them.
With so much troubling in the news about our country, it is comforting to remember the simple decency and sacrifice of ordinary Americans portrayed in this little noted news event.

 

A Thank You Note from Ed….

….to all those who have contributed to this website site, either by writing something special, sending or photo, or simply directing us to an interesting link, we thank you. All the good stuff is due to you…the mistakes are ED’s. A special Merry Christmas to our contributors.

Butter: The Right Stuff….

….Steven Campbell of Trinity-C Ranch in Idaho is one of our “regulars” and he sends an article he spotted on butter. The article, speaking about milk from grass fed cows, also has important links to information for the beef crowd. (click here)

 

Wisdom from the Past….

….NADA President Gearld Fry, with everything else he does, is also a frequent contributor here. He’s been following our salute to Louis Bromfield and comments that Bromfield, along with Newman Turner, were influential in turning his thinking away from conventional agricultural methods. And Fry pointed to this column Lancaster Farming by the Grass Whisperer---Troy Bishopp---in which he pays his respects to these two farmers who got it right decades ago. Read Troy’s tale of discovery by clicking here.

And as long as we’re paying our respects to greats from the days of yore…

….ED would like to throw in a third name, along with Bromfield and Turner. That’s Edward Faulkner, author of “The Plowman’s Folly”.

Too simply put, Faulkner recommended abolishing the plow and replacing it with mulching. Faulkner resigned from the Ag service as a matter of principal and his own farm remained rich and green and those surrounding deteriorated and were eventually abandoned. What he was doing, of course, was attacking the mold-board plow which the wise men of the time believed was the great instrument of western civilization. As Bromfield writes in his “Pleasant Valley”:

“His (Faulkner’s) ideas were in one sense revolutionary; in another sense they were as old as time and as old as Nature herself. The revolutionary ones were not likely to be welcomed by either bureau men or by the academic world…they were upsetting because they ran counter to much that farmers had been taught over a long period of time.

“Someday, I should like to compile a whole book of the wrong and destructive things which have been taught in American agriculture, with a second volume dedicated to the things which have been taught more for the benefit of manufacturers of farm machinery, of chemical fertilizers and of prepared and expensive feeds than for the good of the earth or the welfare of the farmer.”
Faulkner, Bromfield and Turner…their books should be read by all serious cattlemen and women. Not a bad Christmas present, by the way.

Finally, Registration We Can Recommend….

….thanks to a tip from Sal Edwards, the editor of Bulldust, the magazine of the Australian Devon Society. Sal has been a great friend and supporter of NADA, particularly in the preparation of our new promotional material, and she suggests Devon breeders might want to check out this opportunity to list their operations. (click here)

DUI or FUI….

….your call, NADA’s David Hawkins of Munfordville, Kentucky sends along a series of pictures that are too outlandish to have been “photo-shopped”. It raises the spectre of a new category of vehicle violations: Farming Under the Influence! (click here)

Rotokawa Arrive at New Home….

….as Bakewell chief Ridge Shinn adds: “finally”. Almost 100 Rotokawa animals have arrived safely at Bakewell Reproductive Services in Hardwick, Massachusetts. Leading the Ken MacDowell herd, and pictured here, is the famous Rotokawa 93. Ken sold his herd to Bakewell in early summer but transport was delayed while the cows were quarantined in California and held up by bureaucratic paperwork issues. Finally released, the herd is now acclimating to what has started out as a bitter New England winter…quite a transition from California.

You can read the story and view a slide show by clicking here.

Check Your Mail….

….by now all NADA members should have received a ballot so they can vote for candidates to the Association’s board of directors. As we noted before, this is a kind of academic exercise, since there is no competition for the five openings, but it does give us a chance to develop an election system for the future, as well as to double-check our mailing list.

If you did not receive a ballot, email the office at nada@hughes.net.

Graduation Day for Recovery Registry Cows….

….two cows, and their progeny, have just completed the process of being certified as pure Devon, the largest group to be registered so far. In all, a dozen animals have now received registration certificates and about 50, like the one shown here, are waiting out the three generations necessary to win inspection and approval.

In recent weeks, NADA has become aware of small herds of unregistered Devon in California and South Carolina and has begun working with their owners to enter the Registry. At the moment, there is a sunset clause which terminates the program at the end of the year but ED understands there is some sentiment among the Board to extend the program.

Noted in Passing….

….the Environmental Protection Agency says it has no plans to levy an emissions tax on cows but they’ve been flooded with farmers’ complaints blasting the idea. Someone recently noticed the fine print in an EPA document that indicated the Agency felt, under recent court rulings, that it had the power to tax cow herds and that set off the firestorm of protest.

Whether it was a trial balloon, or an invention of the Sierra Club, the alarm was sounded. You can read the story by clicking here.

 

The Next Ag Secretary….

….shouldn’t be called that, at all, according to a columnist for the New York Times. Nick Kristoff says the correct name should be Food Secretary and, leaning on the writing of Michael Pollan, argues that whoever gets the job needs to fulfill the President-elect’s campaign promises regarding agriculture. (click here)

Some people aren’t waiting to see who Barack Obama appoints, they are pushing their own candidate. And now Joel Salatin’s VICFA, a Virginia association of farmers who direct market, have joined the chorus for Pollan’s nomination to the post. Supporters say they’ve gathered 8,000 signatures supporting the “Omnivore’s Dilemma” author.

Here’s and a form you can use to contact your Congressional delegation. (click here).

 

Bull Test Graduation Day….

….and here come the proud graduates to receive their diplomas. Or their new addresses.

There was no grade inflation at the Lakota Forage Bull Test this year. Of the 86 bulls---Devon, Angus, Hereford and a scattering of others--- who entered the test 18 months ago, only 46 made it all the way through the rigorous screening and into the sale. The others fell by the wayside because of poor gain on grass or for various health reasons. The average price was $1800, but the Devon bulls averaged $3100.

The top selling bull was a Lakota Devon by P60, who sold for $4500. The buyer: John Whiteside of Wolf Creek Farm in Virginia, who direct markets about 300 animals a year. Second highest was a bull purchased by Dale Simms of Macon, Georgia. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Dale is the son of Ray and Katherine Simms who were very active in the Devon breed back in the 1950s.

Buyers from seven states bought bulls in the sale, including ranchers from Texas, Kansas and Wyoming. Sale Manager Jeremy Engh said prices were about what he expected, given the economy, but he also added that the number of bulls in the sale exceeded the number of potential buyers and that further depressed prices. Engh said the ground rules will be adjusted next year to bring supply and demand into better alignment.

There is probably no sale anywhere in the country that offers customers the range of information available at the Lakota test. The catalog contained not only the standard performance data, but also ultrasound and DNA results. All the bulls had also been linear measured and underwent fertility testing.

One of the important points of the test was made even before the day of the sale: you can’t simply stop feeding grain and claim he’s grass fed. Test began with 86 bulls but only 46 made it all the way through. The basic requirement was that all candidates had to finish in the top 75% not only for gain, but for carcass quality. And those that made it through were fertility tested to be sure they were ready to settle more than 40 cows while maintaining body condition.

The Lakota bull test carries an impressive roster of consultants, including western seed stock producer Kit Pharo and Allan Williams of Tallgrass Beef Company.

On the Road Again….

….and carrying the Devon story to another grass fed meeting. The North American Devon Association will be sponsoring “Winter Green-Up”, a grass fed beef conference, which will be in Albany, NY, Saturday, January 31st at the Century House hotel. Yes, that’s the same place where we held our annual meeting last year. If you’re in the northeast, make plans to attend. You can register by clicking here.

And two weeks later, February 5th through the 7ths, NADA will be one of the sponsors of the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. President Gearld Fry, and other members of the Board, will be manning the booth so be sure to stop by. There’s a pre-conference track on grass fed beef you might want to check out, too. All the information is available at the PASA website. (click here)

These meetings, and others we’ll be announcing, further NADA’s mission of providing promotion and education about the benefits of raising Devon on grass. This year’s publicity efforts have included not only the Ag shows but advertisements in several farm journals across the country. It’s an aggressive program which is made possible by membership dues and contributions.

Watch Your Mailbox….

….for an envelope from NADA. It will contain a ballot post card so you can select your choices for the board of directors. Well, that was the theory anyway. In fact, only five members volunteered for the five openings but there’s a space for write-ins and NADA’s leadership is always on the lookout for a few more good men…..and women.

We’d also appreciate your taking the time to vote and return the ballot (it’s postage free) just so headquarters can practice on an easy election…and also check the accuracy of its contact information.

Certified Grass Fed Beef….

