2011-2012 Block and Bridle Club Meeting Minutes
Monday, April 30, 2012
The final meeting of the semester was held Monday, April 30th in room 334 Morrison. The meeting began at 5:00pm. Snacks were provided!
Officers running for election introduced themselves, and we voted.
The new elected officers are:
President: Chris Posbergh
Vice President: Stacy McFarlane
Secretary: Nicole DeAngelis
Treasurer: Anna Payne
Publicity Co-Chairs: Sarah Curless and Korbin Ritter-Butz
Livestock Show Chair: Danielle Carolei
We went over things that could be improved for next year. When you have time, please fill out this end of semester survey with any suggestions you have for next year!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T3SF66B
Congratulations to all new officers! Members and former officers, thank you for your participation in our events this year; you are what keep the club running. If you ran for office, and weren't elected in, please continue to participate in the club! We need active members to keep the club functioning as well!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Announcements:
To go over member availability, and so that we can see how many people are interested in events this year, please fill out this survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KWSCDTX
Dues:
$5 Semester Dues are due to Christina Rettig (cmr224)
Meeting Minutes:
The meeting was held at 5pm in Morrison Room 342. Pizza and soda were provided.
Officers introduced themselves. The officers for this semester are:
President: Katie Stayton (kms289)
- Shadow: Chris Posbergh (cjp98)
Vice President: Chelsea Jandreau (cmj54)
- Shadows: Sarah Curless (sgc56) and Korbin Ritter-Butz (kpr42)
Secretary: Sarah Carpenter (sec234)
Treasurer: Christina Rettig (cmr224)
- Shadows: Anna Payne (amp253) and Nicole Chang (nmc76)
Livestock Show Chair: Lyssa LaCount (lml98)
- Shadow: Danielle Carolei (dac364)
Publicity Chair: Julia Pogust (jyp24)
- Shadow: Stacy McFarlane (sm723)
We also have the following club advisors:
Club Advisors: Michael L. Thonney (mlt2), 114 Morrison Hall
Assistants: Joanne Parsons (jgp1) and Victoria Badalamenti (vb65)
All of our current officers are seniors! We are looking for members interested in shadowing officers, in order to learn what we do. If you are interested in becoming more involved in the club, but aren’t sure you want to take on the responsibility of becoming an officer, you can also choose to shadow an officer (which would be an excellent lead-way into becoming an officer the following year.) Shadowing involves coming to all the officer meetings and working closely with an officer to learn what the responsibilities of their officer position are and how they accomplish them, and taking on your own club responsibilities if you would like. If you would then like to become an officer, you can run for that position at the end of next year.
Officer duties are listed in the club constitution. The most recent version of the club constitution is on the Cornell Block & Bridle Website, here: http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/students/blockbridle/index.html
Upcoming events:
Valentine’s Day Bake Sale:
We will be holding a Valentine’s Day Bake Sale in the Morrison Lobby on Tuesday, February 14th from 8am – 5pm. We will provide Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, and homemade baked goods. Bake sales fund events such as farm tours, gas for travel, the student livestock show, and other items not covered by the SAFC. If you would like to bake something for the bake sale, please sign up on this google document:
You must include an ingredients list, and everything has to be individually wrapped. If you want Katie to pick the baked goods up the night before the bake sale, you can write that down on the document.
https://docs.google.com/a/cornell.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Andq1Z1sgtGFdHBra3ZHSWR1TnRtVElmcWdYTGRQaGc&hl=en_US#gid=0
If you are able to help out at the bake sale, please sign up on this google document (Note: you do not have to sign up for a whole hour- just make sure to write down how long you will actually be there):
https://docs.google.com/a/cornell.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Andq1Z1sgtGFdFNHLUc4RllMQkxHRjZzNVZLR0txemc&hl=en_US#gid=0
Please invite your friends to the bake sale as well! We have a facebook event:
http://www.facebook.com/events/102614896530311/
Farm Tour:
There will be a farm tour tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 10th. It will be at Scheffler Farm, an organic beef, dairy, and egg farm located in Groton, NY. They use direct marketing to sell their products.
