Give me a redneck girl

Actually I would prefer a boy. 

These posts were actually wrote before my departure for Calf Fry so i don't have any stories to tell you yet. The forecast didn't look great for the weekend, but I can tough it. Tonight if all goes as planned I am going to be listening to the Bellamy Brothers belt out a tune or two.

I remember 4-H and junior livestock dances. Redneck girl was a classic sing-a-long song. However, the verse "give me a redneck girl" was commonly changed to "give me a redneck boy." According to this post of mine, it seems some of my friends found that redneck boy quite easily.

You wouldn't think a 20-something gal would get excited about the Bellamy Brothers, but come on they are a classic. And I also was the girl that freaked out last year when I met Wayne Newton.




Have a great weekend.

It's been awhile, but I still love cowboy boots.

Even a pair for the boys this time.

My last boot blog was about R3's sister's store The Crystal Boot. Well since then she has created a facebook page will all her stuff.

She also just posted these boots called Ferrini boots, and they are really reasonable priced. I am pretty sure I would have to build a bigger closet if I bought all the boots I talked about. And I might also be in debit. Thanks Mr. Ramsey for keeping me on track.

These are my favorite pair! I love the tops. Isn't funny how we worry about the tops when hardly anyone ever sees them. It's like your own little happy secret. 

And if brown is your color, than these are the ones for you. 

And for the first time ever a pair for the boys. I think my future boyfriend should wear these. But he'll probably have to buy them for himself. 

And if I owned all those boots I could hang them on this. You can find this boot rack at Rods.com

Livestock Publications Council headed to Des Moines

Spreading the message. 

After a successful speaking engagement in Lousiville at the Regional Livestock Publications Workshop, I have been invited back to do one a little closer to home. Next Tuesday, May 4, I will be speaking at the Midwest Regional Workshop on the American Angus Association's use of video in our PR and national advertising campaigns, and how to distribute that video.

I am really excited to be speaking to this dynamic group of communicators again. Not only can we use video in the workplace, but it is a great way for producers to tell their story as well.

If you are interested in signing up you only have a until Thursday, April 29. You can click here for more information. There are some really great seminars. I am very excited to hear Kay Johnson, director of Animal Ag Alliance, talk about their use of social media in response to the Yellowtail/HSUS issue. And I would love to see you there!

What to do when I am gone.

Take a look around. 

So the next few days the posts are going to be a little bit sporadic as I will be heading out on a road trip. Description of the road trip to come on Thursday. So in the meantime I don't want to leave my readers high and dry so here are a few things you might want to check out.

For your agriculture advocacy fix you might check out...

HumaneWatch.org is the answer. I have talked about this organization before. They are a watchdog organization for the Humane Society of the United States. They have some really great information that we can use to help educate the consumer about the real goals of HSUS - ending animal agriculture. They also have a facebook page that gets lot's of discussion. 

For some awesome photography and stories about ranch life that will make you laugh...

Our Little Ranch will do just fine. Catherine and Luke Neumayr write about life on their cattle ranch in Texas. They always have great adventure and humor to share with their readers. They also have Braham cattle, and take the most gorgeous pictures of them. It's worth a stop by.

If you are getting married or want to hear about a city gal...

A Classy, Southern Bride has got it going on. I don't know what it is about this gal, Christin, but I am really intrigued by her. She talks about her wedding plans (but not in an obsessive, that is all I am concerned about with my life kind of way), she is becoming an avid runner and always has neat little stories. She's cool. Just need to get her to eat beef (she's not a vegetarian though.)

And if you want to get your fix of cowboy chic...

Then the Farmer's Trophy Wife is the place to visit. She does this look of the week, and then helps you find the items to complete the look. And although I love heels, I also love how she normally changes out the heels for cowboy boots. She also posts looks of cool western home items and other little stories.

Now I didn't mean to leave anyone out! I have close to 50 blogs that I read, and maybe I'll share some more of them with you soon. But I think these should fill the crystal.cattle void in the meantime.

101 update - I am on a roll.

Seven days of good stuff. 

The list is getting shorter. Goals that I worked on this time.

1. Wrote a blog giving gratitude to the Parke family.

2. Actually sat through a entire baseball game, and really liked it. It was the Royals vs. the Twins, and we won. I still don't think I could watch one on T.V. though

3. My Canadian friend Rob Voice bought one of my favorite photos. You might recognized it from this post. I can't wait to see it hanging in his house. Rob told me he only wanted to hand stuff in his house that meant something to give, none of that random stuff. I like that. Surround yourself with the things that are important to you.