….will be the result of a program just announced by the American Grassfed Association. AGA is partnering with Animal Welfare Approved to audit AGA member farms and ranches to check for compliance with natural beef standards, including no feedlots, no hormones, no antibiotics and the humane treatment of animals.

The result will be a certification seal from an independent private agency which will help our industry police itself. Read more by clicking here.

 

More Advice for the President-elect….

Not long ago we printed a column by Michael Pollan containing advice for Barack Obama on a new Ag policy. Here’s a supplementary view from Chuck Hassebrook of the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska. Chuck calls on Obama to make good on his campaign pledge to end the subsidy boondoggle for large, corporate farmers and divert the money to protecting family farms, which is where it was originally intended. (click here)

 

Out-sourcing Border Collies!

Or something close, at least. A Texas rancher has come up with some unusual help in moving his herd. And the help is cheap: a pizza and a Dr. Pepper is his total cost. You can check the story by clicking here.

Telling the Story….

….the NADA board has okayed an aggressive promotional effort this year carrying the Devon story across the country in grass fed and sustainable ag shows. The effort begins at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture annual meeting at State College on February 4th through the 7th. Typically, more than 2,000 people attend the program which begins with a special two-day cattle track on Wednesday and Thursday and then the regular program on Friday and Saturday.

NADA’s Sue Beal is the planner for the special cattle track and the speakers include our Ridge Shinn and Bill Roberts, as well as Greg Judy of mob-grazing fame. The Association is a bronze key sponsor of the event and we’ll have a booth for the full four days. Hopefully, a number of NADA members from the northeast will make an effort to attend the meeting.

NADA’S Annual Meeting….

….is now set for October 16th and 17th near Hearne, Texas at the Pat and Ted Stevens ranch. Mark that weekend on your calendar now. As always you can expect a valuable educational program, see some beautiful cattle and enjoy the legendary Texas hospitality. We understand the Stevens are turning their new ranch into quite a showplace!

Yes, there’ll be a Select Sale for those Westerners who have wanted to buy Devon for some time but didn’t want to haul animals more than a thousand miles from our recent meetings. Meanwhile, check out the following….

Devon for sale….

….in Arkansas. Some top bulls and females are for sale by a breeder who is going out of business. This doesn’t happen very often and if you’re interested contact us at NADA headquarters: nada@hughes.net

The Magic of Arnica….

….awhile back ED reported on his experience with Rescue Remedy for a stressed cow about to be transported 600 miles to the Select Sale in Newport. Fortunately, Dr. Sue Beal was visiting at the time and recommended a dose of the remedy, which relaxed the cow within minutes. The discussion of homeopathic remedies led to the subject of Arnica. You can read Sue’s report on Arnica by clicking here.

Incidentally, in one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories---“Lost World”---there is one Professor Challenger. The professor was a kind of Indiana Jones with a reputation for beating up reporters who try to interview him. A reporter who has just received the dreaded assignment is told by a physician friend to take along a remedy that is “better than Arnica” for dealing with the injuries he’s about to suffer. The narrator comments that the physician must have an extraordinary notion of humor, apparently because nothing could be better than Arnica.

Obama’s Secy of Ag….

….without getting into politics (too deeply) we thought you should be thinking about what the selection of an Agriculture Secretary may mean. Interesting speculation on that by Chuck Hassebrook of the Center for Rural Affairs. (click here)

 

Chicken’s Little Secret….

….turns out you can’t always find out by reading the label. The FDA has been involved in a dispute with Tysons Foods (and Tysons’ competitors) over the use of anti-biotics. Turns out you have to very careful when you read a label uncritically. (click here)

On the lighter side….

….thanks to Bill Roberts, who came across a link that brings back memories of 10-cent Saturdays at the old Liberty theater on Chicago’s Westside. There are names here we’ve all but forgotten but they shaped several generations of Americans, for the better we think. Turn up the sound and pour a shot of sassparilla. (click here)

Picture of the Month….

….features a team of oxen photographed by NADA President Gearld Fry during the World Devon Congress in Australia. As most of our readers know, Devon served a triple purpose in the early days of this country. They provided the milk, meat and muscle for our Founders and Devon are still favored by many oxen aficionados.

We’ll have a full album of outstanding Australian Devon in a forthcoming update but meanwhile Gearld has a new column: H-I-L. It’s a challenge not only to beef producers but to everyone in the food industry. You can read it by clicking here.

It’s Not Just the Chinese….

….who are poisoning us. An Op-Ed piece in the New York Times says there’s plenty of home-grown melamine to worry about. Interesting that the article was written by a history professor at Texas State University, not a professor from one of leading Ag schools or an ag agent. He authors a companion piece to the Gearld Fry column we just linked.

James E. McWilliams writes that we should share some of outrage at the Chinese and direct it at American traditional agriculture. Meanwhile, he suggests a possible defense though admitting it’s by no means a sure one.

“…the concerned consumer is not completely helpless. We can seek out organic foods, which are grown with fertilizer without melamine – unless that fertilizer was composted with manure from animals fed melamine-laden feed.

“We could further protect ourselves by choosing meat from grass fed or truly free-range animals, assuming the grass was not fertilized with a conventional product (something that’s also very hard to know).”

You can read the whole article by clicking here.

Melamine has been around for almost 200 years. It has been used mostly in the manufacture of plastics but recently scientists found it could artificially boost protein levels. With that discovery, it became an additive in feeds and fertilizer. What is suspected, is that it also triggers kidney failure and some forms of cancer.

Dr. Joseph Mercola recently discussed the subject in an article you can access by clicking here.

Taken together, Dr. Mercola viewpoint, the Texas professor’s Op-Ed and the Fry blog, gives breeders of Devon reason to seriously review not only their nutrition programs but their future fertilizer plans. Are you really producing a natural, healthy product?

More on Curly Calf Syndrome….

….the American Angus Associations continues to let its members twist in the wind. After another meeting, the AAA has decided to come up with a new name for the condition: Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM) apparently on the theory that if no one can pronounce it, it will go away.

Reading the series of findings from the meeting, it appears the AAA has made several determinations:

1. That the condition has been traced back one more generation to Rito 9J9 and, as AAA says, “that does not preclude other ancestors of this bull from potentially being identified as carriers at a later time”.
2. All cattle currently registered, descendants of the affected bulls, will continue to be registered. But…
3. Their calves will be registered only if tested and shown to be free of the genetic defect.

Sarah Palin Ruffles Feathers….

….as they say she “sells newspapers”. That is, when newspapers used to sell. The Governor’s presence here is also guaranteed to boost traffic…at least briefly…as this entry shows up in search engines. (ED knows how to play the game.)

But love her or hate her, you have to concede that Ms Palin certainly demonstrated that most people no longer have any idea “where food comes from”. When the Governor gave the traditional Thanksgiving pardon to a turkey and then granted an interview in front of the killing bench, the press went ballistic.

The New York Times decried her lack of compassion for the “execution” of turkeys but our favorite expression of outrage came from the other coast; the Los Angeles Times was shocked they were “slaughtering live turkeys”. Slaughtering dead turkeys apparently would be alright.

In any event, if you missed the original interview and also want a flavor of the reactions you can click here.

They Keep Trying….

You can’t keep a good bureaucrat down. You may have thought the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) was voluntary, but R-CALF has discovered the Agriculture department quietly issued a memo two months ago making the program mandatory for anyone engaged in interstate commerce or taking part in any regulated health program.

R-CALF USA President Dr. Max Thornsberry has fired off an angry letter to the Department and to the chairmen of the Senate and House Agriculture committees, accusing the government of violating an express promise to keep the system voluntary and demanding the new federal regulation be retracted.

Read the R-CALF press release by clicking here.

Where Have They Been Hiding….

…."Scientific American"is a little late to the party but they have finally reported that there’s corn in those Big Macs and Whoppers and it’s not good for you or for cows. Read their article by clicking here.

 

For the Good Times….

Loma Wright sends along a picture of all the folks who attended the World Devon Congress in Australia recently. We can spot NADA president Gearld Fry (kneeling in the white hat, second row back) but not some of the other American attendees. Gearld was asked to contribute another column to Bull Dust after the event and you can read what he had to say by clicking here.

Recent and Worth Reading….

….we came across a new newsletter published by the Maryland Grazers Network. One article, what’s important in marketing grass fed beef, caught our eye. ED suspects many of our readers will not agree with all the content but we’ll link to the whole edition. Scroll down just a little for the marketing article. (click here)

Our own blogger Linda Maurer had what we think was better advice on pastures recently. You can read her series by clicking here and here and here. NADA member Jeff Price of Shady Grove Farms in Lancing, Tennessee wrote in this week asking for more information and we thought you’d be interested in the whole correspondence. (click here)

Also Worth Reading…if Less Recent….

