PRRS Year 3- The Last Year

I wish I could say that the disease issues our herd has experienced over the last three years have passed.  That we have come out stronger, better, and unscathed.  However, the reality is that we are in the worst position we have been in over our 60 year history.  We have exhausted every option we can think of to regain our pig health, and nothing is working.  Even the strategies that have helped feel like a band-aid, masking another, bigger problem by throwing money at it.  Once one health challenge seems to ease up, another problem emerges.  It is hard to meet with our vets and advisors, them showing a mild indifference to our situation, as we are working tirelessly to save our pigs, bleeding every day for the last 1000. 

I wish we had found the cure, the answer, maybe made better decisions, but I honestly don’t know what we would’ve done differently with the information we had at the time.  Now, I am a lot less trusting of “experts.”  I’m weary of easy fixes, and the traditional way of doing things.  Our farm is different, our life is different, and our pigs our different.  My values don’t always line up with those driving our industry, but I do love being on the farm.   Weighing our options, we decided we need to start over; selling every last pig, and then buying new breeding stock.  Maybe we can do something to salvage what we have, but we are getting to the point where we just can’t keep waiting for things to right.  We need to take action.

Big changes hurt, but I don’t want to be the generation that spoils my family legacy, as so often happens in multi-generational businesses, where things get complacent.  I may go down, but it won’t be without a fight. These changes aren’t easy, and there are many places where we will make mistakes.  Our notions of who we are as a company are going to shift.  The solid foundation we have is going to move.  We will lose some people- people I have known my whole life.  That is probably the hardest part for me, but it is another piece of our upheaval. 

While change is hard, it gives me the possibility of going back to “normal.”  Where every phone call isn’t the next disaster, when my weekend travels are the only thing that keeps me sane. When I can look at my work and again be proud of what I have accomplished, or actually make progress and provide better care to our animals.  I look forward to these moments now, as I am sitting nearly paralyzed with fear.  In these times, I can see my support system- it’s not as big as I thought it was, but I can make do with what I have.

My lack of writing over the last year is due to dealing with the challenges that I have experienced on the farm.  I still journal, and I have taken up a side-gig writing for Silent Sports, which gives me a creative outlet.  However, I want to write here, and share my story- the good, and the bad.  I can’t say what my life will look like in another year, but I am excited to see how things unfold. 

First Farm Memories

My first memory of the farm starts with an early morning.  I would wake up, and go sit on the bathroom scale while my parents got ready for the day.  My Dad would let me brush his shaving soap on to his face.  Then we would all go down to the kitchen for breakfast, usually oatmeal or cream of wheat with butter and brown sugar, and watered down cranberry juice. 

After filling up, mom would bundle me up (it must have been fall or winter in my earliest memories) and I would go out to look at the pigs in the barn in our backyard.  I think we were in the process of expanding at the time, and must’ve run out of room for pigs, because we were using the old dairy barn behind the house as a makeshift pig pen.  The tall doors were wide open, and the biggest bay where hay wagons and such must have been stored had been turned into a makeshift pen, with fencing panels strung together.  Straw bedding covered the floor.

I went to see the pigs every day, sometimes multiple times a day, naming them.  My favorite was “Ketchup”, but I also grew fond of “Stuart”, and “Cupcake”.  None of these pigs were discernable from any of the others, and I usually just dubbed the first to come to the fence and nose my hand “Ketchup” for the day.  Sometimes I would bring scraps from the kitchen to throw over the fence as treats. 

After a while, the pigs got so big that I couldn’t go in the pen anymore at risk of being trampled, and finally they were shipped off to market.  We never had pigs in the dairy barn again, but I found a new outlet in the hot nursery. 

The hot nursery is where the smallest pigs of the litter are weaned where it was extra warm and they receive extra care.  Everything is small, and designed to transition the pigs from mom to on their own with as little disruption as possible.  I was also the right size for the hot nursery pens, and I would go and check on the little pigs each day, making sure they had water and food, milk replacer or electrolytes, and that the floor was nice and dry for them.  I named these too, “Sam” being my favorite that I would check each day, to see if he was making a good recovery after his rough start. 

Even though I wasn’t yet four years old, these early visits on the farm narrowed down my career choices considerably.  I figured I could either work on the farm with the pigs, become a fireman, or a ballerina.  I thought the farm was my most likely option for success, although looking at the world now it actually may have been the most unusual choice of the three.  Regardless, there may have been some stumbling blocks on the way, and a healthy dose of self-doubt, but here I am 25 years later, doing the same work as when I was four years old. 

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.

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!