Stories of a First Generation Farm Wife

Just A Little Heart Attack

2012-02-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finally got out of the house! And for a really great reason.

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Go Red For Women event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota..Talking about two of my favorite things...Food and Farming!

Yesterday the day started a little on the slow side..we had our first really big snow fall of the year yesterday and South Dakotans got a little excited :)

I spent the morning telling the story of our farm and answering questions the women had for me. Anything from antibiotics in animals, hormones in chickens, or grass fed beef v. corn fed beef.

I would say the morning was a success and I got to meet some really great women who have suffered through heart disease either themselves or someone close to them.

The day was so insightful for me, just as it was last year. I have never had anyone in my family suffer from heart disease so I always learn so much by listening to these womens' stories. My heart reaches out to those who suffer from heart disease or those who have lost loved ones because of it, it truly is a heart wrenching disease.

This video may have just a touch of humor, but heart disease is something that should be taken very seriously!

Is Organic Better?

2012-02-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

If you haven't guessed it yet as I get towards the end of my pregnancy I am getting more and more uncomfortable. I find I am spending less time on the farm and more waddling around the house whining about my back. Which mean I want to spend less time on the computer in a typing position and one where I can just maneuver the mouse.

Today is another one of those days, a youtube day....but a really great youtube day.

I am going to let Mary Courtney, another CommonGround volunteer from Kentucky, share her thoughts on farming organic v conventional.

Check out the other CommonGround volunteers on the new and improved CommonGround website

Any Questions?

2012-02-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

One thing I have learned about Moms is that they have a lot of questions about where their food comes from. This video raises a lot of really good points and really good questions.

My question to you is are there any questions you have for me? We raise beef, corn, and soybeans..but I can find the answers to any other questions you may have in other areas too!

Because this is why I blog. I hope to be able to tell you more about our family's farm and how the products we grow are a safe and healthy product!

What A Week!

2012-02-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

The last ten days I have been away from the farm. First at this AMAZING conference in Charleston, South Carolina where I had the chance to taste all sorts of amazing foods, meet with some amazing women, and spend time talking about my number one passion.

It was a great conference and what could be more of a motivation than spending three days with so many great women sharing the story of American agriculture?

After the conference I spent a rather relaxing week back in my home state, Indiana. Today I finished that week up with a baby shower thrown for my Baby K where I couldn't believe how much he or she is already loved!

I received so many thoughtful, amazing, creative, and completely useful gifts and advice I know I will always cherish! Thanks Mom and StepMom for throwing me such a fabulous baby shower! And thank you to everyone who pitched in and helped with everything from food to clean up. I appreciated everything! I couldn't have asked for a better day!

As a matter of fact when I went to choose between what goes in the extra suitcase and what gets shipped tomorrow I honestly had the hardest time deciding.

Even though my Dad continually pointed out that the shipped items will arrive later this week!

I know, I can't help it... I am just so excited to show hubby and my South Dakota family what neat items I received. :)

Not to mention that I am starting to feel more and more prepared for Baby K. I can't wait to finally meet the little nudger who we have been praying for for the last two years.

(Speaking of that little nudger...I believe it is time to try and get some rest because he/she has finally decided to stop bashing my belly.)

I am really looking forward to going home tomorrow. Although, I am going to be hitting the ground running! I have an interview as soon as I get off the plane and Tuesday we have our tax appointment- which tends to take all afternoon.

I prepared all our paperwork before I left, but I have a feeling I am going to have a few loose ends to tie up before we can officially tie up 2011!

South Dakota Ranked Least Humane State

2012-02-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

I bet that got your attention right?

Especially since I am a South Dakota farmer.

HSUS has recently released the ranking of South Dakota being found as the least humane state in the United States. Mainly because we do not have laws in place for the standards they have listed as what they consider humane practices.

What are my thoughts on this?

Well, in case you have missed my real thoughts on HSUS click any of the following links to read a bit more about their true cause. And it's not that I disagree with all of their goals as an organization, I just feel that a lot of what they may project to all of us is misleading and misinterpreting.

HSUS Revealed
HSUS Revealed 2
HSUS Part 5

As I read the article that was released in a South Dakota paper, I was more interested in what others had to say about it. It amazed me to read that others truly believe that HSUS's only goal is for more humane treatment of domestic animals. And that they take such great care of their local animal shelters. When in actuality they don't. But, anyway see my links above for more of a visual on where their money goes.

Today I am speaking more so on the farmers and ranchers and our practices.

We may not have the exact standards that HSUS has set in place for what they consider to be the most humane practices. But, we do have humane practices in place on our farm.

Not just because treating animals as humane as possible is a smart business decision, but because we care about the well being of our farms, we care about our livelihood, and we take pride in being a multi-generational farm.

We did not get to the point we are at today by mistreating our animals and using inhumane practices.

