The First Christmas: Part Two

S'mores for a Christmas Eve treat!

As previously noted, Abby and I had our First Christmas together and although we aren't married yet, we had a wonderful time resting, relaxing, gifting, serving and making memories that could possibly tun in to our own new traditions.

Since Thanksgiving, I've learned just how much Abby enjoys Christmas movies on tv. So on Christmas eve, we lit the fire, roasted up some s'mores and settled in for an evening of Christmas classics.

We were able to have time with our family Christmas day via Skype and FaceTime (no thanks to our internet speed) as well as relax and enjoy doing our own things and reflecting on the year we've had.

As I write this blog and continue to reflect on the year, it's worth noting that this is my 100th blog post! It has been a fun adventure to this point, and I have met many great people and learned many unique things because of my involvement in advocating for agriculture through social media and blogging.

I am so blessed to have the freedom to write what I experience, and to share my thoughts and opinions with whoever may be interested in reading them! Social media has given me a way to share my passion for agriculture with others, bring them into our family farm and now as I transition into "adulthood" and the new life that I will have with Abby, provides fun new ways of communicating with family and friends and as I share the adventures!

Besides Christmas wishes, you hear a lot about this time of year is New Years resolutions. I intend to have some new goals and resolutions for myself both personally and professionally in the new year (coming soon to my blog). Christmas was wonderful, returning to work is also very satisfying to me as I get a chance to get back in the swing of things with work, and I look forward to future adventures to share on my blog. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, has a happy new year, and may the next 100 blog posts be as fun and meaningful as the first 100 was to me!

2014 in Review

Sometimes, I have trouble deciding what to write about for this blog, and what to provide as commentary to my friends at Swineweb.com.

For no reason other than it had been a while, I chose to publish this one to swineweb. Please take a few minutes to read it, reflect on what you have to be thankful for and share with others the joy that God has given you.

Then, be sure to check out Swineweb.com for all your pork industry news in the US and Canada. 

http://www.swineweb.com/sam-wildman-pork-producer-commentary-year-review-december-22nd-2014/ 

Reading, It's Good For The Mind!

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.”  – Ernest Hemingway

When I was young, my mother would always make sure I read books. She didn't really care what books, but just read them. I never really understood why, and I grew to kind of resent reading books. Now that I have grown up some, and I've had some real-world experiences, I know the importance of reading. I read books, papers, magazines, commentaries and blogs. These things have helped me keep my mind sharp.

Now I enjoy having time to read after a busy day or even on a lazy day (college seniors tend to have lots of those). I enjoy learning about the world around me and I find it interesting (and sometimes frustrating) to see how people think differently. This summer while I was on my internship at Fair Oaks Farms, I was asked to take some time to read A Rat Is A Pig Is A Dog Is A Boy and then have some time in reflection with my boss. I thought he was crazy, but once I read throughout he book, I realized that the reflection time was every bit as important as the book itself.  My boss said, "the more you read, the more you understand about the world; and the more you understand, the greater chance you have at making an impact."

That has stuck with me since last summer, and I have read more in the past six months than I had in the previous three years of my college career (outside of textbooks…of course). Having friends who enjoy reading and discussing these things really makes it more fun and interesting for me to read. I never thought I would participate in a "book club" of any kind, but I sure am glad I have made a commitment to read more, ask more questions, discuss more with others, and hopefully make an impact somewhere in the world.

If you're curious what I've been reading, feel free to jump over to my bookshelf tab to see what's on my shelf!

“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” — Oscar Wilde

Request From A Friend: 10 Questions

I know I promised to have the follow-up discussion to my "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" post this time around, but it's gonna have to wait until the next one. Recently I was tipped off that a friend of mine won an award and wanted to pass it on to some of her blogger buddies, but she needed us to answer some questions first. So here it is Janice, my best attempt to provide some "Love for Bacon" to the "Love of Beef"!

1. Describe your Agriculture Operation.

I grew up on a 650 sow farrow to finish pig operation in southwest Ohio. Recently we have converted our unit to a wean to finish operation that can provide nearly 25,000 market pigs annually.We work closely with the folks at Fair Oaks Farms Pig Adventure, which is where we buy our weaned piglets from. We also raise corn and soybeans to offset some of our feed costs. 

As a college student, I don't have a full time role on the farm besides asking my dad for constant updates about this, that and everything in between. But I help when I can and we continue to move the farm forward for the future.