4. I made three new recipes. Zucchini parmesan sticks, bake fish and Jalapeno poppers. I am so glad it's grilling season.

5. I have started my golf lessons, and my swing is already 100 times better. Who knew I was holding the club all wrong. Watch out Tiger and Phil.

Now I just need to make this week just as productive.

An American Farmer Paul Mobley

He tells the story. 

Last night my passion for agriculture was renewed. I didn't attend a leadership workshop or a economic forecaster telling me that agriculture would be OK or that it was my time to lead it, but I did meet a guy named Paul Mobley. Osborn and Barr, an ad agency in Kansas City, held a special event to promote the book American Farmer. Paul Mobley was front and center discussing his journey to capture the agriculture lifestyle. I had goosebumps the entire time. 

Paul's whole perspective on agriculture has changed since his experience. He is now a huge advocate for agriculture. I wish others got to go through what he did. As I looked at his photos I just can't understand why people like Wyane Pacelle, HSUS, want to put us out of business. Why movies like Food Inc. are made to scare producers, and try and convince them through half-truths that what we are doing is wrong. I hope every consumer across America picks up this book and sees what agriculture is really about. These people could be doing a lot of other things, making a lot more money, but they choose to remain on the land and help feed you. 

Paul spent four years traveling to 37 states photographing farmers and ranchers in their natural setting. Paul isn't a native to rural America with his time beginning spilt between Michigan and New York. He said he had never expected to find the generosity, hospitality and friendship that rural people provide. He said in New York to have a friend for five years is really something, people are always moving on, but the people in agriculture he met have friends that they have know their entire lives. 

Photos courtesy of American Farmer by Paul Mobley

Me adding a couple pictures to this post doesn't do what I saw justice. Go out and buy this book or flip through it online here. It'll make an impact on you. 

Paul also has a blog that talks about his journey that you can read here. 

Earth Day is everyday for farmers and ranchers

We were the first environmentalists.

Farmers and ranchers have been caring for this land since the beginning of time. Stewardship is important to use because we make our living from the land, and it is our responsibility to leave it in the same or better shape than we found it. It's great to create awareness about sustainability and the environment on this one day, but the truth is the people that are feeding your families have those things on their mind everyday.




To watch more videos of ranchers participating in stewardship search Oregon Cattlemens or Colorado Cattlemens on YouTube. 

• Eight-five percent of U.S. grazing lands are unsuitable for producing crops. By grazing animals on this land American ranchers can more than double the area that can be used to produce food. 
• U.S. beef producers needed 37 million fewer cattle in 2008 to produce the same amount of meat as in 1975. That is thanks to increased efficiency (more meat per head of cattle) that has lead to less waste and less required feed. 

Let's talk about portion size.

Every thing in moderation.

Just in case you haven't figured it out, I love steak. I get spoiled, I was raised on the homegrown stuff, and now get to dine at some of the greatest steak places across the country, and that usually means consuming Certified Angus Beef (CAB). And yes, there is a difference between CAB and the Angus burger at McDonald's. But that is a post for another day.

Beef is an awesome source of Zip - Zinc, Iron and Protein. The other great news is that there are 29 lean cuts of beef, just look for the words loin or round in the name. But I digress. The point of this post is that everything is good in moderation, but how are we to know what moderation is?

Well, luckily as I was thumbing through my Healthy Beef Cookbook I came across these images. A serving of beef is 3 oz., and we can use these visuals to help us remember what a serving is.

This is a 3 oz. hamburger compared to a hickey puck. p.s. It's playoff season

This is a 3 oz. steak compares to a deck of cards

And this is 3 oz. of beef cubes compared to four children's block. Don't forget about those lean cuts. 

Happy grilling!

Music discovery... Jaida Dreyer

Can't get enough of her. 

Between the recent ACM's and Calf Fry coming up I have got music on the mind. Currently, I am working the the 2010 Great American Calf Fry Road Trip Playlist, which you will be getting a taste of in the coming weeks. Ms. Bewitching (who I think I am going to change to Doc) and I are going to be road-tripping down to Stillwater to meet Miss Classy, Cgood and the Trailer Park Gang, and we are going to need something to be jammin' to.

