20 Country Songs to Relate

I hear it more often than I would like. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I understand. However, so something that has had such an impact on my life, I just want people to understand the real meaning behind it. What am I talking about you might ask? Well, country music of course. You want to know what my life is like, all you have to do is take a look at my recently played list on iTunes and that is my life summed up in music.

Life growing up in the country was about hard work, and working until the job was done.

Country music isn’t about “my dog died, wife cheated on me, I love my truck, I farm.” Okay, maybe it is a little, but that’s beside the point. Country music tells a story. It is a story that people like me, and you, can relate to.

Bonfires were common on the weekends with our friends.

Growing up in the 90’s, I will always be a fan of 90’s country music. In my opinion it is the best out there. Well that and Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, etc. Some of my personal favorites include “The King” George Strait, Reba Mcentire, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Justin Moore, Brantley Gilbert… and many, many more!

So what story does country music tell? Well, it tells many stories. Songs about growing up, love, hurt, working, family, drinking, freedom, and getting even; songs that everyone can relate to. As you can tell, my blog focuses a lot on the impact that agriculture has had on my life. It has made me who I am today, and country music tells my story.

Even at the high school prom, it was all about the trucks!

Fishing on the weekends when the work was done.

One song in particular is “We Rode In Trucks” by Luke Bryan. Some lyrics that I can relate to include “You either lived on a farm or wished you did,” “That’s us with the tailgates down in the parking lot. That’s us with mud on our tires when it rained a lot.” This song takes me back to my high school years. We worked all day Saturday, but when the work was done it was time to meet up with our friends for some fun. Most of our fun included riding around in the guy’s trucks listening to music around the country roads. Take a listen to this song yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eIntnHarCg

Nothing like a nice float down the river on a summer day!

Finally, I don’t think that I need to say much about this song. Brad Paisley says it all in his song, “This is Country Music.” This is his performance of this song at the 2010 ACM Awards. Just take a listen for yourself: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_KxM4rU38Q. 

Here is a list of other great country songs that most people can relate to. If you get a change, go out and listen to these songs. Or even better- go to iTunes and buy their CDs. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!!

1. How I Got To Be This Way- Justin Moore

2. Way Out Here- Josh Thompson

3. Good Hearted Woman- Waylon Jennings

4. Mama Tried- Merle Haggard

5. Backwoods- Justin Moore

6. Kick It In The Sticks- Brantley Gilbert

7. Take A Backroad- Rodney Atkins

8. The House That Built Me- Miranda Lambert

9. Famous In A Small Town- Miranda Lambert

10. How ‘Bout You- Eric Church

11. Fly Over States- Jason Aldean

12. A Country Boy Can Survive- Hank Williams, Jr.

13. Down on the Farm- Tim McGraw

14. 5 o’clock Somewhere- Alan Jackson ft. Jimmy Buffet

15. Back Where I Come From- Kenny Chesney

16. I Go Back- Kenny Chesney

17. Friends In Low Places- Garth Brooks

18. Heartland- George Strait

19. Where I Come From- Montgomery Gentry

20. Church Pew or Bar Stool- Jason Aldean 

Ag.. It's Whats For Dinner

As I sit here on this cold, spring day, I can’t help but to think what I want for dinner tonight. It is crazy to think that the food we eat each and every day is because of a farmer, somewhere in America, grew it for us. I cannot thank the farmers out there enough for their hard work, time, and dedication for this meal that I eat.

Goodness, my mouth is watering just thinking about what I am going to make tonight, and of course, the possibilities are endless. Pizza? Pasta? Burgers? Whatever the mouth desires, right!? By taking a look at my “Food” board on Pinterest, (http://pinterest.com/brookeyoung08/food/) it is easy to see that I really love food!

I thought I would share with you all one of my favorite recipes, Bubble Pizza. This recipes is so easy to make, and is easy to adjust according to the number of people.

The ingredients: 1 can of biscuits, 4 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce (I usually use one 15 oz can), and pepperonis or any additional pizza toppings you may desire.
 

Brooke's Bubble Pizza

First, I start out by greasing a 8x8 pan (perfect for myself and a friend). I cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and place them in my dish so it layers the bottom of my pan. I then cover the biscuits in pizza sauce and my favorite pizza toppings, pepperoni, ground beef and mushrooms, of course!

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Then, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe is also great for young kids! I love having my niece and nephew help me cook and to give them some experience in the kitchen. They have a lot of fun with the recipe! Believe it or not, their favorite side dish for this meal is green beans!

