Vote with your dollar

Forget about Chipotle

A couple weeks ago, I read a great BEEF Daily post that hit the nail on the head. A lot of us have been up in arms about Chipotle's stand on animal agriculture and our feathers were ruffled even more with their recent ad campaign, Farmed and Dangerous. So much of our attention was focused on Chipotle, not the good kind, that we forgot about the good other companies do. It actually made me feel bad for companies like Culver's. They have invested a lot into supporting our industry and have basically been overshadowed and placed on the back burner with media due to Chipotle's stand.

Vote with your dollar is a key take away in this post. After reading this post I needed a pick-me-up-- so off to Culver's I went with my coworkers to support an company that supports us. I love seeing the Thank you, Farmers billboard as I drive down the highway. It makes me proud of where I've come from and what I do. And let's not forget about last summer when Culver's donated a dollar to the National FFA Organization for every thank you note sent to dairy and beef producers who help raise the food Culver's serves.

My family's been an avid supporter of Culver's since the get-go. They originated in Wisconsin ya know, so there is one in just about every town. Sometimes Culver's is the only place we can all be in agreement on when we're in the car headed to a .....cattle show, cattle sale, wedding, Fleet Farm, Tractor parts store, Mall, Panache, feed mill, graduation/anniversary/birthday party, random meeting...well you name it, with my family we could be headed anywhere! My dad's favorite part of Culver's is the flavor of the day. So much so that he picks up the Flavor Forecast calendars at his usual "Culver's stops" across the state so he can plan his sales calls accordingly. Oh, the perks of being a traveling salesman, hitting up multiple Culver's for your favorite flavors of custard. Yes, flavor forecasts can be accessed from your phone, Dad just hasn't quite updated to that "type" of phone!
N.Starr   

Shawano Farm Market

Johnson Quality Meats
My sister and brother in-law, Lindsay & Brad, and their son Isaac raise beef cattle and during the warm months broiler chickens. Make sure you check out their website. You can read more about how the chickens are raised and even listen to them chirp in this post.
Fast forwarding a few weeks to the end product: meat for the consumer. Once the animal has gained the proper amount of weight it is ready to be harvested. This takes place at a state inspected facility. The beef is made into smaller, consumable cuts (see types of cuts here) for you to prepare in your kitchen. The chicken is sold whole but is shrink-wrapped and weighed at the butchering facility.
Now we know that Isaac loves beef and chicken; however he can’t eat it all himself, so they sell it at the Shawano Famer’s Market every Saturday in the summer and fall. They even let me help out one Saturday, here’s what I saw:

Over the years they’ve established quite the clientele. People come just to get a Johnson steak, package of beef or whole chicken.

This is packaged ground beef. All of the meat is stored in a large freezer chest kept on the back of their truck.
It's critical that meat remains frozen until it is ready to be thawed for cooking.

A farmer’s market is a great place to get your questions answered about where your food comes from. Who better to ask than the person, Lindsay in this case, who raised it.

When the tent is up they're ready for business!
As you can imagine, lots of socializing takes place.

The work ethic of farm kids is instilled at a young age. At only 1 year Isaac already wants to help out in the Johnson’s Quality Meat tent. He’s not putting on an act just because he’s in public, Isaac works just as hard behind the scenes at the farm by carrying feed pails (so what if they’re empty) and handfuls of hay to the cows. So those cows in return can someday feed you and your family.

Isaac thought the prices on the whiteboard needed to be adjusted.

If you’re ever in the Shawano area on a Saturday, stop in at the Farmer’s Market and pick up some Johnson beef or a chicken.
Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions about Famer’s Markets or if you have a burning question on how farm animals are raised.

Starr Report: The Grand Buffet

It's Supper Time

Like people, cows like to eat at set times. Our cows like to be fed gain in the mornings and at nights. During the day they have free range of the huge pasture, and when there's isn't enough grass to met their food requirements we put a round bale of hay out for them to snack on.

At sunrise and sunset our cows come up to what we call "The Grand Buffet" to eat their grain. It sounds so uppity-uppity to say our cows have a grand buffet, huh? Well after all we do treat them like queens so they deserve it:)

Listen to the how loud it is when they lick up their feed from the bunk.

  They sure do love it! Luckily, I'm able to come home on the weekends and feed my queen-bees as while watching the sun set.

N.Starr

False: Bugs live in our Meat

Article from Self Magazine.

U.S. Farmers and Rancher's Alliance posted a Self Magazine Article on their Facebook page. Read the full article here. The authors says that antibiotics and vaccines used in animal agriculture is being linked to consumer illness. This is false and the article has no scientific research to back their statement.