However, I have made a music discovery via Twitter. Her name is Jaida Dreyer and she is fantastic. The problem is I am pretty sure she hasn't signed with anyone because I can't find a place to download her music! However, thank the Lord for YouTube. She's all over it. Now we just need to find a way to get this girl on the radio or at least iTunes.





She has a list full of awesome songs. You can either search for her on YouTube or visit her Myspace page here. 

p.s. If you missed yesterday's post you have to check it out. The comments are great!

Benefits of 4-H besides the Head, Heart, Health, Hands part

Hello Monday!

Oh Monday we meet again. I really can't complain about you too much. It was a great weekend full of spring cleaning, golf, and grilling. Including some awesome sirloin strips, that I was charged eye of round price. Maybe the meat man was impressed with my knowledge of cuts and marbling and decided he's slip me the discount. Then again he could just be blind and typed in the wrong code, believe what you what.

Anyways, back to 4-H. Many of you know my passion for 4-H. Ya I was a do-gooder... club president, record book winner, loved quiz bowl and even made it to 4-H Ambassador level. Despite all those trophies, banners and ribbons, I guess you could say there was something else in 4-H that caught my eye.

Cgood sent this to me as a way to kick off the week. Made me smile. Happy Monday.

101 in 1001 update

Doing not too bad. 

A lot of people have commented on my 101 in 1001 list. I actually got the idea from a friends blog. There is an official 101 in 1001 website, that gave me a lot of ideas for what I could complete. By posting it on my blog I see it everyday and become more accountable to my followers. If you make an a list I would love to hear some of your goals.

The white is the completed stuff, and it is actually increasing, but I really haven't been updating you. So this is what has been up.

During my spring cleaning, I switched out my winter clothes for spring clothes. And man do I have a lot of clothes... a lot of clothes that I don't wear or fit anymore. Surely, somebody could use some of these clothes. So two huge garbages of clothes went to Big Sisters Big Brothers. Check donate clothes.

One of my good friends was having a bad week. Actually we both were. Unfortunately, we live too far apart to get together for drinks and solve our and the worlds problems. So I sent flowers. Cheered us both us. Only need to send one more bouquet until I can completely scratch send flowers off my list. Who wants some.

Against, Dave Rasmey's advice I am getting a credit card. Primarily to get the airmiles on this flight to Australia. Dave I promise I will pay it off each month in full.

Church. I haven't been as often as what I was going this Winter. But I am on track. Even got to take in Easter service with R3's family.

And as you have seen I have kept up with my blog for over a year.

So not bad. I still have February 2012 until everything has to be scratched off!

The hostest with the mostest.

Wedding Day is approaching.

It is hard to believe that just over a year ago my good friend Austin finally popped the question to one of my best friends Emilie. And so their save-the-date card and invitation got added to our fridge. I did a quick total, and between R3 and I there are 13 save-the-dates or invitations on our fridge. Now I'll admit, some of these momentous occasions have already passed but 1. we need the magnets, and 2. if you put your photo on your invite there is a better chance you will stay on the fridge. i.e. John and Marissa from last June. You right remember them from the "This is what happens when the College of Ag friends get married" post. 

Anyways, back to the subject at hand. Emilie's wedding is going to be extra special this summer because I am honored to be one of her bridesmaids. Under bridesmaid duty law is says... "you must throw the future bride a wonderful bridal show." OK so maybe I made that up, but I think it is an important part of the title. And with shower throwing, comes things like providing food and quenching thirst, i.e. my panic to learn how to make iced tea. 

I would say the day went great. Emilie received some beautiful items for their new home, and I can't wait for her to serve me her famous lasagna with all the cookware she received. People even complimented me on my ice tea, and I would have to say not even in a pity kind of way! Great success. 

I sent the I kiss better than I cook sign home with Emilie. I have one in my house too. Mac and cheese always a staple no matter what stage of life you are in. 

Check out the lower right-hand corner for the iced tea. And the red bowl is a popcorn bowl from Emilie's other bridesmaid. Very cool. 

JoshBell has something to say about HSUS... and he does a really good job

Spreading the message. 

I came across this YouTube video from JoshBell from www.IntoOutdoors.com, he makes some fantastic points about HSUS and their agenda. This is one of the best video I have seen in awhile. Great job JoshBell, now how are you going to tell your story?

Gone Fishing

Look what I caught. 

