Monday's agriculture website of interest: 2010 ALL AMERICAN DAIRY SHOW

Today's agricultural themed website to share with blog readers is for the Pennsylvania All American Dairy show, going on this week in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The show is in its 47th year. Over 2400 animals and 925 exhibitors are expected from 26 states and Canada.

The show will highlight registered cattle from the seven major dairy breeds and also has a showmanship and judging contest for youth participants. For those unable to make the show, two groups are sponsoring webcasts to allow fans to watch from their computers.

A conversation with Amanda Raithel: Part 11

What else do you do besides your art?

I work full time on a registered Angus farm called Herbster Angus Farms. My husband and I manage 200 momma cows. We also do a bit of team roping on the side when the cows are content.

A conversation with Amanda Raithel: Part 9

What would you like to do more of in the future?

I'd like to work on a bigger scale and do more horse pieces in the future.

Picture credit: "Is He Lookin' Dad?", pencil on paper

Click here to learn more about this cow art show steer drawing

A conversation with Amanda Raithel: Part 8

How do you decide what to paint/draw?

I like to choose subjects that make my viewer think, "Wow, I know exactly what she's talking about." Most of my work centers on universal feelings that are felt by cattle producers and performance horse people.

Picture credit: Amanda enjoys showing heifer 856 at the parent showmanship contest at the Atchison County Fair.

A conversation with Amanda Raithel: Part 5

Where did you learn your technique?

Like I spoke of earlier, I had a great teacher in High School. He taught me the fundamentals of drawing. Upon entering college at the University of Missouri, I honed my skills by practice.

Picture credit: "One Man's Opinion", pencil drawing

Click here to learn more about this Angus steer drawing

A conversation with Amanda Raithel: Part 3

What is your technique?

I use prismacolor colored pencils and graphite to created multi-layered pieces. The element of value, which is the difference between light and dark or shading, is what makes my artwork interesting. I use many, many shades of light and dark to make my drawings come alive.

Picture credit: "The Color of Money"

Go to Cow Art and More to learn more about this original cattle pencil drawing

A conversation with Amanda Raithel: Part 1

Why do you draw?

In a nutshell, I draw because it presents a challenge to me. A new drawing is a chance for me to showcase the skills I have developed and uncover new ones that are emerging. Furthermore, I love to hear the emotional response that my drawings merit from my viewing public.

Picture credit: "Bred, Owned and Shown", original pencil drawing

Go to Cow Art and More to find out more about this drawing including an artist commentary

Monday's agriculture website of interest: WORLD DAIRY EXPO

Today's agriculture website of interest, especially for those involved with dairy cattle, is World Dairy Expo. The exposition is held yearly in Madison, Wisconsin, and attracts visitors from all over the world. More than 68,000 dairy industry enthusiasts make the trip to World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. It's the international meeting place for the dairy industry. Expo offers the most elite combination of dairy cattle and exhibits in the world. The expo runs this week, from September 29 to October 3.

Event attendees will find the most modern dairy equipment and the newest dairy technology and innovations, including animal health supplies, milking systems, feeding products, forage handling and manure equipment plus embryos, semen and genetic research. You'll see North America's top dairy cattle compete for honors in seven breed shows. Throughout the week, expo participants can meet herd owners in the barns, place your bids at five cattle auctions and then watch the Parade of Champions and the selection of World Dairy Expo's Supreme Champion.

The World Dairy Expo also has free education seminars on dairy management and other industry issues. Visitors can also explore a variety of farms from around the world and never leave the grounds by participating in the "Virtual Farm Tours". The farm tours, presented by the producers themselves, are the destination for attendees looking to learn more from their peers.

The World Dairy Expo site will list the winners from the contests going on all week, including the 4-H and intercollegiate dairy cattle judging contests, along with the class placings from each of the breed shows.

A conversation with Laurie Winkelman: Part 11

What else do you do besides your art?

I think the better question would be ‘when do you find time for your art’?

As I mentioned earlier, I am a full-time Ph.D. student at Cornell University, which involves working with cows, doing a lot of work in the laboratory, reading (a lot), and also writing (a lot). I help coach the Cornell Dairy Cattle Judging Team and also volunteer at various dairy youth and 4-H activities in New York State, such as 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl and NY Jr. Holstein activities. I also serve as an instructor at Badger Dairy Camp, going back to Wisconsin in June for the last 7 years to work with kids in dairy projects. I really enjoy opportunities to work with dairy youth, and it is fun to share my knowledge with them and encourage them to pursue careers in the dairy industry.

Additionally, I write articles for “Hoard’s Dairyman” (a national dairy magazine), classify (evaluate) cows part-time for the Brown Swiss Association, and am a part-time employee for a catering business in Ithaca, NY. Also, I am still somewhat ‘active’ in the family farm in Watertown, WI, Twinkle-Hill Farm (www.twinklehillfarm.com – a site which I designed and maintain). I own quite a few Brown Swiss cows at the home farm and work on the breeding and genetics-side of the business from afar.

Our family shows our cattle at state and national shows, including World Dairy Expo. I love clipping and fitting the cattle to get them ready for the show – in a way, fitting has a slightly artistic side to it too!

In between all of the school, work, and volunteer activities, I really enjoy running, working out, skiing in the winter, and reading books and magazines. I have run 2 marathons and was training for a 3rd marathon this past May – but I got injured about 3 weeks before the race. I am ecstatic to report that I started running again, pain-free, at the end of June!

Picture credits:

Top: Laurie (far left) with her Cornell dairy judging team she helped to coach

Bottom: Laurie (wearing a black jacket standing just behind the dairy heifer) showing other attendees of the Badger (University of Wisconsin) dairy camp how to prepare and groom a heifer for show

A conversation with Laurie Winkelman: Part 6

How do you decide what to draw?

My most recent drawings (including Curiosity), were intended to be gifts for my family. A few years ago, I did a drawing of my older sister and me holding two cows that were Intermediate Champion and Reserve Intermediate Champion at the 2004 Wisconsin State Fair and Show, which became a Christmas present for my parents. In 2008, I decided to have prints made of “Curiosity” as gifts for my parents and my sister. “Curiosity” is the first drawing I have ever really made available for sale, and it’s been a fun experience to share my love for drawing and cows. My favorite part of drawing an animal is capturing the eyes of the animal. Animals have so much personality in their eyes. In my opinion, if the eyes are wrong, the whole drawing is wrong.

I have stayed with pencil drawings in the recent years because I have moved around quite a bit in my years since high school. After 4 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I moved to Ohio in 2003 with no art supplies whatsoever. It was easy (and very affordable) for me to quench my thirst for art with a good set of pencils and some paper – which helps to explain my recent fondness for drawing (as opposed to other media).

Picture credit: Laurie Winkelman (right) showing one her Brown Swiss cows at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin