Top 9 of 2017

2017 has been a goal crushing year for me. I don't think I have accomplished so much in any year before.  Picking highlights on such a fantastic year is a tall order, but here are nine that come to the top of my list. 

Noquemanon Podium

For one day in January, I was a professional skiier! The Noquemanon in Marquette, MI is the largest, most competitive race in Michigan (outside of collegiate races). It typically is a 50km classic race, but because of poor snow conditions in 2017 it was shortened to 30km. Classic is my technique, and after getting 4th, 5th, and 6th over the last 3 years, I had the best ski race of my life (and some pretty stellar skis) and managed to get 3rd place. The giant cowbell still has a place of prominence in our household. 

Illinois Half-Marathon PR

Running has always been love-hate for me. It comes pretty naturally, but I don't enjoy training to run unless it's perfect conditions. After my half marathons of 2014-2016 putting me so close to a 1 hour 40 minute half marathon that I could taste it, I decided to truly dedicate my training to breaking that barrier.  In April, after 13 weeks of training, I took on the Illinois Half Marathon in Champaign, IL and smashed my previous personal best. I finished in 1 hour 32 minutes and 34 seconds, and it has me seriously considering a Boston Qualifiying marathon in 2018. 

World Pork Expo

In June, the Barton-Davis clan went to Des Moines, Iowa for the World Pork Expo.  The last time I attended was in 1994, so this was an eye opening experience. We talked to industry experts, other producers, and sales reps, all while collecting tons of free goodies, and eating So. Much. Pork. 

AuSable River Canoe Marathon Record

2017 had me challenging myself more than ever, racing the AuSable as part of a women's team (something I love), and in the bow (something that terrified me). My partner, Edith MacHattie, is one of the best paddlers (and people) I have ever raced with, and I never dreamed we could have such a historic race. We tipped over within the first minutes of the race, but the water was high, and we were fast.... So fast that we broke a record I never thought would fall, the women's record set in 1994. We assumed after our rough start that any chance we had was firmly out of reach, and didn't realize that we were close until the final portage. After 15 hour 17 minutes ans 120 miles we crossed the finish line 9 minutes under the old course record.

Paddling on the Mississippi

It's funny to think that Iowa is a flyover state for most, but it was one of my favorite places of 2017. In August, the USCA Nationals were held on the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa. The River is "small" that far north, but it felt legendary.  Seeing the freighters, bridges, lock, and beauty of the Mississippi brought up a deep respect in all of us that were lucky enough to paddle it. As a bonus, I was able to race there with my Mom. 

Top 10 Catalina Crossings

September had me crossing the continent a few times, and a quick trip to Catalina via team Hui Wa'a  was definitely worth it.  This was my third crossing, and two years of past experience left me much more confident on the ocean. The women's team finished 6th, and the men were able to week out a 10th place finish after taking an unplanned swim.  For a full race re-cap, check out my prior post (I will link when I get back to the computer). 

"Real" vacation to Washington

It's hard to believe- Mike and I traveled somewhere, and didn't race once! Our week in Washington took us to 3 National Parks, 30 miles of hiking, kayaks, and the Seattle Barton's.  It was the trip of a lifetime and we can't wait to go back. A full trip recap will be linked here once I get back to the computer. 

Girls take Louisville

I am always ready for a good girls trip, and Louisville was epic (look here once linked for full recap).  I seriously doubt we will ever top it for girls weekend, but we have agreed to try in 2018, probably in Nashville. 

Paddling in Rain

I started and finished my racing season of 2017 in 45 degree rain. I suppose it usually goes that way, but this year it had such an impact that I asked for TWO raincoats for Christmas.  I realized in Canton, NY that I don't melt and managed to have a 6th place finish with Mike in the General Clinton on Memorial Day in the rain. Fast forward to Halloween Weekend, and Dad and I were able to grind our way to a 2nd place finish in OC2 at the Chattajack in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  I don't know how we had Michigan weather that far south, but it must have kept us in our comfort zone. 

With this last weekend of 2017, I plan to ski as much as possible and squeeze every bit of fun out of the year. Happy New Year to all- see you in 2018!

Midwest Pork Conference- 3 ways to get Piglets off to a Good Start

One of the best things about the Midwest Pork Conference is that the topics are always timely, and the speakers give action points that we can take home and use the next day on the farm.  Most of the time the tips aren't groundbreaking, but it gets us back to basics and really focusing on how to set the pigs up for success.  One of the best seminars from the Conference was on caring for pigs after weaning.

