~guest post by MRS

One morning HandyMan called me from work and asked me how my day was going. In the middle of changing a diaper, I propped the phone between my ear and shoulder and told him that so far that morning I was 3 for 3. Confused he asked me what I meant and I replied that I had changed 3 diapers so far that morning and all of them had been poopy, thus 3 for 3. Such is the glamorous life of a stay at home mom.

Sadly that’s not an abnormal morning for me. Sometimes it seems like all I get done all day is feeding the kids and changing their diapers. When Blue and Daisy wake up in the morning they both act as if they’re starving and demand food. Blue waits, temporarily appeased with an episode of Thomas & Friends (Blue is obsessed!), while I nurse Daisy. Then I change both their diapers and get Blue and myself breakfast. And so goes the rest of the day.

Recently we added even more feedings to our day when we started Daisy on solid foods. I had put off introducing baby food because Daisy was premature and because it would just add that much more to my day. I thought as long as she was satisfied and gaining weight well with just breastfeeding that I would hold off on giving her baby food. But at her 6-month well child appointment, the doctor strongly encouraged me to start giving Daisy solid foods. So we did.

And while it has added more to my daily “to do” list, it has also been fun. Daisy hasn’t had a lot of variety yet, but I really enjoy watching her learn and experience new things. The faces Daisy makes as she tries a new food for the first time and the excitement she shows when she really likes a new food are so fun to watch. Sometimes she is literally bouncing in the high chair while I feed her.

But what about the safety of baby food? As a stay at home mom, I have enough to do trying to keep up with laundry, cleaning and taking care of the kids that it seems overwhelming to add making baby food to the list, but I want to make sure the food I’m feeding her is healthy and safe. To ease my concerns about the safety of baby food, I did a little research and learned that the plastic used in Gerber baby food (the kind I generally buy) is BPA free and just by reading the labels of baby food learned that the only added ingredient is water.

So I continue to buy baby food. And this gives me more time to play “choo choos” with Blue, cuddle with Daisy and change all those poopy diapers.

~guest post by MRS

As a rule, I don’t make resolutions, mostly because I’m terrible at keeping them. Like a lot of people, I think about things I need to change, activity levels, eating healthier, keeping our house cleaner, etc. Then I try really hard to accomplish these things for a few weeks, but before I know it I’ve missed a few days. Then a few weeks pass and I’ve slid back into the old habits. Our house is cluttered, I’m spending too much time on our couch and I’m thinking, “What diet?”

I know I’m not the only one who does this.

But as I think about what our life is going to look like this coming year, potential job changes, growing kids and more involvement in our family farm. I realize, that eating healthy foods plays a huge roll in our ability to accomplish those things.

Blue is a very busy toddler. He loves to play in the mud and is obsessed with trains, but he struggles with constipation. If we don’t give him enough fruits and vegetables to eat, he has painful bowel problems. So I buy fruit, lots and lots of fruit. And I feed it to Blue like it’s going out of style, but I don’t eat it myself. I sit down to lunch with Blue and he’s eating fresh fruits and veggies and what do I have? Generally, I’m eating a turkey sandwich, potato chips & drinking a can of pop. What am I teaching him by doing this?

Daisy is 6 months old now and we’ve recently started introducing her to solid foods. She is still deciding whether or not she likes them, but over the next few months we’ll transition her from a liquid only diet to a diet that isn’t just pureed fruits and veggies, but also finger foods. By the time her birthday rolls around, she’ll be eating mostly table foods. It’s hard to imagine that now, but the next 6 months will bring a lot of changes to Daisy. She’ll practically be a whole new kid!

As my kids grow, it’s increasingly important that HandyMan and I teach them what it means to be healthy. We need to drink water and not pop, eat fruit and vegetables instead of potato chips because if we just tell them how to be healthy without actually showing them what being healthy is, what are they learning? So it’s time to make some changes, to start practicing what we preach and leading by example.

Here goes nothing.

What are you hoping to change in 2012?

A reminder of what really matters...

What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received? If you’re like me, you enjoy finding and giving gifts – especially if it’s something special for the recipient. My husband thinks I’m a bit overboard with shopping and making gifts, especially for our little darling, but I find the resulting glee to be incredibly satisfying. Contrast that with hubby’s typical response of “Thanks, this is nice.” said in a perfect monotone with the all the excitement of a stone – no matter if it’s a requested tool or a pack of gum. Who knows, that might change this Christmas (or he’ll at least fake it since I’ve publicly thrown him under the bus)? More on that later.