….it’s an excerpt from a 3-volume book on farming that is more than 100 years old. Mike Scannell of Harrier Fields Farm in New York passed on the pages on Devon and, while it is always fun to read an appreciation of our wonderful cows, ED was particularly interested in two points the authors made back in 1892:

First, that technically, Devon are not a breed but a race. Breeds exist through some cross or mixture, some selection by man. A race, on the other hand, is “moulded by natural causes, with no interference of man, and no intermixture of other varieties”.

And second, the statement that Devon “are so naturally fixed and perfected that crossing them with any other breed would be more likely to injure them than improve them”. The same point was made 100 years earlier by Robert Bakewell and, in more recent times, by Jan Bonsma.

It’s not surprising to find the book in the hands of Mike Scannell. Of all NADA’s top breeders, Mike has worked harder to preserve the purity of Devon. Read the excerpt from “The American Farmer” by clicking here.

In the Mailbag….

Several times a week we receive letters from folks looking for Devon cattle, particularly females, and some say quite frankly that they’ll take just about anything they can find. As long as they have patience, their own careful breeding program will produce an outstanding herd.

But one letter, from someone who has been starting a Devon herd, had a different tone. We’ve deleted the breeders mentioned, but the indictment is something for all of us to consider.

“Two problems I’ve observed (in a very short time) in the beef Devon world: we have producers who are breeding indiscriminately and passing their animals around to one another which creates an inbred problem. We also have producers who do not ruthlessly cull animals from the gene pool – their idea of culling is to sell inferior animals to the unsuspecting newcomer or other less knowledgeable cattle people.

“This puts money in the producer’s pocket in the short term but destroys the breed in the long term because it continues to perpetuate poor quality animals.”

ED would say inferior Devon should really have only one destination: the freezer. But at the very least, would it be unrealistic to ask a breeder dealing with a newcomer to point out any weaknesses in the sale animal and suggest a remedy?

****

Patrick Kilcoyne of Brasher Falls, New York is a longtime breeder who entered the Devon ranks just a few years ago by buying several Recovery Registry animals. He’s expanded his Devon herd but his meat business requires hanging on to his older Angus herd and corn-finishing them. Here’s what Pat says about the first crop of calves from his young Devon bull.

“We used him as a yearling on my Angus herd and we have just started slaughtering the offspring. We are very impressed with the carcasses we are seeing. We are finishing on corn and am slaughtering them at 60-80 days on feed, my full Angus are taking 30-50 days longer to finish versus our F1 crosses.”

Pat has also reached the point where he can part with 3 of his Recovery Registry cows with heifer calves at their side. That means they’re one generation away from full registration. As Pat puts it:

“We had a good calf crop this year and can let a few of my foundation cows go. They may work well to help someone else get started in Devon. I prefer to sell to someone starting out to help establish another Devon herd.”

For more information, you can email Pat Kilcoyne at pkilcoyne21@yahoo.com

****

Dr. Sue Beal’s recent blog about the virtues of the homeopathic Rescue Remedy for stressed cows triggered quite a bit of interest. ED saw dramatic evidence of the remedy’s benefits with a stressed cow he was readying for transport.

Linda Maurer of Madison, Virginia chimed in with her own endorsement of the product.

“We use it prior to working animals in the head gate and absolutely before they get on the trailer. Horses get it and so do I!! Works well. Give about 6 drops in the mouth about 20 minutes before doing anything or else about 10 drops in a stock tank about 12 hrs before to be sure all animals get a chance to take a good long drink and get it in their systems.”

Candy Brisendine of Lennon, Michigan wrote to ask where she could find Rescue Remedy. Here’s Sue’s answer:

Candy, Rescue remedy is easy to find - easier in some locations than others, though !

If you have access to a health food store or someplace like Whole Foods, they should have it in stock.

Various sources for on line purchase, but I typically buy Rescue Remedy through Natural Health Supply in Santa Fe. This is a small, stellar homeopathic pharmacy with great folks, wonderful remedies and remedy kits.

(That's where I get all my kits and most of my remedies. They have a thorough book list and excellent service. Jim Klemmer is the pharmacist there. I've been dealing with them for twenty years. Yikes! I just added that up.)

Their website is: www.a2zhomeopathy.com

They stock Rescue Remedy, probably in two sizes of drops. I use the liquid drops and make up my own spray dilutions - easier and more cost effective than using the pre-prepared spritz bottle in which the company also packages the product.

For the record.... I have no financial connection with Jim's company.

Two more notes on Rescue Remedy:

A NADA board member who is a Republican wondered after election day if he could order two gallons of the stuff. It wasn’t clear to ED if that was intended as a four-year supply or, knowing him, for just the first 100 days.

Dr. Beal will soon have a report on another potent homeopathic remedy, Arnica. And if you missed Sue’s initial report on Rescue Remedy, you can catch up by clicking here.

 

Breed them Early….

….in his blog last month, NADA’s Steve Campbell observed that old-time cattlemen may have been right after all; that breeding heifers to calve at three was not only good for the heifer, but for her calf, and for succeeding generations. ED has seen the results of breeding early on his own pastures and more than a few veteran Devon breeders have likewise decided not to rush their heifers.

On the other hand, in his recent talk, Kit Pharo was adamant that you can’t make money if you don’t get your first calf by the age of two. Pharo argues that that results in an additional calf in the life of a cow. Given the short life span of the average cow in the U.S., ED has to wonder if---to quote ancient wisdom---this isn’t a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Still, ED is not a high-priced consultant, so you might want to make up your own mind by re-reading Steve’s article by clicking here.

And when you’re finished with that, Steve---who is an Idaho cattleman and member of the NADA board---has another article to ponder. This one links nutrition in pregnancy to low birthday to herd health and development. Read “As We Sow” by clicking here.

Devon Cow/Calf Nets $20,000!

A cow and calf raised at Lakota Ranch in Virginia has just been sold for $20,000 and according to Jeremy and Jerry Engh that’s a record for a Devon cow, at least in the United States. The cow is an H48 daughter, producer of many of Lakota’s best animals, and the heifer is a Lakotas Buckeye P60 daughter.

Buyer of the pair is Luke Anderson of Tarboro, North Carolina who has also just purchased Spring Leigh Farm near Staunton, Virginia. The tide keeps rising. Congratulations to the Enghs…and to Luke Anderson!

Can’t Tell the Players Without a Scorecard….

Attendees at the recent annual meeting tried their hand at judging some Devon cows. It was intended as a game but the scorecard developed for the event was such a hit we thought we’d pass it along. You can use it to judge your own herd or make your next $20,000 purchase. For the card and NADA President Gearld Fry’s comments click here.

Those who played the game at Watson Farm in Rhode Island, gave two of Heather and Don Minto’s cows grades from 1 to 3 on each element and then an overall score. They then compared their results to the eye of Gearld. Those who took part agreed that it was one of the most valuable lessons in animal selection they had ever enjoyed. Personally, ED is going to keep a laminated scorecard in his pocket. You never know when he might want to spent $20,000!

The Agony of Angus….

….the American Angus Association continues to grapple with the tragedy of Curly Calf Syndrome, a fatal genetic defect that has struck at least one line in the breed. No one knows just how widespread this could be, but there are reports of some breeders dispersing their herds. While it tries to nail down the scope of CCS, the Angus Association seems to be dragging its feet on closing the barn door. You can read its latest communiqué to its membership by clicking here.

It isn’t clear to ED why AAA isn’t revoking registration papers immediately on the affected animals it knows about. Waiting more than a year means thousands more affected animals out there in pastures and the threat to more than just pure bred Angus is obvious.

A Quick Fix….

….was required for a stressed cow that passed through our pens recently. Fortunately NADA member Sue Beal, a holistic vet, was visiting at the time. The pregnant cow was transported in the afternoon of a fairly hot day and was frothing at the mouth, panting, and clearly in trouble. When it did not seem to be recovering quickly in the shade, Sue sprayed some Rescue Remedy on its muzzle.

Never have we seen such a quick response. Within minutes, the cow was relaxed and seemed entirely normal. Sue recommended another misting before the next day’s trip. In fact, she recommended we spray the entire trailer. Sure enough, the 600-mile journey was uneventful.

ED had the chance to use a companion remedy just the other day. Cows that had been difficult to load up north and over-nighted with us in Virginia were sprayed with Arnica just before boarding the next morning. They could not have been more docile. We asked Sue to tell us more about both remedies in her blog. Here’s her report on Rescue Remedy. (click here)

 

More from Pleasant Valley….

….we’ve been quoting excerpts from Louis Bromfield’s classic works on farming in the 1940s. Bromfield was an early advocate of natural, sustainable agriculture but this time it seems appropriate to repeat his views on the economic crisis of his day.