Beef Heifer Chores:
The beef heifers have arrived on campus! They must be taken care of. There are both AM and PM barn chores. AM chores must be done between 8 and 9am. PM chores must be done around 5pm. Barn chores involve:
- Removing the hay that has dropped into the feeding trough, and spreading it around as bedding.
- Adding four scoops of corn to the feed trough. (The corn is in a bin outside of the pen.)
- Adding 4 half - flakes of hay to the hayrack. Hay is in a cart outside of the pen. The cart should be kept full, but if it is not, there is more hay in the back of the teaching barn.
- Counting the heifers. (There should be six. If there are not six, or if one of them appears sick or injured, call an officer or contact someone in the Teaching Barn immediately. That said, do not be overly concerned if some of them have some snot in their noses – sometimes the dust causes that. (Though we would rather you call if you are concerned about anything than you not call!))
- Checking to make sure there is water in the water trough, and that it has not frozen over.
- Signing off on the sheet to say that you have done the chores.
- Closing all doors that you opened, especially the heifer pen.
In total the chores should take about 10 minutes.
Please sign up for chores on the following google document, especially if you are planning on showing beef heifers:
https://docs.google.com/a/cornell.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Andq1Z1sgtGFdE9heEQwTDg3RWdFSm5QaHlpaThlZ1E&hl=en_US#gid=0
We really appreciate members doing barn chores, especially morning chores, so that the officers don’t have to do them every day. Officers will be checking every afternoon to make sure am and pm chores were done.
Halterbreaking:
Halterbreaking involves working with the beef heifers until they are accustomed to wearing and being led by a halter. We also groom the heifers, to get them used to frequent handling. Halterbreaking will occur at the teaching barn. We will be halterbreaking this Saturday, February 10th, and Sunday, February 11th, at 11:30am. Those times are on the google document. This google document will continue to be used as we add more times.
https://docs.google.com/a/cornell.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Andq1Z1sgtGFdHVoNkpHdVBOWGJmei1iSi1YemUxRUE&hl=en_US#gid=0
The beef heifers are recovering from ringworm. On cows, ringworm presents as a dry, rough, hairless circle, especially on the face. If you notice these lesions on our cows, please do not touch the lesion.
There is a good picture of ringworm on this website:
http://blog.mycology.cornell.edu/?p=297
Ringworm is a zoonotic disease. On humans it presents as a reddish rash with brittle hair or hair loss. It is treated with antifungal cream. If you believe that you have ringworm and would like to go to Gannett, please inform them that you have been in contact with animals. This is true anytime you think that a sickness you have may have resulted from contact with animals. At Gannett, they might not immediately think of a zoonotic disease; mentioning that you have worked with animals allows them to consider other possible causes. Here is the link to the zoonotic concern sheet on ringworm from Cornell University's Animal Users Health and Safety Program
http://www.research.cornell.edu/care/documents/OHS/ringworm.pdf
If you would like to read more about ringworm in humans, please follow this link:
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/ringworm-of-the-skin-topic-overview
Again, please contact an officer if you have any health concerns. If you are ever concerned about the health of any the animals, also feel free to let me or another officer know.
Here is a link to other zoonotic concern sheets:
http://www.research.cornell.edu/care/zoonoses.html
Barnyard Fun Day:
- Barnyard Fun Day will be held the morning of Saturday, April 21st, 2011, prior to the livestock show. This is a great opportunity to teach local youth about animals and agriculture. More information will be provided closer to the day of the show, but if you have any ideas for Barnyard Fun Day, or would like to form or be a member of a Barnyard Fun Day committee, please contact Sarah Carpenter (sec234@cornell.edu). (Last year’s activities included wool carding, butter making, meeting the fistulated cow, a petting zoo, a goat obstacle course, a stick pony race, a sack race, and animal mask making. Each child also receives an informational packet. Last year we had over 100 kids in attendance.) We will have an envelope-stuffing meeting after spring break to invite everyone.
