Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Cowgirl Crush


My sister, Courtney, offers great deals on custom-made western-inspired jewelry with her business, Cowgirl Crush. They are so cute, although I may be biased as I've made quite a few of them.  Anyway, you can check her designs out on Facebook, or email her at courtney_nolz22@hotmail.com to place an order. Every cowgirl needs a little rhinestone and turquoise glamour in their lives, don't they? It's certainly my guilty pleasure. :)




Monday, December 28, 2009

BEEF Daily Cowboy Christmas Photo Contest


In case you missed it, here is the link to the 2009 BEEF Daily Cowboy Christmas Photography Contest Album.  There are some great photos in the complete album that really illustrate the cattle ranching story during the winter months.  The above photo, "Winter Feeding," is one of the winners taken by Laura Nelson, with CAB.  Despite the cold and snow, cowboys always put their cattle first!

SNOW


We received 20.2 inches of snow over the holiday weekend.  That meant a lot of scooping snow, bedding calves, keeping waterers thawed out and being outside in the cold.  Just another day on a cattle ranch in South Dakota.


Sunday, December 27, 2009

BEEF Daily Blog Posts: Dec. 21-24, 2009


Check out this week's BEEF Daily highlights! If you want to get signed up for the newsletter, leave your email address and name in the comments section below. Thanks!
-Amanda Nolz, BEEF Daily Editor

Monday, Dec. 21, 2009: Don Stewart Opines on COOL



Friday, December 18, 2009

Christmas Card Photos



Although most of the photos I take are of four-legged bovines, I sometimes get to take photos of people, as well.  Earlier this fall, I took my sister's senior portraits. 


Last weekend, I had the opportunity to shoot photos for my friends Scott and Ashley for their Christmas greeting card.  Aren't they the cutest couple ever?




Thursday, December 17, 2009

BEEF Daily Blog Posts: Dec. 14-17, 2009


Check out this week's BEEF Daily highlights! If you want to get signed up for the newsletter, leave your email address and name in the comments section below. Thanks!
                 -Amanda Nolz, BEEF Daily Editor

Monday: 12-14-09
It seems everyone in agriculture these days is speculating about when the industry will make a turn for the better. While beef cattle experts and economists all agree that farmers and ranchers are struggling in this current economy, views differ on the reasons for it and just when things will start looking positive for producers. John Lawrence, Ph.D., a specialist at the Iowa Beef Center, is one of the many industry experts weighing in on the current state of the beef cattle business today.

Tuesday: 12-15-09
It’s what you’ve all been waiting for - the finalists for the Cowboy Christmas Photography Contest have been selected, and it’s your turn to weigh in on your favorites! I was so impressed with the quality of the photos in this contest. Thanks to all who participated!

Wednesday: 12-16-09
Being a runner, I subscribe to several magazines on the subject, including the popular Runner’s World. Because of the extreme South Dakota cold temperatures we’ve had the last couple of weeks, I’ve been stuck inside on the treadmill to get my daily run in. While I was running the other day, I flipped through the pages of the Jan. 2010 edition of Runner’s World, and I was excited to see an article that praised meat and dairy products! In an age where many health magazines misunderstand the nutrition power-pack of these products, Runner’s World got it just right!

Thursday: 12-17-09
To wrap up the week, I thought I would share a blog entry from the Vegetarian Star that might pique your interest. Of course, from the title of the website alone, you probably already know the topic area and the reader demographics. However, you might be surprised to learn that one entry is about me and this little old blog. In their blog spot, “Kellie Pickler Sparks Veggie Hate Among Country Folk,” I’m referred in the comments section as “just one nut case with a blog.” Read on for an excerpt…Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful...


It was cold yesterday. I mean really cold. I mean -14 degrees F cold. And, there is only one cure when it's cold outside: red wine and beef stew. I made Provencal Beef Stew last night, a recipe from The Healthy Beef Cookbook, and I paired it with a glass of Merlot and chocolate-covered cherries for dessert. Yum! To top it all off, I was in the Christmas spirit last night, bundled up in my cozy apartment, so I curled up with The Polar Express and wrapped Christmas presents.

