Silent Sports November!

For the past year I have been writing for Silent Sports- an Midwestern outdoor enthusiasts magazine.  I pick a topic about the world of paddling each month- and November is all about women in paddling.  I am so happy to be able to feature some really talented athletes, as well as some young women who are just getting started in the sport.  Follow the link below for the full article!

Women Make a Splash

(Thanks Katherin Broderson for the Pics!)

Farm Update: Transition

(Green Valley Farm)

Since I last wrote specifically about the farm, a lot has changed.  We re-broke with PRRS in the spring of 2017, and battled it for most of last summer and early fall.  It seems like now we are starting to get back on our feet again, but it is with weary skepticism.  After being knocked down so much it's hard to trust that getting back up is possible.

The pigs are what everyone likes to hear about most, and right now at the farrowing farms (where little pigs are born), things are looking pretty good.  Our most recent testing has shown our piglets are negative again for PRRS, and we have enough sows coming in to give birth that our barns are starting to be comfortably full. We aren't sure if the spring weather is causing everything to do better, if our strategy for dealing with the disease is working, or if the pigs are just getting healthier because time has passed.  We probably won't know for at least a year, and even then a bad break can happen again.  Right now, it's just keeping our fingers crossed, doing our best, and hoping it is enough.

We are becoming more creative in our management in order to recover from PRRS.  One of our farms, River Ridge, was hit harder than the others. Many of their sows got sick and either had lasting reproductive/respiratory problems, or just died altogether.  In order to get the herd back up to it's normal size, we are breeding some gilts in the finisher at a different farm.  We have never done this before, but are very interested to see how things go.  If this works well we may consider breeding all gilts in finishers with a dedicated breeding team.  It will take us six months to a year of observation to make that determination, but so far things seem to be going well. 

As far as we can tell, PRRS is pretty mild in our herd right now.  The biggest health challenge we have been facing recently is a flare-up of pig-pneumonia, which can be treated easily as long as we keep an eye on it.  The keeping an eye on it part is a little tricky, because a pig can go to exposure to death in 24-48 hours, so it really is something that has to be caught right away.  The other health issue we are up against is one of the vaccines we are using doesn't have the coverage it guarentees.  This means that pigs need a booster shot at some point, at least until the vaccine is updated.  We still haven't figured out exactly how we will handle this, but this is why keeping a close eye on our animal health is so important.

In other news, we are seeing the younger generation of farm employees stepping into management roles for the first time.  Two of our long time managers, one in genetics, the other in herd health, retired a few weeks ago.  This is a huge adjustment for the farm.  I am assuming quite a few more duties in the health area, and that both exciting and challenging.  Weston, a paddler and farm worker will be taking on more responsibilty in the genetics side of the business.  Both of us will be learning a lot in the next few months, and we have to in order to keep things running well.

On top of this, our nutritionist, Dave, has decided to try his hand as a feed company representative, and will be leaving us in the early summer.  We are excited for him and his opportunities, and are happy with the knowledge he has given us over the past three years.  His will be big shoes to fill, but we are confident that the future on the farm will be bright.

Simple Strawberry Crisp

I have a sweet tooth.  Each night after dinner I have to finish the day with a yogurt, fruit, chocolate, or other goodie.  This strawberry crisp inspired by this Clean and Healthy Strawberry Crisp is something I make at least once a month year round to satisfy my craving.  I have made it with whatever frozen fruit I have in the freezer, anything that is about to go bad, or stuck to the recipe and used fresh strawberries.  My other favorites so far are peach, and mixed berry.  I am hoping to try it as an apple crisp soon with cinnamon instead of almond as the "secret ingredient." Let me know what you think, or share some of your favorite sweet treats in the comments below!

Simple Strawberry Crisp
Printable Version

Fruit Filling

6 cups (about 2 quarts) sliced fresh strawberries (or other fruits)

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 teaspoons almond extract

Crumble

1 cup oats

2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds

2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tablespoons flax meal 

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon (or less to taste) maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

2. Combine all Fruit Filling ingredients in a bowl until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.  Put into a greased 8x8 baking pan (or similar).