Student Livestock Show:
- The Student Livestock Show will be held on Saturday, April 21st, 2011. The Student Livestock Show is Block and Bridle’s main event. On March 30th, dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and horses are brought to campus. Beef cattle are already on campus. Club members and any interested members of the Cornell community choose an animal that they would like to show. Under the supervision of a Species Chair, showers learn how to take care of, groom, and train their species of choice. At the end of those weeks guest judges come to Cornell campus, and we hold the Student Livestock Show! This is a great way to gain animal experience, and to share what you know.
We will have mandatory meetings for students planning to show animals right after spring break. At these meetings, students will listen to a CARE presentation about how to safely work with animals, choose a species to show, and sign up for farm chores. The species options are pigs, sheep, goats, horses, beef cows, or dairy heifers. A practice show will be held the evening of Friday, April 20th, 2011. More information about the show will be provided closer to the show date.
Here is a shower info sheet (some information is subject to change):
https://docs.google.com/a/cornell.edu/document/d/160n_MkAZ0MUJ6LqMHAAEs9kca5os6_wcAZReNO-3bCA/edit?hl=en_US
And some informational handouts about the animals from last year:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3dq1Z1sgtGFMTU1ZDQ2NDktY2UzNi00NzliLWJjMzctOGI2YmIxZWIzMDc0
Species Chairs:
If you have any showing experience and would like to help out or become a species chair please let e-mail Lyssa LaCount (lml98@cornell.edu) with your name, the species you have experience with, and a brief description of what experience you have! The species chair guidelines are below:
https://docs.google.com/a/cornell.edu/document/d/11_aRDWkVUVKaCv78lCIf6Aacgu2TtiT3VYdlTxRYjMA/edit?hl=en_US
T-Shirt Design Competition:
There will be a t-shirt design contest this year. Members who wish to participate must design the back of a t-shirt for participants in the Student Livestock Show. The shirt must say, “Block and Bridle Student Livestock Show” and the year (2012) somewhere on it. It must also contain drawings of all six show species (pigs, sheep, goats, horses, beef cows and dairy cows.) The winner will get a free t-shirt. It also cannot say “Cornell” or “CU” on it. To submit your design, or to see examples from past years, contact Katie Stayton (kms289@cornell.edu). The t-shirt design must be submitted by Monday, March 12th.
Other Proposed Events:
Square Dance
Horseback Riding (This will wait until the spring)
Sheep T&R Trip to volunteer
National Membership:
National membership certificates from last semester are in! If you were not able to pick up your certificate at the meeting, please contact Sarah Carpenter (sec234@cornell.edu), and she will meet with you. If you have not paid for your certificate, you will not be able to pick it up until you have paid your dues. If you would still like to become a national member you can!
The deadline to let Sarah Carpenter know if you wish to become a national member is Monday, February 27th! If you would like to become a national member, please e-mail Sarah Carpenter (sec234) with your name as you would like it spelled on the certificate. $10 one-time dues are required to become part of the National Block and Bridle Club. if you become a national member you are eligible to attend the National Convention. You can also put it on your resume. You will receive a certificate indicating that you are a member of the National Block and Bridle Club. We do not require members of the local club at Cornell to become part of the national club at this point. However, we do ask that all officers, and all who wish to become officers, become national members.
As a club, we like to keep in contact with the National Club, and to be part of a national organization. We submit our chapter abstract, list of new national members, and list of officers each year. In return, they post our club contact information and abstract and give us the opportunity to share ideas with other Block and Bridle clubs. Though we have not recently done this, we also have the option of attending the national convention, submitting items such as a scrapbook, the web page, a chapter activities list and a published chapter yearbook for judging, nominating Honorary Members, and nominating members for the outstanding senior and junior scholarships.
Social Media:
Block and Bridle has a website here:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/students/blockbridle/index.html
And a facebook page, here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cornell-University-Block-Bridle/197872680228612
We frequently use facebook to create club events, so please like our page!
We are also part of the National Block and Bridle Club.
It has a website, here:
http://www.blockandbridle.org/
A facebook page, here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/191246030937820/
And a twitter that can be followed at @BnB_Barnyard.