We are providing a product as a business and take pride in that product.

Our animals are fed first, before we are. They are fed a ration that is monitored by an animal nutritionist. We treat our animals with antibiotics when they are sick. We monitor them closely during climate changes, often putting their well being before our own.

Just because HSUS (who is an East Coast lobbying group) claims that South Dakotans are inhumane because we do not follow THEIR practices does not mean that we are.

Agriculture is South Dakota's #1 industry and personally we keep it that way because we care about our animals and our land.

All animal abuse is wrong. I firmly believe that. So regardless I think we all would like the same outcome, more humane treatment of all animals. I just don't know how I feel about a lobbying group setting those standards for what determines whether or not we are considered humane.

Superbowl Sunday

2012-02-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

Every time this time of year I start to reminiscence about my life before farming.

Every Sunday, when I was in college at Purdue, was spent on the couch watching football.

When I married my farmer that changed. Football isn't necessarily his sport. And my priorities changed.

But every year around this time I remember my memories from my Superbowl experience in Miami for the 2006 season.

I won't forget getting the phone call from my Dad and Stepmom asking if I can miss a few days of classes at Purdue.

Ummm....Yes....Please.

I have been really blessed to have done lots of very neat things in my life, and going to the Superbowl to watch my Colts play definitely qualifies as Top 5.

Even as I sit on the couch this year watching the game I am so proud that my home state has the opportunity to show their stripes.

And judging by the Facebook pictures, my Dad's talk of the week, and my best friend, a Colts cheerleader, I would say Indy really has shown their best!

It would have been great to partake in the experience this year, but I am happy that my brother gets to go to the game with my Stepmom to watch his Giants. He will never forget it, just like I have never forgot my time at the Superbowl.

In Miami it rained and the stadium was full of Bears fans...but I don't think our family could have been happier for the Colts win. It was such a great experience!

Here's to another Superbowl game, which is almost like a National Holiday in itself!!

Heading to the game!

Colts Win!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T18:23:00.000-08:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with being a First Generation Farm Wife...

But, totally something to do with being a first time Mom here pretty soon. (We are due April 3, in case you missed it somewhere in my blogger world!)

When I saw this on Facebook I was still chuckling 10 minutes later. Maybe it really isn't that funny, but it was funny enough to me..and I can think of a few Moms that would probably agree with it!

The Best of 2011

2012-01-30T17:52:00.000-08:00

Since the month of January is coming to a close. I thought it would be most appropriate to bring back my number one post from 2011. Because it appears that this recipe has been the hit for my friends, my family, and blog followers.

In South Dakota they call it Dinner

One of things that was so hard for me to get hammered into my head when I moved here was that Lunch is actually called Dinner. In the famous words of my brother in law- Lunch is what his kids eat at school, Dinner is what you eat when your on the farm. Or at least on our farm anyway. It took me the longest time to stop saying "lunch" and start saying "dinner", not to mention the fact of trying to get it across to my Indiana family. After three years of being in South Dakota I think I just about have it down!

We do something a little unique on our farm. There are three wives, so each week we take a week of cooking. This could mean just one meal at noon, or a meal at noon as well as sandwiches later on in the evening, depending on the season. Last summer I started cooking and then took a break while I was teaching. I now have officially taken over for my mother in law when it comes to the weekly rotations of cooking. She has been an official "cook" for so long I am afraid she might disown me if I say the actual years! So I naturally have taken over her week of cooking since I have completed the family as the last wife to be added into the picture, plus I think she was ready for a break!

I plan my week of cooking about a week in advance, mainly so I can plan accordingly- grocery shopping, baking, and making sure my husband okay's everything on my menu! (He is quite the picky eater) I enjoy cooking, although sometimes it can be frustrating. You see when you become a farm wife you quickly look to prepare for every possible outcome, and then some. Sometimes you will plan for 4 people to cook for, and have 6 show up. Other times you will plan for 6 people and have only 1 show up. Or, at about 11:40, twenty minutes to noon, your husband will call and say....we aren't coming, is there anyway you can bring sandwiches to us? Even though you made spaghetti for dinner. Trust me, it happens. And you have to put on your farm wife smile and say "Yes Dear..."

This week was my week to cook and I found a favorite with the guys the last time I cooked so I decided to do a repeat performance so I could get some pictures of the recipe to include in this post. I have found a great recipe for beef brisket and I have a feeling this will be my "go to" recipe for dinner parties or if I am not coming up with any good ideas for the week.

Beef brisket is from the front of the cow, between the front legs. It can be a tough piece of meat if not cooked properly. Since this piece of meat is tough it requires a slow, moist, cooking method. Which means it needs to be cooked slowly and wet...in a broth or a marinade. I could really do a whole blog on cooking different types of meats (One of my favorite lessons to teach!).

