I am an Agriculturist and I am human

I am a person. I am human. And I have great advice. 
My graduation ceremony of highschool was the 4th of June, and unbearingly cold. It was windy. It was long for 190 students to graduate. And little did I know, it was the last time I would ever see a lot of those people. My principal made a speech before resigning from public education for good. It was a goodbye for all of us. 

This is not his words, and they are not mine either. But they are great. 

The Speech

The Working Man, My Father

Every day I thank God for the things he has given us. I am thankful for he gave me my father. 

I have never met such a hard working, understanding, loving man that compares to my father. 

My father is my hero. 

I have never met such a loyal, passionate, respectable man like my father. 

My father is strong.

I have never met such a down to earth, humble, sacraficing man anywhere close to my father.

My father is my friend. 

I have never met such a knowledgable, inventive, determined man that is anything like my father.

My father is incredible. 

I have never met such an ambitious, reverent, faithful man that will ever be similar to my father

My father is unyielding.

And out of all of the wonderful things in this world God made for me, God made a farmer. 

Annual Walnut Harvest at Lang Farms

A holiday favorite: the walnut. Find out how the hard working farmers of California bring them to your table.
I interviewed several farmers across the Salinas Valley of California. But one in particular, located in the San Joaquin Valley, caught my attention. Listen to what he has to say.

Use of Antibiotics Interview

NAFB Interview with Nikki Putman

My interview with Nikki Putnam, registered dietition with Alltech, has been posted on the AgNet West website, I have included the link below.

It's my first interview to air, so go check it out!

Antibiotic Use- Interview with Nikki Putnam

National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention

National Association of Farm Broadcasting Convention

Held in Kansas City, Missouri on November 11th-14th

Last week I was given the amazing opportunity to attend the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Convention in Kansas City Missouri. 

I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but boy was it a treat. The first day I was there I attended 3 workshops, and one of them was about blogging. The speaker of this workshop was from AgNet West Network out of Sanger, California; her name is Sabrina Hill. While giving her speech she mentioned traveling back to the Valley from the coast in California. During her trip back she saw rolling hills of vineyards and tractors creating little dust clouds up on the hill. The photographer inside her head told her she must pull over to document this picture perfect scene. 

I immediately knew what area of California she was speaking of. It was my hometown. 

I absolutely had to go talk to her about her experience in San Luis Obispo, so I introduced myself. We got to talking and I walked away from that conversation with a shadowing and an interview scheduled and the opportunity to get interviewed myself. 

The next day was the Trade Talk show, where I shadowed Sabrina. It was at that time that I conducted my first interview with Luther Markwart, Vice President of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. After I had done that first interview, I caught some "interview fever" where I not only passed my goal of interviewing 5 people, but where I impressed even myself with finishing with 9 interviews that day.

 I will be posting those interviews weekly on my blog, so watch out for them!

Pictured above is Allie, Sabrina's intern, Sabrina Hill herself, and then me.

This was while we were taking a break from the very busy Trade Talk. 

How to process Goats

Processing Goats

Form of Castration: Banding

What is it? 

Banding Goats is a form of castration that does not require an open wound. Castration by banding is placing the scrotum of the animal in a bander (pictured below) and placing a thick rubber band around the scrotum. 

 Photo Credit to Egypt Creek Ranch

This cuts off blood circulation to the organs and within hours to a day the animal stops feeling anything in the scrotum. 

Photo Credit to Egypt Creek Ranch

After a few days to a week the scrotum will begin to shrivel up and eventually it will drop off. 

Photo credit to A Family Cow blog

Attack on Harris Ranch

Arsen at Harris Ranch Feedlot

2012 fire proves that violent aggression towards Agriculture is their main goal; over the actual welfare of animals.

Animal rights activists are taking responsibility for setting 14 cattle trucks on fire in the San Joaquin Valley in California. This type of aggression is one of many examples of the hypocritical acts of animal rights activists. It is thought to be PETA behind this horrid tragedy.

Picture by ABC News

Officials say the fire started at about 3:45 am. An anonymous email was sent to the North American Liberation Press Office, with specific details about the fire.

While researching this incident, I found an article on the Harris Ranch incident . In this article it states that in the email it said "Containers of accelerant were placed beneath a row of 14 trucks with four digital timers used to light four of the containers and kerosene soaked rope carrying the fire to the other 10.

"We were extremely pleased to see all 14 trucks 'were a total loss,' " the message said.

"We're not delusional enough to believe that this action will shut down the Harris feeding company, let alone have any effect on factory farming as a whole," the e-mail said. "But we maintain that this type of action still has worth, if not solely for the participant's peace of mind, then to show that despite guards, a constant worker presence and razor wire fence, the enemy is still vulnerable."
The e-mail ended with, "Until next time."

 What do you think about this? Comment below!