Happy Christmas from the Goats!

This has certainly been a year of changes for me, but during the Christmas Season it is easy to see all the blessings around me! I am incredibly fortunate to have my brother (who is studying in Egypt) visiting the farm for Christmas! It is an absolute joy to be able to share the holiday with the people you love! We are looking forward to seeing our extended family during the Christmas season. God often sends us families that are not connected to us by blood, but rather by love. We are grateful to have many friends who have become family members to us, and we look forward to celebrating with them over Christmas!

I am incredibly blessed to have a group of former student assistants who have become treasured friends of mine, and are truly my "kids"! These are amazing young people who enrich my life and I am so appreciative of their support. We have a great time together, and they are always willing to assist me on the farm when I need extra sets of hands! I am also quite lucky to have my friends Angie & TEC who offer their support to me & the goats! My buck is currently breeding their does, and we are enjoying our "goat partnership". Goat people are great people and Angie & TEC are prime examples of this!

I have been incredibly fortunate this past year to have many educational experiences through the Ohio Farm Bureau, the Ohio Sheep Improvement Association, and the American Goat Federation! I have learned a great deal and met amazing individuals in these groups. Many of these professional acquaintances have become treasured friends and I am so delighted to have them in my world! These friends have promoted my farming enterprise and supported me on a personal level, and I cannot offer my thanks sincerely enough!

Every year has its challenges, but this allows us to appreciate the sweetness of life all the more! Raising livestock definitely gives me many opportunities to work on developing patience & fortitude, but I would not change my chosen work for anything! I feel very fortunate to have found flexible part-time jobs that allow me to focus on the farm & my family. I could not do these things without the love & support of all my friends! They are always there as my cheering section, to help in a crisis, and to celebrate life's joys! I am incredibly blessed! I hope that this Christmas season will likewise be one of great happiness for you & yours!

Photo Caption: Celebrating with two of my favorite goatherds!

Winter Weather Comes Early!

The snow has set in early this season! December feels a lot like February this year! We've had numerous days in a row with temperatures below freezing and there are a few inches of snow on the ground. Beautiful winter days are lovely to look at, but not nearly as fun when there is work to do outside! No matter the temperature, however, the goats must be fed!

During the winter, I carry water to the goats -- which can be an arduous task when trudging buckets through snow. The goats aren't able to spend time nibbling the remnants of the pasture when there is snow on it, so they need more hay. In addition, I increase their grain to make sure they have plenty of nourishing calories to keep them warm in the cold weather. This morning I realized that I inadvertantly left the gate to the West pasture of the barn unlatched . . . when I looked out the kitchen window and saw goats happily browsing the front yard! Luckily, most were quite compliant to return to the West pasture when they realized I was offering grain if they returned!

Many of my does are quite pregnant, which is much earlier than I expected them to be showing large bellies & full udders! Keiko Dynamite -- God rest my little goat -- must have been more successful than I realized when he jumped out of the buck pen & spent time wooing the ladies last summer! I worry about some of my first time mothers in this weather. Goats are very resilient & hardy, but the babies have to be cleaned by their mothers very quickly in this cold weather so they can warm up. When the babies are born they are wet with placental fluid. The mothers have a natural instinct to clean them off, which is very important so they can then start to warm up and nurse for nourishment.

The chickens are doing well in the cold weather! I typically let them out for a few hours each day so they can move about the chicken lot and enjoy the leftover bread & vegetables that I save for them. My chickens really don't mind the winter; they simply fluff up their feathers and nestle close to each other at night!

Baby V the cow is quite happy living with the yearling goats. She enjoys the hay from my good friend the Hay Farmer, and she is putting on weight. Abe the Mule with a Tumor is now living with Forrest the Aged Goat. These two grumpy old men seem to get along well. Unfortunately, Abe had a massive icicle attached to his hoof last week. I heated some very hot water and was eventually able to melt it off. I hope to get some more pigs come springtime, but right now I am enjoying last year's pigs (that are in the freezer!)

The animals & I send you best wishes for a blessed & joyous winter! Think of me outside in the cold, bundled up in my Carhartt's, while you are warm inside your houses, relaxing over the holidays!

Ohio Farm Bureau's Rocking Annual Meeting!

I wrote this piece on Ohio Farm Bureau's Annual Meeting for inclusion in Franklin County Farm Bureau's quarterly newsletter, The Conveyor! Annual Meeting was absolutely fantastic this year! Hope you enjoy reading about the Farm Bureau policy process!