• The consumer became ill after eating uncooked chicken. Make sure to following cooking instructions and ALWAYS use a meat thermometer. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of  165*F.
• Farmers and Ranchers work with their veterinarian to keep their animals safe while also contributing to a safe, wholesome food supply. We can not only about the health of our animals, but also the quality of the food we're supplying for your families. Vaccines are use boost the animal's immunity, it does not affect meat or milk. Cows are practically like our kids, when they're sick we feel it is humane to treat them to make them better. The antibiotics used have a withdrawal time. This means the number of days is takes for the antibiotic to get through the animal's systems. Once the withdrawal time has expired it is safe for consumption whether it be meat or milk. We take record keeping very seriously so these steps are followed correctly.

Join me telling the true story about animal agriculture and how committed farmers and ranchers are to providing a safe, whole food supply by using the hashtag #superbugs on Twitter.

N.Starr

EAT BEEF, Drink and Be Merry!

If you've looked at your Facebook newsfeed, picked up the paper or turned on the news you're probably aware of yesterday's confirmed USDA case of a BSE cow in central California. The cow was discovered on-farm during a pre-rendering inspection. The case has been classified as "atypical" meaning it is a rare case and is not likely to be attributable to infected feed. Due to our country's exemplary food safety this cow never entered the food chain, and BSE is not transferred in milk. I encourage you to watch the interview with the USDA Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. John Clifford as he answers media questions.

"Our livestock population is some of the healthiest in the world, and the consumers should be confident in our food supply." - Dr. John Clifford, USDA Chief Veterinary Officer

Whether you're a consumer, producer or both, this is nothing to be mad or scared about. Yesterday's announcement shows that our food safety system works. I'm very proud to see that the safeguards we have in place to prevent any BSE infected cattle from entering into the food chain are working just as they are supposed to. So don't hold back, continue to use that grill this summer! Family farms and ranches, just like my own family, around the country are continuing to provide your family with safe, wholesome and nutritious beef. So from my family to yours, dig in and eat beef with confidence!
N.Starr

Starr Farm Report: A Walk in the Pasture

#CalfCrop12

Throughout the spring and summer (and maybe fall if you're lucky), I will give you a little update as to what's happening on the Starr Farm. As the temperatures rise, grass becomes greener and baby calves become more energetic and show calves needs rinsing, I can't resist a weekend on the farm. Continue to check back for more updates on what's happening at the Starr Farm.

Some people spend their weekend taking a walk in the park, I like to spend mine by taking a walk in the pasture to check out the new calf crop and seeing how the cows are doing raising their calves.

It's exciting to see the results of the breeding decisions made early last summer. Most of our cows are bred by artificial insemination (A.I.) or were implanted with an embryo. Incorporating this technology allows my family to apply elite Hereford genetics from all across the country into our own herd right here in Wisconsin!

Unlike dairy cows, beef cows nurse their calves. It's important that the cows stay healthy so they can produce an adequate milk supply to raise their calf until weaning. Generally calves are weaned at 7-8 months of age and can weigh approx 500 lbs. Fortunately, this year we didn't have a lot of calving problems, most turned out like the calving video I posted last week. This is a result of the bulls we decided to breed our cows to through A.I.

Some farmers end their walk in the pasture with a cold Coors Light, a Crown and Coke or some even Natural Light. My mom and I like to end our pasture walk by sitting on the patio, glass of red wine in hand and overlooking the view of the field my Grandpa Lindsay is getting ready for planting.

Buy to Save

With Certified Hereford Beef

We're all looking for ways to save. For me it means less shopping trips, more brown bag lunches and being cautious about the miles on my good ole' grand pix. Rest assured one place you can be saving money is by purchasing Certified Hereford Beef at the meat counter. CHB introduced value cuts, delicious product that has a price tag that is a fraction of the cost associated with the more familiar cuts. Better yet, these cuts are considered lean by the USDA, less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less the 95 milligrams of cholesterol. Remember that a serving of beef is the size of a deck of cards.
With the temperatures creeping upward, I've been in the mood for grilling! Here are a couple value cuts CHB recommends for your first cookout party.

Flat Iron:

Originating from the chuck, this cuts ranks second in tenderness, only to be beat by the tenderloin. This steak possesses exception flavor and is quick & easy.




Tri-tip Roast

Coming from the sirloin, this cut is very popular in the Western U.S. Using your favorite seasoning, cook slowing on the grill for delicious flavor. The left-overs are the best part, slice thinly (across the grain), for a fantastic sandwich. The miss the tri-tip sandwiches I had at World Ag Expo.