Weaning is one of the first major stressors (after birth) in a little pig's life.  Separation from mom, a new house, figuring out eating solid food, and drinking water are big learning experiences.  Anything we can do as caretakers to ease the process will help the pigs get off to a good start.  If we did our best to have healthy, well cared for pigs pre-weaning it helps a lot, but there are still some tips and tricks that will get the pigs started off right.

1. Keep it clean!

Having a clean, warm, and dry pen for the pigs to be weaned into reduces the risk for disease to develop and spread.  Between groups of wean pigs, we make sure to wash and disinfect every surface- from the floor to the ceiling- then allow them to dry overnight.  Rooms are heated to approximately 84 degrees, so it's nice and cozy for the little ones coming in.  When checking barns each day, we start with the youngest and move to the oldest.  This is to keep the little pigs safe from anything that might be going around in the older pigs.  Just like people, pigs will get the flu, or a cold, but the older they are when they get it, the less problems they will face.

2. Make Water easy to Find

While little pigs are on the sow, they have water available, but if everything is going good with mom they may not ever use it.  This means when the pigs are weaned they have to figure out a new drinking system- either out of a nipple, bowl, or pan.  We train the pigs to drink a few different ways, depending on what type of system is in place in the barn. 

For our older barns, there are water nipples with bowls underneath them.  We loosen the nipples so they leak into the bowls, and the pigs will drink from the bowls the first few days.  After a few days, they find the nipples, train themselves how to use them, and we can stop the leaking. This takes the caretaker observing how the pigs are doing and deciding when they are trained well enough to drink out of the nipples.  In our newer barns we have shallow, gravity-fed pans that fill with a fresh supply of water constantly.  These are easy for the pigs to find, and they pretty much manage themselves.  Of course, all systems have to be monitored, but it seems like the little pigs figure this out pretty fast.

3. Transition from Milk to Dry Feed

For the early part of a pig's life, all nutrition comes from mother's milk.  Over that time, the pigs grow and change rapidly.  Their guts begin to develop for solid food, and if left on mom long enough they will start to get a scour (diarrhea) from not having solid food available to eat.  The start of transitioning pigs to solid food begins while the piglet is still in its litter.  For the week before weaning, we provide a little bit of solid feed to the pigs each day.  This allows them to get used to the sight, smell, and taste of the solid food they will be eating after weaning. 

Once weaned, we make sure the feeders are full of this rich, yummy- smelling feed.  The pigs probably recognize it as something familiar from pre-weaning, and usually will go to it within the first day- which is pretty fast considering how much stress they have been under.  For the smaller pigs that might not be so sure, we can feed them on a rubber mat.  On the mat we may mix the feed with an electrolyte gel (think Pedialyte in "Gu" form) to give them an extra boost, since the piglets that avoid feed are probably also the ones that have a slow start on drinking, too.  We will only do this for a couple of days, and then transition to the feeder.

By doing these 3 things we minimize stress, begin to transition the gut, and provide a healthy environment for the young piglets.  Next week, we will look at the hot-button issue of reducing antibiotic use on farms.  For some background information, check my posts on How we work with our Vets, Manage Herd Health, and as an industry Manage Antibiotic Use.

 

PB & J Oatmeal

Now that the weather has changed, I am ready for some warm comfort foods.  I have never been a cereal person, so oatmeal is one of go-tos on busy mornings.   I tried to love overnight oats, but the texture is off, and I really do like my oats warm.  For awhile I was making the oats the night before, then microwaving in the morning... until I realized I could skip the night prep and just mix and heat.  This breakfast takes me less than five minutes to make, and keeps me full.

I have used the base mix of oats, milk, vanilla and chia seeds with a bunch of different mix-ins, but the peanut butter and "jelly" combo is definitely one I keep coming back to. Depending on the consistency you like your oats, the ratio of milk to oats may change a little bit- I usually add a little more when I stir if I think it's a little to thick. Using frozen fruit is convenient, plus I'm not adding a bunch of sweetener while still satisfying my sweet tooth.  Microwave times may vary a little bit, but it is super simple, quick morning breakfast to start my day.