The National Block and Bridle Club websites are a great way to keep track of what other groups are doing!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Block and Bridle had a meeting on Tuesday, November 1st, 2011. Pizza and soda were provided, as were the remaining baked goods from the bake sale.
Dr. Baker gave a presentation on beef handling.
Some key points from his presentation were:
Proper beef handling has been focused on lately with increased welfare concerns.
Handling animals properly is both better for cattle welfare, and decreases incidence of bruising, which costs the beef industry money. Bruising occurs more often in cows rather than bulls because they have a thinner fat layer, and can occur on the back of cows because doors can lower on the cows during loading.
Reasons why you want to use proper handling techniques:
So that your animals are comfortable and approachable for treatment and pregnancy checks, and so that they can be moved with ease. Cattle can be selectively bred for behavior.
Accidents can happen as a result of:
Scared Animals
Faulty Equipment
Improper handling
Flight Zone - If you are within an animal's flight zone, the animal will try to get away from you. If you reach the point at which the animal takes one step away from you and stops, you are at the edge of the flight zone.
An animal with a large flight zone may show the following signs: head up, ears pricked, looking at you, at the back of the crowd.
Proper handling techniques involve taking note of the point of balance. The point of balance is the point on the animal (usually at the shoulder), which determines whether an animal will move forward or backwards to get away from you. If you stand in front of the animal's point of balance, it will back up; if you stand behind the animal's point of balance, it will step forward. To move animals, it is best to move in the opposite direction to which you want them to go. The cattle will move forward when you cross their point of balance. (There are some helpful diagrams covering this topic here: http://www.grandin.com/behaviour/principles/flight.zone.html)
Do not use a stick. They are too thin for the cow to notice and stop for, and they will bruise the animal if they are hit with the stick (which should not occur anyway.) A paddle is wider, and the cow will notice it, and it will not hurt if the animal is hit.
Remain quiet rather than shouting at cows; cattle do not like loud noises.
Take note of shadows and unusual objects which can alarm the cow when moving animals.
Cattle are herd animals, and they like to be able to look behind them. Therefore, they like chutes that curve in circles.
Train from the beginning with a good experience. Cattle can associate chutes with vaccinations and pregnancy checks, but they can be exposed to chutes from a young age and learn to associate them with a good experience.
We discussed upcoming events:
Cheese Trail Trip!
Block and Bridle will be following the Cheese trail on Saturday, November 19th! To read more about this event, follow this link: http://ccetompkins.org/agriculture/events/finger-lakes-cheese-trail
Information about the farms is here: http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com/cheesetrail.aspx
We are in the process of deciding which farms we would like to visit. I have posted the descriptions of all of the farms and their distances from Cornell University at the bottom of this e-mail. Please fill out the survey at the top of this e-mail! It will cover which farms you are most interested in visiting! We will take member interest into consideration when planning out our route. (We also have to consider distance of farms and where they are all located (e.g., if several are located close together, it makes it easier to visit multiple farms in a short time period.))
If you are interested in going on the cheese trail trip, please sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/a/cornell.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Andq1Z1sgtGFdHljbUlObF9oXzRjOENtMklWaUVkdkE&hl=en_US
Halterbreaking:
We are waiting to hear when the beef cattle are brought in off pasture, and we will most likely begin halterbreaking beef heifers towards the end of this semester. We will have a mandatory CARE presentation before Thanksgiving Break. Please fill out the survey listed at the top of this e-mail! It covers member availability for the meeting!
Meat Fair:
There will be a Meat Tasting Fair in Cortland on Saturday, December 10th from 2pm - 5pm. December 10th is the Saturday between exam weeks. Please fill out the survey at the top of this e-mail to tell us if you are interested in attending (if you will still be on campus)!
(Also for member interest: The Ithaca Winter Festival will occur on Friday, December 9th and Saturday, December 10th.)
We have toured farms that we have heard about through the meat fair. More information about the meat fair is here:
http://ccetompkins.org/calendar/10/05/21/local-meats-education-tasting-fair
Proposed events for next semester:
Square Dance
Farm List for Cheese Trail:
All times are estimated from Cornell University - so if we go to a few (as we plan to), it would be less time to travel between them than to return back to Cornell and then go to another farm.