This time of year, it’s easy to think about all of the presents under the tree. However, our greatest gifts are often overlooked. These are a few of my favorites.

• Health: If you have it, you likely don’t think about it. A few scares this year taught me that’s a mistake. Don’t take your health for granted. Just ask Leontien.
• People to thank:  Those who provide friendship, comfort you, support you professionally, work with you, challenge you and  inspire you deserve gratitude. And don’t wait to utter words of thanks and respect; I learned that the hard way this past week with the sudden death of Chris Raines.
• A driving passion: Mine is obviously building connections between those who grow, make and consume food. I consider a blessing to have a life’s passion that drives my work, though it’s also a challenge to keep that balanced with my personal passions invested in our little family.
• Enough food: We grossly overeat around the holidays – I started today with sugar cookies for breakfast. It’s easy to forget the one in five that are hungry in this country while we’re shoving food in our mouths.  May I suggest you make it part of your 2012 to not forget those without?
• Grounding: The arrival of  Paynacres Perfect Peppermint this morning (our first heifer in nearly two years) reminded my of the importance of staying grounded in my roots  – as you can tell from her name. The prefix is the only thing I have left from my parents herd and Perfect is the matriarch of the family that I paid $7000 for when I was 12 years old and she was a six month-old heifer.  I’m sure Peppermint will provide reminders of husbandry, perseverance and patience while she’s in our barn. Even more importantly, she’ll be a part of inspiring the next generation’s love of agriculture – apparent in full force as mom and daughter were jumping up and down in in excitement together this morning.
• Friendship: I am blessed with a vast and varied circle of friends, near and far. Those I hold closest seem to get the remnants of me, which I hope to change in2012. Sometimes a cup of coffee with a girlfriend is the greatest gift. Other times, it’s the inspiration from seeing what friends across agriculture are doing, yet I probably don’t do enough to express that to people. Do you? If you’re fortunate enough to have people who make a difference in your life, let them know!
• Technology: Think this about how Apples are the greatest devices? Nope, though I could make a case for that. Consider where our world would be without technology. It can drive us nutso, leave us frenzied and put our thumbs in casts. Yet technology can also save a sweet baby’s life (as I’ve watched it do for more than one friend), help us survive natural disasters and yes, provide more people with nutrients to survive.
• Faith: I’m a Christian; I believe in that baby born in a manger so long ago was the ultimate gift. But I also believe my friends in Egypt should celebrate their faith without our judgement, just as I believe Jewish friends deserve to hear Happy Hanukkah. And if I know you’re of a different faith, I’ll make a point of greeting you accordingly. However, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Merry Christmas meant with all the spirit of the season. And that’s all I’m going to say about that before we get into a religious debate.

Merry Christmas. Thanks for sharing the journey.  May you find time to reflect on the greatest gifts in your life as you look under your tree.

~guest post by MRS

As I was sitting down to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family last week, I started thinking. Not about the amazing food I was about to eat (although the food was amazing), but about the 1 in 6 people in our country who regularly don’t get enough to eat.

It’s easy to stand on our soapboxes and talk about the ineffectiveness of entitlement programs, i.e. food stamps or how people just need to get a job to feed their family. It’s also easy to get caught up in the arguments about food and farming. We should all eat only local, organic foods or conventionally grown food is fine or that all GMO foods need to be labeled as such. And while I understand that these are things that people are passionate about, sometimes I wonder if we’re focusing on these “secondary” issues a little too much.

Because, seriously, there are people in our own communities who are going hungry! Isn’t it more important that people are fed than whether or not they’re eating GMO or non-GMO food? I imagine that if you went up to a parent who was struggling to feed his children and offered that parent food, regardless of what kind it was, that the parent would be grateful just to be able to feed his children. I know I would. It breaks my heart to think about even the possibility of not being able to feed my children, and yet for some parents that is a daily reality.

It took a little bit of the joy out of my Thanksgiving dinner to think that while my family had more than enough to eat, my neighbors might have nothing. And as I thought about the arguing and in fighting that seems to permeate the food & farming industries, it all seemed just a little silly to me.

Who is hungry in your community?