We believe in transparency and consistency on our farm. Which is why my dad and I provide such unique aspects to the blogging world through our blogs. Because we come from different generations and educations, we look at the same issues a little differently, but provide for a more diverse impact from our advocacy efforts.

2. What Agriculture Operation would you never do and why?

Produce! I'm not much of a green thumb, and I don't understand the way a garden (of any size operation) works. I'm not one for humid air of greenhouses, and I'm not sure there is any way to sustainably be a produce farmer in Ohio without it. 

3. When was the last time you vacationed (agriculture events do not count)?

As many others farming families, vacation rarely happens, and when it does, it involves agriculture events! When I was young, we would vacation at the county fair while we were showing our livestock, but that is an ag event. Now that I'm older, dad and I often travel together, most recently last June to Washington D.C. for the Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholder's Summit, which is also an ag event. 

But to my family, agriculture is our pursuit of happiness, and we know that sometimes family time is sacrificed in order keep improving. But I personally feel that traveling with my dad provides enough of a vacation for us. No matter what the event we are going to is, we enjoy the company and have made some good memories on those trips. 

4. What is your least favorite food?

Clams and sushi! I'm not one for the texture…that's all I have to say about that.

5. If you could make a t-shirt today - what would it say?

"When the going gets tough, turn to God" - Faith is a farmers best friend. Both in religion and in practice. Having faith in what you can't see is the only way to wake up in the morning and know that all your work will pay off. And only God and reward you for your loyalty, both to Him through faith and to your passion for the land and livestock.

6. What is the last thing you pinned on pinterest?

I'll probably catch some wrath from my college buddies for this, but I DO have a Pinterest. I use it mostly to show my girlfriend what I'd like to eat someday in the near future, but also because I enjoy the humor section quite a bit. Lately I've been looking forward to graduating college and beginning my post-education career somewhere. Which means I won't be living at the Alpha Gamma Rho House anymore, which is going to be a bit of a culture change for me. So I'd say the last thing I pinned was some sort of barn siding table that I'd like to make someday when I have a house of my own. 

7. What are you cooking for supper?

Well, funny story…mom got me a nice cookbook for Christmas (I guess she plans on me graduating) and The Pioneer Woman cookbook may just give me an idea to try sometime (but probably not tonight). There is a few tasty looking recipes for the Super Bowl, so maybe I'l try one of them.

8. Who are you following in Basketball right now?

I'm not a huge fan of basketball, but I do go to The Ohio State University, which means B1G basketball is a part of my daily routine to check. Lately the Buckeye boys have been on a bit of a slide, but I have faith for a turn around in February, especially on the home court. #GOBUCKS

9. When was the last time you ate beef?

This weekend. I don't remember what day, but I'm sure it was in there. I, like many others, take for granted the food I eat and don't often think about exactly what the ingredients are.

10. What is your most motivational Bible verse?

Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." As I said before, it takes faith to know that the work of a farmer will be rewarded by the Maker. To taste and see that the Lord is good, to me, means that I must always put faith in Him and try my hardest (although I will always fall short) of His glory, when I take refuge in the Creator, things become easier.

Well Janice, Hopefully this provides you with some sort of inspiration to keep writing. I mean, For the Love of Beef, you gotta keep it going!

It's Not Science, Must Be Something More

Recently I was shown an article that profiles my friend and colleague as an "animal exploitation expert" and someone who cares not about animals, but about making money, no matter what the cost. The group that is accusing him, and everyone who works at Fair Oaks Farms and The Pig Adventure, is a radical vegan group known as Free From Harm.

Anti-ag groups like this one are waging an issue of morality against the animal agriculture industry and we have repeatedly defended ourselves with scientific based arguments. This is a problem because we can not use science to say that a moral issue has been satisfied. They claim that moral relativism does not justify the action of farmers, and that there is no such thing as human exceptionalism.

I am an evangelical christian, I worship God because I believe that sent his son Jesus to the world to die for our sins. I also believe that creation was part of His glorious and masterful plan.

I believe that man was put on the earth to serve a purpose, to live in God's light. According to the book of Genesis, before sin entered the world, God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." 

This simple charge from God has given me a purpose. As a God-fearing christian, it is my responsibility to care for the world to the best of my ability so that God's plan can be done. All of this that you read is part of my worldview and it is simply a backdrop for what I am about to say.

In order to believe that you have a calling or a duty or a purpose on this earth, than you must believe that earth was part of an immaculate plan for a greater reason. My belief, as outlined above, is that the human race is exceptional to all other beings and in being so, we have the moral duty to serve our purpose as caretakers with "dominion over all the earth."

