Top Blog Posts for 2015
2015 has been a great year for Minnesota Farm Living. And, even though I did the top 10 blog posts individually, I compiled the list into one blog post. So, starting off with #10:
#10 What I Wish People Knew About Pig Farming
“It’s pleasurable to visualize the sunny 70-degree days where pigs roam pastures under trees and never hurt one another. You know, the whole Charlotte’s Web scenario. Who wouldn’t love a world like that? But we don’t live in Charlotte’s Web’s book, we live in reality . . . “
#9 Top 10 Reasons Farmers Are A Little Odd
“Farmers have binocular vision – How is it that farmers 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 . . .)”
#8 This Is Why It’s Okay To Feed Your Family GMOs
“So why do we need GMOs? One reason – the GMO technology is better for the environment and is just one tool farmers can use to improve efficiencies. We use less pesticides on our farm and that’s good for the environment. There is less runoff (70% less), less water is needed, less soil erosion (90% less), less plant disease and less pesticide exposure to my husband. But it’s just not benefiting farmers, consumers can benefit as well.”
#7 Chipotle: There is NO Pork Shortage
“Let me be perfectly clear on this issue. This isn’t about the right or wrong way to raise pigs. The issue is the intentional marketing scheme by Chipotle to vilify the vast majority of America’s pig farmers because of the way they raise their pigs. This helps exemplify Chipotle’s brand of integrity.”
#6 10 Things I Wish The Food Babe Knew
“I wish you knew more about factory farms. I wish you knew that “factory farms” are really family farms. 96% of so called “factory farms” are family owned. By asking your readers to boycott factory farms, you are asking them to boycott families who farm and care for animals every single day. Why do you feel it’s wrong for family farmers to use technology and improved efficiencies, which result in better care for their animals?”
#5 10 Things You May Not Know About GMOs
“GMOs = Sustainability. Using GMO technology allows farmers to use less pesticides. Less pesticides = good for people and the environment. Not only do farmers use less pesticides, but newer GMO varieties include a drought tolerant trait where plants require less water. There is also the possibility of GMO plants using nitrogen already present in the soil as a nutrient. Presently, plants have a hard to time accessing and using the nitrogen already present in the soils. Biotechnology possibilities are endless . . .”
#4 Dear Chipotle: What Do You Have Against U.S. Pig Farmers
“Integrity means your actions match your words and I’m sorry Chipotle, but that’s just not the case with you anymore. Your actions seems to change depending on the situation and then the story changes to match the situation.”
#3 When Tragedy Strikes, We Come Together . . . It’s Who We Are
“And the “sun that will rise” is our farming community. When tragedies strike, farming communities step up to the plate and help. They are not asked, they just show up ready to get their hands dirty.
It’s who we are. Period.”
#2 10 Truthful Things About Harvest Most Non-Ag People Don’t Know
“The smells, sights and sounds of harvest. Nothing compares than smelling corn as it is harvested, watching the corn augered into the grain cart or truck, running through the corn dryer or hearing the sounds of corn dropping into the corn bin. Yes, it’s the simple things we cherish. And it mirrors life–it’s the simple things that really are the big things in life.”
#1 Top 5 Things Subway Customers Need To Know
“Your meat is safe. Today and on March 1, 2016. If you go into Subway today to buy a sandwich, the meat you are eating is antibiotic-free. If you go into Subway on January 1, 2016, your sandwich meat will be antibiotic-free. The end result is the same.”
Top Blog Posts From The Farm
When Our Animals Get Sick and Die
“One of the hardest things about farming is when our animals are sick. We hate it. And the only thing worst than sick animals are dead animals. We just can’t get around the feeling that we have failed them.”
Boar Studs – Turning Semen Into Pigs
“In the vast majority of pig farms, breeding boars are no where to be found. So with that information, how are sows bred? The majority of sows in the U.S. are bred using a technique called Artificial Insemination, OR AI. AI is not new and was first used in swine in the 1930’s. Boar studs (boar farms) are used to collect boar semen, which is then used to breed sows.”
A Little Boy, A Grain Cart and Some Quarters
“My son-in-law sells roofs and had to drop off a sales bid to a potential customer. Mr. E stayed behind in the truck waiting for his dad. When my son-in-law returned to the truck he noticed a pile a change–quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies on his seat. Wondering what the money was for, he asked Mr. E about it . . .”
Why We Use Individual Gestation Stalls
“What is the best way to house sows? Is it individual gestation pens? Is it group housing? For most people, sow housing raises a lot of questions. Let me start with saying,
“There is NO perfect sow housing. None. Nada.”