YUM! Thank you, farmers, for all of these tasty ingredients to help me prepare a delicious meal!

Child Labor Laws & Farm Safety

Child labor laws on the farm are a topic that has been in the news over and over again through the last couple of years. Last April, the government decided to take a step back and discontinue their push for stricter child labor laws on farms. Growing up on a family farm, I began working at a very young age, I think at the age of 4. I know how important it is to educate children about farming, agriculture, and most importantly, safety. Growing up and working on the farm has taught me many life lessons and values that I still use today.

Some of the jobs that I had while working on the farm at a young age included picking up rocks, weeding the garden, picking the vegetables, raking the yard, painting the sheds, feeding the chickens, and bottle feeding the calves. As I got older, some other jobs included mowing the yard (with our riding mower or push mower), and clearing brush.

To start off, one important lesson that my parents taught me was safety. My parents had always warned me of the dangers of the equipment on the farm. Many chores were labor intensive, and some required the use of equipment. It is always heartbreaking to hear of farm accidents in the news, especially those that result in serious injury or death. My dad always gave an important example of what happened to one of our neighbors who almost lost his life. It was an auger accident that resulted in a severely injured leg and a glass eye. Safety wasn't only important around farm equipment, but was also important around animals both big and small.

I believe that it is very important to learn about the dangers of the work and to be educated on how important farm safety is. I could go on and on about the importance of safety of the farm. Basically, one thing is important, SAFETY FIRST!!!! (click this link for more farm safety information from Farm Safety For Just Kids)

Although working on a farm can be very dangerous, I was also taught many life lessons and values growing up. One is being work ethic. When I am told to do something, I do it and I do it to the best of my ability. I don't quite until the job is done.

 

Responsibility was also another lesson gained. Getting my chores and work done was my responsibility. Often times, I was rewards with an allowance for getting my assigned tasks done. While feeding chickens and cows, I realized that their life and health was in my hands. It was my responsibility to get the chores done and to make sure that the animals were happy.

All in all, when child labor laws on farms and farm safety it brought it, it is important to note that yes, farming in dangerous, but education is the most important. With the education of farm safety, accidents and injuries can be avoided. Working on a family farm at a young age doesn't only help the farm, but also teaches many young farmers important life lessons that they will carry on with them as they get older.

Connect with me on Twitter if you would like to share your story or experiences on your family farm- @BYoungAg

City Girl Goes Rural

This week I am in San Diego for Pi Sigma Epsilon, PSE, National Convention. As I left Cedar Falls, I went to my parents house so they could drop me off at the airport. I brought a couple of friends with me to ride along. As we got to the farm, one of my friends, Kaylin, mentioned that she hadn’t seen a farm animal since she was 12. Um, WHAT?! I knew that this needed to change, and needed to change ASAP. Kaylin is from a town outside of Chicago, Illinois.

I took her up to our pasture so she could see our cows. It was like taking a kid to a candy store; she was so excited! She loved watching the calves running around playing with each other and was amazed by how big and mean the bull looked.

Abby and Kaylin visit the cows.

I am happy that I was able to impact someone’s life with something that is routine for me. Cows are part of my everyday life, especially living on our family farm in Iowa. It is crazy how city living can be so different than country living. 

Every Inch Counts

The use of precision agriculture is on the rise in rural Iowa. As this new technology is growing, farmers are maximizing their resources to their advantage. As farmers in Iowa prepare to get in the fields this spring, precision agriculture is a topic that is on most farmers' minds. 

What is precision agriculture? It is a form of technology that is used today to help farmers in a variety of ways on their farm. It can be used for planting, harvesting, tillage, spraying, and fertilizer application.

There are many benefits to using this technology in farming operations today. The first is that is saves money. By using precision agriculture, input costs are reduced and as a result, a higher return on investment can be attained. Input costs can be reduced in a variety of ways.

First, seed overlap is reduced during planting and seed placement is more accurate to maximize yield. An increased yield is obtained by getting more plants in the right spot during planting and the chemicals are also getting applied directly onto the seeds and plants in the right spot. Fuel costs are reduced by making fewer passes through the field. As you can see, costs savings include chemical application costs, fertilizer costs, and reduced seed costs.

An ergonomic benefit to using this technology is that more hours can be worked in the field with less fatigue.

Another facet of precision ag is yield monitoring. With yield monitoring a farmer can see the areas of high and low yield which can help them to make an informed (hopefully cost effective) management decisions whether it is getting an idea where to place tile or putting down a different rate of fertilizer.