Cowlick Farm, Lodi, 607-582-6611 or http://www.winecountrycabins.com/cowlickfarm/
8865 Rte. 414, Lodi, NY, 14860 (Not on map)
26.4 mi, 40 mins.
Committed to fresh, local dairy products, this working farm exclusively features Creamline Jersey cow milk in all of their dairy products. Their unique shop offers a variety of uniquely blended aged cheese, Farmstead cheeses, and fresh Gelato. Stop in to taste their pure farm-fresh products and meet their happy cows – they even sleep on waterbeds
Engelbert Farms, Nichols, 607-699-3775, www.engelbertfarms.com
182 Sunnyside Road, Nichols, NY, 3812
40.8 miles, 58 mins
Owned and operated by Lisa and Kevin Engelbert, it is a certified organic farm raising dairy, beef, veal, and pork on their 600 acre farm in Nichols, NY on the Pennsylvania border. The farm's milk is being made into 16 varieties of cheddar, gouda, swiss, jack and mozzarella cheeses, sold via their new farm store and at a few retail outlets near the farm.
Note: We visited this farm in Spring '12.
4 Tin Fish Farm, Conquest, 315-664-0124 or www.4tinfishfarm.com
Conquest, NY
Note: No farm store at this time
51.6 miles, 1 hour, 11 minutes
4 Tin Fish Farm is a family owned and operated micro goat dairy located in Central New York. The farm initially started out as a hobby, but as our passion grew we began to shift our thinking as to how we might make it profitable doing what we love. Our goal is to provide farmstead cheese to local customers and raise quality Alpine dairy goats.
Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery, King Ferry, 315-364-3581 or www.kefircheese.com
1853 Black Rock Road, King Ferry, NY 13081
23.5 miles, 39 mins
Rose Marie Belforti is the first and only producer in the western hemisphere to offer an authentic, probiotic kefir cheese from raw milk from grass-fed Dexter cows in King Ferry.
Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese Company, Mecklenburg, 607-387-3108 or www.fingerlakes-cheese.com
Route 79 and Bergen Rd. 2 mi west of Meklenburg
15.5 miles, 24 mins away.
Nancy Richards has been crafting cheeses, made from raw cow’s milk, belonging to Nancy’s family - Taber Hill Farms in Mecklenburg.
Hillcrest Dairy, Moravia, 315-497-0659, NOT OPEN ON SUNDAYS
66 W Cayuga St., Moravia, NY 13118
23.2 miles, 41 minutes
A small, family run dairy in Moravia, New York. Their cows are pasture raised and their milk is minimally processed. On the farm, they produce several cheese, milk, and butter products, and offer tours by appointment.
Keeley's Cheese Company, King Ferry, 315-730-6872, www.keeleyscheeseco.com, NOTE: NOT OPEN 10/8 & 10/9
539 Route 34B, King Ferry, NY, 13081
17.7 miles, 27 minutes
A new venture, Keeley McGarr is producing cheeses on her family’s dairy farm in King Ferry, on the East side of Cayuga Lake.
Lively Run Goat Dairy, Interlaken, 607-532-4647 or www.livelyrun.com
8978 Country Route 142, Interlaken, NY
18 miles, 32 minutes
One of the first commercial goat dairy operations in New York State, beginning production in 1982 and located in Interlaken. Chevre, made in the traditional French style, Feta, and a goat blue cheese are available.
Muranda Cheese Company, Waterloo, 315-539-1103 or www.muranda.com
3075 State Route 96, Waterloo, NY 13165
40.9 miles, 56 mins
The Muranda Cheese House created by the Murrays in Waterloo is producing cheddar from raw cow’s milk.
Shtayburne Farm, Rock Stream, 315-270-2249 or www.shtayburnefarm.com NOT OPEN ON SUNDAYS
Rock Stream, NY 14878
31.0 miles, 44 mins
(Information directly from website; not listed on Finger Lakes Wine Country website.)
