by Jesse Bussard
A year ago on Christmas I wrote my first blog post. I never imagined a year from then that I’d be writing my 198th post. It’s been a crazy year for me. I’ve come a long way. I’ve learned a lot more about myself, expanded my horizons, made some good friends, and gotten to do some things I never thought I would.
A few of the highlights in my life from this year have been…
- Moving to Kentucky
- Starting grad school
- Pulling off a successful research project
- Meeting some of my favorite social media friends in person that I’ve known for so long online
- Receiving scholarship awards from the American Association of Meat Processors and the Beef Improvement Federation
- Travelling to Montana for the BIF Conference to receive my scholarship award and finally meeting Lauren Chase (@LaurenMSea) in person. I can’t say enough good things about that experience! You can read more about it here.
- Finally meeting Ryan Goodman (@AR_ranchhand) in person in Nashville, TN
- And the list goes on and on…
In honor of my first year, I thought it fitting to share with you some of the top posts from 2011.
- Dairy farm enclosures keep cows healthier, happier than most pets
- This post was brought to you courtesy of Jake Geis, a second year veterinary currently studying at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The article was previously published in the Daily Nebraskan on September 23, 2010. I was honored that Jake allowed me to repost his columns on my blog. This one in particular about modern dairy farms received the most hits of all, totaling over 1100 for the year. You can find Jake on Facebook and Twitter.
- Carpe diem, before it’s too late
- Relatively recent, this post was my memorial to a dear friend and mentor, Dr. Chris Raines, a meat scientist at Penn State University who was tragically taken from us on Dec. 18, 2011. This blog exist because of Dr. Raines’ encouragement for me to use social media in a more proactive way to benefit the agricultural community. He will be severely missed.
- Livestock Haulers Become Modern-Day Trail Bosses
- “Having a CDL myself I’ve come to make friends with some interesting folks in the trucking industry over the years. Of all of the truckers I’ve ever met though I’d say cattle haulers are the most interesting. Let me just say, they’re a rare breed. It takes a special kind of truck driver to haul livestock.” This post features a link to a column featured on Cattle Today that was a fitting tribute to the profession of cattle hauling.
- Forage Facts: Nitrate Toxicity in Cattle
- Back in late January of 2011 I had the brilliant idea to start two blog series based on my passion for agronomy. This resulted in the birth of the “Weedy Wednesday” and “Forage Facts” series. And as luck would have it, it turns out I’m not the only #agnerd out there interested in weeds and grass! This post about the signs, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of nitrate toxicity in cattle was one of the chart toppers for the series. A close second was “Weedy Wednesday: That Pesky Pigweed.”
Who knows what 2012 will bring. With the upcoming Farm Bill and other ag policies issues, the lift on the horse slaughter ban, and the increased volatility of commodity markets there will certainly be lots to write about. I’ll be taking a break from blogging the rest of this year but look for more from Pearl Snaps in the coming year! Until then, keep the bale rolling…