Printable Version Ingredients 3/4 cup oats (you can use steel cut if you prefer) 1/2 cup milk of choice  1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1-2 tablespoons peanut butter 1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) raspberries  Directions 1. Mix oats, milk, vanilla, chia seeds, and peanut butter in a bowl 2. Microwave for 1 minute 3. Stir in frozen raspberries 4. Microwave for 1 minute 5. Enjoy!

Midwest Pork Conference- Industry Risks

This week had us on the road to Danville, Indiana for the Midwest Pork Conference.  This is a newer event on our schedule, but the programs are relevant, the meeting is well run, and the the price point keeps it in the budget.  This year, we had five attendees- Bruce, Weston, Julie, Dave and myself.  After the meeting we each picked a top takeaway from the event.  We had so many good things that I can develop a series- each piece addressing a major consideration in our farm's production system.   Like any business, we have to be aware of risks and manage to minimize their impact, or use them to create market opportunities. Our first speaker was Steve Meyer, a top ag economist from Express Markets Inc. Analytics.  Steve talked about 4 macro-level risks to farms.

1. Exports

Exports have been a huge part of agriculture in the last twenty years.  The pork industry relies on our trade partnerships with Japan, China, Canada and Mexico, among other smaller trading partners.  With NAFTA under review, and the TPP dead, our trade is not as secure as it once was.  Without some trading relationships and place, we are at high risk to produce more pork in the USA than we can possibly consume.  At the on farm level, the best we can do is call our representatives urging the resolution to our trade partnerships. 

2. Disease

I have mentioned health challenges on our farm quite a bit, and the last three years have really tested our system.  I have realized the truth in how we can take health our health for granted.  A foreign animal disease entering the United States has huge implications.  Our animals wouldn't have any immunity, similar to when small pox made it's way to North America.  It's something that always seemed too far away to worry about, but after our herd contracted PRRS (something that seemed like it would never happen)  I realize that this is a real threat. 

On the farm it's about recognizing how we can spread things on our own- usually either with people or pig movement- and managing to reduce our risks.  Simple things like washing hands, changing boots, and looking at the youngest pigs first in the day make a big difference.  Also, taking the time to diagnose anything that looks suspicious, instead waiting to see if it goes away in a few days can really help us make better decisions, before we have a big problem due to slow reactions.

3. Labor

Finding the right people and placing them in the right positions is one of the most challenging parts of my job on the farm.  A good employee put in the wrong place can quickly turn into a disengaged team member who is looking for something else.  The time and commitment that is put into developing people makes these bad management decisions on my part really stand out.  Coupled with that is that fewer people want to work with livestock than in the past, partially due to exposure, poor marketing, and farms not willing to pay the going rate for skilled labor.  It may not seem like it, but most of the work on the farm take training, attention to detail, patience, and critical thinking.  These skills all have to developed and should be rewarded. 

Our farm is lucky to be in a supportive community, and we haven't had to deal with many of the labor struggles of our neighboring farms.  However, there is no guarantee this will last, so we constantly are working to secure a work supply by visiting local high schools, and working with two community colleges and one university to provide farm tours, and internships to future agriculturalists.  Even if these things don't directly lead to hire on our farm, they do help to keep our agriculture community going. 

(New Feed Truck!)

4. Feed Costs

Feed is the most expensive input when growing animals.  How the crops do each year in our area greatly effects how well we can raise hogs.  A wet summer may help to produce a big yield, but that doesn't mean the corn, soybeans, and wheat will be of good quality. For example, if corn kernels are lighter than usual, it takes more kernels to feed each animal.  If the kernels are too wet, they attract mold and other fungi, which can make the corn taste bad, and in high levels can cause growth problems.  We do our best to dry and store our corn properly, but we can only get it fresh out of the field one a year, so what goes into the bin is what we will be feeding until the next season. 

To manage this risk, we have a nutritionist (Dave) who looks at each feed ingredient for quality and available supply, and then formulates a feed ration to have the proper mix of energy, amino acids, minerals, and palatability to encourage gut health.  Gut health is EVERYTHING in keeping pigs fed and healthy.  To mitigate mold or fungi problems, we may try feeding more wheat, which is harvested in July, to dilute out any corn problems, since corn fed in July has probably been in storage since October.

Next week, we will look at things we can do to start our pigs off right after transitions- particularly after weaning.

