Minnesota Farm Living

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Top 10 Minnesota Farm Living Ag Blogs for 2014

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2014 has been an amazing year for my Minnesota Farm Living blog! I am so appreciative for all that have read my blog. As a farmer, I know we need to make connections with consumers. We need to engage and this is just one way I do that. The top 10 list is a mixed bag of blogs–including a couple light-hearted blogs, blogs that address some of pop culture’s agricultural misinformation and blogs that talk about the raw realities of farming. So with that, enjoy my Top 10 Minnesota Farm Living Ag blogs for 2014!

10. What I Wish People Knew About Pig Farming – Just a few things many people don’t know about pig farming that are important. Why do consumers need to know these pig farming facts? So they can understand why we make the decisions we do. 

9. How To Critically Think GMOs Without A Science Background – Science is hard. Here are some tips on how to wade through the GMO information to guide you through what information is correct and what information to trust.

8. Animal Cruelty is NOT the Price we Pay for Cheap Meat – A blog held over from 2013 that continues to do well. A rebuttal from a Rolling Stone article that was very critical of livestock agriculture. Unfortunately, a lot of what was said was untrue.

7. Let’s Take The “Factory” Out Of Factory Farms – This blog was also printed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The term “factory farm” drives me insane. The fact is, the vast majority of our farms are family farms, not factory farms.

6. A Mom’s Journey From “Food Babe” To Overcoming Her “Food Fears” – My most recent blog was written by a guest blogger. She did a great job explaining her journey in trying to feed her family safe and healthy food.

5. Devastating Consequences From A Sow Farm Fire – A local pig farm burned this past fall. A tragedy. A blog about some thoughts I had concerning the fire. 

4. 10 Things I Wish The Food Babe Knew – The Food Babe continues to make some very interesting claims about food. She has a large following and uses her clout to make changes to the food industry. Unfortunately, her food view is skewed. Read what I wish she knew.

3. Top 10 Reasons Why Farmers Are A Little Odd – A fun little post about some “odd” things farmers do. 

2. 10 Truthful Things About Harvest Most Non-Ag People Don’t Know – Again, an honest blog about harvest that many people don’t know about. 

1. This is Why it is Okay to Feed Your Family GMO’s – By far my most popular blog, It outpaces number 2 by over four times. Again, it’s about mom’s trying to feed their family safe and healthy food and not being succumbed to food fear.

 

I also wrote a couple blogs for AgStar’s “Women in Ag” Bloggers series. One blog did particularly well and was picked up by Pink Tractor. With the recent low commodity prices, many young farmers have not been through times like this. I wrote a letter to those young farmers.

A Letter to Every Farmer Under the Age of 35 

 

Here are my top 5 blogs from my November blogging challenge, “All Things Minnesota Agriculture.” 

5. MN Agriculture – The Klinghagens, A Story of Beginning Farmers

4. MN Agriculture: The Meyers, A Family Farm In The Truest Sense

3. MN Agriculture – Makayla Nepp And Her Love For Farming and Pigs

2. MN Agriculture: Betsy Jensen Growing Barley, Sugar Beets, Navy Beans, Wheat

1. MN Agriculture: South 89 Seeds and Svc, Where Grass Seed is Grown

MN Agriculture – Nova-Tech Engineering, Using Technology to Benefit Agriculture

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Day 16 of my 30 Days of Ag “All Things Minnesota Agriculture” is Nova-Tech Engineering based out of Willmar, MN. And I have to be honest. This was not on my radar screen as an ag company I was planning on showcasing in my November blogging series. But after touring the company last week with the MARL (Minnesota Ag Rural Leadership) program, it was a no brainer. I needed to include them. Nova-Tech Engineering is most notably recognized as a technology leader in the poultry field using Minnesota’s own innovations and resources.

All Things Minnesota Agriculture
Nova-Tech Engineering

Who is NovaTech?

In 2005, Nova-Tech partnered with Life-Science Innovations to buy a 37-building, 110-acre historic hospital facility in Willmar from the State of Minnesota. Since that time, they have developed the resulting MinnWest Technology Campus into the largest privately owned technology park in the country. 

Nova-Tech is a manufacturing company that uses technology in agriculture. There are widely known for their PSP – Poultry Service Processor. Per Nova-Tech’s website: 

“The PSP has many unique and attractive attributes, administering several treatments after the bird has been loaded thereby minimizing handling stresses. At present, infrared beak treatment, liquid injection, needle sanitizing, and bird counting/ loading are all available options. In the future, a nasal vaccination and eye vaccination may be integrated into the standard PSP unit. Treatment procedures are bloodless, greatly reducing infection, because our technology is used immediately after hatching, versus days later at the growing facility, we have eliminated potential bio-security problems. On top of all this, the equipment is easy to operate and requires minimal training.”