One of the greatest assets of Farm Bureau is its history as a grassroots organization! Farm Bureau was founded by farmers for the benefit of farmers. Over the years, Farm Bureau has welcomed members that are not involved in agriculture, but support the farm community. At Franklin County Farm Bureau we value each of our members! This is YOUR organization, and each member has the opportunity to influence the future of Farm Bureau by participating in policy development!

The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation held its 2010 Annual Meeting in Columbus on December 1-3. Franklin County Farm Bureau was fortunate to have an excellent group serving as delegates to the meeting: Barry Conrad, Glen King, Jack Orum, and Jeff Schilling. These gentlemen – dedicated farmers & successful businessmen each – worked to represent the interests of our county during the delegate sessions with representatives from all 87 county Farm Bureaus. (87 counties? Doesn’t Ohio have 88 counties? Yes! Jackson County & Vinton County work together in one organization!)

Annual Meeting is a great opportunity for delegates from the county Farm Bureau organizations to network, share ideas, and discuss the future of Ohio Farm Bureau. This year, delegates had the opportunity to hear presentations on health care, the next Farm Bill, and the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, as well as an address from Dr. Gordon Gee on the future of OSU Extension. Delegates participated in two days of policy work as a voting body, working to craft Ohio Farm Bureau’s agenda for the upcoming year. In addition, representatives to the State Board of Trustees were elected. Franklin County extends its congratulations – and appreciation – to Andra Troyer for her re-election as the Southwest District Women’s Trustee!

While much work is accomplished and great conviviality is enjoyed, Annual Meeting is not the start of the policy process for Ohio Farm Bureau! In fact, the policy development process starts with YOU! Every year, Franklin County Farm Bureau solicits policy proposals from its members that participate in Advisory Councils. What is an Advisory Council? It is one of the best ways to get involved in Farm Bureau and have great fun! Advisory Councils are groups that meet to socialize and discuss issues. In Franklin County we have several councils, ranging from groups that meet for breakfast to groups that meet for Happy Hour or dinner! Most councils meet 8-12 times per year, and discuss suggested topics that might be related to agriculture (livestock care, genetic modification of seeds, environmental stewardship), or might be issues of general concern (school funding, social media, sustainable energy). If you are interested in joining a council or starting your own, contact the Franklin County Farm Bureau office for more information! Then, when advisory councils put together their proposed policy suggestions, you can be a part of the process!

The Policy Action Team takes the policy suggestions from councils, recruits ideas from county governmental leaders at their annual county luncheon, and invites new proposals from individuals at the annual policy development session. Franklin County is fortunate to have Jeff Schilling as our Policy Action Team Leader! Jeff did a fantastic job this past year of leading the team in analyzing suggestions for local, state, and national policy! It is quite a bit of work to look at a variety of proposals and analyze if our county can have an impact on the local level with those suggestions, whether it is for the well-being of the state & nation, and if current policy already exists on these matters. From this point, the Policy Action Team submits proposed policies to the Franklin County Board of Trustees for review. Once the board approves these suggestions, the policies are brought to the membership of Franklin County Farm Bureau at our county Annual Meeting. (Yet another great reason to attend Annual Meeting: delicious food, fellowship with other members, AND the chance to participate in the policy process!)

All 87 county Farm Bureaus then send their policies on to the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. Just as the county has a committee to offer recommendations, the state also has a policy development committee. I had the pleasure of serving on that committee this year, along with nine other county presidents and representatives from the State Board of Trustees. It is fascinating to read the ideas offered by each county! The Policy Development Committee is divided into subcommittees which focus on certain areas, and I had the opportunity to work on the section that focused on government & tax concerns. The subcommittees analyze proposals from each county on state & federal issues, compare them to current policy, and then offer proposals to the full committee for approval.

In Franklin County, as with other county organizations, we select our delegates to OFBF’s Annual Meeting during our county’s annual meeting. These individuals are provided with copies of the recommended policy suggestions from the Policy Development Committee prior to the state annual meeting. There, delegates vote on the proposals from that committee and offer ideas of their own. Once OFBF approves its state and national policy suggestions, the state president is charged to take those ideas to American Farm Bureau at their annual meeting. Thus, from the suggestions of individual members at the county level, the democratic process of Farm Bureau influences policy decisions all the way to the national level!