3 Day Girl's Getaway in Louisville, Kentucky

It’s the end of paddling season, so of course it is time for some fun time off.  In October, I wanted to do something fun that my sister, Samantha, would enjoy, and we settled on a Wanderlust Yoga festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Once the date and location were set, we invited friends Cat and Hailey to make it a true girl’s weekend.  We loaded up the car, made the drive south, and planned for a good weekend.

Day 1:

Everyone woke up early and ready to tackle our first play:  Go Ape! Zip Line & Tree Tops Adventure.  We booked a tree tops ropes course with rope ladders, zip lines, Tarzan swings, nets, bridges, and various other obstacles.  The course was self-guided, so after a short instruction on how to hook in safely, we were on our own. After 2 hours of climbing and swinging through the trees, this became a trip highlight.  Rating: 5/5

Next, we decided to grab some lunch and start the Urban Bourbon Trail.  This trail is 39 bars in and around Louisville.  Each bar and the Louisville visitor’s center have “passports” that can be picked up and then stamped at each location visited.  Drinking Bourbon isn’t necessary, but some type of purchase is.   The passport has addresses, hours, maps, and signature drink suggestions, which comes in handy when exploring the city.  If you get six stamps and mail your passport into the visitor’s center, then you receive a free t-shirt for completing the trail.  With three days to spend in the city, we thought it would be no problem to hit six stops and earn our shirts.  Stop #1 was the Bourbon Raw Bar located right downtown in Whiskey Row.  We planned on having brunch, which according to the website was being served, but ended up going with some soul food from the lunch menu instead.  Hailey isn’t a bourbon drinker, so she ordered other drinks for most of the trip, but Samantha braved the signature drink: The Ponzi Cream with bourbon and cream soda.  It tasted like a melted Popsicle in a good way, with everyone but Cat enjoying it. Rating: 4/5

We had time to hit another stop on the trail before the afternoon activities and chose the Old Seelbach Bar for Stop #2.  This was in a super fancy hotel, and there was only a bridal party in the bar with us, so we sat right at the counter.  I ordered the signature cocktail this time- the Seelbach with bourbon and champagne, which is apparently really famous, and also tasted like cough syrup. Rating 3/5

After lunch, it was time for glass blowing. My college roommate Kathleen joined us for the afternoon, since she now lives in the area.  We booked a make your own glass class, with Hailey and Kathleen choosing fall pumpkins, and the rest of us doing Christmas ornaments.  We were able to choose the colors and design of our creations, and it ended up being a ton of fun seeing how everything turned out.  The decorations were mailed back home once they were cooled overnight. Rating: 4/5

With such an action packed day, we grabbed a quick dinner before heading to our evening activity: The Waverly Sanatorium haunted house.  This haunted house is supposed to be “truly” haunted and the best of the best.  We were so excited (and scared) to do this, but after getting stuck in line trying to park for 2+ hours, and then realizing the line was another 3 hours long, we bailed out and decided to call it a night.  This was the only flop of the trip, and since we couldn’t buy tickets ahead, or go on a week night (they were only open on weekends), I’m not sure how it could’ve been avoided.  Rating: 0/5

Day 2: 

Wanting to rebound from last night’s disappointment, we prepped for the Wanderlust Yoga Festival.  This Festival travels from city to city each weekend, and has a 5 km run, an hour long yoga class, a meditation, and a yoga workshop, along with vendors selling food and yoga gear.  In Louisville the event was right on the Ohio River at the Waterfront Park, and the weather was perfect for a day outside.  The 5 km was on paved trails along the river and early in the morning to beat the heat.  Next was the yoga class, which was challenging, but doable for everyone in the group.  We tried to meditate, but after 5 minutes I snuck out and grabbed a cookie.  Finally, we did an acro (two-person) yoga workshop.  The instructor had us separate by height, so Hailey and I were paired separately from Samantha and Cat, which wasn’t as fun because the other girls in our group couldn’t be bases for the poses with little upper body strength.  Cat and Samantha found the instructions to be confusing, and wanted more one-on-one attention from the instructor.  We enjoyed the event overall, but it wasn’t a highlight of the trip.  Rating 3/5

Now back to the Bourbon trail: we needed food (and stamps!) bad.  For Stop #3 we hit Dish on Market which was within walking distance to Waterfront Park.  We each ordered a southern favorite, and shared, which was really fun.  The cocktails here were some of our favorite from the trip.  Nobody ordered the signature drink here (an Old Fashioned), but I had a Bourbon Mule which was probably the best drink of my life, and Hailey’s spicy Bloody Mary was the best of the three she had over the weekend, and our bartender was fantastic. Rating 5/5

We were so tired after our action-packed morning that we snuck back to the hotel, driving through Old Louisville to see the historic buildings and Churchill Downs.  The rest of the afternoon was spent napping and recovering before our big night out. 