Don't forget to use your meat thermometer and check to see your steak has reach an internal temperature of 145*F for medium-rare and 160*F for medium doneness before taking off the grill. Enjoy with your favorite veggies (can't wait to veggies from my family's garden).

N.Starr

Farmers Grow America

Consumers are aware that farmers provide food for the dinner table, the clothes we put on each morning and the fuel to get us from point A to point B. Ninety-eight percent of all farms are family owned, and I'm happy that my farm supports that factoid. It breaks my heart to know that the media has misguided consumers on Lean Finely Textured Beef, it just shows that you can't trust what you hear on the television or read in the paper. However, farmers are tough and we aren't going to let this hick-up stop us from providing safe, nutritious and wholesome food. Not only we are committed to providing food (by using less land and resources) we will continue to grow your community, states and country. Watch this clip and learn what else farmers do for you.

N.Starr

The Truth

If you've turned on the news, looked at your news feed or even read twitter updates in the past two weeks you're aware the not-so-informed media are at it again- this time after the beef industry. An industry that has raised me, provided me with opportunities and got me to where I am today. As an agvocate I'm not just going to sit and let things "work out" for an industry that has given me so much. The media buzz that I'm referring to is the "Pink Slime" or as normal people call it Lean Finely Textured Beef. This beef product was developed by Beef Products Inc as a way to be resourceful in removing every last bit of beef from the bone and adding a dash of ammonium hydroxide to help it maintain a proper pH level and eliminate bacteria growth. This technique has reduced the need for 1.5 million additional head of cattle each year. Check out this five minute clip for a complete description of Lean Finely Textured Beef.

Basically people aren't concerned about the beef they're worried about the ammonium hydroxide. However what consumers don't realize is that this compound is found naturally in the environment and even in our own bodies. The funny thing is that when you eat that double cheeseburger the ppm (parts per million) of ammonia in the burger is lower then that of the cheese, bun or condiments. Check out Loos Tales for more information on this naturally occurring compound.

Take a look at the prevalence of ammonia in other foods that use this same process.

Domestic Blue Cheese 1389 ppm
Beer Cheese 917 ppm
Peanut butter 489 ppm
Catsup 352 ppm
Gelatin 342 ppm
Grapefruit 166 ppm
Ground Beef 101 ppm

Not looking so bad now is it? What's the result of all this negative media attention? Well, as of yesterday hundreds of Beef Products Inc employees are now without work and we as consumers will be forced to pay more of our hard earned money (as if the high gas prices weren't enough!) to put beef on the dinner table.

So now that you know the truth about modern beef production, don't think twice in ordering that delicious burger or firing up the grill for a steak dinner. Producers have been providing consumers with safe, wholesome and nutritious beef for hundreds of years. The only difference is that today they're able to provide beef in an efficient, resourceful and cost effective way to ease your wallet.

N.Starr

Hunk of Beef Monday: The Ultimate Irish Dish

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Yesterday, on my way back to the city after a relaxing country weekend on the farm I made my usual stop at the Pick 'n Save. The grocery stores are definitely prepared for the Irish to celebrate their heritage I was greeted in the meat section by this:

The grocery stores are stocked and ready for the Irishmen to prepare their feast, $2.69/pound

Along the way was also an even larger display of Guinness beer! To celebrate my Irish heritage (& love for beef) I thought I'd share the meaning behind this odd dish. Come to find out, there's more to it then just eating at a local townie bar with green beer out of a red solo cup!
Darina Allen shares the details on her cooking blog. "To "corn" something is simply to preserve it in a salty brine (the term corn refers to the coarse grains of salt used for curing). In the days before refrigeration, corning was essential for storing meat, especially from large animals like cows. Historically, beef that was slaughtered and corned before the winter was served with the first fresh spring cabbage to break the Lenten fast on Easter."
Any cut of beef can be used in this dish, however brisket is the most common. The brisket is one of the nine primal cuts of a beef and can be found on the lower chest of a beef. Due to the significant amount of connective tissue in this area, it tastes best when cooked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time to enhance tenderness. Darina also shares complete cooking tips for preparing the ever-so-famous dish.

The brisket is located in the lower left of the carcass.

