Canadian Comedian Rick Mercer visits a cattle show

Rick at Agribition

My fellow K-State Judging Team
member, Lance Leachman's farm.

Although I was unable to attend Agribition this year, via Twitter I was able to see quite the commotion Rick Mercer, Canadian comedian, when he attended one of Canada's leading agricultural events.

Rick's tour of the barns takes him through the grooming of a beef animal, learning how to auctioneer, and the process of buying a goat. All important things to know.

www.rickmercer.com

It is always fun to see what agriculture and livestock shows look like through the eyes of the consumer. Check out his adventure! 

And I would say that my cattle showing friends do pretty good in the spotlight of a camera.

Life on a Canadian Farm

Going back to my roots. 

I've been back home to my family's farm in Canada a couple times this fall. The Boy even traveled with me for the one trip. It wasn't the first time he met my family, but the first time he met my cows, almost equally as important. Since yesterday's post about Canadian Thanksgiving had no pictures in it. I thought I would load you up with lots today!

The blob of white and black above is actual a cow. Her name is Elle and my sister and parents own her together. Elle grew up in Kentucky, but now lives in Alberta! 

This is Bud our Border Collie. He is a big part of the family, but he is also like an extra employee on the farm for the amount of work he does helping us move cattle. 

I got to see quite a few awesome sunsets when I was home. 

This is what I ate on Thanksgiving Day since I was in the airport. I had the big tradition Canadian Thanksgiving meal with my family the day before. The best part of my meal above - the brown gravy. There is nothing better than Canadian brown gravy, hands down we win America.

No this is not how all Canadians dress, but I thought this hat was pretty funny. I mean if I am going to have to be out in Iowa winters feeding cattle then I mind as well look kind of cute. My budget made me leave this hat behind.

This was the most important show to see when the Boy was in Canada with me. This is Signature, she was the last show heifer that I showed, and she proved me with lots of opportunities. Income from her calves helped pay for college and the frozen embryos that I sold out of her paid for my trip to Australia. I have more embryos out of her that the Boy and I will put in surrogate mothers in Iowa to start a Simmental herd. She has a special place in my heart. 

And this is the Boy and I in front of my Alberta home. Mom did a good job of getting the Canadian flag in there. We can't wait to make some more trips home.

Happy Thanksgiving, no I'm not early

Pumpkin pie, turkey and a work visa

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, and I have a lot to be thankful for. But first, let's talk about Canadian Thanksgiving because I get lots of questions about it. Yes, it is a lot earlier than American Thanksgiving. Why? I'm not sure, so I just tell people that our snow comes soon so the Native people had to hurry up and get the settlers fed. We eat all the same foods and I am truly thankful for many things this year. (Oh and I now I already have Christmas on my mind!)

I have a wonderful family and it keeps growing. Not only are many of my cousins getting married and having new babies, but I am adding lots more people to the list of family. Last year I had an amazing boyfriend, this year it's an amazing fiance and next year it will be a husband, and with him comes an awesome family.

Also, I am a Canadian working in the U.S. so that means I have to have a work visa. Each year I have to renew it, and this weekend it had to be renewed again because I am switching gears career wise. It is pretty nerve wracking to have a Border Control agent say yes or no to whether or not you can continue your career. However, all is good! And I can't wait to start my new adventure.

I know there are a lot of people in this world that have limits put on what they can do, how they can act and what they can say. I am very thankful that I travel and live between two countries that allow me to be me. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving whether you are celebrating today or in November. I'll have plenty of pictures posted soon!

Harvest time in Alberta

Fall is in the air. 

Sorry for the lack in blogging the past few days. The Boy and I were in Alberta over the weekend and although it was a super quick trip I still feel a little bit in vacation blogging mode. 

It was a perfect time to be home. The leaves were just starting to change. Fall is a quick season in Alberta. The leaves usually change yellow one day and not too long after they have fallen off the trees. That is one of my favorite parts of the Midwest is the gorgeous Falls with brilliant colors. 

Harvest was in full swing when we where home. In July when I made another quick trip this is what the fields looked like. 

A view from the sky above. The bright yellow fields are canola. As in canola oil. 