Last week I had the chance to go fishing. The last time I remember fishing was in our neighbors dugout catching Rainbow Trout. There was also the time before that, when I learn how to fish, and my Grandpa end up sticking the hock in his thumb. Oh the memories.

Our great neighbors and good friends have a couple ponds at their house, so I took advantage of the great weather and headed out with my boss and his family for a little bit of the outdoor lifestyle. Johnny, my bosses son, had already caught five fish before I had even had mine hooked. It is a good thing there are grocery stores, and farmers that put food in this, or I might be one skinny gal.

Click on collage to enlarge.

In the end I caught two Perch (just little guys) and Johnny has caught more than 10 Perch and two Bass. Yeah, I am not joking. He is ready to star in his own Outdoor Life Network show.

That's my little fish down by my leg. 

Who knew Friday afternoons could be so exciting - The Angus Report

Drumroll please. 

Hello, this is Crystal Young, reporting from the desk of the American Angus Association with breaking news... OK so it actually isn't going to be me saying that, but it is going to be a real, legit, newsman saying stuff like that every week.

This afternoon our team just launched the Angus Report, a weekly online TV show. It'll cover Angus news and all the cool stuff happening in St. Joe town.

I know not all my readers are Angus groupies (I am only a partial one because of my love for Simmentals) but I just think this is really cool. I mean what other breed of cattle (or maybe any other individual livestock association) has a TV show. We're going to make Mr. News Anchor Bob Cervera famous.


I have lots more to tell you. Like my fishing trip yesterday and all the amazing music that I will be listening to this weekend (Reckless Kelly and AC/DC), but that might all have to wait until Monday. Have a fantastic weekend!

Sex in the City makes me very happy

Don't read too much into that title. 

Guess what is coming to theaters this May - Sex in the City II - and I can't wait! (I am writing this post with a sing songy voice in my head because I am so excited! You should try reading it that way, it's more fun). I remember when the first movie came out and a whole group of us girls went. We were in awe. I think Sara Jessica Parker is just amazing. And if you look at my 101 in 1001 list you will notice that collecting all the Sex in the City DVDs is on my to-do-list, because there is nothing that a little Sex in the City can't fix.

So here is a little sneak peak. It already has my heart racing. (And thanks to Air for helping me make this little discovery.)

And click here if the video is getting cut off. I was having some trouble with formatting.

Time to switch gears... back to the food we eat

Milk is good for the body. 

It's been a crazy week, good crazy, exciting crazy, but crazy. And although, the debate over iced tea and some fabulous boots have been fun posts this week, it is time for us to think about being advocates for agriculture again.

I am really enjoying Twitter (you can follow me here) and there has been some great discussion on there this week. If you don't want to Tweet (post stuff) I would encourage you just to sign up and read what others are writing, they have pointed me towards some excellent articles.

I also use my Blogger Dashboard to keep track of all the blogs I follow. Just like you following me, I follow blogs. I have mentioned the Food for Thought blog before, a team effort by a group of K-State students. (Go State, have to sneak that in). Today there is a really great post by Tera Rooney (she is also an excellent cake baker). And since I don't have time to write my own ideas down I am going to steal some of hers.

Tera and her sisters grew up on a farm, however she makes the REALLY good point that just because you were raised on a farm or are in a rural area doesn't mean that you won't find yourself on the "certain food products are bad for my health because "some guy" who believes "big farming" (whatever that is) will ruin our planet" road.

Check out her blog here and I would encourage you to follow this blog, and mine too ;) And when you are telling your ag story make sure that you tell it to everyone because sometimes people need a refresher.

Sweet Tea vs. the Regular Stuff a Great Debate

The knockout begins. 

Last night on my facebook status I posted that I was looking for a good Iced Tea recipe. It may be surprising to you, but I have never made the stuff. You see in Canada our Iced Tea is completely different. You use a powdered flavored sugary mix, and for my Canadian readers I'll give you my dad's secret - add some coke or pepsi to your Iced Tea - it's amazing.

However, back to my quest of perfecting American Iced Tea. It has probably only been a year that I could even stand to drink the stuff. Cold tea who would want to drink that stuff? But now I am hooked, especially since I have cut way back on pop. I prefer unsweetened, but I can do that southern sweet stuff if necessary.

Within an hour of me posting on facebook, that I was looking for a recipe, I had more than 10 comments, from three different countries. And you could see the battle taking place - sweet vs. unsweetened. So what kind of tea will I find in your house, and who has the best recipe? I let you know how successful I am after this weekend.