3. In a small bowl combine all Crumble ingredients until well incorporated, then sprinkle in an even layer over the fruit.

4. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the crisp is golden. 

I usually enjoy piping hot with some unsweetened yogurt, or ricotta cheese, but it is just a good with a glass of milk.  

Chattajack 2017

Every few years I get excited about a race, and I just have to put it on my calendar.  The first was the General Clinton, then the DW, and last year it was the Chattajack.  To be honest, Chattajack was on the list for three years.  I liked the idea of a "gorge" race (even though I still am not sure what that means).  As a bonus, the race was after my normal racing season, AND in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which means warm weather paddling, at least compared to Michigan.  Plus, going to a race that has a different field takes all of the pressure off.  At 31 miles, I figured I wouldn't really have to train too much, and could still pull of a good race.

(Race Starting Line on Friday)

The first two years of the Chattajack quest I asked around in the family for partners, and nobody was available, or wanted to do another race at the end of the season.  This spring, I finally got Dad (Bruce) to bite with the caviet of racing OC2.  I had always wanted to race it C2 to get some exposure for marathon canoeing, but Dad wanted a break from the normal grind, and had a friend whom he thought he could borrow a boat from.  For those out of the loop, OC2 is a two-person outrigger canoe with a rudder and an "ama" or second hull that is used for stability.  These are paddled mainly on the oceans (my other outrigger canoe experience is racing the Catalina Crossing).

I decided I could take my chances in the OC2 and planned to sign up.  Signing up for the Chattajack MUST be planned.  The race has 500 spots, and fills up withing 8 hours of opening entries.  It is so cool to have a canoe (kayak/SUP/etc.) race that has that much demand.  I set my alarm for 11:50 PM to be in line at midnight to enter and got us in- succes!  I went to work the next morning at 5:30 AM, and before I could tell Dad that we made it in, he comes up to me and says "I think we are in trouble.  Your mom (Roxanne) has never been this mad at me before."  Shocked, I asked what the problem was.  Apparently, we never let Mom know that we were entering the race, and she wanted to go, too.  She didn't have a partner, or a plan, but leaving her home wasn't an option.  I rushed to the computer and quickly signed her up- spot #456- whew!

Only one person from each team has to hold the spot, and the other teammates have a month or so to fill out their registration, so we had a little bit of time for Mom to get her boat figured out.  I lobbied for C4, but Dad was well into General Clinton C4 training, and vetoed that idea.  Mom asked around trying to get a women's partner with no luck... so we all turned to Mike.  Mike had stated from the beginning he would only go to feed.  He didn't want to race that late in the season, and he hadn't followed a race in a long time, so he would be our driver and cheering captain.  However, Mom is the queen bee, so Mike relented and decided to race C2.

We finished the marathon racing season, and started to plan for the Chattajack about the beginning of October.  Dad picked up our borrowed OC2 and we had a lot of fun taking it out the first time, with all four of us rotating around in different positions.  With Dad and I racing together, we decided he would run the rudder, since I have basically no experience in ruddered boats.  I went stern and called the switches.

The thing about switching in a ruddered boat is that you don't have to steer to go straight- the rudder holds the line.  This means I was counting strokes.  Fourteen per side the first hour, then down to eleven by hour four.  I couldn't look at where we were going because then I would want to steer, and the rudder turns the boat from the end instead of around a center point, so I wasn't anticipating the swing properly.  Basically, I had to stare at Dad's shoulders the whole time, and count- which makes for boring paddling.  The training was excruiating, with almost no glide and we basically had one speed- probabably due to the older hull design.  By the time we arrived in Chattanooga, I ready to never set foot in an outrigger again.

Since we weren't sure what to expect from the Tennessee River, Mom and Mike packed two boats for the race- the V1 and Jensen 18.  They planned to paddle around the start on Friday, get a feel for the river, and then make a decision.  When we pulled into town it was sunny and 70 degrees, with fairly calm looking water.  Dad and I assembled our boat, and off we went.  Mom and Mike didn't put the bow and stern covers on in our eagerness to get to the river, and swamped within 10 minutes from the chop.  While we waited for them to dump I played with the ama adjustment to suit the conditions.  When we returned to the car, the Jensen 18 was chosen, and Mike decided to try his first race in the stern for a change of pace.  While they made adjustments to their boat, Dad and I were able to test drive a demo boat that our competition was racing.  In the small loop we did around the start, we were averaging 1 MPH faster than we did in the boat we had borrowed for the race.  This confirmed that we had a dog, but we were grateful to use it, and we hoped our talent and training shine through.