And this is what the crop looked like from the ground. However fast forward a month and a half and...

This is what that yellow field now looks like. The crop has been cut. The next step will be for it to go through a combine. 

Those long skinny pods contain seeds in them. When the material goes through a the combine (huge piece of farm equipment) those seeds will be collected. Canola seed contain 40-43 percent oil.

Image via

This is what the seed looks like. According to the Canola Council of Canada there are more than 52,000 Canadian farmers that grow canola, and producer 20 percent of the world's canola. Thanks farmers!

Home to Canada and Back to Midwest Home Again

Repack, unpack, repeat

In the the last 20 days I have been to six states and Alberta, Canada. I have been on eight flights. And I am about to do more traveling this weekend and next, so I apologize for a lack of blogging. Maybe next year I should instigate a vacation week from my blog. Just a little chance to catch up. Anybody do that before?

However, on my little break with my family I did manage to take a few photos.

This is Elle. She is one of my sister's and parent's Simmental cows. Last year they purchased her after I took a look at her at a sale in Kentucky. Elle's originally family are awesome new friends of ours. I love cattle, but I think I love the people in the cattle business even more. 

This is our family's Border Collie Bud. He is a working dog and helps up move our cattle. A good cattle dog is like having an additional man helping move cattle. Also, using a dog is a great stress free way to move cattle. That is something that is really important to our family. We want our cattle to always be treated in a low stress manner so they are more comfortable. I can't wait until the Boy and I have a good working dog one day. 

This was my view above Alberta. I love the patchwork of fields below. The bright yellow fields are Canola as in Canola oil. You don't see this crop often in the U.S., usually only in the northern states, but it  is common in Canada. 

This is what is looks like from the ground. I think Canola is one of the prettiest crops. I also try and show my love for Canada by always buying Canola Oil at the grocery store instead of Vegetable Oil. I know I'm a nerd. 

p.s. Remember that Canola is low in saturated fat, a source of omega-6 fat, high in omega-3 fat and cholestrol and trans fat-free. 

And finally maybe it was Canola Oil that were used for these French Fries. I love French Fries - I know not super healthy, but hey everything in moderation right. But do you know what I love even more than French Fries? French Fries and gravy. It is a Canadian thing, and for some reason has been hard to replicate south of the border. If they would have had it I would have order poutine, which is French Fries, Gravy and Mozzarella cheese!

Reminder all of these photos were taken on Instragram if you are on it let me know. I'm Crystal Cattle. 

The Five Best #Agblogs in Alberta, Canada

We are talking about agriculture and a few other things. 

Remember, the Summer Synergy project I was helping out with? Summer Synergy is a youth livestock show held in Alberta, Canada. This year the marketing project was participants had to create agriculture blogs. My partner Tiffany and I had a great time coaching the participants and in the end helping choose the top blogs.

If you want to add a few new great blogs to your list check these out:

First Place - http://absolutelyagriculture.blogspot.com/ 

Rosie, dived head first in blogging and social media. You can now find her Tweeting and using on of my favorite apps, Instagram, as well. Rosie let's you see an inside glimpse of life on her family's Hereford farms and the variety of agriculture organizations that she is involved in. She also has great style so look for cute cowboys to show up on her blog every now and then.

Second Place - http://redhotcowgirlboots.blogspot.com/

I just love the design of Carling's Red Hot Cowboy Boots Blog. She covered everything from Pigs (one of my favorite posts), the difference between cow/calf farmers, seedstock farmers and feedlots in this  post, and encourages others to participate in the Ag in the Classroom program. Plus, you have to check out her gorgeous prom/graduation dress.

Say tuned. I'll featured third through fifth later next week.

Happy Canada Day!

Yes we celebrate the birth of our country too. 

My favorite Christmas
present last year.

Today is Canada Day! We celebrate in many of the same ways that July 4th is celebrated. Parades, community events, grilling beef, there is always a rodeo to go to and you can't forget fireworks.

It sometimes surprises me how little Americans know about Canada, and I think it frustrates some of my Canadian friends. But the fact is you guys never learned much about us in school. When I was in school in Alberta we did a whole year in Social Studies on U.S. government and history. We even had to memorize all the states and their capitols. I will admit I have forgotten most of those capitol cities!