This anthropocentrism is what gives me the calling as a farmer to care for the environment, livestock, crops and all that I control, in a way that promotes the glory of God. I believe that I have a moral responsibility to help feed the world and provide nutrient to the land.

I believe that much of the worldview surrounding radical animal & environmental rights and also anti bio-tech groups doesn't have much holding in belief of a God, a purpose, or a greater calling.

 Author Wesley J. Smith writes about these and many other issues revolving around the the human cost of the animal rights movement in his book "A Rat is a Pig is a Dog is a Boy" This book helps to outline the differences in animal rights and animal welfare, morality issues, and ruthless campaigns from anti animal ag groups. I suggest that anyone who reads this picks up a copy, it will greatly help you understand why people think the way they do about animal ag, and not on a scientific level, but as a moral issue.

Then End Is Just The Beginning

My internship will come to a close on Monday, August 5. I am a bit torn about this fact, because I have such a passion for talking about the pig industry and I take a lot of personal responsibility and pride in showing the guests at the Pig Adventure what it is we do.

Some of my favorite co-workers

Having said all that, this has been a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to help develop the programs that are going to be on the frontline of Fair Oaks' agri-tourism and educational tours. The experiences have ranged from exciting and great adventures to extreme stress from plans going wrong, criticism being heavy, and just the normal speed-bumps of life.

 But through the high and low times of this internship I have been able to remain true to myself as a person. My character as a professional in agriculture has been tested many times, and many times has come away with a new way of looking at things and making me a more rounded individual.

The intern team through thick and thin

I have had the pleasure to work with other high caliber interns who are as passionate as I am about our industry and just as excited for the future as I am. I have been able to surround myself with some of the best in the business when it comes to building these agri-tainment and education programs. My supervisors from both Fair Oaks Farms & Belstra Milling Company have helped me grow in more ways than I can think of.

Going into the last few days of my internship I will have one more weekend opportunity to speak to thousands of people that we expect to see over the weekend and at our grand opening on August 5, 2013. I hope for nothing more than to end on a high note, but if it doesn't play out that way, I'm sure I will be able to present myself to the best of my ability as that has grown over the summer.

Looking forward to the future, I can already see how this internship will provide me with many opportunities to achieve a career in agriculture. My exposure to first hand concerns from consumers of all kinds has given me a unique way of thinking that I feel stands out from other internships. My training to answer concerns and questions has been tested and moving forward I think can make for a valuable asset to a company. While I will miss working here, I know that this is the beginning of what I believe will be a great opportunity for both myself moving forward, and many other interns to come!

A special thanks goes out to Malcolm, Jon, Gary, Jamie, Julie, Brock, Jodi, Leah, Phil and everyone else I have had the opportunity to work with at Fair Oaks and Belstra Milling this summer! I hope that the future is bright for us all and that the opportunity to have meaningful conversations continues to grow.

Adventurous Times

I often use the phrase "never a dull moment" when referring to my life back home both on the farm and while at school. That phrase has definitely transferred into my work life as well! Which is good, because it keeps me on my feet and excited about the next day.

Telling sponsors what the first hand experience has been like

This week at the Pig Adventure, we held an event for all the industry donors who have given financial support to help take the Pig Adventure from a dream to a reality. That event meant that people from all over the pig industry gathered in Fair Oaks, IN to hear get the official tour of the Pig Adventure.


Many people came to see specific things, but everyone was interested in hearing what we had learned about the perception of modern day pig farms from our regular visitors. I took great delight in being able to answer those questions, and used that time to tell people what I had noticed. My previous blog post eludes to many of the things I feel to be true about what I am seeing on a daily basis.

We are also finishing our second week of being open to public tours this week and I am proud to say that in the past ten day, more than 7,000 people have come through the doors of the Pig Adventure and seen first-hand what happens inside a modern day pig farm.

It has been great to see all of these pieces come together on the agri-tourism side of my adventure this summer. I am so happy to be a part of the many great things to be coming for the Fair Oaks family as well. I really can't wait to see what the next week will bring as there is always something exciting and interesting going on.

Farmers Need to Shine, Don't Fight the Shadow

According to the United States Census Bureau, there are roughly 300 million people living in the United States. Of those, only 15 percent live in what the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes as non-metro areas or counties. And when you look at the change and trend in the numbers indicates on a broad level that people are continuing to leave the non-metro areas in the long run. Growth may come and go, but the distance between the rural and metro consumers of our country are growing.