(The "marathon" racing set up- people were amazed by our handiness with Gorilla Tape)

The morning of the race went as most of the 2017 season had.  Cold. Rain. Mud.  The temperature was dropping from the 50s into the low 40s, and the rain and wind grew with each passing minute.  We put on our rain gear, did all the last minute adjustments and warmed up.  Mom and Mike took off in the first wave, and kind of missed the start, but recovered quickly.  Dad and I prepared for our turn to go.  I started to get nervous when other OC2s were caught sideways by the bridge supports.  A start with 20 marathon canoes can be chaotic, and our start had over 150 kayaks and canoes!  I didn't trust that a rudder could compensate for all of the steering problems people were having getting to the line.

The gun went off and we got out clean.  We immediately fell into a pack, with the faster design OC2s out in front.  We were probably sixth or seventh in the OC2 mixed, but hanging out in a solid pack.  After the first few miles the river had some standing waves, and Dad and I showed off our skills.  We were able to read the river and negogiate the waves and current- moving up to third place by cutting one corner!  We found a nice cruising pace that was hard, but manageable, and we cut one more corner to catch the second place.  Once on their wave, I realized it took less energy if I called the switches like in a marathon canoe, so we used the rudder less for steering, and more just to keep our tracking straight.  This made me so happy, because I finally got to go off of feel, and quit counting.

(2nd place orange canoe, us in the yellow. Picture by Shawna Herring Photography)

The second place team had more speed than we did, so we fought the whole way just to stay on their wake.  After three hours we had to take different lines at times just to get a break from riding, hoping that we would have the energy to catch the wave again, or maybe even come out ahead on a line.  The final six miles were advertised as shallow water, and realizing that our hull speed couldn't compare to the second place team, we hoped to hang on as long as we could.  We had caught two men's OC2's from working together, but we couldn't ride them because we were "different classes."  With four boats side-by-side it was playing out to be a dramatic finish.  With three miles to go, the 2nd place mixed OC2 hit a rock and knocked off their rudder.  We narrowly avoided it.  We stayed together for a little while longer, but every so often they would make a ninety degree turn and we started to pull away.  It may not be pretty, but sometimes this type of luck is what determines the race.  The two men's teams had pulled ahead when we were in the boulder field.  Dad and I felt strong, so we gave it everything we had, passing them with half a mile to go.  We sprinted down the pier and into the finish.  We had made it!

(Sprinting to the finish. Photo be Deb S Action Photo)

I didn't realize how cold I was until I went to get out of the boat.  Everything was numb, and my feet didn't work in my neoprene booties.  Volunteers helped us with the boat, and we waddled to the car where Mike and Mom were loading the Jensen 18.  They had finished first C2, and were in the top 10 across the line.  Our time ended up being faster, but not by much.  Over a hundred boats had pulled out either just prior to the race, or during the event because of the cold wet conditions.  As we had paddled, we were amazed by the number of SUP and prone paddlers in shorts and t-shirts getting soaked from the wind and rain. We were so happy to be done, knowing that many would be out there for a few more hours.  We loaded up, and headed back to the hotel to thaw.

At the awards party, we were able to see how our friends did, and congratulate our class winners.  The first place mixed OC2 had a fellow (sometimes) marathon paddler, as did the third place team, whom also passed the rudderless boat, so we were well represented.  After such a soggy, hard day, we can't wait to go back again- although this time with our own fleet of outriggers.  Chattajack 2018: the Barton/Davis crew will be back!