Precision agriculture also helps keep track of farm records. These accurate farm records provide valuable information on yield and sales. It also helps to provide information for future management decisions. 

Lastly, precision agriculture is sustainable. Pollution is reduced through a reduction in the wasted use of chemicals.

We are still trying to adopt precision ag on our family farm. It is a large investment and takes a lot of consideration. However, knowing the benefits compared to the costs, I think that this will be a purchase for us in the near future. 

A great resource with more information about precision agriculture can be found at putyourfarmonthemap.com 

I Love Cows!

My favorite animal is a cow. A cow provides some of my favorite foods- milk, cheese (mac ‘n cheese especially!), burgers and steaks! I decided to look up some fun cow facts this morning to share with you. Enjoy!

~In a year’s time a dairy cow produces 1,500 gallons or 6,000 quarts of milk. A Jersey cow will give as much as 3 to 4 gallons or around 16 quarts of milk each day.

~Dairy cows provide us with milk and milk by-products like cheese, butter, and ice cream. In addition, milk is also used to manufacture glue, paint, and plastics.

~Straight from the cow, the temperature of cow’s milk is about 97 degrees Fahrenheit.

~The average U.S. dairy cow produces 22.5 quarts of milk each day. That’s about 16,000 glasses of milk per year – enough for about 40 people. One cow can give 200,000 glasses of milk in a lifetime.

~It takes approximately 1.4 gallons of milk to make 1 gallon of ice cream.

~Cheese was first made over 4,000 years ago in Asia.

~Cows are ruminants or cud-chewing animals eating hay, corn, soybeans, grass, wheat, and ensilage. Each cow eats 20 to 25 pounds of grain, 40 to 60 pounds of ensilage, 30 pounds of hay and drinks about 15 to 25 gallons of water a day.

~A typical, full grown Holstein cow weighs about 1,400 pounds and produces 60 pounds of milk per day.

~One day's production is 2.6 pounds of butter or 7 gallons of milk or 6 pounds of cheese.

~A dairy cow consumes 35 gallons of water, 20 pounds of grain and concentrated feed and 35 pounds of hay or silage (a mixture of corn and grass) in just one day.

My bottle calf, Marvin waiting to get fed. 

~It usually takes about 20 minutes for a cow to be milked. On average a cow is milked 2 to 3 times a day.

~Hamburger meat from a single steer will make about 720 quarter pound hamburger patties. That's enough for a family of 4 to enjoy hamburgers each day for nearly 6 months.

~Most popular cut of beef is ground beef.

~Beef is the #3 source of iron behind fortified cereal and grains.

~The U.S. supplies 25% of the world's beef with 10% of the world's cattle. 

What is your favorite food that comes from a cow? Comment below! 

No more snow.. or yes?

This time of the year we only have one thing on our minds and that is spring time. We cringe anytime we hear the word “snow” in the weather forecast. The shoveling, the falling, and the mess are just a few things that we begin to hate about snow this time of year. Trust me, I am so ready for spring to get here and for all the beautiful colors that it brings (and for planting 2013 to start too, of course)!

I was always taught to look at the positive side of things in situations that I don’t like. Could there be anything good about snow this time of the year? Well, I looked into that, and for how much I hate to say it, the snow has a few benefits this time of the year as we prepare to get in the fields in the next month or two.

Beautiful snow cover ground at sunset at The Young Farms.

Moisture. With the heavy drought that we experienced last year, we are all hoping that spring this year will bring us plenty of rain showers. Rain is something that we need a lot of in order for our crops to grow. However, the snowfall can also have a positive impact on the moisture levels of the soil. It has been found that 10 inches of snow equals 1 inch of rain. As the snow melts, some the water gets absorbed into the ground and the rest runs off into nearby streams and rivers. As the grounds soaks up all of this moisture, it helps to get the soil nice and ready for upcoming planting season.

Insulation. As you know, the ground freezes during the winter months because of the cold temperatures that we experience in the Midwest. The snow provides insulation to the ground. The blanket of snow helps to warm the ground and prevents the deep soil layers from freezing. The fewer layers of soil that are not frozen, the quicker the top layers of the ground can thaw in the spring. By keeping the ground warmer, the soil is able to absorb more moisture and the upper layer of the soil will thaw much faster.  

So the next time the weather man calls for a couple inches of snow, just remember, snow is moisture and moisture is good! We may hate it now, but since we are stuck with it we might as well appreciate the benefits that it provides. 

