You don't start out awesome

Do you know what's cool about quiz bowl?

When you're good, you're good. 

But people don't start out awesome. Everyone has to start somewhere, and while I don't really remember my first quiz bowl contest, I got a taste of what it was while I was at National Ayrshire Convention last week. 

"Calling All (Former) Carnivores"

Awhile back, The New York Times invited meat-eaters to defend their dietary choices in 600 words or less. The deadline for this essay has now passed, and the winners will soon be announced, but the author of an article written for Drovers cattle network is calling shenanigans.

To Catch A Calf

My youngest cousin, Adam, attended the 2012 DairyPalooza last week, and among other goodies received his very own rope halter.

DairyPalooza 2012

On Saturday, April 28, six months’ worth of planning and worrying and stressing came to fruition.

That’s right – the 2012 DairyPalooza!

It's Elementary, Dairy Industry

So one of the things I most worry about is how we as agriculturalists are going to maintain a positive image for consumers.


I think I may have found a solution - elementary education.

Things On My Wall: All I Need To Know In Life...

My mom found this poster at a garage sale awhile back, and it hung on my basement wall for years before I moved to Columbus. It now resides on my dorm wall above my desk, placed so that I can look at it every day. 

Gary Conklin Opens Up

            Last quarter, I was in Comm 421, a writing and editing for news media course. I wrote this article as my final paper. Enjoy.

Gary Conklin, owner of Conklin Dairy Farms, Inc., was “horrified” by the footage of abuse uncovered on his farm in early 2010.

Cute Calves and Heifer Hugs

This is the cutest group of calves I’ve ever seen.

Seriously.

Home for the first time in a few months, I was doing my normal chores in the upper calf barn. All the calves in stalls had been born during my absence, and so it was my first time seeing them.

Things On My Wall: Why I Love Dairy Farming

So as I’m sitting here, supposed to be studying for my Biology final and thinking that it’s probably more important to blog since I didn’t last week, I’m looking around my desk for inspiration.

Not Messages, Conversations

Last week, I traveled to Lubbock, Texas for the 2012 National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow Professional Development Conference. (That's why we hashtagged it as #2012ACTPDC - even that's a mouthful.)

Modern Agriculture

So I recently took a taxi for the first time.

(That part has very little to do with the actual story.)

As I got in the car and told the driver where I needed to go, he idly asked what I was doing there – it’s not a common place to be dropped off, being 6 miles outside of Columbus. I told him that I was covering a speech for my communication class. He asked what my major was, and I told him I was an agricultural communication student.

I Had It...

And then I lost it. Just like that…no rhyme or reason. One minute, I was happily reciting my speech – the best I’d ever given – to the three judges sitting in front of me, and the next I was completely lost. My mom would later reason that my lunch was to blame for this sudden bout of unexplainable forgetfulness…but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s back it up to where this whole ordeal began…

Spring-Run Farms: A Photo Journey

For today’s post, I wanted to give you a photo tour of the farm. These pictures were taken by a professional photographer by the name of Shaun Cloud, who photographed our farm after we received the 2011 Dairy Farmers of America Distinguished Member award. This award is given to 6 farms each year, and for our small family farm, it was a huge honor.

Answer Me This...

I have a habit of answering agriculture-related queries on websites like Yahoo! Answers and Wiki answers. I usually find a few posts from vegetarians, vegans, and anti-ag individuals who are asking questions just for kicks.

The Story of Baby Floppy

"Floppy" was born April 26, 2011. Initially, I had no hopes for this newborn who couldn't sit up, let alone stand and eat by herself. Floppy laid there in the alleyway pen for nearly a week, being tube-fed every morning and evening, before she was able to sit up by herself. 

Enthusiasm...It might not be contagious. Anyway, records!

When I started writing this post, I had a completely different direction in mind. However, as the post evolved, I realized that what I had originally hoped to put in a single blog post would take up the space of four individual posts. So here, I guess, is the first in a series of four posts that are probably more technical than funny. 

For each year of high school, FFA members are required to complete an SAE, or Supervised Agricultural Experience. One of my SAEs was “owning” cattle on my grandpa’s dairy farm.

Of Bottle Calves and Empty Fuel Tanks

A friend is someone who will help push your truck up the drive when you run out of gas.

And laugh when you tell them that will be your next blog post.