How Farms are Reducing Antibiotic Use

For the final post in my Midwest Pork Conference Series (the first was about pork industry risks, the second 3 ways to get piglets off to a good start) I will come back to Antibiotics.  This is a topic I have covered quite a bit over the past few years, as it is one of the changing areas of animal agriculture.    We use them to treat sick animals, or in some cases to prevent a flair-up of an existing herd health challenge.  Antibiotic use is monitored by our individual caretakers, on farm health experts, vets, and state regulation, as well as by federal regulatory agencies. While over site has become part of using antibiotics, what can we do to reduce or even discontinue the use?

As a disclaimer, I believe in treating animals that are sick.  Pigs, like people, can suffer from pneumonia, respiratory infections, or skin/tissue infections.  Even those in clean, warm, dry, houses with little stress, can still develop these conditions and do need to be treated.  It is silly to let an animal suffer when we have the tools, and expertise to help it get well.

At the Midwest Pork Conference, I listened to a lecture by a farm manager who has transitioned many farms to an antibiotic free system, and greatly reduced use in others.  These strategies are not rocket science, just getting back to basics and managing the stress and risk that we can control.  In any of these systems, pigs that do get sick are treated, they just can't be marketed as being raised with out antibiotics, although they are still antibiotic free, as are all livestock sold in the United States.  I'm getting to ramble a bit, so why don't we get to the point... 3 strategies for reducing or discontinuing antibiotic use.

Treat the Root Cause

Antibiotics in pork production are usually used to treat secondary infections.  For example, that respiratory disease our pigs have contracted, PRRS, is a virus.  Because the pigs have a virus that weakens their immune system, they are more susceptible to bacterial infections, like staph, strep, and pneumonia.  To reduce our antibiotic use, we would need to work on eliminating the PRRS virus, not just treating the secondary infections.  Of course, this is easier said than done, as you can read about in my prior posts about our PRRS outbreak, and how we were progressing through one month, three months, six months, and one year living with the disease.

As in the example I outlined above, infections are often a result, and not the cause of a problem.  Getting chilled puts enough stress on a piglet that it can weaken it's immune system, making it more likely to get sick.  Weaning piglets off of the sow too soon can leave the immune system not quite ready for the stress of weaning and cause problems.  By keeping the pigs warm enough, and managing for optimum wean age, both of the "root" problems, we avoid the unnecessary stress and immune response that causes the need for treatments.

Manage Gut Health

Getting the gut off to a good start is huge in raising pigs, and should not be overlooked.  Transitioning from a milk based diet to a grain based diet, having consistency in the feed provided, and even water pH can have an impact on the gut microbiota (all of the good bacteria, organisms, and other things in the gut that make it work). It might seem counter-intuitive, but leaving a pig on milk too long can cause it's gut to stall out and not develop properly, just as transitioning to dry feed too early doesn't allow the gut to develop fully.  This is a change we have to carefully monitor and work through gradually. 

Pigs that have healthy guts grow better, have more energy, and are overall more robust.  A robust pig has a better immune system, and is less likely to need medical attention as it grows.  I will go into more detail on gut health and development in a future post, but much like in humans, a happy gut is part of good overall health.

Reduce Stress

Reducing pig stress is a way we already cut down on our antibiotic use.  We aim to move our pigs "all-in all-out.  That means a barn, room, and pen of pigs aren't mixed with pigs of different ages or health statuses.  By keeping pigs with their peers, they usually have the same things going on health wise at the same time, instead of swapping them back and forth with older and younger pigs, causing any bugs to circulate.  We can move pigs less often, and keep them in the same groups, so that they don't have to fight to establish a new pecking order.  Fewer pig handling events will make the pigs more comfortable.

When a pig is stressed, it usually goes off of feed and water.  Not eating or drinking not only stops growth, but it can mess with the pig's gut which is not good!  Sometimes when this happens for a short period of time, say after the small pigs are weaned, the piglets will make "compensatory gains" where they grow faster than normal for a short period of time after the stress is over.  For a long time, the pork industry thought this was a tool to leverage, but actually, the pigs never catch up to where they would be if there was no stress.  Seeing a compensatory gain means that we caused a stress that can lead to gut and immunity problems, and is not a good thing.  Not all stressors can be removed, but realizing what causes pressure in the pig's life is the first step in learning to manage it to the best of our ability. 

Up next, we will turn away from the farm, and get the race recap that all of my canoe friends having been asking about- the Chattajack!

