Feeling a bit better

Thank you for all the love. I am no longer achy, still sick, but better.

The 3 inches of snow they were calling for never arrived. My husband did a lot more work in the barn as I slept it off. And the bannies have started laying again. I expect the goose to start soon as well.

I am swamp with articles and chores. I hope you guys have a great weekend, and hope those Dexters can be picked up.

For you foodies, All Foods Natural is holding yet another recipe contest;

We have one of our traditional seasonal recipe competitions open. This time we ask you to fish for compliments by sending your best recipes for fish and seafood.

All recipes welcomed: main courses, side dishes, appetizers, breakfast, lunch or dinner

Click here to see what you could win. Good luck!

Sick

I am very sick. Everything hurts.

Here is the update on my mother.

Some weekly NAIS Highlights

DeLauro: USDA Failed Animal ID

By Jerry Hagstrom

WASHINGTON (DTN) -- House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., told Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and other USDA officials Wednesday she believes the agency has "failed" to develop an animal identification program that could protect the nation's people and animals in the case of a communicable animal disease outbreak even though her subcommittee has provided $120 million over several years to do the job. Continues here>>>

This line here scares me a little about the thinking of some of the people we have allowed to be in charge: DeLauro said she was particularly offended that Agriculture Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Affairs Bruce Knight recently said if Congress does not approve the $24 million USDA has request Congress would be "'jeopardizing the nation's herd.'"

But DeLauro can be offended all she wants, from the way the article is written, she wants a national herd, she wants it mandatory.



The USDA's Knight admits that the animal identification program's success depends on convincing often-cantankerous cattle producers that his agency has no ill intent.

The above was from an article, Cattle industry mixed on USDA tracking plan By Stephen J. Hedges |Tribune correspondent

I am going to have ask a friend of mine if he thinks he is cantankerous.

Oh! And you just have to love this ad/news from Digital Angel. You know that they are here to save us all? Don't you?

Digital Angel’s Livestock Tagging Products Help Secure Food Supply

“The nation’s demand for meat products is becoming more and more complicated because of the co-mingling of livestock required to meet this demand. Co-mingled livestock comes from many different producers in many different locations. This complexity reinforces the need for reliable systems to be able to accurately identify the source, age, and other important information on each animal in our food chain. The goal of tracing from ‘food production to fork’ of all beef produced in the U.S. is becoming increasingly non-negotiable. This major recall heightens the reality of this need.”

Cold and Grumpy

It is one of the warmer mornings we have had in awhile, and I am chilly. I am exhausted as well. So much work going on. And the longer it takes to receive that phone call, that one that says come get these cows, the more concerned that this isn't going to happen I become.

I keep reminding myself that these cows were not advertised, nor did the owners seem to be in a hurry. That this is a done deal, we shook on it. But still there is that nagging feeling that these aren't mine. Hopefully because it will be a wonderfully spring like day today, we will get that call. ~sigh~

No cows yet

We are still waiting on the phone call from the owners telling us that the cows have come up to the house, that ours have been seperated from the herd, and are ready for pick up. This should happen any day now.

Until then, let me amuse and awe you with some photos.

We needed to clean up the barn and put up some fencing.






Will get some updated photos for you later.

A new gate had to be made. We used some reclaimed lumber from my brother-in-law.




My husband made a hay feeder out of a rain barrel that was split. An old metal bunkbed and reclaimed lumber. Total cost? Some labor.







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