From The Heart of Beef

Our cattle are just that - another member of the family. They have names, personalities and attitudes uniquely their own. And they are treated as such.

Bella - Boss Cow. She is our sweetheart.

Julianna - Lovingly referred to as our
"Happy Retard"

Minnie Moo - My Mom's Favorite Baby Girl

I was raised to believe that animals are not dumb. I often think they are smarter than us humans. If you have ever watched how other momma cows will leave their calves with a single cow, you can understand that she is being instructed to be "the babysitter". Or how they will make the long walk to the watering hole as a group at exactly the same time everyday. Bella, one of my cows, can open the gate with her nose and tongue when she wants food. And after all this, some still call these animals unintelligent.

This leads me to the fact that I have a deep respect for my cattle, and I love them just as much as sibling or niece or nephew. So why would I want to mistreat them, or abuse them as so many sensationalist claims say I do? I know I speak for ALL ranchers when I say this - WE DO NOT MISTREAT OUR CATTLE. WE LOVE THEM DEARLY AND THEY ARE OUR LIVELIHOOD.
We do things to our cattle with a purpose, and do it in a way that is the least stressful and painful for them.

One of the biggest complaints and worries that you as a consumer might have is the use of antibiotics. Under no circumstance do we give these to our cattle freely. There is no need for it. Instead, if they become ill, we have a veterinarian diagnose what is wrong and are given the proper treatment to administer to these animals. We do so in a manner that is contingent with strict injection spot guidelines and the amount given is based upon the animal's weight. It should also be known that these antibiotics have extremely strict withdrawal times, and we have to abide by these, else our cattle cannot be harvested. I often hear the argument that it would be okay to not give them any treatment because these antibiotics might leave a residue in the meat and cause us consumers to be subject to some new disease or risk factor. But let me ask you this, if one of your children was sick with a cold, would you just leave them be? Or would you give them proper medication to help them get better as quickly as possible? If you chose the latter, than you should understand why we give antibiotics. We do not want to see our animals in pain or feeling under the weather, so we do what we can to make them better. From an economic standpoint, it is not profitable to be dosing these animals with antibiotics continuously, as some of the injections are very costly! Fortunately, our animals rarely get sick, thanks in part to a system that keeps track of diseases and the movement of livestock and the preventative vaccines they are given throughout their lifetimes.

Another concern in regard to raising cattle is the treatment of them. I see claims made all the time about how we "abuse our animals, and have no regard for their well being." This is so far from the truth! It is what I like to call - Bovine Feces (Politically correct for BS). You may have seen some of the videos or photos that anti-animal activist groups have posted of inhumane treatment of livestock, but these are often times taken from the perspective of someone who doesn't know why we do what we do and wants to make themselves an overnight celebrity. If you look closer into several of the shared media, you will find little details that are off. A great example of this is a photo posted of some dairy cattle moving through disgusting manure/sludge. PETA has claimed these are the conditions these animals are living in! But if you take a closer look, and know a little background about cattle, you will notice - they are clean! How could a cow living in this much filth, be that clean? Simply put, because they don't live there. A reasonable explanation could be that they were simply passing through this area - maybe on the move to another barn after it had rained.

Look closely at the tails and underbellies of these cattle
They are mud free!

When reviewing these claims, PLEASE be sure to look closely and don't believe them right off the bat! Do some research, or talk to a person who is involved in raising cattle - they may be able to tell you what is really going on! I am certainly an advocate for groups that want to make sure we, as an industry, are doing things right and taking care of our critters, but they need to make sure the facts are straight before calling anyone out.

As ranchers, we do things for a reason, and that is to produce a quality product. You've all heard the statement "Happy Cows come from California", well I would like to reword that statement and say "Happy Cows make a Good Product." This goes back to the way ranchers make a living - through the sale of their livestock, and not taking care of your animals will reduce their efficiency and value. Beyond this, there is a moral reason for this. We love our animals. And they are member of the family.

Mickey enjoying an afternoon snack

Mickey, our newest member of
the family. Born April 2014

Howdy!

I would like to start by introducing myself and giving y'all some background on myself and my mission. My name is Alicia Smith and I am a junior level student here at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. Currently, my family lives in the small town of Sonoita, Arizona. (For those of you who don't know where this is, which is nearly everyone, it is about 60 miles Southeast of Tucson. No, I do not live in Mexico, just close to it). This is where my parents live and take care of my cattle and horses. Now, to get to the interesting stuff....

This is about the extent of the "town" of Sonoita

"Arizona's Hidden Jewel" Green During the Monsoons

I did not start out a beef producer. Nor did my immediate family raise cattle. I wasn't raised in a barn, in fact I was raised in a variety of different suburban homes. My family - Mom, Dad and I - followed wherever my Dad's job led him next, which happened to be several different places! My Dad pursued a career in mining, which apparently requires you to move around often. I was originally born in Deer Park, California before moving to South Dakota, Tucson, AZ, Prescott, AZ, Morenci, AZ, Thatcher, AZ, Safford, AZ, Sonoita, AZ and now College Station, TX. Never in any one of these travels did we live in the country or on a ranch. So how did I get my love for beef, you may ask?

Well, it all started with horses. I was that horse crazy girl all throughout elementary school. You know, the one who wore shirts that said horses over boys? Ya, I was THAT girl. My parents helped to suffice my horse craze by letting me do riding lessons, and for a short period, I owned my own horse! Then, we moved to Morenci and the lessons stopped. After 11 months there, and moving to Safford, I was back in the saddle! I found a wonderful friend in Jackie Hoisington, who allowed me to ride and show her horses. I fell in love with a little blue roan appaloosa, named Blue, who carried me through everything from western pleasure to halter and hunter jumper. I found my calling in riding jumper horses and showed for several years. I eventually bought Blue from Jackie and I was given Killian, who I also jumped competitively.

Jumping Killian 3'6".

This horse could clear 4 feet like
it was nothing.

Riding Little Blue in a Jumper Class

Jackie also introduced me to raising livestock through 4-H. She encouraged me to get a lamb, but I was dead set on raising a pig. Through much persuasion, I was talked into getting a lamb and a hog. There were two things I found out this year - I wanted to do this again, and that I do NOT like pigs! The next year, I figured I would try out a steer and a lamb, since it was obvious pigs were not my forte. So began my love and passion for cattle. My first steer was less than perfect in a number of ways, but I was absolutely hooked. Within two years, I bought my first heifer and was quickly improving my quality of cattle. I began showing intensively on the SAILA (Southern Arizona International Livestock Association) show circuit, and in 2010, finished the year off with Reserve Champion Senior Showman Overall and Fourth Overall Heifer, after taking a home a multitude of ribbons at various shows. I bred my first heifer, Bella, and began taking an interest in the nutritional aspects of feeding out market steers. All this time, I also continued to breed, show and sell sheep, which helped to fund the mounting costs of my cattle project. My cattle were, and are, a labor of love. But they are something that I enjoy dearly and I am passionate about being a voice for them and the beef industry as a whole. There are many, many stories, some funny, some sad, in raising my cattle, but that is for another day!