The U.S. wasn't the only area of focus we did world history, and also studied government systems in South America, Europe, China and Japan. My country is very diverse and multicultural so we place an emphasis on learning about those cultures. In 2009 558,105 people immigrated to Canada - canadafacts.com

We have 10 provinces and 3 territories. I grew up in Alberta (the one above Montana) and my family still lives there today. My parents have their own blog that talk about my family's farm www.highcountrycattle.blogspot.com and I have also posted some pictures of what our Canadian farms looks like:

The Calving Barn, Red Cows and Hoarfrost, a video I did of some friends of ours that also raise Simmental cattle in Alberta, and this is a post from a road trip I took in Southern Alberta.

The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth

Can I get a Yahooooo!

Today the Calgary Stampede starts, and I am not there, nor will I be there for any of it, and I am a little sad about that. This year the greatest 10 days of summer is falling right on top of one of the biggest events for my company (more on that in the coming days).

I was pretty lucky growing up, Stampede was like the state fair for me. My family would exhibit cattle there, quite often my cousin had qualified for the chuckwagon races, I usually knew a few of the people in the rodeo, lots of our family members served on committees and my grandpa was Barn Boss for numerous years. This all meant that we pretty much got behind the scenes entry to everything.

Once, I was in college the impact of the Stampede really hit me. People may have not know much about Canada, or Alberta for that matter, but they knew about the Stampede. I interned two years in the Agriculture Department, which gave me an even greater appreciation for those 10 days. In those 10 days it is quite possible the only time consumers come into contact with agriculture. Many have never seen a cow before, they think their bacon comes from a grocery store, and they have no idea all the products another than oil that canola can produce. The Stampede does an excellent job of educating the consumers, and giving them a taste of the country. This interaction is only going to become more important.

I would encourage you to check out their facebook page there are lots of cool interactive tools. And if you ever make the trip be sure to let me know.

Happy Canada Day!

I stand on guard for thee.

Well, for those of you who weren't aware today is July 1st, and that means it is Canada Day. It always surprises me how many of my American friends don't realize that we celebrate our independence just like Americans do. Last year, however, two of my American friends offered to go get Maple Leafs tattooed in secret locations. That didn't quite pan out.

Today there will be parades, fireworks, boating, and BBQs very similar to what will be happening south of the border in just a few more days. I spent many Canada Days at the Ponoka Stampede helping my cousin with his chuckwagon horses, and this year my family will be trying to make a trip over there again.

For my Canadian friends and readers, I hope you have a great time celebrating our great country today. Just remember that we don't need a specific holiday to celebrate our country, we can be proud of it everyday.

And if you need to spice up your house with a little Canada try these. 

Mountains and Prairie

A little time behind the steering wheel.

Last week I had that opportunity to head back home to Alberta to speak at the Tiffin Conference. I had been asked to talk about some of the attacks anti-agriculture activists, like HSUS and PETA, are making against our way or life. The presentation went really well, but I also think I really shocked some people. Canada hasn’t been subjected to the daily criticism and attacks that U.S. farmers and ranchers have, and therefore aren’t as aware. Hopefully Canadians, along with Americans, will reach out to consumers and tell our story, so we can show the truth about agriculture.

But before, I got to the conference I had to make the drive from Calgary to Lethbridge. Calgary is considered southern Alberta and Lethbridge is only an hour from the Canada/U.S. border. 

It was a beautiful and clear afternoon, so I got an amazing view of the mountains. 

Notice, there is actually very little snow on the ground. This was taken just south of Calgary. 

I love these signs. This was taken in Claresholm, where they have a great western store. More on that later. 

Coming into Lethbridge. It seems to be a really cool town, but the wind ALWAYS blow there. 

Oh look it's some trees. These must of been planted, hehe. No trees in southern Alberta.

This is the University of Lethbridge. I actually spoke at the College, but I think it's neat how the this school is built into the side of a valley. 

And when I pulled up to my hotel, this is what was in front of every parking space - an electrical outlet. Yes, it can get so cold that we have to plug are cars in during the winter. 

