Sustainable Ag
Carbon Confusion
There is talk about large corporations pledging to become net zero or carbon neutral by a certain year. While this can be confusing, we may be asking ourselves, “what do these commitments mean to me, the consumer?” Nebraska...
Facts not Fear: Meatless Movement
As a registered dietitian and chef, I am often asked about plant-based diets and the rising popularity of the meatless movement. With new meat substitutes now more readily available in grocery stores and the development of public campaigns that discourage meat...
Soil Investor: Stop that Soil
If people could see one thing about our farm, I wish they could see how much we care. I think about our crops all the time. I think about it at the gas station when I fill up my tank with E151. I think about our corn when I diaper my 11-month-old daughter. There are...
The Three Rs: How They Keep Our Farm Healthy
R is for resolutions and Ready (my last name) as well as “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Those three Rs are our resolutions for this year and every year on the Ready farm. Not only are they our resolutions, but they also lead to a fourth R, and that is “regenerate.” Reduce:...
Cattle: The Ultimate Upcyclers
I have had a love for animals and a desire to live on a farm since I was a child. Little did I know my adult life would be spent caring for animals on a farm as I raised a family with my husband. For the past 41 years I went from knowing very little about raising...
Celebrating Earth Day 2022
The world is focused on the environment and carbon reduction as never before. CommonGround volunteers Kelly Witte, Joan Ruskamp, Wendi Emanual, Rene Blauhorn, and I were onsite at Earth Day Omaha in Elmwood Park Saturday, April 23, to meet and greet...
Prescribed Burning: Why Farmers Do It
Prescribed burning. It may sound like an oxymoron, but a prescribed burn is a valuable tool for farmers and ranchers as they manage grass and rangeland for grazing. By definition, a prescribed burn is a planned fire; it is also sometimes called a “controlled...
Upcycling: Cows Do It!
“Upcycling.” Most often we think of this word in connection with home furnishings or clothing. On our farm we think of upcycling whenever we get our cow herd out on cornstalk fields after harvest. As soon as possible after our corn is harvested, we put up temporary...
Needed – All Farms, Great and Small
Although I am not a life-long farmer, I am fortunate to have had intimate experiences with where my food comes from. I spent most of my childhood on an acreage outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. I remember issues of Mother Earth News being devoured by my parents, so my...
The Positive Impacts of Agriculture
My family: My husband, Steve, and I recently celebrated 40 years of marriage. I am also celebrating over 40 years of life as a woman in agriculture – a farmer. During my childhood years, I yearned to live on a farm with no real understanding of what it meant to be...