BEEFSD Group Tours Conservation Ranch

WRITEN BY: LEALAND SCHOON, DISTRICT CONSERVATIONIST, WHITE RIVER
Participants of the BEEFSD class arrived in Northeastern Mellette County to tour an organic/grassfed beef ranch. BEEFSD was developed to assist beginning farmers and ranchers establish successful production and management strategies for the beef industry.

There are five components to the BEEFSD program: 1. Instructional Workshops; 2. Post-Weaning Calf Performance Evaluation; 3. Mentoring; 4. Web-Based Interaction; 5. Travel Studies.

Touring White Thunder Organics ranch met the “Mentoring” objective, while learning more about alternative means of marketing and raising livestock. The NRCS was asked to participate with the tour to showcase the close partnership between the producer and the field office. The Harmons have worked extensively with the NRCS staff and partners to implement and enhance conservation on their ranch. Discussed were conservation practice opportunities through NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance and Farm Bill Programs.

Since 2004, rangeland management on the White Thunder Organics Ranch has moved from a one large pasture system, to a seven-pasture rotation, and recently to a 12-pasture grazing rotation, increasing soil health and forage production in excess of 65 percent from when they started and 40 percent over the historic climax community documented within the USDA technical guides.

The SD Cooperative Extension Service in partnership with the SD Farm Bureau received a $748,892 grant to assist beginning range-based beef cow-calf ranchers. The investment from the USDA and Extension will equate to a scholarship of about $30,000 for each beginning rancher.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grant, and the funding will help individuals and families new to ranching to become economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable beef producers.

The USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, or BFRDP, is an education, training, technical assistance, and outreach program designed to help U.S. farmers and ranchers. The program was established through the 2008 Farm Bill.

Ref: http://start2farm.gov/programs/beefsd-beginning-entrepreneurs-expanding-future-south-dakota
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Quotes to Farm by.

"There's something about getting up at 5 a.m., feeding the stock and chickens, and milking a couple of cows before breakfast that gives you a lifelong respect for the price of butter and eggs."
~Bill Vaughan

"There's nothing like sitting back and talking to your cows."
~Russell Crowe

"Never kick a cow chip on a hot day."
  ~Proverb

"Opie, you haven't finished your milk. We can't put it back in the cow, you know."
~From The Andy Griffith Show

"As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists."
~Joan Gussow

"All the really good ideas I ever had came to me while I was milking a cow."
~Grant Wood

"Pigs have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs and certainly [more so than] three-year-olds. They have the ability to express friendships, use vocalizations and body language, and are particularly fond of playing games with one another."
~Dr. Donald, Cambridge University professor and former scientific advisor to the Council of Europe


"I am a member of an endangered species. I am an American Farmer. We farmers represent less than one percent of this nation’s population, yet our numbers continue to dwindle each year as agri-business giants like Monsanto, Cargill, and ADM devour us. I don’t understand why banks are too big to fail, but nothing is done to stem the alarming loss of healthy small farms, almost always family enterprises. Banks can fail; agriculture cannot. We do not eat or drink money."
~Eric Herm (Auther of Son of A Farmer, Child of the Earth)

"Don't you find it odd that people will put more work into choosing their mechanic or house contractor than they will into choosing the person who grows their food?"
~Joel Salatin

"This is the sort of farm machinery I like: never needs its oil changed, appreciates over time, and when you're done with it you eat it."
~Joel Salatin

"Most of the time pests and disease are just nature's way of telling the farmer he's doing something wrong."
~Joel Salatin

“All of these farms all over this county used to supply Staunton with home-cured bacon and ham. That was the backbone of the rural economy 50 years ago, and nobody got sick.”
~Joel Salatin


"I'm just the orchestra conductor, making sure everybody's in the right place at the right time."
~Joel Salatin

“If you want government food, go to the supermarket and buy government food. But for those who want to have a relationship with their food, and the accountability that inherently comes with voluntarily and informatively opting out of the supermarket to go ask around, smell around, sniff around, look around and opt out of the government food system, they ought to have that right.”
~Joel Salatin

"You, as a food buyer, have the distinct privilege of proactively participating in shaping the world your children will inherit."
~Joel Salatin

