Ep 085 Dr. Scott Bowdridge and the Demon Barber of Sheep Street

10/17/20 • 65 min

It’s alive! And kicking. Or squirming, as it were. Either way, it’s not pretty, and is akin to the horror films that many might be ingesting this month. In the true spirit of the upcoming Halloween observances across the land, we’re going to bring you a podcast filled with gruesome tales of things growing where other things don’t want them to grow. John Hurt will not participate, and neither will Kurt Russell, and no one’s body parts will end up anywhere other than where they started on this one.

That said, we’re going to bring you our virtual conversation with Dr. Scott Bowdridge, Associate Professor of Food Animal Production at West Virginia University, who talks to us about the infamous Haemonchus contortus, aka “HC” or “The Barber Pole Worm.” This innocent-sounding parasite is responsible for internal egg laying, bloodletting, and death by exsanguination – all the same things you’d get with Kurt and John, but without the acid drool. Dr. Bowdridge’s long (long long) term study of HC and the enhanced immune response of the amazingly resistant St. Croix sheep might be the key to helping small and large producers around the world to solve one of animal husbandry’s big problems. It’s no small task to do what might be a 30-year study, but this man is the guy to do it. For all we know, an understanding of this enhanced immune response might be the key to saving more than the small ruminants of the world -- the scary times we live in today are evidence of that. The good doctor won’t need a flamethrower for this horror flick, but a microscope will come in handy.

All you sheeple out there – there are some links below that might be helpful, and Dr. Bowdridge was kind enough to commit to another interview, so send your topics to us and we’ll go down the rabbit hole with you.

A video of this podcast can also be found on our YouTube channel, with a few slides from Dr. Bowdridge’s collection and a few extra visuals for flavor. But not in the John-Hurt-dining-room-table kind of flavor. Well, maybe a little of that. It is the Barber Pole Worm. Be warned – things might get scary.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA3OTmLdLas
https://bowdridge.davis.wvu.edu/
https://www.davis.wvu.edu/faculty-staff/directory/scott-bowdridge
https://www.davis.wvu.edu/
https://www.wormx.info/
http://nsip.org/
https://www.researchgate.net/lab/Scott-Bowdridge-Lab
https://www.davis.wvu.edu/files/d/425731d2-ee9a-4ffb-86b1-22453ed11b76/bowdridge-cv-current.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haemonchus_contortus
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/moon-phases/en/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084787/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/g12107335/best-classic-halloween-movies/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084787/

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Links:

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Ep 084 SuDan Farm Right Now: The Eruption of The Border Leicester Importation Syncopation

Rock and roll music and the combination and recombination of genetics have so many commonalities, and not just on the math end of things. They both started with older things and brought in new things, and are constantly bringing in more influences to make something old stronger, or something new and different. We all march to a different drummer, after all, so there is a beauty in how the pieces go together no matter which you prefer. The music of the spheres can mean a perfect guitar solo, a flock moving in concert, or a fertilized ova, depending upon who is doing the conducting.

In this week’s podcast we speak with Susie Wilson of SuDan Farm. We met this wonderfully informative shepherd over the belly of a sheep at Shepherd’s Lane Farm, during the Great American A.I. Rally (okay, so it was more of the Valais Blacknose assembly, but there were a lot of things going on, so we’ll take liberties). We followed up with her at her farm in Canby, Oregon, and got a chance to see the strikingly rabbit-like ears of the Border Leicester sheep in its natural farm flock environment. Border Leicesters weren’t the only breed on site -- or species for that matter – and we have a wonderfully informative podcast for you today. And, for a few lucky listeners, free stuff, as Susie was not only extremely generous with her time, but also with her wool products. Listen to our podcast for more details.

Rest in Peace, Eddie Van Halen. Imported from the traditions of Europe, combined into something new and different. A grand conductor in your version of the music of the spheres.

P.S. We worked a long time to get that Van Halen/A.I.-related title as clean as we could. This is, after all, only Rock and Roll. But we like it.

Links:

http://www.sudanfarm.com/
https://www.ablasheep.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Van_Halen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Van_Halen
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/eddie-van-halen-20-greatest-guitar-solos-778991/ice-cream-man-1978-784277/
https://www.shepherdslane.com/ http://www.toprams.com/

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Ep 086 Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue: Can’t you see that I’m a Donkey? Rescue Me! (thanks, Aretha)

It’s donkey time again! The Donkey Welfare Symposium was a wild one last October (there were libations and tattoos and singing farriers and speakers from exotic ports of call), and it looks like this year’s virtual conference will follow that theme. “Donkeys in the Wild” is kicking off virtually on October 30 -31, 2020, and we’re celebrating by bringing you our interview from last year’s event with Jessica Anselment. This intrepid soul is the author of two donkey-related children’s books and a blog called, “A Donkumentary” (follow below for links).

Jessica spoke with us about her own rescued donkeys, and talked about the many reasons why donkey rescue and education are so important. She also advocates for the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, which is a pretty big organization. Their main facility in San Angelo, Texas “is home to 1,000 donkeys at any time,” with satellite adoption centers and sanctuaries across the country. They work with Federal and State authorities to remove animals from public lands, take charge of abused and neglected animals, give them time to adjust to their new situation, and find adoptive homes where they can thrive. Think about the logistics on that one, folks. There’s more to it than just getting one recalcitrant beast in a trailer for a quick move.

The donkey is an often-misunderstood animal that might just be smarter than us in some things. This leaves us asking...who’s the ass here, anyway? Whatever your answer, we think that’s a compliment.

Links:
http://www.donkeywelfaresymposium.org/
https://www.facebook.com/DonkeyWelfareSymposium
https://adonkumentary.com/
https://donkeyrescue.org/our-rescue/
https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/ten-ways-donkeys-are-different-horses
https://www.facebook.com/pg/donkeyadoption/videos/?ref=page_internal
http://donkeyrescue.com/books-and-film.html
https://www.talentigelato.com/
http://www.mulerescue.org/
https://www.facebook.com/spanacharity/
https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10710
https://donkeyrescue.org/contact-us/links/
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/arethafranklin/rescueme.html