These machines are placed all over the world. Our MARL group was given a personal tour of Nova-Tech by the CEO, Jim Sieben.  What I found most interesting is this machine was designed specifically to use “modules.”  As a result, if the machine breaks down and needs repairs, a new “module” is simply swapped out for the bad one. The machine is functioning within 5 minutes. All repairs are the responsibility of Nova-Tech. Minimal downtime is mandatory because these machines process 4000 chicks per hour. It simply has to work. And it does.

All Things Minnesota Agriculture
Nova-Tech Engineering

What Specific Processes Are Done Automatically?

Beak Treatment – The beak treatment uses an infrared technology that treats the beak tissue. It is non-contact and bloodless. Much different than process before the infrared technology where the beaks were broken. Beak treatment is performed when chicks are a day old to decrease injuries caused by cannibalism, bullying, and feather and vent pecking. Birds naturally peck at the environment and each other to investigate and work out where they fit into the flock (pecking order).

Claw Treatment – Claw processing is done through microwave energy that treats the eponychium, or nail forming portion of the toe, allowing the bird to retain the entire toe without the claw present. Benefits include bloodless treatment, reduced infection, and increased employee output, the MCP (different than the PSP) is capable of processing 1200 to 1500 birds per hour (depending on operator). In addition to increased output, the microwave system is more accurate, efficient and easer to operate than older methods (i.e. hot blade unit, electric spark). 

Counting and Loading – The PSP also counts the birds and puts them into loading containers.

Injections – Birds are automatically given needed vaccinations using the PSP. 

Needle Sanitation – Needles are automatically sanitized after use. 

Future – Future processes will include giving newborn chicks eye drops automatically similar to the automatic vaccination process.

And these processes are greatly improved the care for these birds. Less evasive. Significantly less chance of harming the birds. Again, a perfect example of doing something better today than what we did yesterday. And I have no doubt we will continue to see innovations similar to this from Nova-Tech. 

After touring Nova-Tech and learning about the technologies they are using in ag, I am so proud to say they are a Minnesota Agricultural Technology firm and more people need to recognize the agricultural technological advances in Minnesota. 

All Things Minnesota Agriculture

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All Things Minnesota Agriculture

Welcome to my blogging series highlighting the diversity of Minnesota agriculture! I am so excited to be part of the 30 Days of Agriculture Please check out the other bloggers participating in this project listed on the bottom of this post! I will feature one farm/farmer/ag-related business/ag organization every day for the month of November. Minnesota contributes significantly to our country’s agriculture. Here are just a few highlights:

  • Corn and soybeans are the state’s top producing crops. Nationally, Minnesota ranks third in soybean and fourth in corn production.
  • Minnesota leads the nation in producing sugarbeets, turkeys, oats and sweet corn and green peas for processing. The state is second only to California in wild rice production. The state is also a major producer of spring wheat, canola, hogs, dry beans and milk cows.
  • Minnesota is unique in the production of wild rice, with both cultivated paddy wild rice and traditional Native American hand harvested wild rice.
  • Minnesota leads the nation in turkey production. The state is also a major producer of hogs, milk cows and mink pelts.
  • Hogs are Minnesota’s top-producing livestock commodity and ranks second in the U.S in hog production.
  • Other livestock raised in Minnesota include bison, elk and ostriches. Minnesota is second nationally for number of bison producers, raising 12,000 head.

 

November 1 – Jeremy Geske and his Passion for Sheep

November 2 – “A Greater Minnesota”

November 3 – Rachel Gray – A Minnesota Cattle Woman

November 4 – Sara and Mark Hewitt – Farming, Drainage Tile and Bees

November 5 –  Glacial Lake Organics

November 6 – Makayla Nepp and Her Love For Farming and Pigs

November 7 – Evan Oberdieck – Hefty Seed

November 8 – Theresa Twohey – A Dairy Gal in a Pig World

November 9 – AgStar Gives A Personal Touch

November 10 – Sara Larson “Shows” Her Devotion To Her Goats

November 11 – The Klinghagens – A Story of Beginning Farmers

November 12 – Carolyn and Jonathan Olson, Farmers in Two Worlds

November 13 – Eric Nelson – Time to Talk Turkeys

November 14 – Julie Tesch – American Farm Bureau Federation with Minnesota Roots

November 15 – Hormel Foods – More Than Just Spam

November 16 – Nova-Tech Engineering – Using Technology to Benefit Agriculture

November 17 – Crazy Acres Alpacas

November 18 – Kirsten Phelps – A Family Farm that Perseveres

November 19 – Eric and Beth Engstrom – E2’s Emu Ranch

November 20 – Pam Uhlenkamp – Farm Business Management 

November 21 – Betsy Jensen – Growing Barley, Sugar Beets, Navy Beans, Wheat

November 22 – Whole Grain Milling – Homegrown Organic

November 23 – Gold’n Plump Chickens

November 24 – The Meyers Farm – A Family Farm in the Truest Sense

November 25 – Wild Mountain Winery – Where the Wine is Fine

November 26 – MN Agriculture: Hugoson Pork, Five Generations Later

November 27 – MN Agriculture: Far North Spirits, Award Winners Prove Exceptional Distillery

