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Public Enemy #1….
….Sugar! (you thought I was going to say Monsanto, didn’t you?) In a column today, Dr. Joseph Mercola gives the most complete rundown I’ve seen on the Unholy Alliance of Big Ag and Big Government that has resulted in this country having the highest health care costs and the poorest health in the industrialized world. This focus on sugar, and particularly high fructose corn syrup, is at the heart of the obesity epidemic and the associated problems of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Worth reading every word! http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/29/sugar-consumption-healthcare-costs.aspx
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Time out to brag!
That’s grandson, David, a Marine lieutenant in the foreground, flying back from some kind of “see how much they can take” course out West. There was a time when all the Marines wanted was a “few good men”. Now it’s “very few” and we’re really proud that he’s made it through all the obstacles to keep on fighting. As I recall going into flying training, the only real test was how long you could remain upright at the Officers Club bar without a seat belt.
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A book for Devon lovers….
….Jeremy Engh’s new book—“Devon, Perfect for Pasture, Perfect for Plate” is now available. We just ordered our copy from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=jeremy%20engh Jeremy, of course, is the driving force behind Lakota Ranch, just down the road from us, as well as being the vice-president of the new RedDevon USA. “Devon, Perfect for Pasture, Perfect for Plate” is also perfect as a gift and on your coffee table. Right now it’s available only as a paperback. A hard cover edition should be available later.
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Enough Already!
Keep telling myself: “It’s good for the water table…it’s good for the water table…its…..”
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The very latest….
….in neckwear for the “smart” cow. It’s a variation of the electronic ear tags we’ve all used or seen. But this Scot necklace takes the technology one step (or more) further. Clearly there’s money to be made in cow “jewelry”. http://venturebeat.com/2014/03/24/cow-computing-scottish-company-creates-wearable-sensors-for-cows/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Venturebeat+%28VentureBeat%29 Thanks to Mary Napier of Madison, Wisconsin for the link.
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The Rotokawa 243 family….
….is beginning to make an impact on Devon herds in this country. After a slow start due to the feud inside the Rotokawa partnership, things have settled down and now we expect a whole new shipment of 243 semen will be heading to Henry Hauptmann’s Rotokawa America. Regina and Tom Tesnow are justifiably proud of their 243 son….a product of Thistle Hill farm they have nick-named Casino. Regina reports he’s been doing a wonderful job with her Tomina Farm herd in Tennessee and you’ll be able to see him at the RedDevon USA meeting later this year. Casino’s half brother Jackpot, another 243 son, is here at Thistle Hill and shares herd…
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Australian drought causes suicides to soar….
….drought in Australia has been around so long, we tend to forget about it. But nothing can be so wearing to the soul as watching first your grass and then your animals simply shrivel up and blow away. The drought in Australia has now reached crises proportions and many farmers just can’t deal with it any longer. Bill Roberts of 12 Stones Grasslands Beef sent us a link to an Aussie newspaper that tells the tragic story. http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/22/02/2014/143408/farmer-suicide-rate-climbs-in-australian-drought.htm
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Anything there for me?
“Jackpot” checks out a feed bucket,,,and faces disappointment! Note to Mike Ortwein (the conscience of Thistle Hill farm): we had just finished feeding the pigs. They got the non-GMO grain. Jackpot is pure…grass fed. Photo by farm manager Duane Ard.
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And the green grass grew all around….
….NOT! But our cows, including 180, are waiting patiently. And actually, if you look carefully, you can see some tinges of green beginning to pop out. And if look carefully, you’ll see that bull calf in the background. We’re pretty excited about him. He’s A126, the result of a mating that occurred when we brought back a Thistle Hill alumni, whose mother had been a double bred Rotokawa 667. A126’s dam was also the mother of one of our herd bulls. She’s been quite a performer for us. Another of her offspring is the cow on the right. Photo by our farm manager, Duane Ard.
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A Traditional Devon update….
….just back from a trip to South Carolina and Georgia, looking at the latest British imports. This heifer is two weeks old, a product of Essington’s Buttercup and our herd bull, Millennium Falcon. Essington has been closed down now so we’re fortunate to have saved genetics from that grand old herd developed by Brian Drake. She and five sisters and brothers will be raised at Doyle Unruh’s farm in Georgia and will play an important role in our project to save British Devon genetics here in America. For this one, you’ll have to click on the picture. Some of our older British animals were gracing the pastures of our partners Bill…