Ingredients:

2 cans of beef broth

1 1/2 cups of soy sauce

Juice of 2 lemons

5-6 Tablespoons of minced garlic (Depends on your love of garlic...I use 3!)

2-3 Table spoon of liquid smoke (Depends on your love of BBQ flavors...I use 3!)

7-10 ounce beef brisket

Should look something like this:

I actually throw in a few splashes of Tabasco once I got to the end product. But shhh, don't tell the guys!

Mix all of that together in a roasting pan. And plop the brisket right in the middle, fat side up. I use a Paula Deen roasting pan that my husband bought me for Christmas last year. I love it! Using a measuring spoon, take some of the broth and pour it over the brisket.

Before I even go any further with this... My brisket may not look like the one you would buy at the grocery store. Ours is from one of our own beef cows and I tell the butcher to not worry about making it perfectly cut and trimmed because I can take care of trimming it down if I need to. When you buy meat at the grocery store a lot of care and time is put into trimming the meat and making it look more appealing to the consumer. The grocery store even packages in certain papers and wraps to make sure it looks appealing to the consumer. Even the meat in the glass case is sitting in a specific place, in specific lighting so there is no mistaking how yummy it looks when you go to do your grocery shopping. I could really do a whole posting on this as well, there is a science behind selling any product, especially meat!

Anyway, cover the pan in foil and place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 24-48 hours. I put this together on Sunday night and cooked it on Tuesday morning.

After marinating, bake the brisket for 40 minutes per pound at 300 F.

I will be honest I have no idea how big this brisket is, as I do not own a kitchen scale...I plan on investing in one eventually. My husband put this brisket in the oven at 5:45 AM when he went to work. It was ready to serve at about 11:00AM.

I sliced the meat in the pan and put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes to let the juices soak up a little more.

I served this brisket with mashed potatoes and a yummy loaf of garlic bread. I was hoping I would have some left overs of the meat so that tomorrow I could make a french dip with the meat and broth (Special request of my brother in law). However, like last time I cooked this dish I only have a small bit left, not nearly enough to make another meal for tomorrow!

Normally I try and get a few other vegetables in there for variety and nutritional value, but the guys were all having a busy day and the six of us plan on going out tonight for supper in Sioux Falls for Texas Roadhouse, and they all agree that eating two big meals in one day does bad things for their figures! :)

My husband who always smiles for the camera even though he really doesn't want to!


In order to get them to participate in my pictures I promised I would not show their faces!

You would never guess my sister in law is a professional photographer with how shy all our husbands are when you bring out the camera!

Anyway, that is my recipe for today. I give credit to Pioneer Woman, but I did add a bit more of some ingredients and substituted one for another. But, you should definitely check out her website....it is very farmer friendly!

My bit of advice when cooking, don't be afraid to experiment and add to recipes and take out. I am constantly writing in recipe books to make notes that I added things and took out some things.

Today I felt pretty bad serving brisket because I served that 2 weeks ago when I cooked, however, my brother in law informed me that it was fine..."You can cook the same 5 things every time you cook for us...as long as they are 5 really good things, of course."

So, moral of the story...When it doubt- find 5 things you are really good at cooking and stick with it!

Happy Cooking!

Pork V. The Ipad

2012-01-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

I admit I love technology. Head over heels in love.

But, I also don't have a problem with my phone dying and it staying that way for a couple of days. I don't have a problem not answering text messages when they get sent to me right away. And I am notorious for ignoring phone calls and emails because I just don't feel like dealing with technology on that given day.

I am always saying that technology will some day take over the world. And I often say how it will eventually become an essential part of agriculture.

A few weeks ago my sister in law gets this amazing idea about purchasing Ipads for each couple on the farm. During calving seasons it would be so organized to be able to update records and send to each other. That way there is no confusion on when the calf was born, why it's in the barn, and any birthing problems it may have had.

I took her idea and ran with it bringing up all the ideas we could use it for- feeding, precision agriculture, equipment maintenance schedules, etc. My husband thought I was crazy. But, after thinking about it he thought of a way he could use it, recording sick calves as they are treated, so the documentation is always available to everyone.

I even went as far as pricing out the Ipads we would need and the types of apps we would need to make this work for us. (Only because I was already on the phone with the Apple people!)

I believe technology will become like an extension of a farmer's arm in the near future. Whether or not the older generation agrees with me is fine. I just believe that we have to be open to it if it becomes that way, and embracing it is better than denying it in my eyes.

For example, this article really made me think.

In 2001 a law was passed in the European Union that farmers provide some sort of entertainment for their livestock for the purpose of their emotional health.

Really? Is that like the giant ball you give to horses that sometimes horses love and other times they look at you like you are absolutely crazy for thinking they are actually going to play with it?

http://www.equi-spirit-toys.com/

Well, kind of, except farmers are embracing technology and utilizing Ipads.