For the last night of the trip, we decided to dress up and hit the town for the final three stops on the trail.  We planned for appetizers at one, dinner at the next, and finish it off with dessert at the third.  We made reservations for dinner, ordered a Lyft, and naturally just barely made our ride on time as Cat realized she had left her credit card at our lunch stop.  We decided to be dropped off there, and then walk to appetizers.  As we entered the downtown, Hailey realized that she forgot her passport with its three stamps!!!  We didn’t know what to do, but Cat saved the day and told us that we would just have to hit as many as we could tonight in order to get Hailey her T-shirt.  It was a tall order, but we knew we could push through.  Stopping at Dish on Market (Stop #3), the same bartender was still working, and gave Hailey a new passport with a stamp because he recognized us from lunch.  Cat got her card back, so we set off much happier than when we arrived.

For stop #4 (or 2 for Hailey’s new passport) we chose the Corner Restaurant and bar in the Aloft Hotel lobby.  We split an appetizer of deviled eggs, and enjoyed some exotic (to us) drinks per the bartender’s suggestion. I again had the signature cocktail the Whiskey Smash, which was good, but Cat’s Gin and Cucumber drink was our favorite, while Hailey’s vodka martini was a salty flop.  Samantha had a Mai Tai, which hit the spot on her sweet tooth.  Rating 3.5/5

Up next was the barbeque dinner we had been waiting for at Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar (Stop #5/3).  The food was excellent- we sampled Catfish, Pull Pork, and Brisket, and the drinks were some of our favorites of the trip.  Samantha had a “Michigan” old fashioned with about 6 sugars added to it, and Cat had turned me on to Gin, so I ordered a Smoke and Perfume with rhubarb bitters and habanero something or other.  Rating 5/5

We now had to start watching the clock.  It was a Sunday night, and Louisville wasn’t up for the night we had planned, so we strategically planned our stops in order to hit bars before closing.  Up next was the Bar at Blu (stop #6/4) in the Louisville Marriot Downtown.  This bar was basically a hotel lobby, and not that impressive compared to the ones before it.  We ordered some dessert to split, with Samantha, Hailey and I ordering White Russians, and Cat (rightly) sticking to a whiskey sour. This wasn’t our favorite, but we still had a good time. Rating: 3/5

Next we hit Hailey’s pick 8UP Drinkery & Kitchen (Stop #7/5).  It was the open air rooftop bar that overlooked the entire city.  The kitchen had already closed when we got there, but we were stuffed to the gills anyway, so chose a seat around an open fire and had the whole rooftop to ourselves.  I went back to the signature drink- just a dressed up Bourbon and Coke, and Cat had an awful Gin(ger) Snap that tasted like sap and raw ginger.  Regardless of the bad drink order by Cat (we all had one) this was probably the highlight of the night. Rating: 5/5

We needed on more stop to fill out Hailey’s book, so we chose the ritziest place we could find: The Brown Hotel (stop #8/6).  We had planned on getting dessert here, so of course we ordered a crème brulee, a derby cake, and a chocolate cake that you light on fire to get a lava of hot fudge.  We celebrated finishing our books with glasses of champagne before calling it a night.  Rating: Brown Hotel 4/5, Louisville Bar Crawl 5/5

Day 3:

To enjoy the last bit of vacation before heading home, we got up for a spin class at Cyclebar, which is kind of a night club meets cycling class.  Since it was a Monday, everyone else in the class was a regular, and it took us a bit of time to figure out how the bikes worked, but we were able to get a good workout in by the end of class. Rating 3.5/5

Before heading home, we grabbed a quick breakfast at the North End Café (Stop #9).  It wasn’t our favorite food, but we reminisced on the highlights of our trip, and made promises for the next time- which will hopefully be Nashville 2018!