Valentine’s Day gifts for farmers

Feb 13, 2015

Chocolates, flowers and…tractors?

As if Friday the 13^th isn’t scary enough for some people, February 14^th can instill even more fear.

February 14^th is Valentine’s Day and there can be lots of pressure put on men and women to wine and dine their significant others with flowers, dinner, chocolates and other romantically-themed gifts or ideas.

Cupid’s arrows do not discriminate and farmers are also subject to being hit with one.

The obvious question now is – what do farmers want or what do they want to do for Valentine’s Day?

On Twitter, @WalnutKitchenHS said “you can never have too much baling twine and duct tape!”

Sandra Stalker said her husband is taking her to “a posh farmers valentines ball”.

Stephanie Gaffney, a sheep farmer from Napanee, Ontario said she would like some sheep.

Double M Farm Team out of Acme, Alberta said they want something red. “Tractors come in red!”

Considering taking a loved one out for dinner and happen to be in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area? The Farmer’s Daughter will be hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner. For $30/person, enjoy a four-course meal and sample regional beers.

The Petaluma Veterans Building in Petaluma, California will play host to the Valentine’s Boot Stompin’ Ball. Admission is only $5 and there will be music, food and more for all to enjoy.

As a pre-Valentine’s Day warm up, check out a video of a farmer in Kansas who herds his cows into a giant heart!

Join the discussion by sharing what your plans for Valentine’s Day were.

Cupid

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.