When I saw these pictures I couldn't believe it.

I mean, how much fun does this look? I seriously bet the pigs love this.

Now this being said. I don't think that all pigs without toys are unhappy pigs. Our beef cattle still love to roll and run and will constantly be playing with one another. My two heifers I have out in my lot are constantly chasing each other in circles.

No, I do not think you need to go out and purchase an Ipad for the purpose of playing with a yard of pigs, because I certainly won't be installing this fancy system in our feed lots.

But, I think it goes to show that technology is growing in agriculture. And I agree with the article in the aspect that this Ipad app could allow for consumers to subconsciously become more aware of their food and where it is coming from. However, with that being said. I bet PETA could have a hay day with this.

Oh, and I think I might buy one of those giant balls, not for my horse (she would look at me like I was crazy), but I think my heifer calves would love it!

Terrorism in America

2012-01-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

It has been about a week since my post on a group of animal activists that set fire at a cattle ranch in California.

Check it out here in case you missed it.

I have let the coals cool so to speak, but wanted to bring it back this week because my husband and I have spent at least a couple of hours discussing in depth on the workings of human minds and how this act in itself is an act of terrorism on American soil.

Because, let's be honest, only terrorists would take credit for something so heinous.

I came across one of the blogs I read that contained this post from another blog. I couldn't believe how much we think alike because my husband and I had discussed many of the same issues.

If you want to check out more of Brandi Buzzard's blog click here.

Check out what Brandi had to say about the act of agriterrorism.

PS. The activist group took credit, but from what I can find I haven't seen much of a development from my news sources on what is going to happen now...

Friday, January 13, 2012

Who Takes Credit for Agriterrorism?

If you haven't yet heard, earlier this week Harris Ranch in California was the victim of a horrible animal rights activist attack in which fourteen of their trucks used to transport cattle were set on fire and completely destroyed. After news reports surfaced, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) stepped up to take credit for the horrendous acts.

I'm sorry. Took credit?

Generally, people take credit for an accomplishment. This was a malicious attack, NOT an accomplishment. Harris Rach CEO, John Harris, is appalled at the "senseless and alarming attacks" which are, in my opinion, easily classified as domestic terrorism. These actions are unwarranted and unacceptable and I hope that the Fresno County police can get to the bottom of this whole thing.

A direct quote in the email authored by the activists says:

"We weren't sure how well this was going to work, so we waited until there were news reports before writing this," the statement said. "We were extremely pleased to see that all 14 trucks 'were a total loss' with some being 'completely melted to the ground.'"

The e-mail ended with, "Until next time."

People, pay attention. These so-called activists (I prefer the term agriterrorists) are not playing nice or fair. Apparently, it's common-practice within their circles to start cattle trucks on fire and endanger human lives for the sake of making a point (a poor point, at that). It seems that they will stop at nothing to push their cause. In fact, the United States Department of Homeland Security classifies ALF as a "domestic terrorist organization." Their stated objectives are:

To inflict economic damage on those who profit from the misery and exploitation of animals.
To liberate animals from places of abuse, i.e. laboratories, factory farms, fur farms etc., and place them in good homes where they may live out their natural lives, free from suffering.
To reveal the horror and atrocities committed against animals behind locked doors, by performing nonviolent direct actions and liberations
To take all necessary precautions against harming any animal, human and non-human.
Any group of people who are vegetarians or vegans and who carry out actions according to ALF guidelines have the right to regard themselves as part of the ALF.

These are not the objectives of a sane organization interested in reaching compromise. These are the objectives of extremists, whose goal is get rid of our industry. I am sick of it.

To the so called activists - whoever you are. You have done nothing but inflame the malcontent that the entire agriculture community feels towards you. Before, we just despised how you used money, fancy wording and sensational advertising to push your false agenda. After this malicious attack, you can rest assured that we are even more ticked off than before. You have physically and forcefully attacked our way of life, our livelihood, livestock and families. You have been warned - our efforts to inform society of your true goals and sneaky tactics will increase hundred-fold. I can only hope that the guilty parties are found and brought to justice.

If you want to read up on the attacks click here, here or here. To read John Harris's full statement, click here.

Useless College Majors...

2012-01-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday as I was browsing through my news feed on facebook- yes, facebook really gets worthy news articles out there fast- I came across an article that really ruffled my feathers.

An article written by a yahoo blogger, Terence Loose, listing the top 5 most useless college majors.

Would you know that three of those majors are all majors that come from the college or school of agriculture at a university?

Check out the article here, to see for yourself and those of you that follow my blog know that this easily could have ruffled my feathers.

Three majors they are discussing? Agriculture, Animal Science, and Horticulture. I easily know at least 10 people that work in each of these fields that I consider friends, that doesn't even include acquaintances.