Graph from USDA website: http://1.usa.gov/1bbRmnB

There is a lot of rhetoric in agriculture about the growing disconnect between gate and plate, farm and food, and the understanding of common farm practices. In part to my internship this summer (which can be read about in previous blog posts), I have realized a few things about how farmers react to the proactive approach that the industry has began to take in order to reconnect consumers with the farms of modern day agriculture. 

In my opinion, farmers are all to often "afraid of their shadow" when trying to talk with consumers who don't have an agriculture background. Occasionally some retired pig farmers will come through the Pig Adventure and they always have memories of the "old days" and "how it used to be". Many offer encouraging words about what we are doing, but some will raise their concerns with transparency. 

Some farmers (all different ages) that I talk with, seem to think that their is a limit to transparency. That we need to "tread lightly" or else we are going to get sunk in hole we can't dig out of. This is where I believe that they are "hiding in their shadow" and not willing to be honest about the practices on the farm. I believe that this is because as an industry, we have underestimated human nature and the one's ability to listen to farmers without jumping down their throats. 

It seems to me that if you have a product (pig farm, crops, dairy, beef, poultry etc) that you are proud of, invested in, and willing to talk to openly about; then 99 percent of the people you talk to are interested and willing to listen to you before forming an opinion about your product and processes. Sometimes people have an negative idea of what you do on the farm because of some propaganda they saw that was sourced by someone opposing agriculture. But even then, people tend to be amazed at the processes of farming and are able to connect with the simplicity that we still have on the farm. Even though we are using technology to find that simplicity.

I'm giving a tour of our breeding operation to a group of friends. Bio security measures require them to wear the disposable suit when in the barns.

My boss asked me the other day, "if a farmer could have a five minute conversation about agriculture and show them an aspect of what they do, could we (agriculture) change the opinion of many people who unknowingly follow the propaganda and form negative feelings towards agriculture?"

I believe that the answer is yes! While I know I it can't be done alone, I believe that their is a special way for agriculture to have these friendly conversations that can mean a world of change for our industry. I want to offer a few reminders for those who want to have these conversations:

1. Don't be afraid of your shadow - Shadows are only present because their is light shining on us, the time for us to step into that light is now. Bigger shadows mean more light on you! Take advantage of the opportunity present.
2. Talk about what you do - People want to talk to people. They want to know that you're a farmer and that you care about them. The more personable you can make your conversation, the more they will listen to what you have to say.
3. Be comfortable with the uncomfortable - many times we begin to talk about what we do, then when a negative term or question arises, we quickly run back into the shadow. No wonder people are afraid of agriculture, if we aren't willing to talk about it ourselves!
4. Enjoy yourself!! - People want to see you happy and excited to talk about what you do. The light has never shined brighter on agriculture than it does now. I'm proud of what I do and I want to show others why! That is the thought that makes the whole idea of talking to others a bit more comfortable to me. 

Hopefully these words encourage some to begin taking those steps out of the shadows. If you are worried about the response you're going to get, just wait until you see people's faces light up when you show them the farm. I encourage all farmers I talk to, to find a way to have these conversations, through trainings, social media, tours, presentations, and casual conversations around the coffee table. There is no end to what we can achieve when we work together and step out of the shadow.

Dream Big

What do the Wright brothers, Henry Ford, and Steve Jobs all have in common? They all had an idea in their mind of where the future is heading. They all had a dream. They were all committed and unwavering from their goal, although I'm sure they all faced many tough times while transforming those dreams into a reality.

The concrete was still wet from being poured that morning

One year ago this week I drove to the World Pork Expo to help some friends talk about a dream they had for the pig industry. They had already began reaching towards their dream. I remember stopping by Fair Oaks, Indiana at the current site of the Pig Adventure and finding that concrete footers had just been poured that day for a breeding/gestating/farrowing barn that was being built. 

This was no ordinary barn though, and it was no ordinary dream that my friends at Belstra Milling and Fair Oaks Farms had. They planned to build an fully functioning pig farm that allowed the public to come in and see what pig farmers do on a daily basis. That dream continued to grow through many planning and development meetings but they were on their way to transforming that dream into reality.

Artist rendition of what was soon to come

This week, one year later, I witnessed the miracle of life take place on site of that same pig farm! The first litter of piglets arrived on June 3, 2013. The dream of a few farmers had almost come full circle. This week was also the beginning of friends and family "sneak peek week".

