Teaching others to agvocate

No, the title is not misspelled. It's a combination of two words "agriculture and advocate". When I'm not mom, cattle veterinarian, jewelry artist, food enthusiast and rock music blasting girl, I'm active in helping teach others how to "agvocate" through social media as a part of the Agchat Foundation. I was in Nashville, Tennessee earlier this week, along with others involved in agriculture, to teach and learn how to more effectively use social media to connect farmers and consumers. A diverse group of farmers and agriculture business professionals were in attendance, which allowed for even more opportunities for networking and shared learning.

MANY thanks to The Tennessean for capturing a video of the event showing their readers that connecting with a farmer is only as far away as your twitter account. You're also invited to view pictures from two other agvocates in attendance: John Blue of Truffle Media (@trufflemedia) and Agwired's Chuck Zimmerman (@agwired). If you would like to learn more about why people would want to attend our annual conference, please read the blog post on the Agchat Foundation site by farmer Jan Hoadley (@slowmoneyfarm) who attended our first conference in 2010 and was invited to be a speaker this year.

Monday's agriculture website - National Holstein Convention

Whether you're coming to the National Holstein Convention this week or not, you can read about the Holstein breed and some of the Holstein dairy cow farmers in Virginia. Holstein breeders hold a convention every year in a different state. The official convention website also has a copy of the souvenir catalog. There are plenty of activities for youth and adults, not to mention a sale Friday evening of some of the best Holstein cattle in the country! (and don't forget, Cow Art and More will be there for our first live event!)

Monday's agriculture website - Farmer Bloggers

Have you ever wondered what happens on the farm?  Do you want to know how the milk gets from the cow to you?  What does a rancher ride the prairie for?  If you've ever wondered about this or other farm and food questions, head over to the Farmers Blog, a collection of farmer blogs in  "one stop shop" setting.

The group of blogs consists of several farms and ranches from the California Valleys and Mountains to the Midwest plains, organic, conventional, large, small, grain, livestock and more.   Click here to see a complete list of the farmers and their backgrounds.

Monday's agriculture article: The Wife of a Dairyman

Ever curious what life is like for the wives and moms on a dairy farm? Look no further than the blog written by California dairy farm wife Nancy Grossi. Her blog, The Wife of a Dairyman, chronicles the farm and personal life of her family and its farm. Nancy shares lots of recipes, pictures of farm life, tips for moms, and most importantly, her heartfelt views on providing food for families. Nancy blogs frequently and is very good at interacting and answering questions from readers.

Monday's agriculture website: Farm and farmer blog list

Want to get a little closer to the farms and farmers that produce your food? Want to hear about their daily lives and what it's like to be in their shoes (or boots as the case may be)? Then check out the list of farm and ranch blogs on the Cause Matters blog maintained by Michele Payn-Knoper (@mpaynknoper). The list includes blogs from dairy and beef farmers, wine makers, and grain farmers. Many of these blogs include pictures and videos detailing daily farm and family life.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: AGPROUD

Are you involved in some way with agriculture and farming? Are you "agproud"? Today's agriculture website of interest to share with readers is the Agriculture Proud site, sharing the story of all people who help produce food.

Being Agriculture Proud simply involves telling your agriculture story. The site encourages farmers to explain why are you proud to be a part of agriculture. A few key points of emphasis are:

• Be real and authentic about your passion for Agriculture
• Show the enthusiasm for your passion
• Keep it simple and to the point
• Make it a candid point of view (everything in life is not flowers and sunshine)
• Stick to your experience. You can’t defend everyone

The site is maintained by Ryan Goodman, a Texas cattleman with a desire to make agriculture's voice heard. You can find Ryan as @AR_Ranchhand on Twitter.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: MIDWEST DAIRY ASSOCIATION

*For those new to the Cow Art and More blog, every Monday, gallery jewelry artist and blog writer Kathy Swift shares an agriculture themed website or article with readers.*

Did you know June is Dairy month? June Dairy Month, an annual celebration that began in 1937, is traditionally a time to reflect on dairy foods and the industry that makes it possible. It was created as a promotion to help distribute extra milk when cows started on pasture in the summer months. Today, its rich history continues, with communities, companies and people from all over the country observing June Dairy Month in a variety of ways.