We Make Cheese. Good Cheese. And it starts with the dirt.
Good dirt. Thick with Nutrients. Rich soil—among the richest in New York's Fingerlakes region. Here the hearty forage grown in that soil feeds our dairy herd every day. Our dairy farmers then release the thick, country milk to be processed into the purest, nature kissed, most flavorful cheese there is.
This natural old fashioned goodness goes into every hand crafted cheese product we make including bars, curds and blocks. You can buy all 15 blends in our retail cheese shop separately or in a variety of attractive gift and sampler packages.
Come see an old fashioned working dairy farm including cheese vats, fat happy cows and lush green fields. You'll never want to leave (without cheese, of course)!
Side Hill Acres Dairy Goat Farm & Cheese Plant, Candor, 607-659-4121 or www.sidehillacres.bizland.com
79 Spencer Road, Candor, NY 13743
19.8 miles, 29 minutes
Russell and Rita Kellogg established a goat dairy in 1982 in Candor. In 1994 they started a goat cheese processing plant and produce premium quality hand crafted goat cheeses and milk products.
**The website says that farm tours are always welcome; it doesn't mention if you have to schedule them**
Snow Farm Creamery, 665 Buffalo Raod, Brooktondale, 607-342-2947 http://snofarm.com/page_farm.php
12.5 miles, 22 minutes (Not on map)
On Snofarm, the main goal is the health, well being, and quality of life of the employees, owners, livestock, fields, and forests. We manage our resources to achieve these goals. We make our money by selling quality milk from a healthy dairy herd fed feed produced in a sound ecological way.
Sunset View Creamery, Odessa, 607-594-2095 or www.sunsetviewcreamery.com
4970 Country Route 142, Odessa, NY, 14869
25.1 miles, 39 minutes
The Hoffman Dairy in Odessa, is a 5th generation operation. Carmella Hoffman and family have been crafting Cheddars, Monterey Jack Style Cheeses and Fresh Cheese Curds for nearly six years, using pasteurized milk from the family dairy.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011:
The meeting began at 5:30pm in Morrison Hall Room 146. Officers described the Block and Bridle Club to new members and announced upcoming events. After the meeting, members mingled, and pizza and soda were served.
Officers introduced themselves to the new members. The officers for the 2011-2012 academic year are:
President: Katie Stayton (kms289)
Vice President: Chelsea Jandreau (cmj54)
Secretary: Sarah Carpenter (sec234)
Treasurer: Christina Rettig (cmr224)
Livestock Show Chair: Lyssa LaCount (lml98)
Publicity Co-chairs: Frances Chen (flc28) and Julia Pogust (jyp24)
Club Advisors: Michael L. Thonney (mlt2), 114 Morrison Hall
Joanne Parsons (jgp1)
What Is Block and Bridle?
- A Cornell branch of a national club of college students interested in working with livestock, gaining animal experience, and spreading animal science knowledge to the Cornell community.
What do I get out of it?
- The opportunity to gain animal experience, or share what you know!
- Great opportunities to make friends with similar interests and have tons of fun!
- Taken from the Cornell Pre-vet Guide: “Your experiences working with different kinds of animals in different settings …are important considerations in the selection process. Such experience could involve rearing, feeding and showing various kinds of animals including livestock.”
Dues:
$5 dues are required to become part of the Block and Bridle Club at Cornell. These are required once per semester and help fund club activities and snacks at meetings.
$10 one-time dues are required to become part of the National Block and Bridle Club. We do not require members of the local club at Cornell to become part of the national club at this point. However, if you become a national member you are eligible to attend the National Convention. This is also a great thing to put on your resume. We do require that all officers, and all who wish to become officers, become national members. You will also receive a certificate indicating that you are a member of the National Block and Bridle Club. If you did not make it to the meeting, but would still like to become a member, e-mail Sarah Carpenter (sec234@cornell.edu) with your name as you would like it spelled on the certificate.
Dues must be paid to Christina Retting (cmr224@cornell.edu). Please let her know if you are paying just local club dues, or both national and local club dues.
