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The big UK trip is almost here, and we’re prepping for the Edinburgh Castle Tattoo with a visit to the National Western Stock Show, and the Scottish Highland Cattle show.  Those bagpipes and tartans get us every time, no matter what the event.

In today’s podcast, we grabbed a moment in the cattle barns with Audra Hall of Clearwater Spring Highlands in Brighton, Colorado.  Audra was somewhere between the fluff and fold cycle that goes on in a mad rush before the annual show and sale.  Elara was mesmerized by the flow of Highland Cattle hair in the big barn fans (Have you ever seen the winds moving over a lush grassy plain a few months after a generous rainy season?  It was like that.).  And then bagpipes, too.  With all of that glorious color, culture and sound – well,, a more fitting preparation for next month’s visit we couldn’t imagine.

We’ll be posting all along on the trip, and we hope you join us on our adventure back to the homeland of many of our most important agricultural breeds.  What do we call it?  Tartan and Tweed Tour 2023.  The Rose and Thistle Tour.  The Borderland Bonanza.  

The possibilities are endless, and we hope you send in suggestions for naming our adventure!

 
Links:
https://www.cshnaturalbeef.com/
https://www.highlandcattleusa.org/default.aspx
https://www.mshca.org/
https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_breeds
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217209/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091203/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112573/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://nationalwestern.com/

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Today we have a (Elara-has-had-too-much-coffee-and-dirt) podcast interview with Andrew Conroy, B.S., M.S., PhD, who is a two-time Fulbright Scholar, professor at the University of New Hampshire, and man who can claim way too many other accomplishments to mention here.  

Dr. Conroy has wrote the book on oxen (Really.  He wrote more than one, and you can follow the link below to buy them for yourself).  On more than one continent, he is the guy that everyone mentions when someone wants to know more about how to hitch draft animals up to do something.  

Please join Elara and Dr. Conroy as they talk about the good doctor’s journey through a life in oxenland, and the joys of different breeds and places.  You’ll have to imagine them surrounded by shady green pastures, with two curious Kerry Cattle and a very energetic young dog providing the background excitement.  

 
Links:
https://colsa.unh.edu/person/andrew-conroy
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=drew+conroy&crid=7QKW74K109WD&sprefix=drew+conroy%2Caps%2C162&ref=nb_sb_noss
https://fulbrightscholars.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chianina
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-forages/alfalfa-establishment-steps-maximize-yield#field-selection-703010
http://milkingdevons.org/

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In all of the mad rushing about around the country, sometimes we forget that there are some really fantastic things close to home.  This week’s podcast celebrates that with a trip to nearby Ramona for the Family Farm Expo, put on by the folks at Roobeez.  As holds true to many of the critters you’ll find there, this event is a combination of things.  Chicken meetup and poultry swap, sure, but also filled with little booths displaying lovelies like handcrafted soaps, fresh herbs, honey products, local winery and brewery samplers, and pretty much anything you can make or grow on a farm.  There are workshops to boot.

Today we bring you a conversation with Ashley Hahn, a coordinator at Roobeez and mad scientist of a chicken breeder.  Thanks to her and her efforts at Little Lane Farm, we get to use the words “Candy corn Frizzle Polish” today.  How fun is that?

 
Links:
https://www.roobeez.com/
https://www.roobeez.com/roostersrising
https://www.instagram.com/little_lane_farms_sd/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Little_Lane_Farms_SD-100068990572491/

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Straight from the Clairmont neighborhood Garden Walk, growing maven DeLayne Harmon will join us today on our podcast to tell us more about the how one earns the title “Master Gardener.”

It’s a happy and sad one for us today, but especially in this month, reminders of growth and regrowth are ever-present.

Happy May Day to the ladies of our lives – flowers, feathers, and family.

Links:
https://www.mastergardenersd.org/
https://clairemontonline.com/page-18602
https://www.sdfarmbureau.org/san-diego-agriculture/
https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/san-diego-county/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_(United_States)
https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/05/07/tulare-basin-and-lake-2023-and-their-future/
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/26/californias-reappearing-tulare-lake-could-remain-for-two-years.html
https://endextinctionsandiego.org/
https://holidappy.com/quotes/31-Quotes-About-May-Month-of-Merriment

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Today we speak with Dale Cunningham, who is the patient and personal man responsible for training the equine portion of the patrol.  Second, we have Officer Emily Herbpst, who rides a mustang and is a small but mighty person who I have the feeling “don’t take no guff off a bartender.”  (Thank you, Mr. McMurtry).