"A farm includes the passion of the farmer's heart, the interest of the farm's customers, the biological activity in the soil, the pleasantness of the air about the farm -- it's everything touching, emanating from, and supplying that piece of landscape. A farm is virtually a living organism. The tragedy of our time is that cultural philosophies and market realities are squeezing life's vitality out of most farms. And that is why the average farmer is now 60 years old. Serfdom just doesn't attract the best and brightest."
~ Joel Salatin

"How do you make a small fortune with horses? You start with a large fortune!"
~Uncle Jeff Claypool

Catch the buzz

Here's the buzz about White Thunder Organics:
"The owners of White Thunder Organics respect and appreciate their animals. They sell extremely high quality, healthy meat. And it tastes amazing! It was the best beef and pork I have ever tasted.  For the highest quality organic grass-fed Angus beef and organic Berkshire pork, check out White Thunder Organics!"
~Organic Lifestyle Magazine.com

"I just ate the most delicious steak I have ever eaten! Delicious beef and fantastic people to work with. You can't go wrong in ordering from White Thunder Organics - they have an outstanding product and I will certainly order from them again...soon, I hope. I should have taken a picture of the steak so everyone could see the quality."
~Collinsgifted (Etsy Customer)

"Wonderful to deal with! I bought this as a gift for my sister/bro-in-law...they've already eaten some and say that it is absolutely delicious!"
~ Katie and Marsha "EdensWake" (Etsy Customer)

"Every new product we try from you, we LOVE! Today we tried the German Sausage Link for breakfast. It was so good that I'm still in ecstasy. In fact, I wish I had another one thawed so I could fry it up and eat some more right now! Thank you for the responsible, sensible and loving way in which you raise your animals. It truly reflects in the product you sell."
~Hannah Elizabeth

"White Thunder Organics! Organic, healthy, delicious!"
~Joshua Lee Penrod

"Thank you awesome people creating beautiful happy food for all of us :-)"
~Centauria Web Development

"If you're into Organics, please check out White Thunder Organics,   I've personally tried their stuff and it was amazing! A close personal friend of mine has actually visited their farm and can testify to how honestly it is run! Organic through and through! :-)"
~ Jewels of Eden Company

"I was thrilled when I received my order from White Thunder Organics! For our first culinary treat, I made plain hamburgers so we could really taste the meat - OMGosh, it was the best hamburger we've ever eaten! I can't wait until tomorrow night so we try something else! The quality and taste far out weigh the cost. I'm already planning my next order!"
~Hannah Elizabeth

"We loved the beef that at we got from you! Thanks for all that you do!"~Laura Davis Prunty

"Dont panic it's Organic!"
~ Jared Reynolds

"Anne gave us some of your pork chops to try and OMG, these are the best tender, juicy, pork chops we have ever eaten! She just gave us your contact information and I will be calling in a few hrs. to place our order!"
~Donna Douglas

"The quality of this beef is outstanding! I could have cut the steak with a butter knife, and the flavor was excellent! They have a quality product and I look forward to my next order!"
~Bev Collins

"Thank you for having integrity and love for the animals and land. We need more farmers like you!"
~Haruka Oatis

"I was so happy when I received my product from White Thunder Organics. It is worth the cost for the value that you will receive. I would have to say that it is the best meat that I have eaten. Can't wait for my next order."
~Tim Henderson

Picture of Tim Henderson's Freezer fully stocked with White Thunder Organics Beef and Pork Products.

Excited for Koi's

What is more fun to watch than a pond full of colorful Koi's?

Many times I have been mesmerized by these almost mythical animals as they seem to have the personality of a puppy combined with such a wide array of color patterns that I would dare to say no two are the same.  So naturally when we realized we had finally accomplished our goal of re-habilitating one of our stock dams and could not colonize it with any fish of our choice, I fantasized with the idea of having my own Koi pond. So, being logical I decided to see if Koi could actually be a profitable endeavor for me to go into.

After researching the needs of a Koi I was ecstatic to see that our pond would be an ideal home to breed Koi’s in and we have a second pond that will be wonderful for growing the Koi in as an adult Koi will actually secrete anti-growth hormones to try and prevent other Koi’s from attaining the size s/he has already. And even more exciting is how both these ponds will be suitable for year round homes for the Koi’s!  

So here I am I have released the only 2 I could get my hands on ,Hippy and Humus, with a whole summer of watching for them and taking note of those whom supply Koi and those whom purchase and how the supply in SD does not nearly meet the demand.