I mentally took a step back and smoothed down my feathers and really started to think about this article.

The article is mainly saying that students with these majors are having difficulty finding work.

But let's be realistic. The students that majored in Agriculture could easily have returned to their family farms so they could continue to feed the world. The same could be said for a students that majored in Animal Science.

I have a degree in Agricultural Education. Which means that I can teach agriculture. Which means that I had to learn about agriculture. I would say that to describe my knowledge base I know a little information about many areas of agriculture, and because we are beef farmers, and that I grew up with horses and sheep, that my knowledge level has expanded within those areas. Do I use my degree in agriculture in the way it was intended. Every single day, but not in a classroom. I educate consumers through my blog, public speaking events, and even talking to the mom next to me in the grocery store.

As the number one most useless major being Agriculture, according to Terence Loose, I find it amazing that these students can not find jobs. As without agriculture how do we continue to eat?

Just my random thoughts for the day.

But, I am not the only one in the ag industry with random thoughts. Check out this page on Facebook where others who are involved in agriculture have posted their thoughts.

Take a look at this article from the Huffington Post. Excellent thoughts from a person that is not involved in the ag industry.

Anyway, what are yours? I am dying to know what my followers think. Especially those not involved in the agriculture industry.

Fashion On The Farm- Jeans

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am not sure when the moment was.

You know, the moment I decided Wranglers would forever be my go to jeans? I mean who doesn't love a good fitting pair of Wranglers. And for those of you thinking high waist..that is a thing of the past. Wrangler jeans in the last few years have been developed to fit like a good pair of designer jeans.

And I think I have tried just about every single pair of them that they have came out with. I have gone in phases in which jeans are my current favorite.

At this particular moment I have decided my current favorite is their Rock 47 line. Perfect for farm jeans when they are all worn out and perfect for a date night out.

My husband and his brothers are only Wrangler jean wearers. And personally, I don't think a man can get any better looking than my husband in his nice going out Wranglers. (Well, really any pair of Wranglers since I love his farm ones too!)

Wranglers are worn around here for going out, staying in, working, and even weddings. Yep, even those. When my husband said that he wanted to wear Wranglers to our wedding I didn't even hesitate to say "Absolutely".

Even a game of baseball on a slow Saturday.

But, most importantly their durability on the farm. These jeans will hold up much longer than your average pair of jeans and with guys constantly getting them dirty, gritty, and torn it's impressive they can last as long as they do!

Anyway, back to my love of Wranglers. They have been the perfect jean for me, on and off the farm. I can definitely see me going right back to them after my pregnancy too!

Wrangler was kind enough to send me a pair of their Rock 47 jeans. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Check them out for yourself at Wrangler. I actually wore them through part of my pregnancy (as you can see in this picture) with a bella band and they looked great!

If you would like to win a pair of Wrangler Women's Jeans, then head over to www.Realfarmwivesofamerica.com and sign up!

While Wrangler did provide me with a pair of jeans to review for this blog the thoughts, opinions and pictures shared here are my own.

Why I Love Sundays

2012-01-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

I love Sundays because on Sundays we get to lounge...or at least we do for a little bit.

I love Sundays because my hubby shuts our bedroom door and lets me sleep in as long as I want. Unless we go to church, then he always wakes me up super early and tells me to hurry because we are not going to be late.

I love Sundays because after church sometimes we spend hours at the local farm store and Lowes.

I love Sundays because I get to wear my pajamas all day if I want.

I love Sundays because normally we do a project around our house.

I love Sundays because I am always happier when I know my hubby is around.

I love Sundays because we always have a big, yummy supper that we often make together.

I love Sundays because my hubby always says "Do you want to watch --- before I go outside?" Even though he knows I won't sit still and keep cleaning most of the time while we watch.

I love our Sunday for chores because normally we spend some time at the farm, just the two of us. There is nothing like a big, empty, quiet shop.

I love our Sundays now more than ever because I know that very soon our Sundays will change. :)

What Are People Thinking?!

2012-01-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I woke up to sunshine. This morning I woke up to snow. Yesterday I woke up and worked outside in a t-shirt and sweats. Today I did chores in pants, my winter coat, hat, and gloves.

I decided it was a perfect day to get some stuff done on the computer. Baby K is due in 12 weeks and it seems that slowly, and I do mean slowly, my list is getting smaller and smaller. One thing I would like to do is prepare my blogging self for those precious few weeks after Baby is born. I plan to devote my time with him or her- which I am sure you will all understand! :)

Today, as I sat down at my computer, the first story up on my Facebook news feed is about an animal activists group. Immediately I click, that's what I do anytime there is a half way decent looking news story on Facebook.

It took about 2 seconds for me to be appalled.