Yearly Activities:
- Day trips to farms: Trips are based on member interest. Past trips have included trips to an organic dairy farm, a beef farm, a swine farm, a goat dairy farm, a buffalo farm, and an alpaca farm. We are hoping to go to Kingbird Farms this semester.
- Guest Speakers: Guest speakers are requested based on member interests. Past speakers have included Livestock Judges and Temple Grandin, a world famous animal scientist and livestock-handling equipment designer.
- Social Activities: We are adding new activities this semester, and are hoping to go on a trail ride, on the cheese trail, apple picking and to the farmer’s market. (See upcoming events.)
- Fund Raisers: Bake Sales: Members take turns baking goods, and we hold bake sales on campus in order to raise money for Block and Bridle events.
- Ag Day: Ag Day is an event held by Alpha Zeta every semester. We set up our poster and tell passers-by about Block and Bridle and the livestock show.
- Halterbreaking - Halterbreaking involves working with the beef heifers until they are accustomed to wearing and being led by a halter. We also groom the heifers to get them used to frequent handling. Weekend halterbreaking sessions are held at the beef T&R. Car transportation will be provided. We rotate who goes each week, so that everyone gets a chance. Weekend halterbreaking begins late in fall semester, and continues in the spring. We choose the friendliest cows that we want to show. Before the livestock show, the heifers are brought to the Teaching Barn on campus. The teaching barn is in walking distance, so halterbreaking occurs up to three times a week, depending on member availability.
- Student Livestock Show - The Student Livestock Show is Block and Bridle's main event, and occurs during the spring semester. One to three weeks before the show dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and horses are brought to campus. Club members and any interested members of the Cornell community choose an animal that they would like to show. Under the supervision of a Species Chair, showers learn how to take care of, groom, and train their species of choice. At the end of those weeks guest judges come to Cornell campus, and we hold the Student Livestock Show! This is a great way to gain animal experience, and to share what you know. If you have any showing experience and would like to help out, please let us know!
- Barnyard Fun Day- On the morning of the Livestock Show we invite youth from local schools to come to the Livestock Pavilion to learn about livestock animals. Last year we had 150 kids in attendance. Each child receives an informational packet. They are able to meet show animals and pet baby animals. They can also participate in livestock related activities, including a stick pony rodeo, a goat obstacle course, butter making, wool carding, animal mask making, and reaching into a fistulated cow ("holy cow").
Upcoming Events
Saturday September 3rd: Trip to the NY State Fair, departing campus at 10:00am. The cost of the trip is $5.00 to cover transportation and parking, and the additional cost of a fair ticket (around $10.00), which each person will purchase at the gate. We will be filling spots on a first come, first served basis, as there will be a limited number of spots based on driver availability.
If you would like to attend the NY State Fair, please sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Andq1Z1sgtGFdEc3Q3pSLWhWOTh6RnJNTXYyQ3FGVlE&hl=en_US
If you are able to drive, please indicate that on the sign-up sheet. You will be reimbursed for gas and parking. If you do not have a car, pickups will be on North Campus, West Campus, and in Collegetown.
Saturday, October 15th: Apple Picking Trip. Meeting time and location to be announced. Get to know the officers and each other better with a trip to a local orchard!
Saturday, November 19th: Fingerlakes Cheese Trail trip. Meeting time and location to be announced. Sample cheese from local farms!
Proposed Events: Times and Locations to be announced
Kingbird Farms Tour
Farmer's Market Trip
Horseback Trail Ride
Proposed Fundraisers:
Halloween Bake Sale
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries Sale
Square Dance
Social Media
Cornell Block and Bridle has a website here:
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/students/blockbridle/index.html
A facebook page, here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cornell-University-Block-Bridle/197872680228612
And a facebook group, here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/151954058152260/
We frequently use facebook to create club events, so please like our page and join the group!
We are also part of the National Block and Bridle Club.
It has a website, here:
http://www.blockandbridle.org/
A facebook page, here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/191246030937820/
And a twitter that can be followed at @BnB_Barnyard.
The National Block and Bridle Club websites are great ways to keep track of what other groups are doing!