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Last Updated on Friday, 06 January 2012 11:30

Written by Saige Albert

The future of agriculture is in the youth of today, but as I look at some of the fine specimens that inhabit the mall here in Casper, I can’t help but be worried about the future of our country – that is until last week, when I attended the AgriFuture Conference in Laramie.

Students from Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota and Utah joined together with industry professionals and producers to talk about the challenges facing the industry and come up with solutions to ensure the survival of agriculture.

The students arrived full of energy, enthusiasm and ideas to solve the problems of the next generation. Their knowledge and insight was impressive and gave me a renewed hope for what will occur as the current generation of farmers and ranchers continues to age.

The students realized that, to keep American agriculture alive and well, it is necessary to continue to educate the public, as well as the industry, and advocate for agriculture. They came up with solutions relating to everything from how to involve consumers in the industry to how agriculturalists can become more integral in connecting with the public.

Students suggested that producers and industry members make connections outside the agriculture sphere to bring their positive image to the consumer and become more involved in agriculture promotions. They mentioned how important it is for advocates to know their facts and be consistent. As producers, students also found it important to continue education and to close the gap with technology, by embracing social media and other technology.

After just a day and a half in Laramie, I am more confident than ever that the future of agriculture is in good hands.

While AgriFuture was geared toward college students connected to agriculture, this week we also have the chance to watch high school students from Wyoming show us what they have to offer at the National FFA Convention.

Students from across the state have travelled to Indianapolis, Ind. to compete in a wide range of career development events. These contests revolve around all aspects of agriculture, including judging contests, ag business events and public speaking. We have the chance to see how our students match up to those in the rest of the nation. Wyoming has an incredible reputation on the national level for producing worthy competitors, and this year is no exception.

We have also sent a candidate to National Convention to go through a rigorous week of interviews, presentations and essay-writing events in an attempt to secure a National FFA Office. Catlin Caines of Hyattville also represented Wyoming last year, and he has progressed to the final round of the selection process this year. National officers will be announced Oct. 22.

Good luck to all who have traveled to Indianapolis this year – we know our Wyoming students will represent us well!

As I look into my crystal ball, searching for the answers to the future of the agriculture industry and the future of our nation, I think we are in good hands. The bright, enthusiastic students involved in agriculture are innovative and willing to take on the challenges that are presented. For the future, it seems to me that things might not look so grim after all.

Saige

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Last Updated on Saturday, 31 December 2011 08:59

Written by Saige Albert

Today it seems like, more than ever, if you need something, you can find it online. Since 2008, the Roundup has been available online, but we have recently taken some big steps to improve the page.
           The new website will launch just in time for 2012, and while some things have stayed the same or have been updated, we have also added some great new features.
    First and foremost, the entire layout of the website is brand new. The front page offers easy navigation and one-click access to special editions, the calendars and, where the cover of the paper was before, we have inserted the news briefs from our weekly paper so you can catch up on quick news highlights right from our homepage. We’ve also added a few new links and tabs.
    After hearing that many people across the state think agriculture needs to tell our story, we decided to add a new page. The “Tell Your Story” page allows visitors to read about the agriculture families we have featured in our paper and special editions. We are also giving you the chance to submit your story, so feel free to share what your operation is all about and what your family does – we’d love to hear it and share it with our readers.
    Some of our components are largely the same, but they have received a bit of an upgrade. Our membership option has improved, allowing you to purchase an online subscription, print invoices or renew your online subscription before it expires. It is also easier to understand and use.
    If you haven’t used the Roundup online before, for the first two weeks in January, you can view the paper online for free! Just sign up for an account and enter the coupon code 2012.
    Among other changes, our online photo gallery now allows users to share our photos on your Facebook page. I will be working to add photos from the weekly paper, special editions and events that we attend around the state. If you would like to see photos of an event that aren’t posted, just let me know.
    We will also utilize the survey feature on our website more frequently, so watch for the chance to share your opinion with us.
    At the same time, we realize that if it isn’t broken, there is no need to fix it, so a number of components haven’t changed.
    I hope our newly renovated website is easier to use and provides the information our users are looking for online. Check out wylr.net and let me know what you think – I think you’ll appreciate our new layout and the features we have added. Make sure to fill out the survey and let me know your thoughts.
    Without the help of Brandy Evans from La Grange, none of this would have been possible. She’s been there to make sure our every request has been satisfied in the website-updating process and has done a great job.
    At the Roundup, we are looking forward to the great opportunities that 2012 has to offer, and this is just one way that we hope to continue to share Wyoming’s ag news. Have a happy New Year!
Saige

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Last Updated on Saturday, 14 April 2012 12:33