And finally. I think this location would be prefect for a house and some cows one day. No reason why I couldn't have places on either side of the border.

And this is how the Olympics feel

Oh, Canada!

So I had a pretty proud moment last night. Canada finally was able to win a gold medal on home soil. Something that had never been done. Tbaugh and I were watching the Olympics and we decided there is something pretty magical about them. Every year you can try and win the Super Bowl, all while getting paid millions of dollars to do it. Meanwhile these Olympic athletes give up everything for a shot every four years.

I was telling Tbaugh how much a gold medal in hockey would mean to Canada. The best way to put it is if we get to stand on that podium, and watch our flag rise, the whole nation will stop and sing the national anthem. It means more than a lot to us. It's really hard to describe. But that feeling makes you well up with pride.

I love this video of the crowds reaction after they realize that Mogul Skier Alexandre Bilodeau had secured the gold.

Understand this - it's in my blood.

3 days and counting...

So I am a little shocked, I don't think anyone stateside knows what HUGE event will be taking place next week. On February 12, the 2010 Olympics will be kicking off, in my homeland nevertheless. And furthermore it means game time for Canada's hockey teams.

I think it's hard for some people to understand, but the love of hockey runs in my veins. Miss South Dakota and R3 (the roommates) have already poked fun at my passion, and are aware it could be a long couple of weeks. I don't watch hockey every week, I can't even tell you who is leading the Western Conference in the NHL right now, but when I get a chance to watch a game there is just something that makes my heart race.

I immediately picked up this weeks Sports Illustrated because of the Olympics on the cover, and inside I found the story that pretty much sums up what hockey means to Canadians. The first story "Destiny's Child" by S.L. Price, talks about Sidney Crosby, who hopefully will be Canada's fearful leader all the way to the gold metal podium. I love this quote.

"Crosby isn't just the center, figuratively and literally, of Team Canada. He's the defender of the faith." - Don Cherry

The second story, "Canada Obsessed," by Michael Farber, discusses Canada and their absolute passion that has been leading up to the 2010 Olympics. In 2006 we didn't make it pass Russia in the quarterfinals. This year the expectations have risen.

"If the home team doesn't win hockey gold, much of the nation will mourn the Games as a failure."

"The only color that counts is gold." 

For Christmas my dad took me to my first NHL game ever. Oilers vs. the Flames, "the battle of Alberta." Within 20 seconds we scored, and the next face-off led to a fight center ice. Nothing like being fours lefts to the right of the goal, and two seats behind the glass.

My team. 

Nothing like a good ole hockey fight. 

Don't forget to enter the free giveaway draw. I'll select a winner on Thursday!

Still got a little Canadian in me

It isn't that cold outside. 

When I went home for Agribition people gave me a little bit of a hard time that I was becoming Americanized. When you think about it though, I have been down in the state for more than six years now. And although I never had much of a Canadian accent, I don't say I will "phone" you as much as I use to.

However, I am hear to prove the I still have some Canadian left in me. While I was in Casper for the Range Beef Cow Symposium a nice little snow storm came through town.

That would be my rental car. 

Everyone kept on complaining how cold it was. I really didn't think it was that bad. Yes, I had on my Northface and little black gloves, and I was only going from my car to the conference center and back. But, it wasn't like you had to rush inside or wait for your car to warm up. I thought the snow, sunshine and mountains made for a lovely day. I love day like that. Getting all bundled up to go to chores or be with the cattle.

However, despite the sunshine, the weatherman on the radio informed me that actually it was 9 degrees F so, about -13 C. So I guess for my American friends it was maybe a little chilly, but I still love winter days like the one above!

Now let's hope it doesn't snow in Vegas. 

Western Canadian Agribition

Getting a little taste of Canada again.

So I realize that it has been a slow week for me on the blog, but that is because I have been on the north side of the border. This time of year I head back home for Western Canadian Agribition. I love this little vacation for me because I get to wear jeans to a cattle show again, have a comb in my back pocket, and blower in my hand.

Unfortunately, for you on my vacation I was so relaxed that I didn't take a single picture! But I do have a little video for you.