“For anyone to devise a plan of how to end the vicious circle is a tall order. Very likely it requires the regeneration of a whole people, a whole nation, the acquisition of wisdom and respect for the immutable laws both of economics and of Nature. A little common sense would do no harm…

“The root of the sickness lies deep. Only unity of the people, statesmanship, understanding leadership and wisdom can cure it. Whether we shall ever have any or all of these depends upon the American people themselves. I suspect that we shall only get them ‘the hard way’.”

Well, It Didn’t Rain….

….but that was certainly a chill wind off Narragansett Bay for the Field Day at Watson Farm! But once again it was clear that these Devon folk will not be deterred when there are beautiful cows and green pastures to inspect. But we get ahead of ourselves.

Almost 100 people attended the annual meeting of the North American Devon Association. Membership attendance of 75 was exactly what it was a year ago, but fewer people attended from the surrounding area. Whether that is because there isn’t much “large animal ag” in Rhode Island or because it followed the week the financial markets crashed, we can’t say. We do know it was difficult finding a veterinarian for the annual sale. The state doesn’t have a single large animal vet!

Still the attendees had a program jammed with information to help them back home. The weekend started with a banquet and the Breeder of the Year award, which went to Mike Scannell of Harrier Fields Farm in Schodack Landing, New York. NADA President Gearld Fry presented the award to Mike for his work in creating one of the top herds in the country and for his promotion of the Devon breed. The award was somewhat prescient as Harrier Fields entries topped the heifer part of the Select Sale the following night.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Will Winter of Thousand Hills Beef in Minnesota. Winter mixed humor with a sober warning on what he called the approaching crisis not in energy or the financial markets…but in food. Winter leaned heavily on a recent article by Michael Pollan in the New York Times which you can read by clicking here.

Again this year, the theme for the informational part of the weekend was “Gourmet Beef on Grass”, and NADA President Fry led off with a discussion of what to look for in the Proper Cow. Gearld also had a warning of his own. Fresh from the World Devon Congress in Australia, he said Australia and England now have breeding up programs which threaten the purity of the Devon and he worried that “if we don’t do something really quickly, we’ll destroy one of the most beautiful genetic beings there is”.

For the grass part of the equation, we heard from Abe Collins, the president of Carbon Farmers of America. Abe is a Vermont

grass based dairyman who combines instruction and inspiration in his talks. His talk about stockpiling Spring grass (yes, you read that right!) turned conventional wisdom on its ear. Abe also practices his own version of mob grazing and the pictures of desert turned to green pastures in a one year had most of those in his audience ready to try it. For an earlier version of Collins’ basic approach here’s an article written for the Rodale Institute. (click here)

After lunch, a panel of grass fed farmers offered a variety of tips on how to make money marketing grass fed animals and grass fed beef. The panel was moderated by Bakewell’s Ridge Shinn and featured Mike Scannell of Harrier Fields, Jim Booth of Aquidneck Farm in Portsmouth, RI, Jeremy Engh of Lakota Farms in

Remington, Virginia, and Michael Gourlay of Hardwick (MA) Beef. The “how-to’s” ranged from selling seedstock to aggregating steers to grossing better than $7/lb at farmers’ markets and even in your own “on farm” store.

At mid-afternoon, it was time to bust out of the classroom for the Washington county fairgrounds, site of the Select Sale. For the results, read the following story. But first there was plenty of time to look at the consignments, consult checkbooks, and just gossip with friends, old and new. Time, too, for a delicious BBQ featuring both ribs and chicken.

Once again NADA board member and sale chairman Bill Roberts of Tennessee was the auctioneer. It was a glamorous setting under the lights and a proper one for the good-looking consignments. There was one bit of excitement as a pregnant cow from Lakota Farms decided not to wait out her final two weeks but calved on the spot! It was an outstanding bull calf by Lakota herd bull P60 and the pair was quickly snapped up, leaving the rest of the consignors to wonder how Jeremy Engh had managed such a dramatic entry.

Sunday began with plenty of hot coffee and warm scones at nearby Watson Farms. Heather and

Don Minto had an exciting day planned and that chill wind was not going to discourage anyone. For some reason, Mrs ED brought her pasture boots but forgot a coat. But Sue Beal, always ready to help with an unexpected sale calving, or with a holistic remedy for a stressed heifer or stressed pasture, reached into her vet’s truck and pulled out an extra heavy coat.

During the inspection of the Watson Farm pastures, Abe Collins and Will Winter were back with a reprieve, demonstrating what they look for in the Proper Pasture. While Abe turned over the sod to check root structures, Will was explaining the intricacies of a Brix meter. All were impressed with the Watson Farm grass, particularly in the wake of another year of minimum rain.

It’s the cattle, though, that drew the “oohs and ahhs”. The Mintos have been in on the Rotokawa Revolution from the beginning and they provide a home for some of the best of that line. They also are proud of some young heifers out of the legendary Potheridge President. Don told us they plan to focus on resurrecting the genetics of the famed sire, who electrified the beef industry 50 years ago when he was imported from England.

Finally, after yet one more outstanding meal, there was a final moment of fun and instruction as the crowd sized up a cow and a heifer, graded them on a scorecard as to their suitability as true grass animals, and then compared their scores with those of NADA’s resident guru, Gearld Fry. It was probably the best short course in “Cow 101” that anyone had ever attended.

For more pictures of the weekend you can go to our photo album. ED wants to thank Will Winter, who took many of the pictures (the best ones) you’ll see. For the album, just click here.

Select Sale 2008….

….was another demonstration of the value of the Devon cow, even in tough times. Prices overall were down about 20% compared to a year ago, but the very best animals again brought exciting prices that were on a par with what we saw in 2007.

Leading the sale was a cow/calf pair from Devon Lane Farms from Tom and Will Shattuck of Belchertown, MA. The cow and heifer brought $10,600 and were purchased by Dan and Joanne Tilley of Hoosick, New York.

The top heifer, from Mike Scannell’s Harrier Fields Farm was won by Kendall Shrock of Tampico, IL for $9,250. A pasture mate came in just a few dollars below.

In all, the consignments averaged $4,131. The top consigners at the sale were Devon Lane ($21,250), Harrier Fields ($16,250) and Folly Farms ($14,950).

A week later, the American Devon Cattle Association sale averaged $3,237 with a top of $7000 for a cow/calf and $6,250 for a heifer. The sale of a small group of bulls brought just $1,591 on average.

But on the whole, the two Association’s sales demonstrated again that raising Devon is not only a joy but a good investment. In fact, at the NADA sale, a banker who bought a number of animals, joked that his money was probably better off in Devon than in the financial markets. The serious lesson was that quality and devotion to the highest standards will continue to pay off.

More than ever, Devon is still the right breed at the right time!

Wait Until Next Year….

….when you’ll have another opportunity for a jam-packed weekend in Texas. Annual Meeting Chairman Deb Manahan promises a “Texas style” weekend. ED isn’t sure exactly what that means but guesses words like Big, Fun, Friendly and Food probably cover it. Deb also promises we’ll be not only dry…but warm.

 

See You in Newport….

….after months of dealing with all the many details, ED now gets to lean back and enjoy Gourmet Beef on Grass – II. It’ will be easier to relax, too, now that our last heifers have calved.

No relaxation for Don and Heather Minto, though. They are getting ready to host the crowd at their beautiful Watson Farm after attending to all the details at the headquarters hotel and the Select Sale pavilion at the fairgrounds. The line-up of cows is even more exciting this year than last and MS ED is reconciled to the old rationalization: there’s no sense dragging an empty trailer back home.

And here’s a request from the NADA Board, please button-hole one of us along the way, or speak up at the meeting, and let us know how the Association can serve you better. While there are some very large Devon farms, and some very experienced cattlemen and women, in our ranks….just about half the membership is just starting out and many of our members have registered only one or two cows. In fact, there are quite a few who do not yet have any Devon but plan to be at the meeting. Hopefully, this is the weekend that they decide to do something about their dream.

But it is NADA’s job to serve all our members and so speak up. Selfishly, ED hopes you’ll have some ideas for this web page. Maybe somebody will finally give us a lead on a really good Spellchek. Check!

They Tried to Tell Us She’s Too Young….

….but we’ve ignored the advice. NADA’s Steve Campbell enjoys poring through old books and articles and coming up with confirmation that there really is nothing new in animal husbandry. This time, it’s information on early calving. Many of us have made the mistake of pushing our first heifers, anxious to see our herds get started.

It’s a temptation with Devon because they mature so quickly, but ED is now solidly in the camp of those veterans who recommend calving heifers at about the age of three. Turns out, it’s a very old practice with very good reasons. Read Steve’s blog by clicking here.