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. So you may chose to not take part in the Ultimate Dish, there's still festivals, bands, parades and of course green beer to enjoy!
I can't wait to tell you about my ultimate Irish plans, stay tuned!
N.Starr

Supporting and Sportin' the Cause

Even though the Livestock Pavilion wasn't the main attraction at the World Ag Expo, I had to be true to my roots, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the California livestock industry on display. In the small, dark and rather dusty building were two rows of booths. And off to the side was a cowgirl giving a horse shoeing demonstration to a mediocre crowd in the stands. I quickly cruised the rows; there was your basic booth stops and then some that just didn't seem to fit in (Milwaukee Drill, deerhorn antler light fixtures). The best booth in this small building was the California Cattlemen's Association. Two college-aged ladies were working the booth promoting the #iheartbeef campaign and agvocating to consumers. The energetic ladies immediately came up to me and offered educational literature (from pasture to plate) on the beef industry and healthy (& easy) beef recipes. I was totally impressed, agvocating at its finest!! In the corner of the booth I noticed this bag, pictured below, and asked if any were for sale. I am happy that this trip allowed me to squeeze in a little beef time and support the California beef industry (for only $4). I am now the proud owner of this beef cooler! How handy this will be for safety transporting ground beef & steak to the city. As you know beef should be kept frozen until you are ready to completely thaw for cooking.
While the main purpose of my family's cows is to reproduce and have calves, a few are raised for our own consumption. Once the butcher has cut and wrapped the product it is stored in smaller serving-sized packages in our large freezer, similar to how you buy beef at the grocery store.

Thank you California for the fine agvoating
and this useful cooler, can't wait to put it to use!

N.Starr          

Valentine's Day gifts and cattle byproducts

The two go hand-in-hand

Happy Valentine's Day! While I don't have a special boy to shower me with flowers or gifts, I still think it's a rather exciting holiday. Today is one of the busiest days for floral shops as they're running at lighting speed to delivery all the roses, that would be a fun job too! Well, I'm on day 2 of my California trip to the World Ag Expo tradeshow (can't wait to share the details when I return), things are going really well and I can't think of a better place to be right now!
Guys-- do you have your evening planned out? If you're sweatin' bullets because you can't get a restaurant reservation, rest assured I posted an excellent & easy steak dinner recipe yesterday. Click here to learn how the restraunt professionals do it.
Besides roses and a fancy meal, is the ever so popular lotion, soap, perfume combo gift. Also a great choice. However did you know that these items are actually beef cattle byproducts? When a beef animal is harvested approximately 90% of the animal is used for either beef or byproducts. Byproducts are the secondary products produced from areas that don't provide meat such as the bones and horns, hide and glands & organs. One a daily basis, whether we think about it or not, we use items that were made from cattle.  The beef industry strives to be resourceful and efficient--making sure a majority of the harvested animal is converted into consumable products. Here's just a few byproducts that really stick out to me.

• Ice Cream
• Piano keys
• Chewing gum
• Luggage
• Baseball gloves
• Cosmetics
• Fertilizer
• Tires

Happy Valentine's Day! Can't wait to hear about your date nights & can't wait to share with you footage and details from my trip!

Taking it back to the basics

Hereford EPDs

I thought watching an educational video would be a good follow-up to yesterday's Wordless Wednesday. It's time we take it a notch back and revisit Hereford EPDs. As you know, I'm a born and raised Hereford gal, you can probably tell from my hide backdrop. Right now cattlemen are in the midst of calving out their cows and first-calf heifers. It's a busy time, multiple checks throughout the night,  bedding down straw so the new calves stay warm and dry, most importantly making sure those babies are off to a healthy start and their mamas are producing an adequete milk supply for their calves to nurse. However it never hurts to start planning ahead to breeding season, evaluating bulls and deciding which would be good genetics to incorporate into your herd. There are several areas to take into consideration, one being EPDs. It never hurts to revisit this area and educate yourself on the fundamentals. The American Hereford Association created several educational videos for breeders . Don't forget to take advantage of these resources offered by your association.

N.Starr

Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Tradeshow

2012 Convention at the Gaylord Opryland

As a senior in college I had the opportunity to intern for National Cattlemen's Beef Association during the annual Cattle Industry Convention and Tradeshow when the convention was in San Antonio. Talk about an excellent opportunity for a student to experience. Business from pasture to plate of the beef industry are represented in the tradeshow. Behind the scenes of the tradeshow cattle producers have the opportunity to attend meeting sessions and a Cattlemen's College, both equipping attendees with the tools & equipment to become more knowledgeable for the industry we are all passionate about. As producers, it is important that we are always looking for new ways to provide safe, wholesome and nutritious beef to our consumers. Just think back to how efficient we have gotten utilizing our resources to keep up with the growing demand of our product? Just today I saw a twitter post that said hamburger from a single steer will make about 720 quarter-pounders! As a producer, that is something we can all be proud of!
While I'm sad I won't be joining in on the Gaylord Opryland fun with my friends at the NCBA Convention (part of me isn't sad, I'm looking forward to a fun trip out west coming soon... stay tuned), I will be keeping up with all the NCBA Convention updates via twitter by following the hashtag #CIC12.

