Miss America Agriculture

Pageant Queens, Farmers and Ranches

Today, is just a quick note, but I really wanted to say thanks to 2011 Miss America Teresa Scanlan. Today Teresa Scanlan published an article on FoxNew.com titled Why All American Have a Stake in the Success of Our Farmers and Ranchers. 

2011 Miss America
Teresa Scanlan

Before you read on, stop and think for a moment. How do Farmers and Ranches affect your life?

The question is a little easier for me because Farmers and Ranchers are my family, my passion, my livelihood, and they provide me with the food that ends up on my table. However, it doesn't matter if you are a fifth generation rancher or living in a sky-rise apartment Farmers and Ranchers do impact your life.

I encourage you to read all of Miss America's article, but here are a few quotes that rang true for me.

As I write this, America has just 210,000 full-time farms. That’s it. And being from an agricultural community, I know these aren’t large corporations with giant bank accounts. These are small businesses with huge overhead expenses and a history of modest profits.

Modern-day agriculture has to do its part in reaching out and teaching us about what they do and how they do it. Educational groups like The Hand That Feeds U.S. and the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association are a good start, but it’s not enough. 

The rest of us must reconnect with our rural roots and understand that we all have a stake in the success of farmers and ranchers. Urban and rural America need to come together, and I plan to spend my time as Miss America to make that happen. 

And finally I love this last quote of hers. 

After all, I was Miss Nebraska first. And if a small town girl from the Midwest can make it all the way to Miss America, maybe she can help bring America back to the Midwest.

I'm no Miss American but I guess I hope through my blog and answering consumer questions maybe I can also bring a little bit of America back to the Midwest. 

I mean it might work. 

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Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch - I am Angus

Telling her story.

Before Christmas I traveled out to the Flint Hills of Kansas to spend a day videoing and interviewing Debbie Lyons Blythe. Debbie is a pretty cool gal. She is the man power behind her family's ranch, and has five kids and a great husband to support to her. She's involved in her community, knows the importance of attending industry agriculture meetings and has wrote a cook book so consumers who are buying boxed beef from her have a better understanding of how to utilize the whole carcass.

I got to the Ranch just a little before lunch and Debbie was starting to make a huge pot of chili. I knew it would be good because I am a huge fan of Debbie's Beef Enchilada Soup recipe. Looking at that pot I thought wow she'll have left overs for days. However, when her kids (four in high school, and one a in college) rolled in for lunch it was evident that there wasn't going to be much left over. These kids were filling up on beef, and it would fuel them for rest of the day.

Debbie was the subject of my I am Angus segment because of her commitment to telling agriculture's story to the consumer. She wants consumers to know where their food comes from, and she wants farmers and ranchers to be accessible to answer questions. Things I want too.



Be sure to check out Debbie on Twitter @DebbieLB, her facebook page Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch or Debbie's ranch blog.

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The Real Housewives of the West

Cowgirls get things done. 

I kind of laughed when I saw this article the other day. I have to let you in on a little secret. I really like reality TV, and I will admit I have been watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta, even though I thought the Real Housewives of New Jersey was better. OK now hanging my head in shame. 

photo by Patrick Dorison

The women on these shows are catty, have more money than they know what to do with, have bratty, awful children and their lives are full of drama. Thankfully, this FoxNews.com article by Patrick Dorinson, The REAL Housewives of Idaho, pointed out that there still are some real housewives left out there, and they represent a lot of America. He found his in Idaho, but I think they can be found on any ranch or farm. 

Growing up on the farm work was number one, glamour was number two. Now, that didn't stop mom from enrolling my sister and I in ballet lesson, but that meant feeding 4-H steers, with hot pink curlers in our hair, before rushing off to another dance competition. 

There were lots of points I agreed with in the article. I definitely recommend reading it for yourself, and forming your own opinion. 

You have read this article agriculture advocacy / ranch / TV with the title ranch. You can bookmark this page URL https://miavamp22.blogspot.com/2010/10/the-real-housewives-of-west.html. Thanks!