More on the Angus Problem….

….after admitting Angus was confronted with a very serious threat----Curly Calf Syndrome----the American Angus Association has been mostly silent. How widespread is the generally fatal disease….how far has it gone in infecting the leading Angus sires….no one is saying. But the big Angus semen distributor, Select Sires, has just done the responsible thing and told its customers that more than just one top name sire is involved. Read their statement by clicking here.

Eat Your Weeds, They’re Good for You….

….we’ve been reading the series by Kathy Voth in the Stockman Grass Farmer about the truly holistic approach to weed control: training your cows to eat the weeds. Yes, even thistles. ED admits he was skeptical (it’s not for nothing that our farm is called “Thistle Hill”…but it turns out this is one innovation that’s not too good to be true. You can see video of how Kathy does it by clicking here.

In the news….

• our Executive Secretary, Kim Miller, was recently written up in his local paper. Kim has had the wonderful experience of starting all over again. Well, kinda wonderful. But he and Diane recently bought a large farm in Pennsylvania and populated it with almost 100 Devon and Devon-influenced cows. This gives Kim the chance to do it right---ED can already envision the Field Day---but the trials of building from the ground up are documented in this article. (click here)
• there’s an interesting program we just heard of through NADA’s Sue Beal. It’s called VETCAP, a program in which veterinarians volunteer their time to help in overseas agricultural programs. Dr. Jim Floyd is one of those vets, a doctor who was retiring from the Veterinary School at North Carolina State, when he was convinced to head to Africa. They do a lot of hands-on care there as well as teaching animal husbandry. Sue sent along several pictures from Uganda and Tanzania (as a vet herself, she says the chute below reminds her of several on her route) and also a link if you want to know more about this program. (click here)

 

Last Call….

Just a reminder that the deadline for signing up for Gourmet Beef on Grass II is Friday, October 10th. The meeting committee has considerably upped the information content of the session for members and non-members alike, and made it a pocketbook bargain as well.

If you’re a member, register right away by clicking here.

If you’re a non-member but want to take part you do that by clicking here.

The sessions Saturday are important both in helping you better understand the dynamics involved in focusing your herd on producing the very best beef, whether Devon or some other breed. The pasture is an equal part of the equation, and we’ll be dealing with that, too. There’ll also be a panel featuring a half-dozen cattlemen and women who are making money right now in the natural beef business.

Sunday, our field day at Watson Farm, will be a day you’ll remember. First, the scenery is spectacular. Don and Heather Minto’s Farm is right on the shore of an island in Narragansett Bay and they have one of the largest herds of Devon in the Association. You’ll see offspring of all the great Rotokawa bulls plus Potheridge President and many others. The Mintos have experimented with many forages and fertilizers and they’ll share what they’ve learned. Don has also built an innovative water system for his main pasture and that may give you some ideas for your own operation. There’ll also be pasture walks with grass experts, so you’ll have a chance to consult with the very top people about your problems.

Finally, there’ll be a chance for you, along with all the others, to grade some cattle and see how you eye stacks up against the expert’s. Oh, and all along the way, plenty of good food and entertainment.

So please act now. If it seems a little too time-consuming to fill out the form, just call NADA or email us: (540) 364-3444 or nada@hughes.net.

The Select Sale Catalog….

….is now up with a link on the home page. But you can access it right now by clicking here.

There are 32 cows, heifers and calves in this once-a-year female sale and the quality of the consignments is even improved over last year’s outstanding selection. Particularly noteworthy are the 7 cow/calf combinations in the list. Any one of the 7 has the capability of being the foundation of your herd. At the other end of the scale, there are some young heifers that will be a joy to watch mature.

The Select Sale takes place Saturday evening of that weekend and there’ll be plenty of time beforehand to enjoy looking at all the animals (they’re under cover this year) and munch on some BBQ before Auctioneer Bill Roberts swings into action with his gavel. Just one more reason you’ll be sorry if you miss the biggest Devon get-together of the year.

There’ll be catalogs with full pedigrees available at the Select Sale. If you’d like a copy beforehand, contact the NADA office.

Blogging Will Be Light….

….for the next week or two as ED deals with the scores of details getting ready for the meeting. But we will come roaring back with plenty of coverage of what happened and what we can expect from NADA in the future. The growth of our Association, natural enough in the beginning, has continued at an exciting pace. We passed 100 members last year and we have been growing at a pace of 40% this year.

The Board has a difficult time, trying to serve a membership that has from just a few to more than 100 Devon. But we do want to represent you and offer the services you need. This meeting offers you a chance to give your input, both in the formal session and by button-holing the leadership. One more important reason to attend.

What It’s All About….

….is summed up in a birth announcement ED received this week from one of our members, Laurel Hoffman. Laurel documented the birth of her first Devon calf. She’s an experienced cattle woman but her excitement at this introduction of Devon into her family was something we’ve all felt. And it never goes away. ED and Mrs. ED are in the midst of our calving season and there’s nothing better than going out into the pasture on a crisp and dew-y morning and finding a proud mama standing over her brand new calf.

But this is Laurel’s turn:

Birth Announcement from Laurel

 

To those of you who may have also gotten Devon fever I’m pleased to announce the birth of my first Rotokawa® sired calf born on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 10:15 pm. Okay, so maybe you’ve already been there – done that. Well it’s been many years since I’ve owned cattle so having a new baby on the place is pretty cool.

 

Meet Anna. I bred her when she was just shy of 2 years old and it’s a good thing because this first calf was so big I could not even lift it off the ground. I am guessing she weighed at least 90 lbs., but Mom had no trouble. She labored about 4 hours wondering what in the heck was happening to her.

 

Meet Prue. She is named after Prue McDowall, Ken McDowall’s wife. I have had the privilege of meeting and spending some time with these lovely folks twice now (hoping for another time or two). Thanks to Ken many of us have some fine cattle on the ground. Prue was sired by Rotokawa 93, who by the way resides in the USA now.

Prue is less then one day old in these photos. I’m happy to say that besides being all red she is polled. The odds where not in my favor as mom is half Scottish Highlander. I purchased a Devon/Hereford heifer last January – a 982 daughter. My plans are to bred Prue at 2 years old to 688 and possibly get my first line bred herd bull.

Devon Lane Rocks the Sale….

….Tom and Will Shattuck make their move to lead the Select Sale with four outstanding cows. And all four have heifer calves at their side. M3 and her daughter are representative of the four and the kind of animals the Shattuck brothers raise at their farm near Belchertown, MA.

M3 is six years old, in her prime, and like her pasture mates would make an ideal candidate for flushing. There’s no question you could build a herd around her. You’ll find all the desirable genetics in her pedigree, including Potheridge President and Buckeye. She sells open and ready to go.

At her side is a beautiful heifer calf…just like the others Devon Lane has consigned. All four of these calves came after a round of AI and then were covered by an outstanding herd bull. Some are probably sired by a Pohteridge President son, but that won’t be determined until sale day. But what would the famed Potheridge President do for your operation?

As for the other three Devon Lane consignments, you can check them out in our on-line catalog by clicking here.

And as time grows short, we won’t be able to feature all the animals in the sale but we’ll start making multiple entries in the catalog so you’ll want to check there often. Take it from ED, he’s seen the line-up, this is an even more exciting group of females than last year…and last year we set all the Devon records!

It’s Not too Late….

….but soon will be. We get phone calls every day asking if it’s too late to sign up for the meeting October 17 th through the 19 th…and the answer is “not yet, but close”. We’ll be closing off registrations October 10 th. With four meals included in the entry fee (three for guests) it’s a bargain but it is also a logistical problem involving three different caterers.

So help us all out (particularly ED who got stuck with the name tag job this year) by putting in your registration as fast as possible. Not only is the seminar day packed with information but we’ve beefed up the pasture walk with not one, not two…but four grass experts! Watch for more on that next week.

But again, the cut-off date is firm…October 10th…and last year we not only were forced to turn away some late applicants, we even had to say no to a few people at the door. That’s no fun so please register now.

The form for members is as close as clicking here.

If you’re not a member but want to learn more about grass fed beef, you’re more than welcome. For you, too, we’ve made this an even bigger bargain than last year. $99 for not one, but two days! And 3 (count them!) meals. The non-member registration form is available by clicking here.

 

Return of the World Travelers….

The American delegation to the World Devon Congress in Australia returned to the States this week, weary but inspired by what they saw. They’re also raving about the Aussie hospitality and the food. And they had high praise for the planning and execution supervised by Paul and Loma Wright. No easy feat, keeping almost 60 Devon fans moving from farm to farm over a thousand miles in two weeks time and getting them to their planes on time.

