This littly piggy went to market...

A friend of mine sent me this picture and I thought it was a wonderful representation of all the products animals provide for us. It also reinforces my belief that it is very difficult to live a truly vegan lifestyle. I didn't know a couple of these on the list!

My best,

Tera

Help Us Swipe Out Hunger

We are participating in an exciting event where we will be packaging meals that will be sent to the Horn of Africa to help feed thousands of malnourished people. The Kansas State University Goal is to package 50,000 meals.

Do you want to help out? E-mail ksfoodforthought@gmail.com to express interest in donating towards our group's goal. It costs $0.30 to package one meal and our goal is to package - A LOT OF MEALS!

Numana, Inc., is partnering with students at Kansas State University for this epic philanthropic event. I am excited to be a part of such a humane, proactive event that will help those less fortunate. 

USDA To Provide Hurricane Irene Assistance

You might remember hearing from our USDA guest blogger, Kevin, this summer. If not you can visit his last post here. Kevin is here again to inform us about what the USDA has a role in during times of natural disasters. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) executes federal policy for all things dealing with farming, agriculture and our food! Enjoy Kevin's post.

While Hurricane Irene hasn’t been as destructive as Katrina was, it still has left the East coast in shambles.  The storm is estimated to have caused $10 to $15 billion in damage, and footage of the affected areas quickly explains why.  Since many of the affected states haven’t encountered a hurricane in over 100 years, many were unprepared for this disaster. 

Crops were washed away, pastures flooded, and homes were destroyed by Irene - not to mention the equipment, livestock, and everything else to go along with them.  Hope is not lost, however, for the farms, ranches, and rural communities in the Northeast.  The USDA has recently indicated that it will be providing assistance to those in Presidentially deemed disaster areas.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have suffered losses caused by this massive storm,” said Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack. “USDA is ready to provide food, emergency assistance and other resources to the affected areas. We continue to closely coordinate with many partners to meet the immediate and plan for the long-term needs of those affected by Hurricane Irene.”

The USDA is offering a wide variety of assistance to farmers and ranchers alike, and is beginning to distribute such aids. If your farm or ranch was damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Irene and the flooding that occurred afterward, you may just be eligible for assistance.  Types of aid that you may be able to secure include:

• Community Assistance
• Farmer and Rancher Assistance
• Housing Assistance
• Food Assistance
• Business Assistance
• Utility Assistance

If you have questions about any assistance that you may be eligible, call your local Rural Development office if your needs relate to housing, your business, or your community.  Homeowners can also contact a USDA loan specialist to determine their eligibility.  For reports of produce and livestock loss, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency Service Center as they will be able to help you find the appropriate reparations.  If you have debris that you wish to be removed from your property that was brought on by Hurricane Irene, call your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office.

Kevin Pearia
USDA

Miss America Coming to K-State

Yep - you read that correctly. Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan, will be the Food For Thought Fall 2011 Upson Lecture Series Speaker.

She will speak on November 15 at 7 pm in McCain Auditorium on K-State's campus and her lecture will be free and open to the public. So please, come join us!

The Gering, Nebraska native was chosen as our fall speaker for her dedication to production agriculture in the United States. Since being crowned as Miss America in January 2011, she has initiated partnerships with The Hand That Feeds U.S. and other agriculture groups in order to help spread the positive message about food production in the U.S.

She has been extremely vocal about her passion for agriculture, as evidenced here, here and here.

We hope that you will be able to join us in Manhattan for this momentous event - we are elated to be hosting Miss America and are looking forward to an exciting evening. Feel free to contact us if you have questions or would like more information!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~


image from here:

Woo Pig Sooie: City Girl turned Pig Vet

A professor of mine at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine passed this video along to me and I wanted to share it with you.

Check out this video to find out why this city girl enjoys practicing production medicine in swine farms that produce our pork. She is passionate about her job and her clients' role in producing safe and wholesome food in a humane manner for consumers.

http://www.youtube.com/user/veterinariansoncall

Enjoy!

Tera Rooney

Dr. Upson Honored

Dr. Dan Upson, the namesake of the FFT Upson Lecture Series has been named to the inaugural Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame. Congratulations Dr. Upson!

For more information, read the full article.

The next FFT Upson Lecture Series speaker will be announced tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Best,

Chelsea

Foodie Feature: Where are they now?

Have you ever wondered where exactly a college degree in an agricultural field will land you? I bet the common answers are: farming, raising animals, farming or maybe a veterinarian?

I ran across this blog, which I continue to check out because they are a lot like us - students passionate about agriculture, just trying to get the word out to consumers who may not have an easy connection.

They have done a great job on highlighting some Alumni members of a Junior College in Kansas that is very well known on the national level in the field of agriculture. My brother went to Butler Community College and spent some of the best years of his life being a Grizzly!

Check out the alumni highlights here. You'll see exactly where a degree in agriculture has landed these alums of Butler. Cody is now a Vice President in a bank. Christie now works with the foundation at a University. Wendy works in communications and marketing. Common theme: a degree in agriculture can send you far beyond the farm.

Have a great day!

Tera

Red Meat - Green Facts

That's a fun little way of saying meat is sustainable and environmentally friendly. It's also the name of a website, which was created by Meat and Livestock Australia, that aims to "discuss the issues of sustainable farming practices." On the site you can further explore information about the "impact of farming on our environment and the proactive initiatives undertaken by farmers and processors across Australia."
One of my favorite features is a visual aid that helps consumers better grasp the supply chain from farm to fork. Check it out below:

Image courtesy www.redmeatgreenfacts.com.au

Other links include facts about reducing water usage, myth busting (similar to this post), responsible land management and school projects. The myth busting tab is one of my faves.

 

For anyone looking to delve further into the facts behind food production, I highly encourage you check out this site. Although it was developed in Australia, many of the same principles and practices apply to farmers and ranchers here in the U.S. Furthermore, it's always a bonus to learn about agriculture in other countries, because it fosters critical thinking on how the global agriculture industry can improve worldwide.

 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~