What Can FFA Do For You?

One of my biggest regrets in life is not becoming a collegiate member of FFA after I graduated from high school. I was very involved in my FFA chapter as I served as chapter parliamentarian and vice president. During my time with FFA, I was a part of many projects, contributed to chapter development, and most importantly, I learned many skills that I am still using today. FFA is a great way to learn about agriculture as well as develop skills that are very useful in your future. Here is how FFA has helped me, and how it can help you.

Leadership. I was able to gain leadership skills through various projects and in my officer position.  In my officer position, I had to motivate members to get involved and to participate in chapter activities. I also had to be a role model to new members while introducing them to the FFA chapter and getting their feet wet in projects.

Teamwork. I was always working with other FFA members on many projects and activities thorough our chapter. I learned how to work with other people by working on chapter projects and coordinating chapter events. By working well with other people, we were able to accomplish a common goal and successful project.

Public Speaking. I was a very shy growing up and didn’t like speaking in front of large groups of people. I started by speaking to the chapter when announcing upcoming projects or activities at chapter meetings. I got a lot of public speaking practice at the chapter banquets through my officer position. I also competed at district and state competitions. Many of these competitions required me to present in front of a group of judges or other FFA members. With these experiences, I have become a better public speaker and I still practice those skills today.

Friendships. I met many people who shared the same interests as me. I met new friends at district competitions, state competition and other FFA events. I loved meeting new people and I enjoyed learning about what their chapters were doing for their projects and involvement.

The skills that I gained from FFA while I was in high school are skills that I still use today. I have applied these skills in my school work, class projects, and at work. Thank you FFA for helping make me who I am today. 

Learning to do. Doing to learn. Learning to live. Living to serve.  

FFA Week 2013

This week is National FFA Week, which is the week of February 16-23, dedicated to agriculture and the FFA Organization to create awareness to the public.

Here is a brief history behind FFA Week- This week is also the week of George Washington’s birthday, February 22^nd. George Washington is the official symbol of the FFA Treasurer. Washington was known as a great American spokesperson, one of the first, to create awareness. This is why FFA Week is tied to Washington’s birthday. 

Click here to view a great video from the National FFA explaining why we celebrate FFA Week.

It has been many years, well only 5 to be exact, since I have had the chance to celebrate FFA week with my chapter. At Alburnett High School, we started FFA week off with pajama day. There is no better way to spend your Monday at school than in your favorite pair of jammies. We also had a teacher breakfast which the chapter officers arrived at school early in the morning and cooked breakfast for all of the school teachers. It was a way to give appreciation and to say thanks to our teachers. Other activities included wear official dress day, wear blue and gold day, dress like a farmer day, and of course, drive your tractor to school day.

To end the week, we held a high school pep assembly. There were many games such as tug-o-war and hay bale toss. This was a great way to get the entire high school involved in the celebration of FFA Week. Here are some pictures of our FFA Week celebrations at Alburnett:

A couple of the tractors in the school parking lot for
Drive Your Tractor To School Day.

Dress Like A Farmer Day.

Giving thanks to the teachers at our school.

Teacher breakfast during FFA Week. 

A teacher competition during the pep assembly for FFA Week.

I really miss celebrating FFA Week with my chapter, and even more importantly I miss my blue corduroy jacket. To any of you FFA’ers out there, enjoy this week and make the most of it! Don’t be afraid to show your love for agriculture and the FFA. Share your knowledge and experiences to your friends and peers.

Happy FFA Week! 

On the 8th day...

It is the Super Bowl commercial that many people were buzzing about, including me. The Ram Truck commercial, "Farmer" aired during the second half of Super Bowl 47 and caught the attention of many viewers right away. The narrator was Paul Harvey who was a radio broadcaster for the ABC radio networks. Harvey, who passed in 2009, originally gave this speech at the National FFA Convention in 1978.

As a marketing student, I always pay close attention to the advertisements that air during the Super Bowl. This commercial caught my attention not only because I knew it was about farming, but because of the advertisement itself. It was not your typical Super Bowl ad. It had a narrator and only showed still pictures in a slide show format. It was attention getting and one that had the audience listening.

Ram Trucks along with Case IH have dedicated 2013 as “The Year of the Farmer” and kicked off this initiative with the "Farmer" commercial. More information about this movement can be found at: http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/keepplowing/

As someone who grew up and worked on a family farm, I believe that farmers need and deserve not only local recognition, but also national recognition for all that they do. Farm land is decreasing, yet production from farmers is increasing to meet the demands of a growing world population.