NADA President Gearld Fry (who gave a report to the Congress on the Devon scene which you can read by clicking here) also has sent us more photos of the tour. We’ve grouped them by farm name and can only give a taste of what the two weeks must have been like. (trying to decipher Gearld’s notes was an adventure in itself)

The Crawford Farm

Bob Crawford and sons David and Greg run 400 Devon and 2,000 commercial cows. The grass was just beginning to green up after winter and a serious drought in recent years. The Crawfords plant small grains to develop their bulls after weaning. Gearld is pictured with Vick Edwards of Bull Dust.

 

The Rumble Farm

John, Anne and son, Andrew run the Belmur Devon stud. Their herd was reduced to 30 cows due to the drought and they, too, use small grains with their yearling bulls. Wombramurr, Coppermine and Havila blood lines are alive in their herd.

 

The Gibson Farm

Angus and Ruth Gibson farm property that was established in 1872 but Dr. Andrew Gibson. Tirranna is 500 acres and are growing their Devon herd after ending the sheep operation. They’ve passed 100 head and are still expanding.

 

So You Want to be a Grass Farmer….

In part 3 of her series, Linda Maurer focuses on a subject we don’t deal with often enough: the business of this business. She and her husband had an advantage coming to farming with an engineering background. That gave them the background to analyze what they were experiencing and make changes. Read Part 3 of So You Want to be a Grass Farmer by clicking here.

As a postscript let us point out that a whole afternoon at the coming annual meeting near Newport is devoted to this subject. Six successful cattle people will details their experiences in a panel titled: “Gourmet Beef on Grass – Make Money at it Now!” Each one has developed a different business model but the one thing they have in common is: Profit!

 

But There’s More than Money Involved….

….of course, and lest you think we forgot, here’s another excerpt from Louis Bromfield’s “Pleasant Valley”.

“I was aware of what it was that attracted me to Europe and most of all to France; it was the sense of continuity and the permanence of small but eternal things.

“It seemed to me that real continuity, real love of one’s country, real permanence had to do not with mechanical inventions and high wages but with the earth and man’s love of the soil upon which he lived.

“What I wanted was a piece of land which I could love passionately, which I could spend the rest of my life in cultivating, cherishing and improving, which I might leave together, perhaps, with my own feeling for it, to my children who might in time leave it to their children, a piece of land upon which I might leave the mark of my character, my ingenuity, my intelligence, my sense of beauty---perhaps the only real immortality a man can have.”

Trouble in the Angus World…..

….big trouble. A number of Angus calves have recently been born with the lethal “curly calf syndrome”, so named because of the twisted spine in the affected animals. The condition has been traced to one of the famed Angus bulls, Gardiner Ranch’s “Precision 1680”. Semen from that bull has been very popular, shipped throughout the United States and overseas.

The American Angus Association has been trying to track down all the avenues that might further infect the breed, but it’s a big job. AAA says, so far, only a “small number” have been affected, but we understand that Precision has more than 3,000 progeny and if you are unfortunate enough to have him on both sides of a pedigree, the outlook is grim. And when you ask how many offspring of Precision there are in follow-on generations, you can begin to understand the magnitude of this disaster.

Here is the AAA press release on the situation (click here).

And here is a news story about the Angus crisis (click here).

 

Curtain Going Up….

….on the Select Sale 2008 Catalog. The first entries have been put up on a special page and you can access it through the box on the Home page or by clicking here. With less than a month until the big weekend outside Newport, there isn’t time for “front page” treatment of every consignment. So you’ll want to keep checking the catalog as we add all the lots: cow/calf, bred cows and heifers, and young heifers.

This week’s featured cow is from the Paul Spas’ farm in Ashville, NY. She’s one of two cows consigned to the Select Sale by Paul. This is Maggie, almost exactly 3 years old. And if you recognize the quality, it’s because she’s a daughter of the famed Rotokawa 688. Plenty of good genetics on the dam’s side, too: Devonshire, Lakota, Vista Knoll.
Even if you don’t plan to bid, the Select Sale is an important reason to attend the meeting. The animals on sale have all passed the committee’s screening and give you a chance to further educate your eye, to compare the “Select” against your own herd, and talk to the breeders about their operation and their plans. You’ll find Devon breeders are not shy about sharing their opinions.
For the full weekend agenda…the seminars and the Field Day…as well as the registration form…just click here.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch….

….or in this case…the farm. Paul Spas has been very active in eastern grass fed circles. Most recently his farm was a stop on natural grass tour. Paul, on the right, talks with Michael Wright, who organized the day for the conservation district. Mike is a beef farmer, too, and bought one of Paul’s Devon bulls not long ago to use on his Highland short horns.

Paul’s cows are looked after by a 688 son, when they’re not being handled by an AI tech. From the look of this pasture, I’d say it would be a good idea to talk to him about grass as well as animals when you meet him at the meeting, “Gourmet Beef on Grass – II”.
And yes, you can sign up even if you’re not a member. Just click here.

From the World Devon Congress….

….NADA president Gearld Fry both phoned and emailed recently from Australia. (ED figures he must be getting homesick.) There are 9 Americans among the 57 people on the tour this year and Gearld reports the trip has been smooth, informative, and a taste treat. The Aussies don’t stunt on the hospitality.

Gearld gave a report to the Congress on the Devon scene in America and you can read his prepared remarks by clicking here.

The big news, according to Gearld, was the purchase of an Australian Devon Wombramurra bull by an American/Brazilian partnership. The American half was made up of Jerry and Jeremy Engh of Lakota Ranch in Remington, Virginia. Over the years, the Enghs have not been hesitant about importing some of the great British bulls. This time, their bull will stay in Australia, at least for awhile, but semen will be exported to the Americas when all the legal firewalls are overcome.

And it was no small feat for the NADA president to not only captain the tour boat but figure out how to overcome the technology firewall to export some pictures of the tour.

Y’All Come!....

This is the announcement you’ve been waiting for (and many have been calling and emailing about.)

Yes, there will be room at our annual meeting in Newport next months for guests. Room at the hotel is another matter; but more about that in the moment.

But once again, visitors can take part in all the informational activity, watch the sale of a select group of Devon females, and enjoy the full Field Day. In sum, you’ll get twice as much (3 times as much if you’re counting meals) as last year at the same price: $99!

The conference is the weekend of October 18-19 (the previous day is the membership meeting) at the Holiday Inn in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. That’s convenient to Newport, the Providence and Boston airports, and Interstate 95.

Here’s the registration form and you can read the full agenda by clicking here. But in summary:

Saturday is devoted to all the principles of Gourmet Beef on Grass: what to look for in the proper grass fed cow and bull---and the technique is the same whether it’s a Devon or any other animal---and developing the proper pasture. There’ll also be a panel on how to make a profit (it’s different than making money) selling grass fed beef. Then there’s time to look at the cows, calves and heifers and munch on BBQ and enjoy the evening sale.

Sunday, at the Watson Farm Field Day, you’ll take part in pasture walks with leading forage experts (yes that’s plural) and see a great Devon herd, all the while enjoying the beautiful view from a beautiful island just off Newport.

Once again, space is limited. Last year we had to turn people away. And this year, due to a somewhat smaller conference room, we are forced to accept 20 fewer registrations. So sign up right now by clicking here.

NADA members should continue to use the regular registration form by clicking here.

Now ED mentioned that the Friday of the meeting weekend is devoted to the dinner and annual meeting of the membership….but all of our meetings are always open to anyone so you’re invited to attend those events, too. Simply add $30 for each person to your registration fee and make a note on the form that you’d like to attend Friday evening as well. Believe us, we’d really like to get to know you.

Room at the Inn….

….well not much, and the few rooms that are left are now at the higher price: $129. The block of rooms reserved for NADA at a special low price have sold out and so has the second allocation. This is peak Fall color season for hotels in the area and so our hosts understandably want to reserve some of their inventory for tourists with “big bucks”.

There are still some rooms available at the headquarters Holiday Inn though and you can phone (401) 789-1051. But there are also other motels nearby and a few even have some space available at about $100. Here’s the list of hotels we’ve compiled and we’ll be adding more but again please don’t delay. If you’re interested in natural grass fed beef this is the premier event of the year.

The Prom Queen….

….that’s what consignor Jeremy Engh calls this beautiful cow, Lakotas 181. And Lakota Ranch has gone all out with three submissions to the Select Sale. What Jeremy means by “prom queen” is that this is the cow you’ll be featuring on your business cards and in your folders and advertising.

181 sells bred to Full Moon Farm Gearld…a Rotokawa on both sides from Paul Colucci’s Farm. Paul, too, has some consignments we’ll be featuring soon.