Cowboys of all colors - Lane Boots

Bring on the Rainbow

R3's sister has a store in Texhoma, Oklahoma called the Crystal Boot. I still want to venture down there one day because Charliss always has great stuff at the few trade shows she goes to each year. Over Easter, Charliss had these boots with her. Aren't they great, and they are pretty reasonably priced, so I felt the duty to pass them onto my fellow readers.

 

They are Lane boots, and she says they are a lot more comfortable than her Corrals because they have a lower heel. Hmm another things to add to my wish list.

 

The boots all range from $195 - $215. I really like the last taller pair. 

Which ones would you get?

To order your pair you can visit Charliss at The Crystal Boot, 210 W Hwy 54, Texhoma, OK or give her a ring at (580) 423-1010 

This thing called Twitter... spreading the agriculture message

Just jump right in. 

Well, I figured after one year of my blog I have got a pretty good handle on it. I have mastered facebook and YouTube as well. So what's the next step? Twitter.

According to Wikipedia, Twiiter is a social networking and microblogging service. You post messages (tweets) no longer than 140 characters long. These messages are then posted on your page and any of your followers' pages.

So why does Twitter matter? Well Twitter predicts that by 2012 it will have a billion users. And that means a billion people could that I could communicate my message with. Although we may all have different backgrounds, speak different languages, or practice different religions, I can guarantee one thing. We all eat! They are all consumers that want to know more about their food and where it comes from.

So follow me on the Twitter bandwagon. My handle (I think that's the right word) is @crystalcattle. I would love to follow my blog followers as well. So comment and let me know your name, what you like Tweeting about, and any advice you have would be awesome.

A year later...

How time flies. 

It is hard to believe that I have now had my blog up for a year. Today I went back and read that first blog post. It is amazing how things have changed. When I first started I thought it would be a great way for family and friends to stay up-to-date on my traveling, the millions (OK, just a lot) I was invited to last year, and little bit about being a farm girl.

Then the plans changed. I finally added Google analytics to my blog in August, and between the data I was getting back and my increasing followers I realized that it wasn't just family and friends that were interested in what I was saying. Now my blog gives a good dose of how you can be an "agvocate" for agriculture, how you can look that part with a fine pair of cowboys, and sometimes just random off the wall things you should know - like where to find a pink plastic guitar that will hold 80 oz. of liquid in Vegas.

So thank-you to all of you that tune in and read what I have to say. I love your comments, meeting fellow bloggers, and realizing that many of us all share the same ideas, troubles and successes.

Make sure you become a follower so you know when the next post is up! And with that I give you my top five blog posts since April 3, 2009.

2 Bar West Purses
Still don't have one, still love looking at them!

Tough Enough to Wear Pink
Congrats to the Collegiate Cattlewomen on another awesome year. Very proud of you girls.

No more Yellowtail for me thank-you HSUS
I know they said they would no longer donate, but that still doesn't change my mind.

I can feed the world - Jill Harvie
This is a great example of telling your story and I was glad I got to work with Jill on it.

Now these are boots
I told Katie Marston I would make her boots famous. And many other pairs have been posted about since then.

A few people have asked me about this picture this year. It was taken out on the Laflin Ranch last fall. 

I am quitting the blog...

Sometimes it is time to say goodbye...

After nearly a year of blogging I am throwing in the towel. So this is fairwell. Although, I have enjoyed hearing many of your comments and meeting my followers and readers I have decided I just don't have time to keep up with the blogging. I guess you will just have to turn Pioneer Woman or Advocates for Agriculture to quench your daily agriculture thirst. I look forward to still reading many of your blogs. Thanks for your support and I will miss you all.


Wait a minute... it couldn't be April Fools today?! OK that was my corny attempt at an April Fool's Joke. My dad was much better at getting my sister and I every year. I remember one year, when we were about five and seven, dad came running into our bedrooms and told us that we must get up because Sundance, our horse, had a baby! A baby horse, oh man we were excited. We jumped out of our bunk beds, threw on our sneakers (sneakers and p.j.'s always a hot combo) and ran to the truck. Now for some reason dad wasn't moving nearly as fast as we were. "Come on dad," you could hear us yelling through the window of the truck. However, as we sat there we began to realize things weren't adding up. Sundance was a gelding. Gelding can't/don't have babies.

Somehow the excited of a new foal overwhelmed our knowledge of farm animal reproduction.