Sign in

Call to Action

Recent Comments


Author List


Category List


Blogroll


Search


Why are you obsessed with beef?
 

Posted on February 18, 2011 08:13 by Lauren Chase

I keep getting asked: Why are you obsessed with beef? It’s time to tell my story of how I came from knowing nothing about agriculture to being a passionate advocate.

The world’s most productive land for corn is where I call home: Iowa, and I am the product of a long line of farmers of that land. However, my grandpa, the last relative I had working the fields, sold his farm when I was little.

I can remember thinking it was a blast to go to Grandpa’s place and jump around in the hay barn, but as I grew older, in the state’s second largest city, those memories faded; along with any excitement for farming.

In high school, I played basketball and our team was fortunate enough to go to state championship games. In our division, there was a high school that sat just outside of city limits. Naturally, when they made it to the championships also, our fans intimated them by dressing up as farmers and waiving around cutout cardboard ears of corn.

And off I went to college at the University of Iowa.

I had always been interested in natural science, cultures, and meeting new people so I chose to double major in journalism and anthropology.  I dappled in local news, but something always felt missing; maybe a broader view or lack of travel during work.

The summer of 2010 changed everything.

Combing anthropology and journalism, I took an internship at the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) in Helena, Montana as the multimedia communications intern.

Before I went there, I couldn’t even picture what a ranch was, but I thought it would be a great way to learn about that portion of America.

During my internship, I traveled all over the most beautiful country I had ever seen and interviewed ranchers on camera. Every few weeks, I made videos with these interviews for MSGA's social media websites.

Stockgrower members welcomed me into their homes and patiently taught me about day-to-day operations. But I learned so much more than that.

I learned that ranching is a powerful connection with nature; it is tangible feeling of warmth and comfort for family and neighbors; it is having the knowledge of chemistry, economics, biology, political science, and so much more; it stems from the greatest work ethic I have ever been around, an overwhelming care for their animals and without these ranchers, the world would not eat.

The summer ended too quickly and I returned to college. I graduated in December and in February, returned to MSGA as a full-time employee. 

I am now the multimedia specialist and will once again, travel to our member ranches, documenting their lives to help promote the beef industry. 

I think it's time the world realizes how much cattlemen and cattlewomen care about their animals, love what they do, and work tirelessly to provide safe, healthy food for everyone. 

**Look for future blog posts about my experiences on Montana ranches.**
Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , , , , ,
Actions: E-mail | Comments (4) |dzone it!

There's a new sheriff in town...
 

Posted on February 15, 2011 20:52 by Lauren Chase

You’ll be seeing some new faces in the management of the YPC Cattle Call. Cari Rincker is proud to hand over the reins to new head editor, Lauren Chase, and co-editors Jesse Bussard, Danielle Schubert, and Meghan Wooldridge. We thank Cari for all her work in helping to start the YPC Cattle Call and nurturing it over the past few years. Our goal as the new editorial staff for the Cattle Call is to tell the story of our members, the young producers, which are the future of the cattle industry. Jesse Bussard will also be taking over as the new YPC Public Relations Task Force Chair.

Lauren is the Multimedia Specialist for the Montana Stockgrowers Association and resides in Helena, MT. Her job is traveling to member ranches to take photos and conduct video interviews for use on MSGA’s social media sites. She will also be producing a series of photo books featuring Montanan ranchers. Lauren graduated from the University of Iowa with two majors: Journalism and Mass Communication and Anthropology. To stay up on the latest beef news news, check out her list of "agvocates" on Twitter and also, follow her multimedia work on MSGA's Facebook page. 

Jesse Bussard is pursuing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant and Soil Science, focusing on forages and livestock grazing systems, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She is also an Animal Science graduate of Penn State University and a native of Pennsylvania. You can find out more about Jesse on her blog, Pearl Snaps’ Ponderings. 

Danielle Schubert is a junior at South Dakota State University where she is working toward a degree in both Animal Science and Ag Business.  She grew up on a commercial cow/calf operation in central Minnesota and is passionate about being an advocate for agriculture.

Meghan Wooldridge graduated from Colorado State with a degree in Animal Science. She currently works for AgInfoLink in Verified Services.

We are currently looking for new submissions from Young Producer Council members on topics that are in keeping with your daily lives in the cattle industry. Photos, videos, opinion articles - you name it, we want it! This is a great way to tell your story to the world and having the young producers, the future of the industry, talk about it from their perspective is the goal. We will be changing the blog from its current platform to Wordpress soon which will make for easier submissions. We will let you know when that change occurs. As for now, tell us your story! Thank you for your continued dedication to the beef industry. If you know of anyone else who might be interested in this blog, please pass the word along.

Please email one of us to let us know if you are interested in submitting content to the blog. Even if you can only submit one photo or article per month, that would still be great! Our contact information can be found below.

Head Editor: Lauren Chase (Lauren.chase4@gmail.com)

 Public Relations Task Force Chair & Co-editor: Jesse Bussard (Jrb5218@gmail.com)

Co-Editor: Danielle Schubert (dlschubert@jacks.sdstate.edu)

Co-Editor: Meghan Wooldridge (Meghan.wooldridge@aginfolink.com)

Again, thank you and til next time, Happy Trails!

~ The YPC Cattle Call Editorial Staff

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , ,
Actions: E-mail | Comments (12) |dzone it!

YPC Member Spotlight: Chris Labbe
 

Posted on October 20, 2010 07:01 by Cari Rincker

My next interview is with Chris Labbe from Bar LH, LLC.  Chris currently lives in Canby, Oregon but his family is in the process of buying a place in White Sulphur Springs, Montana.  I have had a great time working with Chris through the Public Relations Task Force.  He is on my Twitter Subcommitte, which is currently working on a How-To-Tweet-For-Beef Guide, and has volunteered to be a local media contact.  Very thankful for his time and efforts with YPC.  Chris answered my questions as follows:

Chris, thanks for taking the time to visit with me.  Please describe your involvement in the cattle industry.

Our family has a Farm/Ranch in Arlington, Oregon were we raise wheat, alfalfa, and commercial cattle. My wife and I are also starting our own operation were we have a small broodmare band, and are trying to lease/buy ground to begin our own cow herd. Chris (& his wife Tiffanie) has worked on ranches throughout the west from Arizona to Montana.

Why did you become a member of YPC?  Why do you think it is important for other cattle producers to become a member of YPC?

Advocacy and education of the beef industry to the general public is critical at a time that our food grows further from the point of consumption. YPC & NCBA allows for both the development of our next generation of cattle industry leaders, and also the ability for we, as cattle producers, to tell our story in OUR words. More...


Tags:
Actions: E-mail | Comments (2) |dzone it!