In Southern California it appears that an animal activist group took matters into their own hands and set fire to 14 trucks on a cattle ranch.

REALLY?!?! What were these people thinking?!

(As farmers we are sometimes at the "mercy" of animal activists. It seems that they are constantly releasing animal abuse videos for us to all sit and spend the day crying over. Because I haven't watched one yet that didn't bring tears to my eyes. On that note, let me say that I believe child abusers and rapists are awful people, but does that mean that every time I meet another human I assume they are one? As farmers we have our bad seeds too, but that does not mean that we all abuse our animals.)

Anyway, I can save animal abuse videos for another day.

Today is really about the animal activists doing some abuse themselves.

Firefighters were able to put out the blazes in 45 minutes. But what if they weren't? The story is very short unfortunately, but I can't help but think what about the cattle? Or the rancher?

What if?

What if those trucks were next to a cattle yard? What if a gas tank would have blown? What if a firefighter would have been injured in some way?

Those activists may have set fire to the trucks, but Mother Nature always has another plan.

Fire is a nasty, nasty thing and I am completely appalled that someone would do this. And then they take credit for it like they threw someone a surprise birthday party?!?

Well, surprise, I don't think anyone is really impressed by these tactics.

Article from Los Angeles Times

Jumping On The Bandwagon

2012-01-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally did it. I jumped on the bandwagon of Pinterest. Earlier this year another CommonGround volunteer sent me an invite and told me how amazing it was. I finally logged in about a month ago..and let me tell you. I totally get sucked into Pinterest world every night around 10PM, for at least 30 minutes.

This time of year tends to be slow for farmwives here at our farm. Yes, we have lots of bookwork to finish up before the year's end...but we also don't have our husband's calling us non stop like September through November. This time of year has given me the chance to try out some Pinterest projects.

I have made a few ornaments as gifts, but have really been sucked into the organizing portions of Pinterest. I love that people are sharing their ideas!

I am absolutely notorious for piling. Piling on my long beautiful counter tops, until I finally remember to return piles. These piles tend to be three specific piles. One pile of things that need to go to town. One pile of things that need to go to the farm. And a last pile of things that need to be returned to either my Mother in law or Sister in law. These piles tend to grow in size until I convince myself to pack it all into my pick up and start my deliveries.

A few weeks ago I found this great idea on Pinterest about using banker boxes for items labeled as donate, gifts, deliver, and library.

I LOVED this so much, but realized right away that some of these things weren't for me. Library books are sporadic, donations are always too big, and I always have too many gifts to fit in that box. Plus, I knew banker boxes were not going to hold up to me constantly opening them. So, I began the search for the perfect solution to my problem.

After looking at every home store I finally came up with my own version. I pestered my husband to add some more shelving in my hall closet from the garage and I used baskets I was already using in the closet. These shelves took him approximately 20 minutes at the most, with scrap lumber from our shed, that matches pretty close to the closet system we already have.

I then added my own little touch with pictures I love printed on card stock, laminated, hole punched, and tied on.

And as you can see I have already transferred my piles into the baskets! Well, minus the jar of mayonnaise that needs to go back to my Sister in law (I thought that would be best left in the refrigerator). Go Me!

Can it get any better than this?!

2011-12-31T13:55:00.000-08:00

January

I started blogging in January of this year...even though I didn't give anyone my website until March! My first post was about a great conference I had attended where I met lots of farm women from across the Midwest. It was fabulous, and so great to meet other women who had a love for agriculture!

February

This year we had an EMPTY building collapse because of snow. It was my first time to actually see snow cause that much damage to something! I also had a blast at the Children's Museum with my nieces and nephews.

March

In March, I finally stepped up to the plate and started cooking the noon meal, Dinner, for our guys.

This month I also had my most viewed blog post, a yummy Beef Brisket recipe.

April

Calving season proved to be a wet, miserable one. But, as the weather warmed and grass greened so did our spirits. One of my favorite calves of the year. And my brother in law and I treating a sick calf.

May

The beginning of May brought planting season. I took one of my favorite pictures of the year here with my nephew, his Dad, and Grandpa.

June

June brought beautiful weather for chopping hay silage

July

In July we found out we were pregnant! Which made for an exciting last 6 months to our year! We also enjoyed a vacation fishing in Canada.

August

In August we took a break on a slow Saturday for our annual Baseball game with all the nieces and nephews.

September

September started our busy season. We started with finishing up our last cutting of hay and chopping corn silage.

October

It got even busier the next month. But, proved to be a record setting year for finishing a week before Halloween. We spent the month combining soybeans and corn.

November

In November we celebrated 2 years of being married. I loved this photo my sister in law captured for us on the road on the way to our reception. A week later we celebrated with one of my closest friends when she got married! It was a heck of a party! And they are absolutely perfect for each other.