Kasey, a pig farmer at the Pig Adventure shows our visitors one of the piglets born today. 

While construction continued on the Pig Adventure, I witnessed hundreds of people come through the doors and begin playing with all the cool gizmos and gadgets throughout the building. Our guests were also able to see what I had witnessed earlier in the week, the miracle of life take place right before their eyes. 

A litter rests after a morning of nursing. The sow lays comfortably in her pen as they rest.

It's amazing to see how happy people are when their are young animals around them. There is something to be said about witnessing a birth, its almost as if you share the moment with them, and in many ways people were. The comments I heard ranged from, "oh my there's so many of them" to "they're so cute" and the most eye opening to the public "you mean that pig just lays there and has them all with almost no pain?"

Being able to share that moment with the visitors was something special to me. I enjoyed seeing all their faces light up when they saw the pigs happily playing with each other or sleeping. I even shared some laughs as the piglets showed that their age as they did what piglets do, nurse and play. 

I take great pride in what we do on the farm and have an ever growing respect for the care takers of all species of animals. It's amazing to see these things I've discussed take place. It's even more amazing to see, and be a part of a dream as big as the Pig Adventure take shape.

Interns Phil and Leah study the 8 ft. ipad-type exhibit to make sure its working properly in the visitors center.

While the pig adventure still isn't complete, I have no doubt that the next few months will be very fun for the many people involved in the big dream of some pig farmers.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, "Dream no small dream for they have no power to move the hearts of men" and as I sit and write this, I find more and more truth in those words. If not for big dreams, mankind would not have been able to grow to where we are today.

What An Adventure : Fair Oaks Pig Adventure

So there's a farm in Indiana, a dairy farm, an hour south of Chicago that has decided, "we are going to show the public what we do on a commercial dairy farm, and we will give them tours of our facilities and educate them about the agriculture industry."

This is Fair Oaks Farms and they have done a great job achieving their goal of educating everyday people about the dairy industry. So now for the exciting news, Fair Oaks is expanding, they want to cover as many livestock species as they can to educate consumers more on what the agricultural community and industry is all about. So the first step in expanding is to build a pig barn which will be known as the Fair Oaks Pig Adventure (FOPA)

This facility, located two miles from the Fair Oaks visitors center and dairy education building will be a commercial pork production operation that will operate 2400 sows (mommy pigs). The tours will be given through a building connected to the pig barn by glass walls, ceilings and floors so that you can see everything that happens in the facility.


The reason for the separate building is because it is important that we (producers) protect the airspace within our pig barns so that no foreign disease enters the air, feed or water from all the traffic and locomotion that comes with giving the tours. In order to keep our animals healthy and in tip top condition we create the safe air barrier within the new state of the art barns. Another way to look at it is the first week of school, a lot more children (baby pigs in the case of producers) get sick from all the new people, places and things going on in their lives. So with livestock, we can use these types of safe guards to protect our pigs, employees and ultimately the pork that goes to the supermarkets.

My family has a small (by industry standards of the day) pig farm in Southwest Ohio. We raise pigs as independent owners/growers. That means we own pigs all the way from birth to market. The Fair Oaks Pig Adventure (FOPA) has presented an exciting opportunity for our family to become even more involved in the pig industry. When the barns are built and the pigs start having babies, my family farm, Standing Oaks Enterprises will continue to raise pigs, but we will no longer raise our own from birth. We will be what is called a private grower, we will purchase baby pigs from the Fair Oaks Farm and own them from wean to market.

The pig adventure is a very big, exciting thing for the pork industry. We are looking forward to teaching as many people as we can about the industry. On our farm, the education doesn't just stop at Fair Oaks in Indiana, we are learning how to be better educators and how to get more involved in many ways, one of which I will talk about in my next blog post.

So if you're interested in learning more about the agriculture industry, Fair Oaks Farms, or the Pig Adventure I want to give you some suggestions. My friends at Feedstuffs, one of the top agriculture publications have covered the pig adventure from the beginning of the construction and continue to do so. They have taken some very good photos and written a couple articles about it. I encourage you look at them. Please follow my family farm on either facebook or twitter. If you're excited about the adventure we have all started and want to help, their is a fundraiser being done by Dennis Sargent at Indiana Pork for those interested who might  want to contribute just contact them and they will help you with that.

My reflections in the past few months have started to center around this adventure that my family is going on and its very exciting to us and we really enjoy telling others about it so be looking for more posts about this from me.

Until then....be safe, be healthy and eat pork!