Tuesday, November 15, 2011

I am the 1%

I can't help myself- I am the 1%.  You know... The one percent that helps feed the other 99%.  I am the 1% which believes I take better care of the land than what regulations and policy can.  I have a town job and still try to raise a healthy wholesome crop of beef cattle. 

I am also part of another 1%.  The ones who are actively trying to advocate and educate others about agriculture and animal production.  I am proud of the others who are also trying to advocate and educate in their own ways.  It is difficult to do.  Especially, if you work hard not to preach to the choir but actually reach out to those who are different than you.

To the other 99% work on getting out of your comfort zone.  Take the time to educate someone today about what you do and why you do it.  You don't need alot of education, the advocates have proven- you can get far with emotion.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I was country, when country wasn't cool

It is kind of funny.  In my family, there is this water and oil emersion.  I have three younger sisters.  Each of us is very different but also very alike.  I have two sisters who live in and around somewhat major metropolitian areas.  They are 10 minutes from Wal-Mart, Target, Victoria Secret etc.  My other sister is stuck in a large town because she is going to school but dreams of becoming a hermit in a line shack or in an outfitters tent.

*M* one of the two sisters who live in town, has come to visit me once.  She was dismayed that we didn't have any shopping within two hours.  She was scared about my lack of cell phone service and completely terrified that I do not have cable or satellite TV.  *J* the other sister who lives in town- is totally metropolitian but loves to come out because there is no cell phone service.  She is facinated by the local "boutiques" and appreciates the fact I will take her son fishing and even touch the fish and worms.

*D* is just D.  She is as rough and tumble as they come.  Spending most of her time outdoors tinkering with something.  Whether it is the garden, a colt, or a piece of machinery she just wants to be away from walls and ceilings.

Then there is me.  I do my thing.  Try to live in my world.  The funny thing is when we all get together it just meshes.  We talk about clothes, colts, and kids.  We laugh about me living in the sticks and having to internet shop.  But this is the life I have chosen.  It was the life I grew up in and come to appreciate more with age.

So, to the point, when I found this blog- Rural women rock.  I laughed.  What is the definition of rural?  When did we become so cool that people want to blog about us?  But a lady is doing it and flourishing.  Go check out Kasse's blog.  It is an inspiration and a treat.

http://ruralwomenrock.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

State Refuge

Went out to the State Wildlife Refuge yesterday- I will have to post some pictures.  All I can say, is what a waste of resources.  There is grass everywhere that is not being utilized and will probably go up in smoke.  The same grass that could be used to make beef.  Don't get me wrong, this refuge is a bit forward thinking allowing some haying and grazing but not near what is needed.

We are trying to do some grazing studies out on the state ground but have been running into problems.  Oh well, it will happen later rather than sooner.  I do have some possibilities though.  They are spending millions to reconfigure the stream- much like the system I talked about early.  It is a pond and plug type.  Where they take the material from the "ponds" and use it to plug up other areas.  Your tax dollars at work.

Today, I am thankful for TnT- not the nitro kind.  The kid kind.  Tay last night was a frog who roped cows... I am starting to see a pattern here.  Her as a frog lived in a cardboard box barn.  We had alot of fun jumping around ribbiting! 

Monday, November 7, 2011

Hello Winter

We went from fallish/Indian summer weather straight into winter, now I think it might be fall for a couple more days.  We woke up to three inches of moisture-filled snow Friday morning and it didn't stop until this morning.  Getting an early jump on the snowpack, for next year.

I haven't looked at the almanac but would be interested to see what it had to say.  Anyway, the snow through a wrench in the plans to go help the neighbor finish sorting pairs for shipping.  He sells his cattle on the video and does it by sex.  So, each pair is sorted into a steer or heifer bunch until shipping time. 

The neighbor has a hard time getting help, not because he is hard to work for just because he chooses who he wants to work for him.  The people he chooses tend to have day jobs and are weekend warriors like myself.  Some days, I wish I could "cowboy" full time but this weekend wasn't one of those days.

Since, it is the season for being Thankful- I am going to start listing at the end of each post things I am thankful for- Today, I am thankful for the people who are out there 24-7 providing a safe, wholesome food supply.  I dang sure didn't want the job this weekend. 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Rush Limbaugh

I was listening to Rush Limbaugh this morning as I was driving to a meeting.  He said something that really rang a bell with me.  He said the way to stimulate the economy is to repeal many of the laws, regulations, and rules that limit business in the United States.

I guess Rush doesn't understand, those laws, regulations, and rules he wants rid of are employing people in government whose job it is to generate paperwork not products.  Jeez, what is he thinking?  I mean, requiring tractors to meet emissions standards requires someone to test the vehicle, someone to write the paperwork, someone to read the paperwork,.... the list goes on.  Not having that rule would allow a farmer $30-60,000 to hire someone to help on the farm, produce food which is harvested and sold, which needs to be processed, sorted, and marketed,  which will be sold in a grocery store to feed people. 

Hmm... I definitely think we need the big government approach. 
Have a great weekend. 

and...

Have you eaten today?  Thank a farmer or rancher!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Daring Greatly

There is a lenghty quote by Teddy Roosevelt about Daring Greatly-
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the stong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arean, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valliantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without erro and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.
Amazing, isn't it.  I have to read this almost on a daily basis.  It is not the person who sits by idly and waits but the person who is in the middle getting knocked down that is daring greatly.  That is part of the reason for this blog.  I am trying to keep my anonymity while inspiring others.

To me I hear again and again- We aren't the population base, no one listens to us anyways etc. BUT we have to remember- you lose every fight you don't enter.  So, keep writing to your congressmen, assembly members, representatives, and other legislators.  Otherwise, we have already lost the battle! 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Kids say the darndest things...

Spent the weekend with the entire family- which means, I have the only granddaughter. She hold her own quite well with the other four grandsons. I had to laugh though. The oldest two grandsons- both 4 were discussing Transformers. I guess there is one called Bull? Anyway, they were conversing about Bull and how he turns into a car.

Tay got this very perplexed look on her face and says- Bull no car. Bull cow- Mooo! To which the other two started in tandem trying to tell her about Transformers. I was proud. She stuck to her guns. Bull was definitely not a car, it was a cow. Which is technically correct but I was impressed with her logic anyways.

It went on until she told T and C to stop. Bull no car. Bull cow. Rope bull. It was quite the conversation for a group of kids under 5, to say the least.

We were impressed by the beauty of the Midwest. The bounty in which the soil could produce and the colors of fall associated with the hardwoods. On the flip side, we were happy to be back to our air which hadn't been breathed already and didn't have more than 10% humidity.