November 28 – South 89 Seed and Service – Tony and Amy Brateng

November 29 – CommonGround – Where Food Conversations Take Place

November 30

Be sure to read the rest of the 30 Days of Ag bloggers:

 

Top 10 Reasons Why Farmers Are A Little Odd

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It takes a special person to farm. At times that “specialness” sometimes turns into a certain level of, shall I say, “oddness?” Here are my top 10 reasons why farmers are a little odd:

1) Farmers have binocular vision 

How is it that they can see a piece of machinery in a field five miles away and know the model of tractor, what field it is in, who is driving and also knows they are eating the last half of a bag of Cheetos?  (okay, maybe a little exaggeration, but you get the point . . .)

2) Farmers have a “Need to Know Everyone Who Drives By and Why” syndrome.

It never fails. When a truck drives by the farm, farmers know who it is (and most of the time just by the sound of the truck) and the reason they are driving by. And if they don’t, they will ask anyone nearby, even if they know that person does not know. It becomes the topic of discussion at that moment.

3) Farmers and driving are sometimes a hazardous combination.

Have you ever ridden in a truck with a farmer? Let me just say, it can be very hazardous to your health, especially when driving though the countryside.  I swear farmers remind me of the “devil farmer who spins their head 360 degrees” while looking at what other farmers are doing in their fields or farmyards – all while driving! My advice? Keep your eyes straight ahead, have your hands ready to take the steering wheel OR, better yet, offer to drive. I do the latter often – for my own safety.

4) Farmers know exactly where everything is on their farm.

But when it comes to the house, it’s like they have left their memory in the barn. For example, last week the sugar bowl needed refilling. Instead of asking me to fill it, my farmer decided to do it himself (surprising, I know). Simple job, right? Well, he ended up looking in every cupboard except the one the sugar canister was in. Let me just share the sugar has always been in the exact same place for the last 28 YEARS! 

5) Running errands ALWAYS takes longer than what you think.

If you ever ride along with a farmer to the local Fleet Farm store, be prepared to be there awhile. It’s almost a 100% guarantee they will run into other farmers, who also have this overwhelming desire to solve the world’s problems right in the middle of the Fleet and Farm store. And, believe me, that takes awhile. 

6) Farmers know exactly who has driven on the farmyard just by looking at the tire tracks.  

Now most of the time I can’t tell anyone has driven on the farmyard. But farmers have this superman vision (goes along with #1) and can tell exactly who has been there just by the tire indentations in the gravel. They know what tires are on what kind of vehicle and what indentations those tires make. In the end, they probably know what they wanted anyway. It just blows my mind some days. 

7) Farmers thrive during harvest.

During harvest, when the work day is done by 11:00 p.m., farmers consider it an early night. And they are back at it by 6:00 a.m. the next day. Day after day until the work is done. Thank goodness for adrenaline rushes, caffeine and harvest lunches because that is what keeps them going. And they love every minute of it.

Corn Harvest
Corn Harvest view from the Combine

8) Farmers know their neighbors.

Farmers know their neighbors. Neighbors help each other and usually never ask anything in return. And if a neighbor is in real dire straights, neighbors will be tripping over themselves to help out. It’s just what farming neighbors do.

9) Working hard while not knowing the end result.

Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they fail. But even through the failures, famers always, always think next time will be better – over and over again.

Top 10 Reasons Why Farmers Are A Little Odd
Killdeer Eggs with Flag Markers

10) Farmers have the utmost respect for nature. 

In the midst of the day-to-day work, farmers will stop and admire, appreciate and respect nature that is around them. They go out of their way to help – like the time my farmer put flag markers around a killdeer nest with eggs because the killdeer happened to build a nest next to a high traffic area on the farmyard. It’s the little things that really are big things. And they know that. 

And while the top 10 reasons of why farmers are a little odd, farmers think it’s a little odd when certain people think farmers are the evil-doers in the food world. It’s incomprehensible to them. Yes, they may be odd at times. Evil-doers? Not by a long shot.

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