Jeremy also notes that full sisters to 181 were recently purchased by NADA executive secretary Kim Miller and board member David Schoumacher for a joint embryo flushing venture and to serve as the foundation for Miller’s new herd. (ED can personally vouch for Miller’s cattleman’s eye…he’s not so sure about that Schoumacher fella!)

More on Getting Started….

Linda Maurer is back with another chapter in the fun (and education) she and her husband experienced when they went into the grass fed cattle business. Her first chapter dealt with the trials of looking for the right farm and laying out the pastures. This entry puts some cows on the land. Read Getting Started in Grass Farming by clicking here.

Remembering (and quoting) Louis Bromfield….

Recently we discovered the books of Louis Bromfield…or re-discovered them…and found they contain some insights that 70 years later…seem as fresh as when Bromfield first wrote them. From time to time, ED plans to include a few quotes here on the Info page. The following are from “Pleasant Valley”.

“I have any number of friends who spent all their lives as bankers and industrialists or workingmen or insurance salesmen only to discover at middle age that in reality they were farmers all the time without knowing it.”

****

“An acre is as good an anchor as 5,000, for in that acre there is a whole universe and the answer to most of man’s problems.”

Gearld Fry Call Home….

….well actually the NADA President did…from Australia…where he and his wife Margie are enjoying the World Devon Congress and renewing old friendships. Gearld reports that Margie, who is battling cancer, is holding up to the long days and long bus rides very well and Gearld remarked on the top quality of the cattle he’s been seeing.

In all, there are 9 Americans at the meeting in Australia.

Speaking of Travel….

….a friend sent us this picture of a consignor on his way to the more typical sale barn auction. Clearly not a Devon…and clearly not a NADA member. ED, in the new spirit of comity, will avoid any comments about F1s! J

A Note from ED….

The update this week focuses quite a bit of attention on NADA’s annual meeting to be held October 17-19 just outside Newport, Rhode Island. Coupled with our Select Sale of top-flight females, the companion event---Gourmet Beef on Grass – II--- is a must for your schedule. Be sure to check it out and register now!

But there are several other features that are important, too. Bill Roberts has an informative exchange with a young farmer from Texas. There are tips in there suggested by the younger man as well as by Bill that you’ll want to note.

Once again we focus on the mess in the Angus world. But a veteran seed stock producer seems to have figured it out. Read “Is the Angus World Waking Up?”

And finally, ED has renewed acquaintances with the books of the late Louis Bromfield. Bromfield may not be the first to have said it---about natural farming---but no one has ever said it better. We’ll be excerpting his works from time to time.

So dig in, be sure to check out Lady Bug, and check back often because the on-line catalog for Select Sale 2008 is underway!

Mom and Lady Bug….

Leave it to Harrier Fields Farm to set the “gold standard” for this year’s Select Sale. This cow/calf combination from Mike Scannell is sure to be among the top of the bidding, as were Mike’s offerings last year. Attendees at the 2007 annual meeting were treated to a visit to Harrier Fields at Schodack Landing, NY but were forced to view Mike’s animals through heavy showers.

But with a roofed sale pavilion and show pens, set aside time to study “Georgette’s Lady” and her July heifer, “Lady Bug” by Rotokawa 93. Mom was sired by 688, so this is the kind of quality line-breeding that Harrier Fields has been famous for. And Mom has a pedigree to match…coming out of the famous Buckeye and Holbrook lines.

Lots more exciting consignments to review, so keep checking back often to this website.

Other Notes on Gourmet Beef on Grass – 2008….

The field day this year will be all day Sunday---following a Saturday packed with information. But here are just some of the Field Day highlights at Watson Farm just a few miles from the meeting hotel.

• The farm itself, in a beautiful setting alongside Narragansett Bay. Hosts Don and Heather Minto not only have an outstanding herd of Devon, including animals by Rotokawa and Potheridge President, but they’ve developed a note-worthy set of pastures.
• The pasture walk will be conducted by Don, with an assist from guest experts Abe Collins of Holistic Management International and Dr. Will Winter of Thousand Hills Beef. From fencing to water systems to dung beetles to brix testing, you’ll be treated to a grass fed seminar to fill a notebook.
• NADA president Gearld Fry will conduct his own seminar at a chute, demonstrating the finer points of animal selection. Gearld will be “fleshing out” the classroom talk he had given the day before and will be ready to answer all your questions about raising grass fed beef.
• You’ll be able to test, and perhaps improve, your eye by a judging contest where you’ll test your scoring of live cattle with a panel of experts. A challenge that will be fun and educational both.
  

And Back to Saturday….

The morning session, as we’ve noted before, features talks on the Proper Cow and the Proper Pasture but the meeting committee decided it isn’t enough to talk theory all the time. So they’ve provided an afternoon-long panel to help you “Make Money with Grass Fed Beef - Now!”

The panel includes people who have been doing that and they’ll share their secrets. Moderating the panel is Ridge Shinn of Bakewell Reproductions, now the international home of the famed Rotokawa line of Devon. Joining him on the panel are:

1) Roger Fortin, Little Alaska Farm in Leeds Junction, ME. Roger started marketing grass fed long ago and for the past years has been running his own on-farm butcher shop and store.
2) Julia Widdowson, Millbrook, NY. Julia is a Milking Devon breeder and now owns a restaurant named Red Devon. They also sell produce locally.
3) Michael Gourlay, Hardwick Beef in Massachusetts. Hardwick beef is an aggregator of product from a number of producers and will detail pricing systems.
4) Jeremy Engh, of Lakota Ranch in Virginia. Lakota Ranch is the largest seed stock Devon breeder in the country and Jeremy will not only talk about marketing but a new venture in aggregating calves for a major opportunity.
5) Mike Scannell, of Harrier Fields Farm has been very successful selling grass fed beef both at the retail and wholesale level and will talk about creating value and cost/benefit ratios.
5) Jim Booth of Aquidneck Farm in Portsmouth, RI has developed a solid, profitable natural beef operation that you’ll be able to take home and put right to work for you.

These aren’t professors or extension agents with theories, folks. These are grass fed, natural beef producers who have made real money and supported families with their operations. They’ve been there, done that and will share their secrets with you…if you ask!

After the Saturday meeting, we’ve set aside two hours for you to view the select Devon cattle that will be auctioned later in the evening. Still more opportunity to learn, to question the breeders, and to enjoy some delicious bbq.

Board:  Help Wanted

There are three openings to be filled on NADA’s board of directors, positions that will be filled at the up-coming meeting.  President Gearld Fry has appointed a Board Development Committee to recruit and “vet” candidates for the position.  If you’d like to be considered for a place at the table in charting the future course of, not only NADA, but the Devon breed, just contact the Secretary at nada@hughes.net

 

Now the Commercial….

….the deadline for registration is coming fast. Seating is limited for our conference and last year we were forced to turn away quite of few who just waited too long. Don’t be left out of this year’s exciting and information-packed two days. The price has been reduced but the information has been increased.

Click here for a registration form.

Click here for a detailed agenda on the full weekend.

We Get Letters….

….and from time to time, they are worth sharing. This is one of those times. A young Texas farmer wrote recently asking for help getting started. Actually he was well on his way but, nevertheless, he felt Bill Roberts could help at this stage in his farm’s development. You can read the exchange of letters on Bill Roberts “Viewpoint” blog by clicking here.

After you read the advice of Roberts, we suggest that you click on the guest blog of Linda Maurer, if you haven’t already. By coincidence, just before the letter from Texas came in, we had convinced Linda that she should write up her experiences starting a Devon operation from scratch in Virginia. Her methodical, disciplined approach to the challenge is a road-map for anyone getting setting out to farm. Read Part 1 of “So You Want to be a Farmer’ by clicking here.

ED would like to add that what he has found to be the major advantage of being a NADA member is the chance to visit and exchange experiences with people such as Bill Roberts and Linda Maurer. Association with the people in NADA is an education in animal husbandry. Join…come to the annual meeting and meet others…and get gettin!

Is the Angus World Waking Up?

….there are lots of signs it is, but not without a struggle. The constant pressure for bigger and faster has finally brought Angus to a dead-end and the most experienced of their number realize it. Until now, it’s been people such as Kit Pharo who have sounded the alarm (and offered the way out) but now even one of the most respected seed stock producers in the industry---Kelly Schaff---has spoken out and it made news in the Angus Journal. Read about it by clicking here.

 

Remembering Louis Bromfield….

….well, actually ED remembers his mom and dad being excited about the book and reading it aloud to each other. Pretty remarkable since this early advocate of natural farming was exciting a middle-aged city couple on the Westside of Chicago! The other day, I remembered those evenings and began to wonder what the fuss was all about. While I was sure his books were out of print, I was surprised to find they were still available through Amazon.

