So I am definitely not doing a blog based on my experience, knowledge, or wisdom in the cattle industry. Because lets face it, I don't have any! I'm a young pup, that can not be argued. However, I do try every day and everytime I get the opportunity to broaden my horizons, think beyond my capabilities, and take everything I hear from more experienced people and use it to form my own opinions. My opinions in life may strongly vary from yours, but those of you who know me, know that doesn't cause me to back away from having them nor sharing them! :)
Last night when I should have been thinking I was instead reflecting on some of the tools people in my life and those much wiser than me have shared with me. I have been lucky to have people in the cattle industry, friends and family share sites, books, tools to help me become a diversified thinker. Others may not be as lucky to have a support system that constantly challenges them to always be thinking. So, I am going to share with you what they have shared with me! :)
Websites:
www.wabeef.org - Washington Beef Commission great resource for producers and consumers with recipes, nutrition facts, and more. The "Producers Only" section provides producers with Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) compliance information, a "tool-kit" for dealing with herd health issues and much more! Great website to remember to send consumers to!
www.beef.org -links to all the beef websites including the NCBA website, Beef Board, BQA, BIFSCO, Beef Nutrition, Beef in schools, Cattle Learning Center, Cattlemen to Cattlemen.
www.beefmagazine.com - lots of articles on herd health, economic outlooks, nutrition, etc.
www.farms.com/markets -live commodity prices
www.washingtoncattlemen.org - updated information on government regulations and news, environmental regulations, legislative updates and calls-to-action, etc.
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/index.cfm
-"Promoting Personal Responsibility and Protecting Consumer Choice" GREAT site to try and find out what's really "true" and what's not. Especially helpful when animal activist groups put out false information and advertisements!
http://www.cattlefax.com/ -Economic outlooks, predicitions, market reports on all segments of the cattle industry. Tools, charts, graphs, etc.
http://www.aginfo.com/index.cfm -Online site of the Northwest Ag Radio Network. Features transcripts and recordings of what you would hear on the radio. Great features on agriculture issues specific to the Pacific Northwest! Also has weather, commodity prices, etc.
http://www.biblegateway.com/-So its not specific to the cattle industry. However, it does talk a lot about how to remain hopeful during famines, floods, droughts, illness, job loss, etc! Sounds like what is happening all around us. :) Great tools for passage look-up, key-word search, chapters of the day, you can look up verses and chapters in every version of the bible: NIV, AVS, KJV, etc.
Periodicals:
(I like to read factual information as well as lifestyle-type articles. Range and Western Horseman are some of my favorite to read about what rural/farm-ranch people are doing in their lives.)
-RANGE Magazine
-WCA Ketch Pen :)
-Beef Magazine
-Western Horseman
-Capital Press
Books:
(Some of these I have read and some are on my list to read BUT come very highly recommend by family and friends! Some are "life-building" books and some are just to take your mind away from daily life!:>)
-Bible
-Send Fresh Horses
-Liberty and Tyranny
-What happens when women say Yes to God
-Horse Whisperer
-Any John Grisham Book
-Facing Your Giants (A David and Goliath story for everyday people)
