Animal Health
CommonGround volunteers Melisa Konecky and Karah Perdue take you on a tour of Melisa’s dairy and discuss how farmers and ranchers care for their animals. Watch and learn
I Challenge Burger King – Let’s get the Facts
UPDATE – as of August 27, 2020 It took only a few weeks for Burger King to respond to numerous farmers, ranchers and consumers about the misleading video. Instead of crediting U.S. beef producers for their steadily decreasing carbon footprint, Burger King set up animal agriculture as a villain in the climate change narrative. Producers […]
Our Meat Products Are Back––Enjoy!
A Little About Us Karol Swan and Jordan Swan have a farm near York, Nebraska. Karol, Jordan’s mother, is retired from a 32-year career with the USDA Meat Grading and Certification Branch, stationed at JBS Swift, Grand Island, Nebraska. She is currently with a farmer/cattle feeder near Columbus, Nebraska. Jordan splits her time between York, […]
What does “Farm-to-Table” Mean?
When considering the phrase “farm-to-table,” what images or words come to mind? Maybe words like fresh, wholesome, nutritious, clean, or safe pop into your mind. Do you picture a Norman Rockwell-type farmer dressed in striped overalls and a straw hat delivering an overflowing basket of fresh produce and meat that seems to have a glow […]
Mom Guilt, and How to Avoid It When Grocery Shopping!
“Mom guilt.” It’s like laundry. No matter how hard you try to wish it away, it’s always there. Now more than ever, this fast-paced, technology-driven world puts pressure on young moms to do what’s right for their family. Is this car seat safe enough? What kind of milk should I buy? What age is safe […]
Safety is More Than the Five-Second Rule
If your family is anything like mine, you’ve likely heard of the infamous “five-second rule.” With this rule, if food is ever dropped, there exists roughly five seconds before it can be picked up and consumed or else the food becomes “dirty” and should be discarded. This was a rule my family and I lived […]
Babies, Babies, Babies………….
There isn’t anything much cuter than a baby calf. Black, white, brown fuzzy little creatures! Dairy farmers take the responsibility of raising healthy calves very seriously. It only makes sense, because the calves are the future of the farm. Healthy heifer calves equal great milking cows. There are numerous things dairy farmers can do to […]
Spring Time is Calving Time in Nebraska
Calving season is happening right now across much of the state. If you drive past farmers’ fields, you may see baby calves running around. I must admit, watching the energy and playfulness of calves always brings a smile to my face! Today, I am here to share with you the story behind what goes into […]
Gene Editing: A Key to Tasty, Plentiful and Healthy Foods
With the new year upon us, I want to reflect on what I am hoping to see in the next decade. I want to challenge you to do the same! One thing I am hoping to see is more technology incorporated into our food production systems in ways that help us to provide solutions for […]
Was Great-Grandma’s Food More Nutritious?
How does the nutritional value of food today compare to the past? It’s pretty similar, actually. Do we really need to consume more foods than previous generations did to obtain adequate nutrients? No, but there’s a persistent myth in circulation that there’s a difference in nutritional value when comparing today’s food to food grown in […]
