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GMO….what’s it worth to you….
….$15-million dollars or more if you’re Monsanto, DuPont, or your neighborhood supermarket and their buddies. That’s how much they’re pouring into a fight in Washington State to prevent consumers from knowing whether they’re eating genetically-modified food. Most places in the world require a GMO warning label on food but not in the United States. (Somehow Democrats and Republicans always manage to get together on that!) However, the state of Washington is going around the fix in the capital of Washington (where Monsanto focuses its dollars) and is voting on a referendum making GMO labels mandatory. http://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/I-522.poster.1023.jpg
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A frosty morn….
….and U3 greets the sun. Or is she looking in the “far distance” for her new calf? In fact, she stood right there for several hours….finally moved down the hill to a protected area where she delivered her new heifer. The killing frost is actually good news for the cows. It means the end of the endophyte fungus—source of all sorts of problems—and a major boost in the energy of fescue grass. From now through early next year, brix (sugar) levels in the grass are at their peak. Fast forward three hours, and here’s the new youngster and our very first by THF Jackpot. This his ultimate test, and so…
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Another victory in the long slog….
….it hasn’t been easy to get the medical world to give up its ancient beliefs. (Do they still let blood?) In many ways they’re more unyielding than the most superstitious aborigine: food pyramids, margarine, red meat will get you if you don’t watch out. And fat. Boy, do they really cling to Fat! But here’s a recent study that may shake their foundations a little: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-saturated-fat-20131022,0,2193813.story#axzz2iVqDuTTZ There are two books out now that set the record straight and we recommend reading both, or least one for sure. “Grain Brain” by Dr. David Perlmutter and “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis.
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It may not be Shakespeare but….
….our Cornwall society correspondent sends us news of two young lovers, Rupert and Clare. Seriously, this simple news article (thanks to Juliet Cleave) shows exactly why we love southwest England. It’s more than the cows. It’s the people….the people we once were. http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/17/10/2013/141594/rural-romance-heart-of-the-countryside-rupert-and.htm
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A new day….
….and a new life greets the sun at Thistle Hill. Probably the most fun of raising cattle is exactly this: going out in the crisp morning air to check the herd for new babies. With all the nonsense everywhere else, it is a life-affirming experience. So meet A126, son of R2 and THF Reality. He’s the latest in a long line of 2s here (see “A foundation cow…” below for the “2 saga”) and another sturdy and promising calf. His half-brother is one of our two herd bulls.
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Well you may have found her….
….hiding in the weeds on the wrong side of the fence (and tagged her)….but she’s still mine and you can’t have her. Q18 kept looking the other way trying to mis-direct us, but we finally found her new heifer and got it back on the right side of the fence. Then mom came right over and retrieved her baby. The heifer is by Thistle Hill Reality…our third calf of the new class.
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Two young “debs”….
….from England and now ready to breed. We have three Traditional Devon heifers here and two at the Walker’s Century Farm in South Carolina. We’ll try first to AI the girls to another English bull—Tilbrook Sunset—and we’ll follow with a young English bull here who was sired by TDA Falcon. The TDA partners spent a good deal of time recently discussing our breeding options…still limited because our herd is small and we want to continue our emphasis on pure Devon genetics from England.
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Sometimes it just doesn’t work (2)….
….the day wasn’t going too well for this Border Collie either. They never told him that not all sheep have read the same manual as the dogs. Thanks to our Cornwall lass Juliet Cleave. We “lifted” the picture from her Facebook page. (click to enlarge)
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Sometimes it just doesn’t work….
….we thought it would be nice to take a class picture….the 10 heifers that are just about ready to breed. Enlarge the picture by clicking to see Wooz trying to set up the shot. The trouble with our Devon is they’re just too friendly and not used to being pushed around. We also took a bucket of pellets and poured it out in a line….but only one of the heifers bothered to come over and sniff. (Trust us; they’re beautiful)
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Here we go again….
….the start of a new calving season with A123. He’s a “he”….by Thistle Hill Reality. A bull we sold as a youngster but brought back for a command performance when we saw how well he had matured. We like it when calves confidently accept our attention—and tagging—on their very first contact. Wooz wants to name him Elizabeth since it’s her birthday and that’s her real name. Do we dare?! I have in mind John Cash’s “Boy Named Sue”, of course. Reality has Rotokawa 667 on both sides so he comes by his sturdiness naturally. And it certainly helps to come out of our wonderful “3 family” as well….mom is THF…