We got to meet them and their horses Ollie and Maverick at this year's National Western Stock Show in Denver. They were very gracious with their time to speak with us about the horses and Mounted Patrol unit.  One of the most important things that these units do is what we saw them doing in spades at the National Western this year.  They are incredibly effective goodwill ambassadors.  They make the whole idea of the police department approachable.  Young people and old, English speaking or Spanish or German, whether someone is from the city or a rural area – you name it, we saw all types of people come up and hold a hand up to the equine officers for a sniff.  They were thronged.  And with the horses there, people kind of forgot to be so reserved in front of the officers, who were all there in full gear with holstered gun and taser and pepper spray and bullet proof vests.  In many towns, policing used to be more about the guy that keeps an eye on the community, but is a part of the community, walking about doing rounds on patrol.  The officer in small towns often knew not only where you lived, but was likely to take you home to your mother for punishment if you gave him cause.  How did we ever get away from all of that?  It’s kind of sad, really.  The police are supposed to be here as members of our communities, but often times all we hear about is the bad stuff.

Links:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/11/health/officer-hops-police-department-bunny-wellness/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuba_City,_California
https://web.archive.org/web/20110615005241/http://www.farmersalmanac.com/blog/2006/10/05/the-10-best-weather-cities/
https://denverpolicefoundation.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exmoor_pony
https://www.facebook.com/denverpolice/posts/dpd-mounted-patrol-continues-to-provide-positive-outreach-to-the-community-while/393186547414240/

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This week Rick is in England filming on our upcoming docu-series Plymouth to Plymouth.  Unfortunately I couldn't go with him, as some of you may have heard that I broke my foot and had to have surgery, but I hope to get to visit there soon.

He met up with John and Bonnie Hall from the American Milking Devon Cattle Association and they set out to speak with some of the farmers  about the Red Ruby Devon, which is where the Milking Devon cattle originated from in the Devon area of England.  In 1623 the King sent a young Devon bull and three heifers to the New World from Plymouth, England to what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts and the rest they say is history.

This week's podcast we hear a conversation that John and Bonnie have with Sally Everton. Sally raises 10 Devons on her farm and is a member of the Devon Cattle Breeders Society. 

Links:
https://www.redrubydevon.co.uk
http://www.milkingdevons.org
https://reddevonusa.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Devon_cattle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Milking_Devon
https://plimoth.org

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It’s the season!  Okay, so it could be many seasons, but the Easter holiday is upon us and everything is bursting with life, so we’ll concentrate on the cute stuff like Spring and fluffy sheep.  And the one we have today is definitely fluffy, but only if unshorn.

Today we’re talking with Erin Bradt of Helder-Herdwyck Farm about the Herdwick Sheep.  This sturdy little creature has a different look, a perpetual smile, and some serious survival creds.  Viking lore, Beatrix Potter, the National Trust, the beauties of The Lake District and more are connected to this breed over in Jolly Old England.  We met up with Erin at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, where she is doing her part to bring attention to this fascinating animal.  Establishing a new breed on this continent is no small thing, and we tip our collective cap to her.

We’ll bring you more on this animal and others this Summer, straight from their homeland.  Stay tuned, because after years of saving and hoping, Backyard Green Films is going to trace some of our favorite heritage breeds to their source in person this time - British style.

Links:
http://helderherdwyckfarm.com/index.html
http://www.helderherdwyckfarm.com/our-american-herdwick.html
https://www.herdwick-sheep.com/
https://sheepandwool.com/
https://www.visitwales.com/things-do/nature-and-landscapes/national-parks/mountain-ranges-wales
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooly_Willy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herdwick
https://www.rbst.org.uk/watchlist-overview
https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Herriot
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/britain-lake-district-immortalized-beatrix-potter-beloved-landscape-180968736/

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In honor of Spring, lambing season and all things herding, today we’re welcoming Tayen Albrandt and Willow the Border Collie to our podcast.  It’s only fitting to return the favor, since we met them when Willow did a stint as the door greeter at the Event Center during the National Western stock dog trials.  Tayen and Willow spoke with us for a quick moment before their cattle herding moment in the sun (Okay so it was freezing snow, but you know what we mean).  Willow was not only extremely well behaved during the entire interview, but kept watch on every noise, movement, and emotion in the entire busy room, all from her perch on a very high chair.  It was like sitting next to a very sweet and friendly radar dish, without the blipping part.  

These two intelligent young people have a bright future, and hopefully many more NWSS trials to come (okay, so they’re not both people, but this breed is smarter than the average human, so we’re going to give them that).

 Links:
https://livestockentry.nationalwestern.com/results/308/stock-dog-intermediate-cattle-trial?custom_result_or_division=Division&custom_result_or_division_id=155
https://nationalcattledog.com/national-western-cattledog-trial-2022/
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/border-collie/
http://www.bordercolliesociety.com/
https://www.bordercolliesociety.com/akc-standard/
https://www.britannica.com/animal/canine
https://bordercolliehealth.com/smooth-coat-border-collie/
https://www.frommfamily.com/r/12807

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We hail our friend, the tireless vet
A humbler man we’ve never met
And praise he’ll very rarely get 
From cow or sheep or avocet

John Ewing is the dear man’s name
The Stock Show is his claim to fame
(And cheetahs and some real wild game)
But fields a fearsome rugby game

 We leave you with this kindly man
(with bison he has also ran)
We now are veterinary fans
The whole darn agri-Culture clan

Links:
https://nationalwestern.com
https://bisoncentral.com

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