Head over the the Midwest Dairy site to learn more about June Dairy month and dairy farming. You will have the opportunity to meet some dairy farmers, learn more about how they take care of their cows, and learn how to cook with dairy products. Moms can also get nutrition advice and recipes.

The Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization financed and directed by the dairy producers in nine states in the midwest. The association implements programs that help increase sales and demand for dairy products and dairy ingredients and help improve the economic well-being of Midwest dairy producers. The association's education division promotes a healthy diet through nutrition education and the use of dairy products to consumers, health professionals and teachers.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: DAIRY MAX

Today's agricultural website of interest to share with readers is Dairy MAX. Dairy MAX is a non-profit organization affiliated with the National Dairy Council and funded by the dairy farming families in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and southwest Kansas. The team of dedicated professionals is devoted to the promotion of dairy’s lifelong health benefits and enjoyment of nutrient-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt as supported by the US dietary guidelines. Dairy MAX provides timely, research-based nutrition information to the media, health professionals, schools, educators, consumers and others committed to fostering a healthier society. For over 35 years, the organization has supported the demand for dairy foods via strategic partnerships and programs while proudly representing the dairy farming industry’s positive image.

Cow Art and More painter on magazine cover

Cow Art and More watercolor artist Victoria Whorley has her painting, "Heads or Tails" on the cover of the April 15, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The magazine is the official bimonthly publication for the 78,000 veterinary members of the American Veterinary Medical Association and contains current events, case studies, and research articles. The editorial staff of the magazine selects a different original artwork to grace almost every cover of the magazine. Victoria's unique painting of these Holstein cows caught the eyes of the editors, and they found it worthy of a magazine cover. Cow Art and More is proud to represent Victoria and her watercolor paintings of both beef and dairy cattle.

Photo credit: "Heads or Tails"

Click here to learn more about this cattle painting

Monday's agriculture website of interest: DAIRY GODDESS BLOG

Monday's agricultural themed website of interest is the Dairy Goddess's blog, written by Barbara Martin, a third generation California Dairy farmer. She married a 3rd generation dairy farmer 26 years ago, and together, they have a dairy farm located in Central California. She is the very proud mother of 2 great college kids.

On a personal note, I believe Barbara does a great job putting a face on "where your milk comes from." It is obvious that Barbara has a passion for what she does and doesn't mind sharing it with her readers. My favorite updates are about Barbara's favorite heifer "Chica." Meet Chica and Barbara in their video.

A day in the life of my other career

While I know many agriculture people follow the Cow Art and More blog, I know there are those from the art crowd that keep up with me and the other artists on the site. I get asked by this group to post a few pictures of what I do during the day (which is being a large animal veterinarian). It's not that I don't want to share with everyone, it's just not necessarily at the top of my mind to take pictures while I'm out working. However, I did have the opportunity the other day to take a picture of a Holstein dairy cow tending to the calf I helped to deliver. Both agreed to be photographed for the website. :)

Farm life is really a great way to live and raise a family. I would encourage everyone reading this to get to know your local farmers and learn about what they do.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: AMERICAN FARM BUREAU

American Farm Bureau is today's agricultural website of interest. The group, founded in 1919, is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization governed by and representing farm and ranch families united in achieving educational improvement, economic opportunity, social advancement and national well-being. Farm Bureau is local, county, state, national and international in its scope and influence a voice of agricultural producers at all levels.

A conversation with Jerry Gadamus: Part 12

How did you get started with the cow pieces?

My in laws, Margaret and Arnold, are dairy farmers. With my first cow piece I did, I always included the poem:

Margaret and Arnold are my in-laws you see

They own a dairy farm south of me

Where time is measured by what’s left to do

To provide a bounty for me and you