Pork-The other white meat!

Pork.. 

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you'll quickly come to find out that I may be a BEEF girl but I love my pork.  Bacon, pork chops, ribs and ham makes my mouth water.   I am a firm believer in eating my fair share of pork, actually almost daily!  

We all know its football season and I bleed blue and gold for the Montana State Bobcats and pork is perfect for tailgating! 

Whether you break out the grill, use the slow cooker before you head to the stadium or stay in the backyard and use the oven, pork is perfect paired with football. 

Now let's talk about a few of my favorite tailgating recipes! 

Ribs – Craving back, country-style or spare? Ribs are a classic hit that everyone will enjoy on game day.  They are great paired with potato salad and bacon!   They are finger licking good. 

Try this rib recipe: Pork Ribs   
       
Pair it with some Potato Salad and you have the perfect meal! : Potato Salad with Eggs and Bacon                              

Chops – Porterhouse, New York and Ribeye Pork Chops are some of the most popular cuts of pork because they don’t require long cook times or extremely time consuming marinates – and you can cook them just like a steak!

These Pan fried chops are amazing!  Simple Pork Chops


Now it is time for dessert and game day wouldn't be complete without bacon!  

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies?!  Who is going to try these when I make them this week?  

Bacon Cookies

A few things to remember when cooking pork:
Don't cross contaminate
Use a digital thermomater
Internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F
Refrigerate any leftovers immediately

For more information on cuts and or cooking tips, check out the Pork-Be Inspired website!

Hormones in Beef?!

How many times have you heard that beef has TONS of hormones?!

Or that cattle are pumped up with hormones?!

If you listen closely, there is a concern about hormones in beef.  Yes, we do use hormone implants in our cattle every spring, but how does that really affect you, as the consumer?

What if I told you that 3 oz of cabbage has more hormones than 3 oz of beef.. Would you believe me?

How about the fact that 3 oz of peas has more hormones than 3 oz of beef.. Are you seeing the trend?

My favorite is 3 oz of potatoes has more hormones than 3 oz of beef, so at McDonald's, your small fries has more hormones than your hamburger patty.

Hormones in beef should not be a concern of yours anymore.  Hormones naturally occur in beef, peas, potatoes, cabbage and in you!

Check out this visual and listen to this little speech.

Hormones in Beef vs Cabbage!

Australia week 1 and 2

It's Sunday afternoon and we are officially done with week one of calving and week one on the ranch!  It's hard to explain everything, so I will start with some pictures.  It's been a great experience and I am looking forward to the next 4 weeks. 

The sunrise and sunset here is amazing, everyday without fail.  I can't seem to take enough photos of it!

It's cold here and wet!  This fire is the only source of heat in this little house has and I love coming home to a warm house!

The view out my front porch.  Yes, I agree it's tough to look at! 

Moving heifers to be processed a few days ago.  Red dirt, blue sky and black cows.  I am not sure it gets better than that!

Amelia- My bottle calf, who was only an orphan for 2 days!   She found a mother and is happily playing in the field.

My 21st birthday was on June 6th.  Pete and Donna, who are employees for Lawsons made me leg of lamb for dinner.  I am so blessed to feel at home with this family and it's only been a week.

Curious heifers! 

You all should know, I have a soft spot for lambs! :) 

Freeze branding, new to me and I already don't like it!  I miss the sound and smells of real branding.  Every cow is in the chute for over 15 minutes just to get a brand on her!  Where are the hot irons? 

It's honestly beautiful here. 

My ride! I have put over 100 kilometers on this bike over the past week.  Most of you know my father, who firmly believes in horses over bikes and after this week I have to agree with him

I will keep you all updated about how the next few weeks go! 

Australia-The first few days

Good Evening,

I have been traveling like crazy the past few days.  Right now its 9 pm on May 30th and we are Albany  in Western Australia.   I landed in Melbourne after traveling for 31 hours straight and was quickly taken on farm tours.  We were in Melbourne for less than 20 hours and then boarded a plane, headed for Perth.  After 5 more hours of flying, my mode of transportation changed to a car!

We have been traveling around touring ranches or farms, as they call them.  Talking to pure bred producers and commercial producers who use Lawson Angus semen or embryos.  Harry, the owner of Lawson Angus has formed unique partnerships with all these farms and has helped create a more genetically superior herd.