N.Starr

McDonalds promotes the beef industry

And I'm lovin' it!

This may be a day (or a few weeks) late and a dollar short, but wanted to broadcast my appreciation for McDonalds promoting the beef industry in their commercials. I won't spoil the details, but the latest McDonalds commecial provides consumers insight of how the beef in their Big Mac, Quarter Pounder or Happy Meal reaches the drive through window or table of the big golden arches. Who better then to tell the story of beef production then the producer that is out feeding and caring for these cattle day and night! Take a look at how Steve Fogelsong, McDonalds Beef Supplier, opens the gates of his ranch to share with consumers how cattle are raised and the lifestyle that combines work and family.

So if you haven't made lunch plans with your co-workers, maybe today would be a great day to treat yourself to a little hamburger from Ronald McDonald!

Fall Cookin'

Today when I going through my inbox I found a Kraft recipe email with a subject line: 7 ground beef recipes and HALLOWEEN cupcake photos. I knew this was a winner because A) I love Beef and B) I'll admit I have quite the sweet tooth. So I opened it up and was taken to the Kraft website were I saw a bunch of  fabulous ideas on ways to spice up your suppers with ground beef.
My favorite one that I plan on making is the Cheesey-Salsa Mini-Meatloaf. I had to laugh about how Kraft recommended baking it because my friend, Crystal Cattle, did a blog post just yesterday about this cooking method. She found it on Pinterest. Oh Pinterest..... I'm starting to have fun with my boards, that's a whole other post!
All the ingredients sounded pretty easy and I am a huge Mexican-food lover! Look forward to making & freezing!

What you need
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onions (for a little favor-lovin')
1 egg
12 finely chopped Saltine crackers
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided
1 cup salsa, divided
Make it
Heat oven to 400*F
Mix the first 4 ingredients (listed above) together with 1 cup cheese and 1/2 cup salsa
Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Use back of spoon to make indentation in the center of each. Place muffin pan on foil covered baking sheet.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until the meat-muffins reach an internal temperature of 160*F. Top with the remaining cheese and salsa and bake for an additional 3 minutes. I also think alittle sour cream on the side could be good, or what about complimenting this meal with tostito chips?

Meeting Today's Beef Demand

Sustainability

With traditional modern beef production producers continue to feed the world. Learn more about sustainability in the industry, this also addresses common misconceptions about the industry.



MSU's local beef initiative

Proud to be a Spartan.
Last week I posted a You Tube video about Michigan State University raising beef cattle to supply the residence halls with beef raised on campus. This is an excellent way to explain to students first hand how beef travels from pasture to plate. There are several students removed from the farm that will now gain insight on how food reaches their dinner table. Students can be assured they are incorporating a healthy product into diet. Beef is jam packed with Zinc, Iron, Protein and Vitamin B12. When college midterms are at there peak and students are stressed to the high heavens they can relax knowing they're energizing their brains with safe, wholesome, nutritious beef.
The Lansing State Journal published the article. Read about how the cattle were raised and the QR code technology being developed to identify how the product was raised (grain-fed, grass-fed, hormone-free).

You can also support MSU Beef by purchasing EAT BEEF Merchandise from the MSU Purebred Beef Center.

•  EAT BEEF Can Koozies & Bumper Stickers $5 each or 5/$20
•  EAT BEEF License Plates $25

When I get teeth, feed me BEEF!

This past weekend I was fortunate to spend my Saturday afternoon with my nephew Isaac at his farm in Shawano, WI. Even though he can't sort cows, pick up a bucket of feed or even say the word "MOO" I have a feeling Lindsay & Brad are going to have themselves quite the little farm hand in a few years!

What a fitting bib for a boy who is going to grow up raising and showing beef cattle!
If his appetitie keeps up he'll be eating lots of beef at the dinner table. A healthy boy he will be!
These make great baby gifts or outfit your little one with these bibs! Get yours at the Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Association.

  N.Starr

Proud to be a SPARTAN!

MSU beef cattle provide food for campus cafeterias

This is short and to the point. Enjoy learning how MSU beef cattle provide food for campus cafeterias.