10 Reasons to Join Block and Bridle

10 Reasons to Join UT Block and Bridle

The College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources offer a wide range of clubs and student organizations. Clubs such as Wildlife, Forestry, Dairy, Equestrian and my personal favorite Block and Bridle. As a freshmen you are overwhelmed with these organizations wanting your participation by offering food, scholarship and of course fellowship.  I am going to offer you 10 reasons why Block and Bridle is the best student organization on campus.

You will become a world traveler… well maybe not the world but we do travel and have the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and students from across the United States.

Club Members Remember the Alamo in San Antonio, Tx

   

    You will become a Role Model for younger agriculture enthusiasts… in Block and Bridle we put on some pretty awesome events. Events that have participants from all parts of Tennessee and North Carolina.

     Food, who doesn’t love food? In Block and Bridle we believe in fellowshipping around food. We not only got out to eat we also have potlucks after several meetings throughout the semester. 

Being a part of history… Block and Bridle is one of the oldest active clubs at the University of Tennessee. We have records that go back as far as the 1940s. 

You will join industry professionals as Block and Bridle alumni… we have some of the proudest and most active alumni across the agriculture campus. You will have the opportunity to connect with professionals that share the same common interest and goals as you do.

Friends… you will make some of the best friends in Block and Bridle. Friends that work together stay together. As a Block and Bridle member you spend quality time with your fellow club members through the year. You have club together, study together, eat together and have fun together.

You will be included into the “dirty, stinky” club. You will spend a lot of time with animals throughout the year and well cows, sheep and hogs stink! When you have to clean and then go to class, you might have a “certain smell!” It’s ok, only the coolest students can go to class smelling like poo and be proud of it.

Feeding the world… as agriculture students you have the coolest job ever. You get to go to work and feed the world! As a Block and Bridle member you will help look for opportunities to serve in food related events.

Active… you will be part of one of the most active clubs on campus. We take part in multiple events throughout the semester that gives you the chance to interact with students, faculty and individuals on campus.

Mechanic... while spending on average a million hours in the beloved van on trip, there are some times you will be required to fix a flat, lock the keys in the van, hook/unhook the trailer or on rare occasion wreck the poor van. You will know how to fix, unlock, manually move the trailer or find the closest tire repair in the middle of no where Texas.   

Extra Reason for joining Block and Bridle... Always, I repeat always getting a "WhataBurger" honey chicken biscuit after you cross the Mississippi River! 

I hope you will consider joining one of the coolest clubs at UT and becoming part of this awesome organization. For more information please contact our president Madison Swafford at madvsawf@vols.utk.edu

76th Annual Block and Bridle Round Up

The 76^th Annual Block and Bridle Round Up was held on March 6-7, 2015 in Brehm Animal Science Building on the University of Tennessee Agriculture Campus. This event is the highlight of the spring semester for club members.

The event kicked off Friday evening with Sheep and Hog collegiate showmanship and the alumni reception. During the alumni reception, members served alumni a delicious bbq dinner and hosted a live and silent auction. This was the first year for the alumni event and it was greatly enjoyed. During the live auction, Dr. Neal Schrick, Animal Science Department Head auctioned off three bricks from the historic Brehm building to raise funds for the department.

On Saturday, the club hosted over 300 4-H and FFA students from across Tennessee and North Carolina for livestock, dairy and meat judging contests. Many members served as officials, group leaders and learning clinic teachers.

The Block and Bridle members were given two weeks to break a sheep, hog, dairy heifer or beef heifer for showing throughout the weekend. On Friday evening students showed sheep and hogs with winners continuing on to round robin on Saturday evening. After the contests on Saturday were complete the club members showed their beef and dairy heifers to name the finalist in the respective species. There were three divisions in each species, beginner, intermediate and advanced. Winners were named in each division. The overall collegiate showmanship winner was John Edwards.  

                       

Showmanship Winner, John Edwards with our species judges

This year the Block and Bridle members brought back the time honored tradition of crowing a Round Up King and Queen. This years Round Up Royalty was Jacob Lay and Amelia Woods.

Mark your calendar for Round Up 2016, March 4-5, 2016.

Way to go B&B!

Congratulations to all of our Block & Bridle students and faculty that received awards at the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources awards reception last week!