We have spotty internet and will be headed to Hopetown to calve, starting tomorrow.  Australia is beautiful by the way!  I am loving every minutes, lots of high quality Angus Cows and lots of beautiful sheep.

Steak? or Protein Powder?

Steak? or Protein Powder?

There is so much hype about the nutrition (or lack thereof) in beef. Should you just eat a huge juicy steak before a run or drink a protein shake? Is beef really all that it's cracked up to be? Let's consider a 6 ounce of steak and one-third cup of SFH Pure Whey Protein. The big juicy 6oz steak not only tastes delicious, but it provides 42 grams of protein. When we consider the protein powder, about 1/3 cup (equals to 1.056oz) provides 24 grams of protein. You sure can't forget to add in the sugar, stevia, and chocolate to the protein powder drink. Let's say you did not want to consume a 6 ounce juicy steak, you sure could eat a 4 ounce hamburger which provides 28 grams of protein, still better than the protein powder. Sadly, there is no scientific evidence which proves that the protein drink provides more nutrients than whole foods. Now, let's take a step away from the math equations and take a look at the newly conducted scientific experiments. Whole foods will stimulate metabolism and it will take more time to digest. This is known as the thermic effect accounting for the energy expended by our bodies to process and digest our food. There you have it, the facts, plain and simple. 

Now it's up to you to decide, Steak or Protein Powder? 
If I were you, I would choose Beef! It really is what's for dinner.

-Allie Nelson
Montana Beef Ambassador

Allie's thoughts on Meatless Monday's

Meatless Mondays

I feel it is ironic that my issues response for the Montana Beef Ambassador contest was Meatless Mondays. I recently read an article in a local magazine encouraging the “importance” of Meatless Mondays. Turns out, the editor of the magazine happened to be a family friend. I immediately addressed this concern to her, stating that Meatless Mondays hurt the beef industry significantly. Respectfully, I explained to her the importance of beef and the great amount of nutrition in only a 3.5oz of steak. She politely replied stating that she has no intention of hurting the beef industry, she is only encouraging consumers to have a diverse diet throughout the week. I am still conversing with her about her Meatless Monday article, and I am trying to show her how much it would affect us, the beef producers. I learned many things from this situation. For example, I realized some folks don’t understand exactly what they stand up for or believe in, they just do because their peers believe in that same topic. Give this story a little thought! Just remember.... BEEF! It’s what’s for dinner!

-Allie Nelson

Senior Montana Beef Ambassador

Vegan... Are you really a vegan?

Vegan

/ˈvēgən/

Noun

A person who does not eat or use animal products.

The beauty of America is we have choices about our food and we have the safest, most abundant food supply in the world.  Vegan, Are you really a vegan?  I don't think anyone is 100% vegan..

Yes, you may not eat meat or animal products but can you live without using any animal products.  No baseball, no volleyball, no basketball, no football... how many athletes claim to be vegan? 

Think about cattle for a moment, they produce tons of everyday items.  

Toothbrushes

Combs

Buttons

Dice

Marshmallows

Cellophane Wrap

Adhesive

Shampoo

Wall Paper

Film

Luggage

Artist Brushes

Felt

Medicines 

Crayons 

Floor Wax

gum

And the list goes on and on.   Everyday we use beef by-products, often without knowing it!  Unless you spend your whole life, making sure your floor wax or gum or shampoo doesn't have any animal products then you can't be 100% vegan. 

Dog food, dog toys, fertilizer and methane gas are also animal by-products.  It's impossible to live without animals. 

Ruminants consume grass, grain and hay and turn it into products we can use everyday!  They are the best recyclers out there.  Also, if you take most animal by-products out of our life, then you are substituting them with factory made items.  Do what is best for the environment and use the animal by products.  God put cattle, sheep and hogs on this earth for a purpose.  They are better for the environment than a factory any day!  

Who wants synthetic gum anyway?

Australia

Good Afternoon,

It would be time to share my good news!  I received an internship in Australia for roughly 45 days this summer. I leave May 25th and will be returning July 9th.