December

It only seems right to leave this spot empty as we still have the rest of the night to create lasting memories with our friends as we celebrate bringing in the new year!

Happy New Year's to all of my followers, it has been such a blessed year and I look forward to bringing you more about American agriculture and adding another little one to our family farm in 2012!

Wordless Wednesday: Our Holidays

2011-12-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

An Indiana Thanksgiving...Family photos, yummy hibachi and movies with my Mom and sister, my best friend getting married, and lots of games...

My Sister and Papaw

My Grandma and Brother

My Dad and Sister

Aunt and Stepmom

Cousin

My youngest sister

My other sister..

My sister and I with our Aunts

Left, Right, Center

Farmer Hubby and Uncle cleaning up after Thanksgiving

My crafty sister had us each write what we were thankful for this year and then gave the gift to my Grandma, the host

Ohhh the things we were thankful for...

My Great Grandpa will have a another Great Great Grandbaby this April :)

A South Dakota Christmas...Playing a few FRIENDLY games of Wipeout on the Wii, one very happy little nephew who received a "skunk" for Christmas this year, reading time with Grandpa, and of course, chores.

Youngest nephew and his Dad

He was very excited about this new toy...

Yes, he got a skunk..and he LOVED it.

Youngest niece rockin' out neon green shades

Quality time with Family.

Christmas On The Farm

2011-12-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas on the farm is a lot like other families celebrating. We make time for each other to share a meal and laughter...and of course watch all the little ones open their presents...

The difference between us and non farming families?

We have a whole ton of other things that must come before our celebrating.

Thursday and Friday we sold a few loads of cattle, which means waking up at 4 AM to get them loaded and on the road. Which makes for some very tired guys for our family Christmas celebration on Friday evening. But, don't let that fool you...we had some naps snuck during dinner and through out the evening, but still enjoyed some good old family competition with the Wii.

Today was like any other day at the farm, we spent the day feeding cattle and working in the shop, with the entire family breaking off a little early to attend the 4 PM mass in town.

Before mass today I spent some much needed time with my horse, who I believe is holding a grudge against me for penning her with my two heifers for the winter. She tends to be a loaner and is rather moody, so she doesn't quite appreciate their typical calf behavior of kicking and wanting to play.

Tomorrow, just like every other day at the farm there are still chores that must come before opening stockings and lounging all day with family.

If you remember my Thanksgiving post for what I am thankful for, you will remember how thankful I am for our chore rotations for the holidays. With rotating chores among the families it still allows us to make time for our families during the holiday season.

This Christmas is my brother in law's turn for chores. Which means a little extra cuddling with my farmer before we are up and getting things ready for celebrating with family at noon.

As I look forward to Christmas every year, this one is just a little bit more special to me because I am pregnant and I realize how much my life will be changed for the better next Christmas.

Hold your family close this holiday season!

Merry Christmas from our growing family to yours!

Worldess Wednesday

2011-12-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

This is oh so true. Even though it is the holiday season we still have livestock that need to be tended to before ourselves.

The Future of Soybeans

2011-12-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

I spend a lot of time talking about beef...and beef...and every now and then some corn.

It's not that I am biased, I swear. It's just that beef and our corn production are really the biggest parts of our family farm.

But, it's important to not forget all the other things that we grow. Like our family gardens, our dogs, cats, kids, oh yeah...and soybeans!

We plant mainly corn and soybeans, and every now and then some wheat. We planted some new alfalfa this year. But, I would definitely say our top two planted items are corn and soybeans.

Soybeans are considered nitrogen fixating legumes- big words, but not so scary. It means that soybeans actually put nitrogen back into the soil once they complete their life cycle. Soybeans are able to convert the nitrogen in the atmosphere to a nitrogen form that they can use. Which is kind of a big deal.

Nitrogen can help increase yields. To read more about yields, click here.

To utilize nitrogen fixating legumes many farmers will put their crops on a crop rotation system.

For example: One year a field may be planted with soybeans and the next year that same field will be planted with corn. With soybeans being planted the previous year they have left behind nitrogen in the soil to provide an ideal growing environment for corn. This helps cut down on nitrogen application costs, but most importantly allows us to use what Mother Nature has given us.

What happens to our soybeans you might ask? All of our soybeans we sell to the local co-ops. We sometimes sell them as soon as we harvest them, but other times we wait and store them in bins until we feel the market is right.

Now, soybeans...Why are they so important? Check out this great video that the United Soybean has released to tell you a little bit more about the future of soybeans. It features another local South Dakota farmer and CommonGround volunteer I am proud to know, Dawn Scheier.

My Thoughts on Horse Slaughter

2011-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

I believe it is safe to say after that montage of pictures that I clearly love horses.

I have loved horses nearly my entire life. Everything about them. From the cleaning out of a stall to the blue ribbon in the show rings. I spent nearly my whole life riding and showing horses.