No Farms= No Food. Simple.

As part of their "Keep Plowing" campaign, Ram Trucks has declared 2013 the year of the farmer.

This commercial really hit home to me as it gave me the chills and a tear in my eye. “WOW,” was all I could think after watching that commercial. My Twitter and Facebook pages immediately exploded with friends and followers talking about this commercial and what it meant to them.

From my late grandfather to my father and other family members, I have seen how much hard work and dedication it takes to run a family farm. Many hours, days, and years of pouring their own blood, sweat, and tears into the daily tasks required to maintaining the farm. It is very labor intensive and is only for those who can work sun up to sun down, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, no vacation time, and no days off. Harvey said it perfectly in his speech, "So God made a farmer."

If you haven’t yet, please watch the “Farmer” commercial. This is what agriculture and farming is about. To watch, please click here.

Snow Removal: Farmer Style

Each year in Iowa, it is a no brainer that we can expect a large amount of snowfall to fall on us during the winter season. This year, however, was quite interesting. In early January, much of December’s snow had melted. By late January, we had highs up in the 50’s which took care of any remaining snow on the ground. The next day, we got hit with a pretty nasty ice storm. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier than that, surprise, heavy rain showers and a lovely spring thunderstorm. Yes, a thunderstorm; thunder, lightening, and the whole nine yards. Okay, this isn’t so bad; maybe spring time is just around the corner, right? We were wrong. The very next day we got hit with 6 inches of snow! This is enough to give me a headache.

It is not a simple task to shovel a farm drive-way and the pasture drives. If fact, I’m sure it would be pretty close to impossible unless you had an army of friends to help shovel. So, how do we remove snow at The Young Farms? Farmer Style.

  

That’s right. We hooked the ‘ole International Harvester up to a giant snow blower. We, well I mean my dad, takes the tractor up and down the driveway at our house a few times until it is cleared, then he moves onto taking care the rest of the driveways on the farm. Doesn’t this make snow removal look fun? Especially in the warmth the tractor cab!

Welcome!

So here it is- the start of my very first blog. For how nervous I am, I am even more excited to get started talking about what I love, and to see where this takes me. So with that said, welcome to Brooklyn’s Backroad Blog! My focus of this blog will be on family farming and agriculture in Iowa. I have always been very passionate about ag, and I can’t wait to share my interests and experiences.

Bottle feeding Belle one summer morning. 

To start, my name is Brooke Young and I am a senior Marketing and Advertising student at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Now for a little background information so you can get to know me and my “rural roots”. I grew up on a family farm outside of the small town of Alburnett, Iowa. Our farm is three generations strong today. My house was built back in 1900 and many of our farm buildings were built in the 1920’s, including the barn, with the “newer” buildings built in the 70’s. It is amazing to me how buildings this old are still standing today. 

I began working on the farm at a very early age of 5 or 6 years old. My responsibilities included feeding the baby chickens or helping my dad bottle feed the cows. I would also walk the fields in the summer with my brother and grandma, collecting rocks in a 5 gallon bucket. In the fall and spring I enjoyed riding around in the tractor and combine with my parents, watching these huge pieces of equipment plant and harvest fields of crops. I would also go out with my dad on cold winter days before school in the morning and before dinner in the evening to bottle feed our calves. Despite the cold, that was probably my favorite chore of all! Other responsibilities I had on the farm included maintenance and upkeep. My younger brother and I were often assigned responsibilities together to paint the garage or barn, weed the garden, or mow the lawn.

As I got older, I was able to help with the “big kid chores”. We were given more chores that were more labor intensive. Before I even had a learners permit, I would drive the pickup around the hay field pulling the hay rack as my brother and dad collected the square hay bales off of the ground. We would then help unload all of the bales into the haymow in the barn. In case you didn’t know, the average weight of a square bale is between 70 and 100 pounds! Talk about a hard day’s work in the summer sun!

Feeding the chickens.

 This is where I come from, just a small, family farm in rural Linn County, Iowa. From bottle feeding the calves, feeding the chickens, collecting the eggs, to spending the day in the field, this is what I enjoyed, and still enjoy doing. Growing up I was never scared to get dirty or break a sweat. Although I refer to it as chores, it wasn’t chores. It was what we did, what we had to do, and a way of life. Stay tuned for more posts relating to family farms and agriculture in Iowa.