I will be blogging about my experience with Lawson Angus and international agriculture.  The first few weeks will be spent in Melbourne at the bull grazing unit.  Hopefully while I am in Melbourne, I will get to visit the Australian Dairy Association and Red Meat Council.  After about 3 weeks in Melbourne, Ben and I will be traveling across the county to Perth.   This will be a 2000 mile journey which will take us over 3 days.  While in Perth, we will be calving.  I looked at the weather and it will be winter while I am there which means 50-70 degrees and lots of rain.

I am looking forward to seeing different aspects of Australian agriculture and am so blessed with this opportunity!  Be sure to follow along on my journey where I will share stories and pictures!

Check out Lawson Angus website :) http://www.lawsonsangus.com.au/

Advocating Done Right

Steel Anderson a student at MSU, who happens to be a good friend of mine, posted a simple picture on The Humane Society's Facebook page last and got a huge response.  


The photo is of a man carrying a calf in the middle of a winter storm.. Something most ranchers do every year.  

Steel posted this under the photo, "I'm not sure why ranchers and farmers are demonized by your organization... but here is a photo to prove how much we love our animals and are very concerned about animal welfare. We are dedicated individuals who love what we do. So the next time you attempt to falsely criticize us, refer back to this photo to remind yourselves who we are!"

This photo went viral in the first few hours!
9,574 likes
2,605 shares
481 comments

It got people talking, they were asking questions, stating concerns and making conversations with us, the producers.  Yes, if you read all the comment (which I have) people tend to refer back to the profit stand point often.  Saying things similar to, he wouldn't care of that calf if it didn't make a profit.  We have to make money BUT if we wanted to get rich quick, ranching is not the lifestyle we would have picked. 

But the moral of the story is to share your story if you are a producer or ask questions if you are a consumer.  We care about each and every calf, lamb, foal etc! 

Check out Steel on Northern Ag network discussing this photo. 
Northern Ag Network

Guest Blog from the New Montana Beef Ambassador

Papa. Grandpa. Rancher. Caretaker. Best friend.

All of these define my Papa.

The theme of the 83rd Annual Montana State Convention was "Leave a Legacy", as we headed home onSaturday, I couldn't help but think of the legacy my Grandpa passed on to me. He owned and operated the biggest ranch in the state of North Dakota. He was featured in theAmerican Hereford Journal multiple times. He taught me to appreciate all of theblessings I have been given. He taught me to work hard and make my cattle thebest they can be. As Papa approached the end of his life, he was diagnosed withALS. This disease didn’t have any effect upon his mind. Although papa had todiscontinue working with his cattle, he didn’t refrain himself from encouragingme to continue the legacy he had started. He would always involve himself in conversationsthat included ranching, cattle, or his favorite breed- Herefords. My papa truly left a legacy.      

                       

How are you leaving your legacy?

Proverbs 24:10

Meat at the Finish Line-5K Race

The Collegiate CattleWomen at MSU and the I Love Farmers-They Feed my Soul group also at Montana State University have come up with the idea to host a 5K race and BBQ.  What a great idea, beef and running a perfect combo!

Check out their facebook pages here: CattleWomen and I love Farmers

The race will be held on April 27th at 9:30 am.  The start of the race will be at the MSU football fields and it will be a grand time.

If you register today it will cost $30 dollars which includes a sweet T-Shirt and a free lunch afterward.  Registration the day of the race of $35 dollars and please note preregistration is non refundable.

There will be a BBQ afterwards for family and friends of the runners, again runner eat free and everyone else can eat for $5 a plate.

Please email meatatthefinish5k@yahoo.com for a registration form or copy the form below.

Come out and support the local youth at MSU and run for a great cause.  We are so excited that you are interested in our race and hope you have the time of your life.

RSVP here an invited friends, the more people running...The better!
Facebook Event for 5K

Meat at the Finish Line-5K Race

April 27th-9:30 AM

Sponsored by Collegiate Cattlewomen at MSU

Registrations are due by the 20th 

Name:_____________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

Phone: ___________________________________________________________________

Email:_____________________________________________________________________

BBQ RSVP: ______________________ (runners eat free, $5 per plate for family and friends) 

T-Shirt Size: __________________________

$30 preregistration which is nonrefundable or $35 the day of the race

Payment Enclosed: Yes    No   ( t-Shirt included in registration)

Make check out to Collegiate Cattlewomen at MSU 

Collegiate Cattlewomen 

42 Merlin Drive

Bozeman MT 59718

By signing this you assume all risk associated with the run and BBQ.