Why can’t we focus on making sure that there is enough, affordable food for everyone before we get caught up in the organic vs. conventional, GMO vs. non-GMO, etc. debates.

I realize that it’s a tall order to make sure everyone has enough to eat. I also know that it’s overwhelming to think about feeding all 7 billion people in the world, and that for a lot of people, myself included, it’s easy to look at that number and be so overwhelmed that I do nothing. It’s also easy to get so caught up in my own life that I forget to think about what other people might be going through. So I thought to myself, “What can I do, in my community, to help, even in a small way?” And I realized there’s a lot I can do. I can volunteer at and donate to my local food pantry. I can give money, even if it’s just a small amount, to my church’s “Care & Share” fund. Most importantly, I can stop making excuses for why I can’t do anything and instead, make it a priority.

What can you do to help feed the hungry in your community?

As Americans gather for Thanksgiving, I’d guess very few talk about the economic contributions behind their food table. If there’s any such discussion, it’s likely how the average cost of this holiday meal has risen more than $5 this year.  However, what’s just as important is the cornerstone that agriculture provides for our economy. While only 1.5% of our population farms, the agrifood system in total is nearly 20% of the economy.  Agriculture and supporting systems have been one of the few economic bright spots in the last couple of years with employment being consistently available, though few recognize it as a cornerstone.

Take a pause in your day to consider the myriad of people working across agriculture, food, natural resources and related businesses. There are some great people and they’re providing a necessity. In a day to give #Foodthanks, please consider how you can include them in your gratitude. And feel free to add to the list!

Agricultural Communications, Economics & Education

• Farm News Reporter
• Public Relations
• Extension Specialist
• Agricultural Advertising Specialist
• Trade Association Representative
• Grain Merchandiser
• Grain Broker
• Professional Farm Manager
• Farm & Land Appraiser
• Ag Statistician
• Food Distribution Manager
• Commodity Broker
• Tax Consultant
• Insurance Agent
• Commodity Merchandiser
• Agriculture Education Teacher
• Cooperative Extension Advisor
• Soil Conservationist
• Loan Officer

Agricultural Engineering

• Food Engineer
• Machine Design Engineer
• Irrigation Engineer
• Sanitary/Waste Handling Engineer
• Plant Supervisor
• Nutrient Management
• Welder

Agronomy/Soils

• Agronomist
• Farm Manager
• Crop Specialist
• Weed Scientist
• Soil Scientist
• Plant Breeder
• Plant Geneticist
• Environmental Specialist
• Soil Surveyor
• Crop Production Analyst
• Land Use Specialist

Farmers & Ranchers

• Dairy
• Corn
• Soybean
• Wheat
• Grape
• Cotton
• Almonds
• Sunflower
• Popcorn
• Pumpkin
• Poultry
• Fruit & Vegetable
• Christmas Tree
• Hog
• Beef Cattle
• Goat
• Sheep
• Fish
• Hay
• Rice
• Sugar Cane
• Alfalfa
• Barley
• Hops
• Potato
• Cranberry
• Mushroom
• Peanut
• Pecan

Animal Sciences

• Livestock Production Manager
• Animal Health Product Sales
• Livestock Procurement
• A.I. Breeding Technician
• Livestock Feedlot Operator
• Research or Lab Technician
• Public Relations Specialist
• Livestock Marketing Specialist
• Housing & Environmental Quality Specialist
• Animal Scientist
• Veterinarian
• Animal Nutritionist
• Bison Rancher

Horticulture

• Greenhouse Manager
• Floral Crop Growers
• Floral Crop Marketer
• Floral Designer
• Floral Shop Manager
• Seed and Bulb Sales
• Nursery Manager
• Plant Propagator
• Nursery Sales Representative
• Nursery Inspector
• Landscape Contractor
• Landscape Designer
• Garden Center Manager
• Arborist
• Urban Horticulturist
• Park Horticulturist
• Park Manager
• Golf Course Superintendent
• Home and Commercial Lawncare
• Care Manager
• Sod Grower
• Fruit and Vegetable Grower
• Quality Control Specialist
• Researcher
• Extension Specialist
• Plant Breeder
• Gardener
• Retail and Wholesale Sales
• Fertilizer Sales Representative

There are more than one hundred here and even more on Food & Nutrition at “How many hands are behind your food plate?”. There are over 200 careers in the agrifood system – imagine what would happen if each person involved might stop and offer an explanation of what they do.