
Animal Care
Q: Should we be concerned about how animals are treated on the farm? Melisa: I love hearing that people care about the well-being and treatment of animals. Farmers, as a
Q: Should we be concerned about how animals are treated on the farm? Melisa: I love hearing that people care about the well-being and treatment of animals. Farmers, as a
The agriculture industry depends upon clean water, soil and air — as does the world’s supply of food, fuel, feed and fiber. Every year, Nebraska’s farmers are growing more with less — less water, fewer chemicals, less land and a lower impact on the environment.
I think sometimes when people hear the term “family farm,” they picture a small, quaint scene from yesteryear with a farmer holding a pitchfork and wearing overalls.
Dairy farmer Melisa Konecky from Wahoo, Nebraska, and poultry producer Karah Perdue from York, Nebraska, address concerns about how our food is raised. Dawn Caldwell, a farmer near Edgar, Nebraska, and Joan Ruskamp, a feedlot owner with a background in veterinary science from Dodge, Nebraska, focus on misconceptions surrounding hormone and antibiotic use in the livestock industry. Sharon Portenier, a rancher from Farnam, Nebraska, explains the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef.
The difference between grass and grain-fed beef boils down to what the animals eat. For at least part of their lives, all cattle on our ranch eat grass. When cattle enter the “finishing” phase of their lives is when that can change. “Grass-finished” cattle are fed grass products, such as hay.
All of us want to ensure the food we’re feeding our families is safe to eat. Occasionally, food labels increase confusion about the safety of substances such as added hormones and antibiotics.
sus•tain•a•bil•i•ty (noun) Supplying a growing world with food, fuel, feed and fiber — while safeguarding its resources for future generations. Our world’s natural resources matter. The agriculture industry depends upon
Healthy soil sustains our world’s food supply. When soil is healthy, the ecosystem within the soil has the optimum levels of structure, living organisms, nutrients and all other biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components.
Conserving water means not using more water than necessary for any given purpose. For example, we use shade structures to keep our cattle cool and comfortable on hot days, which alleviates the need to use water sprinklers to cool them.
Producers feed the same foods to their families as other consumers do. Celebrate the fact that our food supply is abundant and safe. Don’t fear your food!
How two brothers are closing the gap between their farm and your table.
CommonGround is a national movement driven by farm women, whose mission is to share information about agriculture and how food is grown and raised.
The world’s food supply is depending on millions of family farmers just like the Borgs – families who don’t quit in the face of bad weather, bad luck or even personal tragedy.
CornsTalk is a newsletter produced by the Nebraska Corn Board that covers important subjects and provides regular updates on various programs of interest to corn growers and others.