Do you have ideas for the future of Farm Bureau? Do you have concerns about policy issues related to agriculture? Are you upset about something? GOOD! Farm Bureau thrives when its members decide to get involved and take action! This is YOUR organization! It flourishes or languishes based on YOUR involvement! Join an advisory council, attend a policy session, volunteer to help with membership, assist with educational events. . . our volunteers are truly treasured! If you are looking for suggestions on getting involved, always feel free to contact me or another member of the Board of Trustees! We look forward to hearing from you!

Katherine M Harrison
Kmhh13@yahoo.com

Photo Caption: Franklin County Farm Bureau's delegates pose together at Annual Meeting!

Butchers' Day Out!

I recently had the pleasure of attending The Ohio State University's second annual Animal Welfare Symposium. My former intern was back in Ohio for a few days, and we planned an educational "girls day" together! Abby & I met when I spoke to her Animal Science 600 class at OSU, and shortly after that we arranged for her to do an internship with me. It was wonderful fun! We both enjoyed it, and I think we spent many of her internship hours out trying lamb chops at different restaurants in Columbus! Abby now works in quality assurance for a major meat processor out of state, so it was a joy to get to spend time with her at the Symposium!

The Animal Welfare Symposium was a very educational event that featured speakers that were researchers, animal behaviorists, veterinarians, etc. I was particularly intrigued by a researcher who reported on her work evaluating the view of consumers on animal issues. One factor that amazed me was termed the "Underdog Theory", as there was a correlation between those in lower socio-economic groups ranking animal welfare concerns highly. The researcher theorized that humans who feel trod upon by society transfer these feelings of oppression to animals, thus resulting in increased desire to treat animals well. A gentleman in the audience raised the point that perhaps this same group would get most of their exposure to animal care issues through television -- which often sensationalizes animal care stories.

The highlight of the day was the opportunity to hear Dr. Temple Grandin speak! HBO recently aired a movie on Dr. Grandin, starring the actress Claire Danes. Dr. Grandin was diagnosed autistic as a child, and had difficulty communicating with humans. This same challenge, however, made her more observant of animal behavior. She now serves as a professor at Colorado State University, and is a leading expert on animal handling. I was quite impressed with the matter-of-fact approach that Dr. Grandin used in discussing animal care. She emphasized the importance of viewing facilities through the animal's perspective and noted that it is the quality of the handling performed by the human -- not the quality of the equipment used -- that matters most. Dr. Grandin offered straight-forward views on management practices. When asked about tail docking in sheep, she noted that it isn't always needed in the cooler climates out West, but -- for Eastern farmers -- tail docking can be an efficient management practice. This is due to the fact that warmer summers encourage flies, which are attracted to matted feces on a sheep's tail. Or, as Dr. Grandin put it, "You don't want to have maggots around their butts! That's nasty!"

The Animal Welfare Symposium was well-organized and I learned a great deal! Providing excellent animal care is important to farmers, and educational opportunities allow us to develop our skills . . . plus they provide wonderful "girls day" inspiration for two lady butchers!

Gratitude Matters -- Please Thank America's Veterans

Agriculture is truly my passion! I love working on the farm and I adore telling others about it. Hence, my online farm journal! Like many farmers, as much as I love agriculture, I must also rely on other income to meet my needs. I like to eat, my goats like to eat, I utilize a cell phone, I enjoy driving the Goatmobile -- and these things all cost money. Thus, I hold a substitute teaching license and I work part-time for a catering company. These work opportunities allow me to be able to carry out my dream of a farm enterprise, and I truly value them!

The catering company for which I work is quite super, and I have met a lot of interesting people through it! This weekend I had the opportunity to work a very intense house party in German Village. The chef who oversaw the event was an individual I had not met before. I will admit that my first impression was that he was a bit of a grumpy old man, but it took only a short time working with him to realize he was incredibly skilled & treated other individuals who worked hard with respect. He teased me quite a bit for my formal traits, as it was ingrained in me by my grandfather to always say "yes, sir" and "yes, ma'am" and I follow that rule strictly.

Toward the end of the chef's shift he engaged me in conversation, asking what I did besides the catering work. He was intrigued by the goats and we had a nice discussion about my farm work. During our chat, he mentioned that he had served in the military. I asked which branch he served in, and learned that he had been an army medic in Vietnam. My immediate response was to offer a simple "Thank you." The chef -- a bit surprised -- asked me to repeat what I said, and then told me that in the three decades since he had returned from war, I was only the third person to say that to him. He shared a bit about his experiences in the military, and I appreciated the chance to discuss it, albeit briefly, with him.

