Beef..It's Delicious, It's Nutritious. Need I say more?

Have you heard of the saying, "Beef, It's What's For Dinner?" This is an advertising slogan funded by the Beef Checkoff Program that helps promote the importance of including beef in your diet.  

With farming and the beef industry playing such a big role in my life, I had the chance to promote the beef industry in my county as the 2012 Winneshiek County Beef Princess. This was an awesome experience and it was a way for me to inform the community on the benefits of eating beef. Not only is the meat delicious it also provides essential nutrients for our body.

Meet consumption has been blamed for bad health including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and obesity, however they are myths. Although you should consume reasonable size portions at a time, just like any other food you eat, beef is actually beneficial for your health. There are 29 different cuts of beef that meet the governments guidelines for lean. The acronym ZIP is a way to remember that beef contains multiple beneficial nutrients including Zinc, Iron, and Protein as well as vitamins and minerals. 

• Zinc

-Supports the immune system
-Heals wounds

• Iron

-Builds red blood cells
-Gives you energy

• Protein

-Needed to improve overall health
-Helps repair and build body tissues
-Produces antibodies that help strengthen the immune system and fight off infections
-Provides essential amino acids

Along with the nutritional benefits, eating beef is a way of supporting the farming economy. It is important to understand the cycle of life and to thank a farmer any chance you have. In this cycle, farmers like my own family, are in charge of feeding and raising animals until they have reached their market weight and are ready to be slaughtered. The meat is then processed and it is purchased to sustain our hunger and life.

So what nutritious cut of beef are you throwing on your grill tonight!?

Strive For The Purple Ribbons

The goal throughout my 4H and FFA years showing cattle was to be the best of the best and receive as many purple ribbons as possible. Being successful meant spending hours in the barn with the calves taming them down, washing, combing, drying, feeding, and walking them. It is important to spend time with them and talk to them so they know your voice and so they trust you and act calm around people. It is critical to wash, blow-dry, and comb them every day, if not twice a day, to help stimulate hair growth. Hair helps the calf look better and more attractive in the show ring. Also, walking them around the farm in different and unusual places will prevent them from being spooked and will help them not be stubborn so they will walk with you when you want them to. Of course summers get busy and sometimes it is challenging to find time everyday but those are some important factors in having a successful fair project. 

However, at the end of the day, receiving a purple ribbon depends all on the judge that day. Every judge has a different opinion about which animal they see as the best. Along with the daily tasks on the farm, a good show heifer or steer is also based on genetics and how they look. Whether you are in your own pasture searching for the perfect fair project or you are looking online or traveling to private sales to purchase a calf, there are specific features to look for. Keep in mind, there may be differences in traits between looking for a steer or a heifer. In general; a good square hip, muscle definition, long clean neck, thick bone in the legs, big hooves, and being sound when they walk are just a couple characteristics to look for. Every animal will have its flaws but the goal is to have an animal with the least amount of flaws.

My favorite heifer I ever showed was named Stacy. She was a big bodied, cow-looking heifer which anyone would love to have in their pasture. She was sound on her feet and very deep bodied. I won multiple times with her as a heifer as well as when she became a cow with a calf on her side. My biggest accomplishments was being named Grand Champion FFA Cow/Calf Pair at the Iowa State fair in 2012. That moment the judge shook my hand was a feeling I will never forget. Getting awarded with that big purple banner was something I strived for! Although showing is more about the work ethic, and relationship building, and learning by doing experiences, receiving the ribbons and trophies put the icing on the cake!

It is that time of year to start shopping for the perfect show calves for next summer! Keep in mind the things to look for when picking out a calf and all the hard work that goes into it! Strive for the purple ribbons this upcoming fair season!

Respect Those That Feed You: Harvest 2016

As I have grown up on a farm my entire life, I am also surrounded by many family members and friends who are involved in the Ag industry as well. Because of this, I have great respect for farmers in general, but especially during harvest season.

As Harvest 2016 is right around the corner, it is important to point out all of the long hours and hard work our farmers do during this time. Many non-farmers don't realize what goes on during this time.

As soon as harvest starts, the farmers don't waste a single non rainy day out of the field. The priority to get the crop out of the field in a timely manner is above all. This means, many of their lunches are eaten in the tractor, or in a work truck. These lunches usually consist of anything that is able to be thrown into a cooler early that morning and ate later that day like a cold meat sandwich, chips, and a caffeinated pop to keep you awake. You must be good at multi-tasking when you are in the field!

Harvest is a family affair, where everyone helps everyone. Whether one person is running the combine, the other running the grain cart, and another running the semi or wagons back and forth, many people are involved in the process. There is nothing better then seeing everyone work long hours together. While everyone has their own duties and tasks, the days become long and they often enjoy company! As a girlfriend of a farmer who is in charge of combing 1,800 acres of corn and beans, I have spent many hours in the "buddy" seat bouncing around the field talking, singing, and sometimes even homework. This is also time for me to spend with my boyfriend, as many other people know, quality time with your loved one is limited during harvest season.

Also during this time, it is important to share the road with slow moving, large farm equipment. Be careful when passing and don't assume that they are able to move aside as there may be mailboxes in the way and the side many not be wide enough, or able to support the heavy machinery. Respect those that feed you!

Harvest season is the most important time of the year for farmers, it is a time when each farmer feels a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, that they made it through another year raising crops that puts food into the food chain for everyone to enjoy. So when you start seeing combines role in and out of the fields, take a minute and think of the farmers working their tails off to provide for you and I! I hope everyone has a safe and productive harvest!

About Me

Hello, my name is Chandler Luzum and I am a Senior at the University of Northern Iowa graduating in December! At the university, I am majoring in Marketing; Advertising and Digital Media. Through this blog site I will be writing about my knowledge and passion about the Ag/Beef industry and encouraging more female farmers.

I was born and raised on a family farm and was very involved in 4H and FFA through my high school years. I also had the privilege to represent the Winneshiek County Cattlemen and the beef industry in general during my rein as 2012 Beef Princess. I continue to help around the farm on the weekends and through the summer. I also help out my younger siblings with their fair animal projects.

I want to incorporate my marketing/advertising degree with my interest in agriculture.
Follow along with my blogs throughout this semester. You can also follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/girlsfarm2