It's Hot Dog Season

Last night, I attended a K-State baseball game to mark my first of what is sure to be many innings of baseball watched and hot dogs consumed over the next 6 months. I love baseball and ballpark food. Supposedly, I'm not alone. Americans love hot dogs.

The fun folks at the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council dug up some great facts on America's obsession with hot dogs and baseball. Here are some neat hot dog facts for you to chew on.

It's Time to Defend the Poultry Industry

You're probably reading the title of this post and asking yourself, "Why is a beef-loving farm boy talking about chickens?" Some of you are probably convinced I fell of my rocker, but follow me for a second. I have a reason for my madness, but let me start off with a few quick apologies.

First, I'm sorry it has been a while since my last post. Graduate school has been a bit chaotic lately, and the blog had to take a back seat to bigger priorities and values for a few days. The good news is the spring semester is almost over, and personal time will be more plentiful soon. Hopefully I can keep the delays to a minimum until May 15.

Also, before I dig into this topic, I need to get something off of my chest. I'm a closet poultry expert. Yep, it's true. In 2003, I was the FFA's third best poultry evaluator in the nation. I traveled throughout the state of Kansas touring hatcheries, egg laying operations and broiler houses.

I've actually cut up a whole chicken into all the little pieces you buy at the grocery store. I can tell about all the things that go into egg grading and share how differences in lighting, moisture and litter can affect the welfare of chickens. Plain and simple, I know a little bit about the poultry industry.