This exchange has stuck with me all weekend. We are so blessed to live in a country where we have such freedoms, and without our veterans none of this would be possible. A man who has served his country, and then returned home to quietly carry on a civilian life, is an amazing hero. I was delighted to see the wonderful celebrations on Veterans Day this year, but as Americans we must remember to honor our veterans EVERY day. A veteran should constantly feel appreciation for all that they have offered our great country. It is a gift from God to be an American, and our veterans have been willing to offer their greatest possession -- their lives -- to protect our land & our liberties.

There are so many things we have to be thankful for during this holiday season: our families & friends, our health, our farms, and life itself! The next time you hear someone say that they served in the military, remember that they made it possible for us to have the peace & freedom to enjoy these blessings! Please thank them. Simple gratitude means a great deal! We are so blessed and we should never forget to offer appreciation to those who guarded our liberties!

Pepperoni & Other Dairy Products!

Yesterday I was delighted to join the Madison County Farm Bureau to assist with their Farm/City Day at London Elementary School! The Madison County Farm Bureau did a fantastic job of organizing this educational event for the students. Numerous groups participated, such as the Soil & Water Conservation District and the local 4-H. Two of my goats (Roundhouse & Redonculous) joined a lamb, a calf, and a duck in the small animal display. (Apparently there was an unfortunate incident when Roundhouse and the duck nearly came to blows!)

I assisted with the "Dairy" Station. We saw 17 groups of children (about 50 students each time), that ranged in age from pre-school to 5th grade. I had the opportunity to share some information with the students about how healthy dairy products are for us. We also talked about different animals that give us milk and foods that can be made with milk. The students were very good at identifying cows, goats, and sheep as animals that give us milk to drink. They also did a great job of naming cheese, butter, and ice cream as foods that we make using milk. One of my favorites, though, was the young man who solemnly raised his hand when I asked about dairy products, and named "Pepperoni!" as his favorite food made from milk!

The students then made butter by shaking vials of heavy whipping cream. After about 5 minutes of shaking, they would have a soft butter to enjoy on some wheat bread. The students definitely seemed to enjoy learning about the butter-making process! I was impressed with the Farm Bureau volunteers who helped me sing for 17(!) classes the butter-making song with the chorus of "Shake it, shake it, shake it; shake it if you can; shake it like a milkshake; and shake it once again!" By the end of the day, my biceps were a bit exhausted from all that butter-shaking!

This event was a wonderful opportunity to help young people learn about farming! While many of these students had rural connections, some did not. This was a fun chance for them to gain appreciation for farming. They got to see tractors, pet goats, drink apple cider, earn stickers that said "soy power", and other fun activities! Thanks to the Madison County Farm Bureau for including the Goatherd, Roundhouse, and Redonculous in Farm/City Day!

Photo Caption: Goats contemplating escape from their pen!

So That's Why Farmers Are So Happy!

I recently read this article and wanted to share it with you! It made sense to me!

Agricultural Workers Are Happier Than Most

The agriculture industry is accustomed to seeing studies and news reports indicating how grueling, dangerous and difficult agricultural jobs are, so it's surprising when new information is released that supports agricultural workers and their careers.

A new study of health and satisfaction of people in various occupations showed people in the farming and forestry sector have some of the highest scores, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The index is the first-ever daily assessment of U.S. residents' health and well-being. By interviewing at least 1,000 U.S. adults every day, the Well-Being Index provides real-time measurement and insights to improve health, increase productivity and lower healthcare costs.

The category of occupation that scored the highest was business owners with an index of 73.3 out of a possible 100. Farming and forestry was ranked fourth with an index of 69.2, outranking the occupations of sales, clerical, construction, installation, service, transportation and manufacturing. Ranking ahead of farming and forestry was the professional category with 72.9 and manager/executives at 72.

What was the most revealing about the study was the percentage of people who were satisfied with the job by occupation. Business owners had the highest percentage of people satisfied with their jobs at 94.2 percent. However, the farming and forestry industry had the second highest satisfaction percent with 90.7 percent satisfied with their jobs. That's a very high score for an occupation that is typically called out for how dangerous and hard it is.

Reprinted in part from Dairy Herd Network

I have often written of the demands of working in agriculture. Despite the hardships, however, those of us that farm are very passionate about what we do! It is not easy, but it is incredibly rewarding! Farming is not a mere job, it is a way of life. As such, it is extremely rewarding to experience the joys of caring for the land and God's creatures! As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, this is a wonderful time to remember the farmers that labor to provide our food! May God bless them, and may God bless our great country! Happy Thanksgiving!