Signature: ________________________________________   Date: ___________

Questions: Email meatatthefinish5k@yahoo.com or 406-577-6310

It's National Ag Day!

Dear Editor:

Today is one of the best days of the year!   It is the day where farmers get off the farm and rancher get off the ranch and tell you all about our lifestyle! Did you know, here in Montana it's not uncommon for ranches to be in the same family for 3 or 4 or 5 generations.  Youth keep coming back because we love the lifestyle and we are proud to say that we feed you and the world.  We are not perfect, don't get me wrong, but we feed our families the same food we feed yours.

That photo from the Miss Jude Capper says it all.  We are producing safe, affordable, nutritious beef along with other foods, while still giving back to the community and taking care of the land.  If we didn't manage our pastures correctly or manage the water properly the land it wouldn't take care of us.  Many ranchers and farmers are little league coaches, school board members and active members in the local church.

But today is about you, the consumer, so ask away!  I love promoting Ag and am always trying to show you our side but what concerns and questions might you have?  Please feel free to comment, email, facebook, or tweet me!  I will answer your question!  Have a great Tuesday and remember Thank a Farmer today and everyday!

My time in Africa

I spent the last summer traveling the globe and learned many surprising things about the world food supply.  Here in the U.S., we often complain about the price of food or even sometimes the quality, but after my recent travels, I won’t be complaining anytime soon.

My first stop on my trip was London, a very high-class country with a lot of money.  We didn’t travel outside the city so I wasn’t able to see any farmland, but I can tell you that beef was only on the menu once during my whole trip.  With all the essential vitamins and nutrition that beef contains, it’s obvious that they don’t consume it regularly in their diet. Can you imagine a life without hamburgers or steaks fresh off the grill?  It’s a shame that they don’t get to enjoy high quality protein as we do here in the US.

Next stop was Morocco, a very poor country in Africa. After several hours on a train, we watched men tending to their cattle and sheep and I was instantly shocked at the body condition of these animals.  The grass as dry and overgrazed, but the animals were extremely skinny. Most of them had a body condition of 1 or 2, almost all the cattle I saw were Holsteins which makes perfect sense to have a dual purpose animal.  We all know that Holsteins don’t produce the highest quality meat, but when you only have one cow it’s nice to get milk and meat from the same animal.  Over the course of my time in Morocco, I never saw beef on the menu once. Camel was on the menu and I tried it, but trust me, stick to beef!

My last stop was Uganda, which is a third world country with main income stemming from agriculture.   Right away, we saw several cows roaming the town.  The cattle were well fed and well taken care of; they were taken on walks every day and were identified differently depending on the owner.  I saw a few calves but lots of milk cows and plenty of bulls.  Beef was a staple on their American restaurant menus. I tried a few hamburgers and found it good but not comparable to American beef.  One of my favorite things was beef from a street vendor, seasoned with plain salt and grilled on charcoal. It had to be some of the best meat I had eaten in weeks, I also tried goat and fried grasshopper.  As much as I enjoyed my travels I am happy to be home and enjoying a high quality American steak!

Don’t take our high quality food here for advantage, every day we can walk into a grocery store and get a steak that is safe and delicious for our family.  We can enjoy all the vitamins and nutrients that beef contains everyday if we would like.  We are truly blessed to have such hard working farmers and ranchers who care about raising the best product they can!

National Beef Contest!

I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Sacramento, California and represent Montana in the National Beef Ambassador competition.  When people say “a chance of a lifetime,” they mean events like this.

Going to this competition changed my life and it gave me many great connections of future leaders in the beef industry. Even though I didn’t make the team, I met some of the movers and shakers of the agriculture world.

While in California my passion for agriculture, especially the beef industry, only improved. “Once a beef ambassador, always a beef ambassador,” Malorie Bankhead main topic when she spoke to us at dinner one night.  She made the team a few years ago and said not only did that year change her life but it changed her future.  Instead of sitting back and allowing PETA and HSUS to harass the industry its time we take a stand!  We need to share our stories and our lifestyle.  Farmers and ranchers in agriculture are passionate and we are real.

Rancher by day, father by life, little league coach by Saturday, we are just like everyone else except for the fact that our income is our lifestyle and we love to provide food for you and your family.