2018 Wander List

As far back as I can remember, I have been road tripping to one place or another.  Canoe races, ski races, or the annual Triebold summer vacation were just part of what we did as a family.  I still haven't hit all 50 states, (I'm getting close!) and even if I had there is no end to the list of trips I want to take.  It's not just seeing new things, but who I get to see them with. Once the calendar starts anew, I start planning my next adventures.... probably because I have some shiny new vacation days burning a hole in my pocket.  This year I have some old favorites as well as a few new places making a spot on my list.

Europe

Of course I pick a place with 50 unique countries, and am completely vague about my destination, ha!  In all seriousness, I think I will make my first trek to continental Europe in 2018, I'm just not quite sure what it will look like yet.

(Image from Encyclopedia Britannica)

 Probably my best bet is for my wonderful friend Cat's Swiss wedding reception (she is getting married state-side in March).  Cat's mother is born and raised in Switzerland, and Cat has dual citizenship.  When we met as ski friends in 2002, Cat was spending large parts of her year with family in Switzerland.  I have yet to make the trip to meet the people, and see the things I have heard so much about (I have a distinct vision of what the family home in the mountains looks like).  I am really hoping for this trip, I just have to make the timing work.

(Image from Travel & Leisure)

If I can't swing a visit for Cat's reception, I will probably do a yoga retreat in Italy.  It would be a week in my "off season" with my favorite YouTube yoga instructor, with whom I have done a workshop already.  I haven't done a trip where I just relax in a long time, and a few hours of yoga a day with an open schedule to explore the surrounding area sounds like a great way to test out a more laid back trip.

Zion

(Image from nationalparks.org)

Each fall when Mike and I take our non-racing trip, I vote for the Utah National Parks tour- 5 parks that make a nice little drive-able circle, with plenty of sites in between.  I choose Zion as my yearned for stop in the tour- probably due to pinterest photos and travel blogs- but any of the parks will do.   We can maybe even squeeze in the Grand Canyon while we are at it.  Four years of being voted down (I can't complain too much- he chose Grand Teton/Yellowstone, Pictured Rocks, Hawaii, West Virginia, and Washington), and I think I will finally get my trip.  However, it is coming with a major caveat and turning into a "race"- the Grand Circle Trailfest to be exact.  I am not sure how I feel about running through three parks in three days and putting on 44 miles, but the stories will be good, and hopefully we can spend a few days before or after doing some additional exploring.

Nashville

(Image from Visit Music City)

The Girls Weekend 2017 was definitely a highlight, and we are hoping to make another trip in 2018.  Nashville was the second choice, so it moves to the top of the list.  The warmer weather, food, music, and nearby mountains have plenty of activities to entertain our group.  No plans are in place yet, but I am putting it out there- Hailey, Samantha, and Cat better be ready!


An Island

(Image from www.bwca.com)

Another vague location- I want to spend some time on an island.  Maybe Catalina, maybe Mackinac, Grand, or even the Apostle Islands.  It could be camping out on an island in the middle of the Boundary Waters, or the Adirondacks.  I think I want to paddle to get there, or at least paddle while I'm there (I'm looking at you, Isle Royale), but some island life would be a good thing.  It appears I am leaning towards a cooler climate, which is odd to most, but I prefer rocky beaches and cool water to sand and sun.  I have a feeling that Mike might disagree with me on this one, so when I post pictures from Jamaica you will know who runs the show!

Canoe Camping

Canoe Camping isn't a place, but sitting around the camp fire cooking pork burgers and dump cake is the place I want to be.  Each fall as kids, my sister and I would be coerced into camping out of the canoe with the whole family- parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, a few extra friends. while we froze in our kid sleeping bags, paddled about 10 strokes in 2 hours, and lived for snack breaks, I can't help but miss these annual trips.  Mom and Dad always fit them in, and two years ago I did do one with Samantha and Alex, but we didn't get to one in the fall.  I will make sure to fix that this year.

As much as I love to travel, dream, and post pictures, I equally enjoy hearing about everyone else's adventures.  Leave some comments below with places/adventures that are on your list for 2018.