Excited I am for spring when I will be releasing enough Koi’s to start my own little endeavor!!

 

Above is an image of the worlds largest Koi  who at 4' weighs in at 90#!

AND THE WINNER IS RAMBOUILLETS!

After spending much time searching the web, making phone calls and emailing organizations I came to the unfair realization that the breeds of sheep I desire in the quantities we require to make the sheep operation self-sustaining, just was not possible. In all the breeds I desired a herd of 30 was considered a good sized herd and I was disappointed to find that our ranch would be forced to follow the norm and bring in the stereotypical Rambouillet sheep breed.

Now there are different ways to view this over population of Rambouillet’s on sheep farms across the US, you can view it the way my spouse does with the opinion that if most large scale sheep farms are Rambouillet genetics it must be the best genetics for the job. But, the way I view this is with my knowledge of the cattle industry, just because most beef genetics you find are Angus it does not always mean Angus is the best cow for the job or even that another breed couldn’t complete the feed to meat conversion faster, after all one must keep in mind other reasons  affect a producers final choice like the simple yet extremely clever marketing gimmicking  that most consumer’s buy into,  “100% Angus Beef” and that most people will purchase what’s readily available without much searching for the genetics they desire.

 At any rate we will see if these Rambouillet’s will make the cut here at White Thunder Organic,  while in the mean time I am hoping to purchasing a small flock of 3 of the breeds I desired (Tunis, Scottish Blackface, and North Cheviots) to run with the flock and see who really performs the best.

Here is what my favorite Breed Identification site had to say about the Rambouillet’s:

The history of the Rambouillet sheep is a fascinating one that began more than two centuries ago. The Rambouillet breed originated with Spain's famed merino flocks, which were known from the earliest times as producers of the world's finest wool. The Spanish government was so protective of their merino flocks that any exportation was forbidden.

This policy changed in 1786, however, when the King of Spain granted a request from the government of France and sent 359 carefully selected rams and ewes to help improve the native French stock. The sheep were sent to the Rambouillet farm near Paris where, according to government records, they have been bred since 1801.

Other merinio sheep were introduced into Germany during the last quarter of the 18th century, and German breeders made extensive use of Rambouillet sires as the sheep's fame spread throughout Europe. That is why many present day American Rambouillets can trace their ancestry back to either German von Homeyer flocks or the flocks of Rambouillet, France.

Mature Rambouillet rams weigh between 250 and 300 pounds (113-135 kg), ewes range from 150 to 200 pounds (68-90 kg). Mature ewes will have a fleece weigh of 8 to 18 pounds (3.6-8.1 kg) with a yield of 35 to 55 percent. The fleece staple length will vary from two to four inches (5-10 cm) and range in fiber diameter from 18.5 to 24.5 microns or 60 to 80 for the numerical count.

Notice how the sheep are missing half their left ear? This was the prior sheep keepers way of identifying the sheep as his, this is not something we here at White Thunder Organics promote or practice.

Here is an image of the fenceline constructed  around one of our alfalfa fields that we will be wintering the sheep in once they get settled into a flock.

White Thunder Organics Meatloaf

I find this meat loaf to not only be quick and easy but ohh so tastey!

1# of White Thunder Organics Ground Beef
1# of White Thunder Organics Ground Pork
1 cup of Rolled Oats
1 cup of Ketchup
2 eggs
1 Package of Simply Organic French Onion Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Topping:
1 cup of Ketchup
1/4 cup Muscavado Sugar
2 tps Liquid Smoke
1 tps Spicy Prepared Mustard

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix, shape into loaf, bake until done.
Coat with topping and bake a little longer.

Fluffy Moist 100% Whole Wheat Biscuits

It takes years of experimentation to perfect that art of fluffy when useing 100% whole wheat recipies, I found and tested this recipie out from Bob's Red Mill and have been more than pleased with the results. http://www.bobsredmill.com/
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¼ Cup of Butter
2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tbs Sugar
3 Tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
¾ Cup Milk

Preheat Oven to 450

Mix all ingredients and knead for a minute.

Roll into ½’ thick and cut to size – I like to use large mouth mason jar rings.

Place on cookie sheet with sides touching.

Allow to sit for a couple minutes.

Bake till done, approx 10-12 minutes.