Today, much of what he was “discovering” is old hat, but it was pretty radical back then. Bromfield, writing in the early 1940s was sounding the alarm about industrial agriculture, the dangers of the big feed and chemical companies, even the ag agents…what this unholy alliance was doing to farming.

He created millions of converts back then to his way of thinking, there were sustainable ag groups popping up across the country. In a sense, it was fortunate he died---still optimistic---before his movement was steam-rollered by the “corn glut”.

Still, his words almost 50 years ago ring true and from time to time, ED intends to share a few excerpts here on the NADA website.

“Someday, if there is ever time, I should like to compile a whole book of the wrong and destructive things which have been taught in American agriculture, with a second volume dedicated to the things which have been taught more for the benefit of manufacturer of farm machinery, of chemical fertilizers and of prepared and expensive feeds than for the good of the earth or the welfare of the farmer.”

Few men have expressed the love a farmer has for his calling better than Bromfield.

“The land came to us out of eternity and when the youngest of us associated with it dies, it will still be there. The best we can hope to do is to leave the mark of our fleeting existence upon it, to die knowing that we have changed a small corner of this earth for the better by wisdom, knowledge and hard work.”

 

Select Sale 2008….

….looks as though it could top 2007 in the quality of its offerings. NADA breeders have come up with a full slate of cows, heifers and calves to outshine any sale you’ve ever seen. We begin our rundown of the field with this young cow who sells with a calf at her side by Rotokawa 93. This offering is from John Forelle’s “Folly Farm” which was a highlight stop during last year’s annual meeting near Albany. The cow is FF4 out of the cow that brought $5,500 at Select Sale 2007.

Again this year, “Folly Farm” is a major supporter of the Select Sale, offering 5 consignments. You’ll see the rest in coming weeks as we profile each of the consignments, many with calves at side by the likes of 93 and 688. And yes, there will be several 3-in-1 offerings. The sale committee has worked hard (believe me) to assemble this group of Devon and whether you’re building, or strengthening your herd, you’ll want to be on hand for the sale.

All the details on the annual meeting are available by clicking here. And a word to the wise, registration will soon be opened to a limited number of guests interested in getting started as Devon breeders. So make sure you’re registered by clicking here and call the hotel by phoning (401) 789-1051.

 

93 Relaxes at Hotel California….

….with apologies to the Eagles Rotokawa 93, along with almost 80 herd mates, has finished his quarantine in sunny California and is ready to head East. Bakewell’s Ridge Shinn tells us travel plans haven’t been made….that he wants to give the New Zealand herd plenty of time to acclimate to the new hemisphere and settle down after their marathon journey. Ridge also reports that, so far, 14 calves have been born in California. I would guess they qualify as American citizens.

Incidentally, Ridge will moderate a panel of breeders at the annual meeting on how they make money selling grass fed beef. Just one more reason why you’ll want to be at Newport, October 17-19. Again, we urge you to reserve your place now. We sold out last year and you won’t want to be left out.

Newport: Waiting for You….

….these twin embryo heifers will draw a lot of admiration at host Watson Farm during the NADA annual meeting, October 17-19. They’re daughters of the famed Potheridge President, who stunned the beef industry back in the 1940s when he was imported from England. There’s not much of his semen still around, and Watson Farm’s Heather and Don Minto have decided to make him the center of their operation.

A full day at the meeting will be spent enjoying the historic farm on the banks of the Narragansett Bay. The Minto’s were caretakers for the first Rotokawa cows brought into the country and their progeny have helped start many herds. This may be the only place where you can see a sizeable group of Rotokawa all grown up and producing beautiful offspring.

The Mintos have some exciting young 982 bulls as well as older Potheridge President daughters and, despite the drought early this year, their pastures deserve a full day of study just by themselves. Don and our grass experts will be giving walks, detailing the operation. And the Mintos also plan to contribute a 3-in-1 offering to the Select Sale…a cow, calf and guaranteed pregnancy. They’re below.

The bull above is a 982 son and you’ll want to be sure to check out the Watson Farm bull pasture for other great prospects. The next picture is of one of the yearling Potheridge President daughters. Finally son and mom of the 3-in-1 sale offering. (Sorry, we neglected to get a copy of the ultra-sound.) But the bull calf is also a 982 son and gives every sign of being a potential herd bull. Mom’s sire was Buckeye’s Dalton and the dam, Millicent III. She had her first calf in 2003 and has successfully calved every year since. Everything polled. Mom and son are representative of the kind of quality you’ll see at this year’s Select Sale!

One of the true pleasures of membership in the North American Devon Association is the wonderful breeders you meet. It was a great treat for ED to spend the day not only enjoying the picturesque farm, but the companionship of Don and Heather. They really love Devon and what they’re doing.

But the Watson Farm field day is only the capper on Sunday. The weekend begins with a membership meeting Friday evening and a keynote speech by Dr. Will Winter of Thousand Hills Cattle Co.. Saturday will provide day-long seminars on the Proper Cow and the Proper Pasture plus a panel detailing the many ways you can make money---NOW---with grass fed beef.

Space is filling up…particularly at the hotel…so get registered as soon as possible. All the details and the registration form can be had by clicking here.

So You Want to be a Grass Fed Beef Farmer….

Probably the most common question we get here at NADA is “how do we get started”? We’ve dealt with that question from time to time and in bits and pieces. But recently, in a visit to Richard and Linda Maurer’s Springhaven Farm it occurred to us to ask Linda to sit down and answer that question in details.

The Maurers, engineers in their “former” life, brought that kind of discipline and organization to their enterprise. It’s just 22 acres but they crammed a lot of experience and learning into their small farm. Linda not only “names names” in her three-part series but includes a reading list following each chapter. This is a handy guide for those still in the “dreaming stage” and for those just getting started. ED picked up more than a few tips, too, in the later chapters.

Get started on the series by clicking here.

From Hoof to Hook….

….that was the snappy title of a field day held recently by our friends at the American Herbataurus Society. A number of NADA people played important parts in the day, including Mike Debach, Gearld Fry, Ridge Shinn and Laurel Hoffman. We thank Laurel for providing a report (including pictures) on the day.

It was a sell-out crowd at the Leona Meat Plant near Troy Pennsylvania. People traveled from six different states to learn how to produce gourmet grass-fed beef from “Hoof to Hook”.
NADA member Mike Debach and his brother Chick were the hosts for this event. Their father started Leona Meats, a custom slaughter and retail meat business, over 41 years ago.

The day began with a pasture walk through Mike’s intensive grazing system. He talked about his fertility program and explained his composting operation. Mike has been able to turn what can be considered a waste product, which is expensive to get rid of, into a valuable soil amendment. With his system, the bones and offal from the slaughtered animals are turned into a rich, black humus material in as little as 8 weeks.
After the pasture walk, folks were divided into three groups. One group went with Mike to tour the meat plant. One group stayed at the chute with Gearld, and the third group went to another location in the pasture to hear Aaron Miller’s presentation.

Mike took his group through the entire plant where he explained the process of slaughtering, cooling, cutting, packaging and labeling their meat products. It was an eye opener to many to see how a carcass is actually broken down into the various cuts of meat that a customer is used to buying in the grocery store. Mike explained the importance of finish in a grass-fed beef animal and how quality dictates final market.

It was the typical information overload to those gathered around the chute with NADA President Gearld Fry as he demonstrated linear measurement and talked about visually appraising cattle for gourmet beef potential. He showed each group what to look for and what to avoid in order to get high yielding carcasses. He pointed out the various coat and hide indicators (hair swirls, etc.) that signify a healthy animal or a mineral deficient animal.

Aaron Miller of Miller’s Livestock from Kinsman, Ohio has been working closely with Fertrell to increase the fertility of his soils, which in turn grows a higher nutrient dense forage. He has been able to translate these improvements into better quality grass-finished beef. Aaron shared with his group his techniques for pasture management. He also discussed making and using high quality balage for winter feed.
The groups rotated in order for everyone to hear all three presentations and then came together for a final wrap-up
The conversations continued as folks enjoyed grass-fed, grilled steak sandwiches, corn on the cob, and a variety of tasty salads prepared by chiefs from Marlow & Sons out of Brooklyn, New York.
Steve Misera from Butler, Pennsylvania made the comment that if a person wanted to learn about producing grass-fed beef – this was the information they needed to know.

Monsanto Loses One….

….(finally). NADA member Cathy Morris sends along a report on a set back for Monsanto, whose motto seems to be “Better Suicide Through Chemistry”. The chemical giant has been forced to abandon the growth hormone its been putting in milk, or the cows that produce the milk. Same thing. Read about it by clicking here.

Now about those genetically modified foods.