Now, it's back to business this morning, but I feel incredibly recharged after my relaxing evening with all my favorites: beef, wine, chocolate and Christmas spirit! Have a great day!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Winter Wonderland

As I launch this new blog spot, I thought I would share an oldie, but a goodie.  It's called Winter Wonderland, and I hope you like it and can maybe identify with the struggle of the American farmer.  It's really true: the cattle always come first, no matter what.
                                                          -Stay warm out there,  Amanda Nolz



The year was 1997. Christmas was right around the corner, and I was ten years old. I was in the house with my mom and two sisters. As tradition, we would spend a whole weekend decorating the house for the holiday season. We decked out the tree, wrapped garland around the railings, hung lights on the porch, and wrapped gifts for family and friends. Mom gave all of us girls jobs to keep us busy decorating while she made holiday treats. Later, we would all gather in the kitchen to decorate sugar cookies.

There was only one damper on this holiday spirit—Dad always knocked on the door needing chore help, and I was usually the prime target. That meant putting the last of the decorations on hold, donning double socks, snow pants, coat, warm boots, mittens, and a hat and heading outside to help my dad. Together, we would feed hay, grind feed, check water tanks, and take care of the calves before the next big snow hit.

In 1997, a big snow certainly did hit the state of South Dakota. This winter is so infamous in our state’s history that people still wear baseball caps with the slogan, “I survived the Blizzard of ‘97”. For my family, we were snowed in our house for seven days. As a result, my sisters and I had to skip a full week of school. Most kids would have rejoiced at the thought of missing out on so much school to play in the snow, but my reality was much different than snow angels and snowball fights.

Instead of a warm, inviting holiday season, we had no electricity and no heat. We warmed up soup over a makeshift stove of candles and a cookie sheet, and my sisters and I slept in the same bed at night to stay warm. The worst part of this experience was the chores. My little sisters were too young to handle the weather conditions, so Mom, Dad and I would hold hands and trudge down our long driveway to the farm to do the chores. We rose before dark to start scooping out the bunks that had drifted in from the night before. Snow banks as tall as the fences themselves, our job took until noon just to complete the morning chores. As soon as morning duties were done, we would head to the house to put on warm gloves and go outside only a few short hours later to scoop out the feed bunks once more.

I remember being so cold that I buried myself into a hay feeder and cried because my fingers and toes hurt so badly. It was there, in that hay feeder, that I learned a very important lesson about agriculture. My mom gave me a hug as we rested for a moment from scooping the heavy, wet snow.

She chipped off the frozen tears from my rosy cheeks, and she said, “Mandy, this is what animal welfare is. So often, activists try to ruin our way of life because they want to protect the animals. What they don’t see is you and me, out in the cold, risking our lives to protect our cattle. We have to sacrifice our needs for the needs of our livestock. Don’t ever forget how special you are for doing that.”

I’ll never forget that winter. The blizzard of 1997 killed hundreds of thousands of cattle in its wake. Later, as I watched the news with my parents and heard the reports of more cattle deaths in South Dakota, I was so proud that my family had saved every single animal on our farm. That is the greatest sense accomplishment I have ever felt, and I have held onto the lessons learned during that blizzard my entire life.

As the holiday season approaches, be thankful for your many precious gifts. More importantly, be reminded of the good work you do as a person in agriculture. We make great sacrifices in order to feed God’s children. As animal rights activists push legislation down our throats to change the face of food production, let’s not ever forget the producers that know the true meaning of animal welfare and proper animal husbandry practices.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Welcome to Agriculture in Action with Amanda Nolz!


Thanks for stopping by my brand new blog.  My name is Amanda Nolz, and if you're in the agriculture industry, you might recognize my by-line from my old blog, Chewing The Cud, or my current blog, BEEF Daily with BEEF Magazine.  I'm a South Dakota beef producer and a recent college graduate.  Currently, I work as a self-employed writer and speaker, opining on behalf of America's beef producers. To read my full bio, link here

The purpose of my new business, Agriculture in Action, is to tell the food production story with the world.  I already write to thousands of people on a daily basis about agriculture issues, but unfortunately, most of them are cattlemen like me.  So, my intent is to share those blog spots through this venue to better reach you, our consumer.

I'm open to sharing my story, answering questions and debating some of the hot topics of the food debate.  In addition, I'm available for speaking engagements down the road, whether it be an agriculture organization or a school function.  I have a variety of keynote addresses and workshops for you to choose from upon request.  Email me at beefnews@hotmail.com for more information.

Again, thanks for stopping by.  Please, feel free to leave a greeting, question or comment in the section provided.  

Here's to new beginnings,

Amanda Nolz
Agriculture in Action

To follow me on Twitter: @AmandaNolz or @BEEFMagazine
To connect with me on Facebook: BEEF Magazine (Coming Soon: Agriculture in Action Fan Page)