Malorie Bankhead, past National Beef Ambassador

Even though I didn’t make the team I have faith in the 5 kids that made the team. Not only are they passionate and bright they are eager to change the world and the future.  All of the kids who didn’t make the team impress me more than I thought.  These are the kids who will be influence in the beef industry without a title.  Let’s just say that as long as the future of Ag is in the hands off the 22 senior contestants who where in California then we as a beef industry have no need to worry or be concerned.

 The National Beef Ambassador Contest was a once in a lifetime and if I have anything to do with it, Montana will have a rep for many years to come. The Montana Cattlewomen and Beef Council along with Montana Stockgrowers and Lauren Chase and Rachel Endecott are the people I owe a thank you.  I am not sure where I would be without all of you, your fabulous people who push me to be the best me possible and thank you for having faith in me.  Your unconditional support and hard work is something that I will never forget.  I owe this experience to you; you have changed my life forever.

Pink Slime

Dear Editor:

It has come to my attention that"Pink Slime" is still making consumers uncomfortable. I agree why in the world would you feel comfortable eating something called "pink slime" so for the reminder of this letter I am going to call it Lean Finely Textured Beef or LFTB.  Just one year ago, the news came out that LFTB was being put in your products and as a consumer you reacted, quickly.

LFTB is not an additive, it's not a substitute, it's not synthetic, its BEEF.  When steaks and roasts are cut from a carcass, there is left over meat that doesn't fit into steaks, roasts and other retail cuts.  The point of LFTB was to use that meat and not waste it.  In the Beef industry, we are doing our best to provide SAFE, HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, and NUTRITIOUS food for YOU!

I realize we are not perfect but we are constantly trying to do our best and as a consumer you need your input.  Without LFTB beef is going to be more expensive and not as lean.  So it is up to you.  Would you like us to label products with LFTB and/or would you like a better explanation of it?

Karoline Rose

A weekend at Home

I was lucky enough to spend a weekend at home with my brother and dad!  It was exactly what I needed to get refreshed and ready to face this week and my week in Texas.  My mother cows are due to start calving soon so it was nice to walk through them with dad and discuss the future of my herd.

Bozeman to Toston is about 60 miles and I often use that time to think and reflect on my week and set goals for the upcoming week.  As I turned off the highway my view was spectacular and I knew it was going to be a great weekend.

Jacob is in charge of the yearlings so the moment I arrived he put me to work!  I was instructed to pick up twine and ear tags.. not my favorite thing to do but it needed done,  Jacob nicely made me a purse out of a feed sack to carry around with me ALL day!

Jake and Dad saddled up the horses and started to sort through the calves and get a few out that were going to be shipped this week.  They also gathered my herd of Angus cows.   Let's just say my dad and brother might be the handiest guys around.  Two guys, one dog, 400 calves and they sorted out about 30 without any issues!

I found this calf in the herd!  Isn't he cute!! His name is chewy :) 

Jake is riding a new gray horse and here are a picture I took of him that I really like!  "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man"   That quote fits my brother perfect.   He is at home with horses and is pretty talented in that area also! 

On my drive home, the Lord painted this amazing picture right as I was driving into Bozeman.  It made me stop and think how lucky I am.  Not only do I live in a beautiful place, I have the best family ever.  Jacob, Jackson and John are the best men every, they are great people and wonderful role models.  I am blessed to be able to get in the car and drive home whenever I feel like it!  Ranching is really a family business and Rose Cattle Company is my future. 

Montana Beef Ambassador Contest!!

Beef Enthusiastic! 

Collegiate CattleWomen from Montana State University are holding a Montana Beef Ambassador Contest!

Do you love beef?

Do you love sharing your story?

Are you between 16 and 19?

We need you! 

Winner will have a chance to travel to the National Contest and represent Montana! 

The contest will be held at the Billings Holiday Grand Convention Center, in Billings, MT. 

Wednesday April 3, 2013, during State FFA Convention. 

You will be given an issue, in which you will be required to form a response and there will be a media interview. 

For more rules and regulations go http://nationalbeefambassador.org/ or contact msucattlewomen@yahoo.com .

Your local Extension office has the entry forms as well as FFA advisors. 

The deadline for registration will be March 15, 2013.

Email msucattlewomen@yahoo.com if you are interested or with questions.

Feel free to call Karoline for more information on this life changing experience 406-577-6310