Animal Science Outstanding Students
Freshman: Kristin Judy
Sophomore: Jacob Lay
Junior: Amy Berger
Senior: Tyler Trowbridge

CASNR Outstanding Students
Sophomore: Jacob Lay & Melinda Perkins
Junior: Amy Berger, Madison Swafford & Amelia Woods
Seniors: Sarah Maccaro & Megan Moore

Spring 2015 Top Graduate: Sarah Nowack

Outstanding Faculty Advising Award: Jessy Shanks

#FarmFactFriday - How Healthy is Beef?

Farm Fact Friday - How Health is Beef?

Photo courtesy of Stuart Family Farm

“Mom, I’m hungry…” “Mom, when is supper going to be ready?” “Mom, what’s for supper?”

As a child, I remember coming in the evenings and starting in with all of the “supper” questions. My mom would probably tell you I started in “whining” about when supper was going to be ready, how much longer, etc. After all, I was a growing teenager! My favorite times were when she quickly responded that we were having HAMBURGERS… or ROAST… or STEAK… for supper that night! 

Growing up on a cattle farm, I knew just how important it was to have tasty and nutritious beef in my diet!

So just how healthy is beef???

* One three ounce serving of beef provides you with more than half the recommended protein for the day. Also, the protein in beef is an excellent source of the necessary amino acids that you need in your diet.

* 29, yes twenty-nine cuts of beef meet the governments guidelines for lean

* Beef is a nutrient dense food

* Beef is the #1 source of protein, vitamin B12, and zinc

As a beef cattle producer, it is our job to provide consumers with an abundant, wholesome, and nutritious supply of beef. It is our job as the producer to advocate for the beef industry by informing the consumer about the truth behind beef.

From the Farmers Pasture to Your Plate. Remember to always be thankful and proud of American Agriculture. 

#farmfarmfriday #myAGstory 

#FarmFactFriday How Important is Agriculture to Tennessee?

How important is Agriculture to Tennessee? 

Gross income at the farm level totals more than $2.2 billion each year for Tennessee farmers. 

Agriculture earns Tennessee $20 billion annually, providing more than 200,000 jobs.

Cattle and calves are the largest source of farm income in Tennessee, totaling more than $409 million in 2001 or 19% of total farm revenue.

Tennessee’s top crops in 2001 include cotton, $186 million; tobacco, $172 million; soybeans, $147 million; nursery, $142 million; corn, $135 million; floriculture, $58 million; wheat, $50 million; and hay, $40 million.

Poultry is the second largest source of farm income in Tennessee, earning $364 million in 2001.

Tennessee is third in the nation in the total number of equine with 190,000 head. 

Be proud of not only Tennessee agriculture but American agriculture as a whole.

#FarmFactFriday #myAGstory #TnAg

#FarmFactFriday - Better Have Santa Claus some Milk!

Here Comes Santa Claus, Here Comes Santa Claus, Right Down Santa Claus Lane…

Have you decked the halls? Have you been naughty or nice? Have you been spreading the Christmas JOY? Have you told Santa Claus what you want for Christmas?

You know, I heard that Santa will leave you more presents if you leave him milk and cookies!? Yep, that’s right you can bribe Santa Claus. So you’ve been warned, don’t let Christmas Eve slip up on you and you not have any milk! So, where does Santa’s milk come from?

DAIRY COWS!

Did you know that the average dairy cow produces seven gallons of milk a day, 2,100 pounds of milk a month, 46,000 glasses of milk per year! Yep, just 1 cow can produce that much milk so be sure to leave Santa a big o’le glass of milk!

More Dairy Fun Facts:

* The average person consumes 584 pounds of dairy products a year

* There are 350 squirts in a gallon of milk

* Last but not least, chocolate milk does not come from brown cows

We would like to thank all the hard working dairy farmers and dairy cows for producing such a safe and nutritious snack for not only Santa Claus but for you and me everyday. Remember to always be proud of American Agriculture.

UT Block and Bridle would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

#myAGstory #farmfactfriday #dairyfacts

Thank a Farmer this Thanksgiving!

UT Block and Bridle would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. We would like to thank all the farmers that supply our Thanksgiving meals. Everything from the center piece turkey to the brussel sprouts your mother makes you eat comes from a farmer. We encourage everyone to be proud of American agriculture and the farmers that go to work everyday to supply our food. 

#agproud #myAGstory #thankafarmer