Written by Saige Albert

It’s interesting to see how mass media attacks production agriculture these days, yet Americans continue to enjoy safe, healthy food across the country. Large media outlets are consistently publishing articles targeting production practices that provide the food that consumers demand. I really wonder how many of them criticize their beef while enjoying a tender, juicy steak.
    Personally, I know that production and harvest practices used in the industry are safe, efficient, effective and humane, but until a recent tour of JBS in Greeley, Colo., I had never seen firsthand the measures that are taken to really ensure a safe food product.
    This past month, I was fortunate enough to visit the Greeley packing plant during the National Institute of Animal Agriculture conference, and it was a great experience.
    According to their website, JBS is the largest animal protein company in the world, with 140 facilities worldwide that produce food, leather, pet products and biodiesel, and they routinely allow tours through their facilities to inform the industry and consumers alike about the plant’s operations.
    First and foremost, if you haven’t had the opportunity to tour a packing plant, I highly encourage everyone to do so. It was one of the most educational and interesting experiences of my time at the Roundup.
    After “suiting up” – including a hair net, hard hat, earplugs, smock, gloves, gators and rubber boots – we were allowed to tour nearly every area of the plant – from the kill floor to packaging stages.
    At each entryway, the plant had a basin of sudsy water to disinfect boots, ensuring sanitation through the entire facility. I’m not sure what I expected entering a packing plant, but it was definitely not the clean, bright, nearly sterile facilities that I encountered. It was really quite impressive.
    Our first stop was where the carcass is cut into edible pieces and packaged for shipping. Interestingly, the facility was also equipped with placards describing what each cut was, as well as where it came from. JBS really is consumer-friendly and wants people to know what is going on.
    After seeing the finished product on its way to market, we walked to cold storage, where rows of cattle carcasses were being graded by a USDA inspector, and through to the beginning stages of cattle harvest.
    The steamy room where cattle were first knocked, then bled, skinned and the insides are sorted through was pretty eye-opening, as well. I find it incredibly interesting that each phase of the process in carried out in one or two quick motions by a specialized, skilled individual.
    As the offal is removed and waste products are shipped to the rendering facility, it really helped me to realize that every part of the animal is utilized in some way or another, and the process is super efficient to provide products to the consumer as quickly as possible.
    I think at the end of the day it is so important to remember that many Americans’ only impression of a cattle-processing facility is that image portrayed by Upton Sinclair in The Jungle. As more and more people become curious about where their food comes from, it really matters that they get the right picture – not one from an early-1900s novel.
Saige

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Last Updated on Friday, 06 January 2012 11:31

Written by Saige Albert

In high school, one of my freshman science teachers came to class very excited to inform us about a “new” toxic chemical: dihydrogen monoxide, or DHMO. He filled us in on the details, saying that DHMO causes death in very small amounts if inhaled, is a major component of acid rain, causes severe burns, is found in pre-cancerous tumor biopsies and contributes to environmental maladies such as soil erosion and hurricanes. And the list didn’t stop there.

DHMO sounds like a pretty dangerous chemical, maybe even something we should eliminate from our lives, and when asked, most of the class voted to ban DHMO. Then came the kicker. Dihydrogen monoxide is simply the chemical name for water.

His point was this: to the uninformed consumer, information can be easily skewed and facts can be hidden. While dihydrogen monoxide can be deadly, it is also absolutely required to sustain life. In skewing the information, Science isn’t the only place where facts and figures can be skewed or information intentionally left out to create an entirely different picture.

Recently, a report issued by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) called the 2011 Meat Eaters Guide to Climate Change and Health spurred responses in the blogosphere and in news media across the nation, with recommendations to re-institute “Meatless Mondays” or to buy organic and grassfed products.

A large part of the report focused on the emissions and greenhouses gases that result from production of lamb, beef and pork, as well as in the production of cheese. However, when you get to the end of the report, EWG admits that grassfed beef produce more methane and nitrous oxide as a result of longer finishing time.

“There are few definitive studies of the net amount of greenhouse gas emissions from grassfed versus confined-feedlot, grain-fed meat,” says the EWG report. My question is this: why weren’t these studies done?

Is this just another form of skewing the information, like with dihydrogen monoxide? The EWG isn’t providing us with all the information necessary to make a educated decision, and I think it’s something that Americans need to be aware of when we’re making our food decisions.

From my research, organic products, particularly organic produce, are no nutritionally different than conventionally produced vegetables. A study published in Food Chemistry by P.C. Cardoso says, “There is no evidence of the nutritional superiority of organically grown fruits.”

Keep in mind, I’m not advocating against grassfed or organic products. The beauty of living in the United States is that we get to make the choices about how we live our lives and what we want to eat.  Ultimately, it’s a question of whether you are willing to pay a little extra for organic produce and grassfed beef.

I simply aim to make people aware that anyone with an agenda can easily spin information or conveniently leave out facts to support their case. It’s really up to us to educate ourselves on what we are eating.

So the next time the latest dihydrogen monoxide scare breaks into the media or another report making outrageous claims or pushing an agenda, make sure to check the facts and figures and look at all the information before making your decision. Don’t ban dihydrogen monoxide and don’t condemn conventionally produced cattle.

Saige