Monday's agriculture website - National Ag Day

National Ag Day is a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless other across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture. This year's event is March 15. The Ag Day website lists event ideas and agricultural resources to celebrate Ag Day in your own community.

The event was started by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA), an organization uniquely composed of leaders in the agriculture, food and fiber communities dedicated to increasing the public awareness of agriculture's vital role in our society. The Agriculture Council of America and the National Ag Day program was started in 1973. It is a non-profit organization the helps to support and provide education to all interested in Ag Day.

Jo Lynch - other interests

What else do you do besides your art?

My husband and I have been avid travelers, and have always loved seeing new places, and new things. Luckily we both also love most sports and we've tried almost all of them. We taught Scuba diving in the 60's, learned to ski in our 40's, skied all over the world including Switzerland and Italy. We have done Geocaching, Racquetball, bowling, golf, curling, bocce, iceskating, hiking and RV travel. We did a summer in Alaska and have spent much time in our later years in the Western United States. Our country has so much to offer. I am also an avid reader and an avid computer person with an endless curiosity. I've been using the computer since 1980 when the first home computers really didn't do much and they didn't even have a hard drive. I consider myself blessed with my family, my life and my gift of art...

Repairing or Restoring a Picture Frame

Today's art themed article is how to repair or restore a picture frame. The video shows how to use two different kinds of resin to first make a mold, then make a replacement part for the frame.

*Note: As someone who uses resin, a few notes to share with viewers that are not included with the video:

Use in a well ventilated area.
Use with gloves and safety goggles.
Use only disposable cups and stir sticks.
Mix carefully and do not incorporate bubbles into the mix, if possible.

Jo Lynch - future plans

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

I don't know the answer to that. I do my art somewhat as the mood strikes me. I have no real wish to do any particular subject. I just like to paint and my moods do certainly dictate what I choose to do from day to day, and week to week. I think the answer to this is the future will show me what I'd like to do more of...

Picture credit: Jo Lynch (right foreground) painting on a dock in Martha's Vineyard.

Cow Art and More included in Southern Living magazine

Cow Art and More is excited to announce the inclusion of the artwork of Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson in the March 2011 issue of Southern Living magazine. Giclee prints of her mixed media collage, Lazy Afternoon, were included in the magazine's "rodeo chic in style" decorating section. "Lazy Afternoon" can be found on page 22.














Southern Living magazine was first published in 1966 and today has a circulation of 2.8 million copies. Regular topics in the magazine include food and recipes, home decorating, and the lifestyle of living in the South.

Jo Lynch - painting advice

What advice to you have for aspiring artists?

I once read in a drawing book that you have to draw every day, everything you see, and this will continue your skill and growth as an artist. I believe it is true, and I'm guilty of NOT doing enough of the daily drawing. I think this helps creativity along with skill. They meant draw EVERYTHING. The junk under your kitchen sink, whatever is on the table, what you see in front of you anywhere, anytime. Draw every day to get better. If you can't draw well, then your paintings will not be good. I also believe interacting with other artists is also very helpful to becoming a better artist, and one needs to learn to listen to criticism. Skip's critique's were brutal, but I feel I learned more from what he said than anywhere else. Later a group of us that had taken art with Skip formed our own group, meeting once a week to paint on location. We painted, then we critiqued our own art. I think this is a valuable tool for artists also... Be open to new ideas, be open to other artists and art forms.

Picture credit: "Horse of Many Colors", watercolor on paper

Click here to learn more about this horse painting

So you want to be a cow or horse veterinarian?

This post was written by Jennifer Skogenis, a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on the subject of vocational schools for the Guide to Career Education.

So You Want to be an Agricultural Veterinarian?

Do you love All Creatures Great and Small? Is it your dream to heal adorable cows, all of whom have huge, cartoon-like brown eyes? Then you might be considering a career as an agricultural veterinarian. But before you start buying novelty-sized “Get Well Soon” cards, or order any cow-print stethoscopes, there are a few questions to ask yourself concerning your chosen profession.

• Do You Love School?

Though a love of animals will get you far in the world of veterinary medicine, you still need to attend college—for about eight years. This is not counting internships and specialization training after graduation. Even after passing the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam, you still need to constantly educate yourself to stay current with the latest veterinary breakthroughs. If you want to work with animals, but not invest as much time into your degree, think about a career as a veterinarian technician. For information about vet tech employment opportunities, please visit Vet-Tech-Schools.

• Are You Strong Enough?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Right? Well, if a horse is lying down in the mud, too sick to stand, then you can't actually lead that horse anywhere. As an agricultural veterinarian, it is your job to help those poor, yet gigantic, souls who cannot help themselves. This takes great strength, both emotional, and physical, and the ability to stay calm during life-threatening situations. Though hamsters and cows each have their own special and complicated physiology, you don't usually have to worry about a hamster kicking you in the head while you take his temperature.

• Do You Love To Drive?

Sometimes people take their large animals to see a specialist, but more often the veterinarian comes to them. Since cows do not generally wait for you to have a cup of morning coffee before going into labor, or getting a hoof stuck in a barbed-wire fence, expect the phone to ring all hours of the night. And farm animals are usually, you guessed it, in very rural areas. So unless you already know each location like the back of you coffee mug, make sure you have a good map, or a reliable GPS, and some lively music for the hours you will spend on the road.

• Are You a Good Boy Scout/Girl Scout (Always Prepared)?
Your vehicle is not only a means of travel: it must carry everything you will need to treat animals. Some examples are surgical equipment, medicine, x-ray machines, and stethoscopes (cow-print or otherwise). The conditions are not often sterile, and the lighting is generally bad. Think M*A*S*H* instead of ER. The cow or horse you treat might be covered in mud, or even lying in its own filth. From the miracle of birth to stitching up gashes, you need to feel confident that your office on wheels will carry you through any situation.

• Do You Think All Animals Are Pets?

While it is easy to be swayed by a cow's big eyes and floppy ears into imagining him as some sort of overgrown dog, it is important to realize that these animals are not often pets. Not only is it your job to keep a single cow healthy, but there is the farmer's business to remember. For example, sanitation control between farms is crucial for preventing the spread of diseases among huge groups of livestock. So, even as you remember Ferdinand and Clarabelle, think of milk and hamburgers.

• Do You Want to Run Your Own Business?

Most agricultural veterinarians work by themselves or with a small group of partners. Either way, you will basically be running your own business. So, while you should be calm and collected with those four-legged patients, you must be equally responsible regarding payments, expenses and advertising. Learn to be your own boss, and you will have more time to be a great veterinarian.