So, the real question is what are my thoughts on the horse slaughter ban being lifted here in the United States?

I believe that it is a great idea and will prove to be beneficial to horse owners across the US.

Shocking?

Not really.

When you see some of the things I am seeing during short car trips, maybe you would understand.

Neglected horses are suffering every single day. They are in pastures where there is no green grass, their owners simply not having the funds to feed them. Horses cost a pretty penny to keep in a pasture. A real pretty penny, especially with hay prices being as high as they have been this year. It is also recommended that a horse's hooves be trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks. My horse was often trimmed every 8 weeks and during show season she had a full set of shoes put on her. What about the cost of shots and dewormer? I give all of my own shots and dewormer, but those still cost money. When you tack in grain costs if you go that route, it can really range to just about any number, depending on what you are doing with the animal. Average cost for just a "pasture ornament" horse they claim is around $1600 a year. And that is on the really, really low side. Some states, where hay prices are much higher claim that it costs them $5000 a year to keep one horse. Talk about breaking the bank.

The lifting of the ban will offer relief to horse owners who have no way to dispose of their aged horses. Here on our farm we have approximately ten horses among the three families. We have the means when the time comes to dispose of those horses...whether it be from old age or a disease that we just can't cure. Once an animal that large goes down think about the equipment it would take to get it into the ground. Not many horse owning families can boast that they have an excavator and 2 pay loaders sitting around that can get the job done.

I agree with the horse ban being lifted mainly because of the neglected horses that I see more often than not. You are lucky if you can give away a horse when it cost as much as it does to maintain them.

I also agree with the horse ban being lifted because I disagree with the fact that PETA was able to shift Congress so easily, when most of them may not even be horse owners themselves. I believe that my sister in law, who owns 7 horses, has more of a right to speak about the well being of her horses than someone who just "loves" horses, but has never owned one a day in their life.

I think this post mainly stemmed from earlier this week when I was driving to a school to sub and on the radio two morning hosts were discussing the horse ban being lifted. The woman was completely disgusted because we were actually going to be slaughtering horses and then exporting to countries who do eat horse. But yet she has no problems eating beef, pork, or poultry. She simply disagreed because horses are pretty and aren't made to be eaten. In the words of my other sister in law "you can find beauty in any animal whether it be a horse or a cow".

As a country we tend to forget that we are not the only country in this world and that because we have been pointed in "correct" directions of what to eat, it doesn't mean that it is the only right way to eat. Just because the US doesn't eat horses, does not mean that it is wrong that other countries do. It is simply a different lifestyle and in some countries horses are considered a delicacy. We shouldn't look down on them because they choose a different "correct" way to eat, we should simply respect their choices.

I believe the horse slaughtering ban being lifted is a good thing, and that is spoken from a true horse owner and someone that adores horses.

Again, keep in mind these are only MY opinions. You have the right as an individual to believe as you believe, horse owner or non horse owner.

Disappearing Act

2011-12-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

Wow...where have I been right?

The thing is I have all these posts that are started that need the last bits of information or pictures uploaded, so I haven't posted them yet.

But, mainly it's because I am fighting this absolutely awful cold that I swear will only allow me to give attention to something for a small amount of time.

Saturday I gave 5 hours to book work and felt later that I could possible just roll over and die.

Sunday morning at church I spilled a whole glass of water in the sanctuary, then we cut down 2 of our 4 cottonwood trees that are about a billion years old. It was sad to see them go.

That project took all afternoon.

Today I feel like death. Literally. Please just let me roll over and hibernate until this cold is over.

Today I am subbing, but tomorrow and the next day and the next day, and pretty much every day... I plan on sitting on the couch and not doing anything, no matter what, until this cold is over. Because personally I am useless with it.

And I think even the baby is getting sick of it.

But, the good news is that during the winter months I normally try and sub more...since I absolutely hate being outside during the winter.

Things don't necessarily slow down this time of year..the guys just move inside the shop as much as they can and still keep working.

But, the hustle and bustle of harvest and post harvest field work has finally come to a close.

Next part of our season...Taxes. This is where all the hard work of record keeping through the year will pay off tremendously as we pull together our final figures for our end of the year pre-tax appointment.

Once I am better I promise to get back to my farm life stories and some of the recent Ag issues that have been in the news lately.

Hopefully, I will write again real soon.

Thankful for Turkeys

2011-11-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

Turkeys. One of the areas of agriculture I would say I know slim to none about.

Except the couple of lesson plans I have done on turkey production.

But today is about being thankful for turkeys and thankful they bring our family together every year around this time.

My earliest memory of Thanksgiving is of there being a turkey running around my city dwelling great grandparents back yard a few days before Thanksgiving. Then mysteriously after Thanksgiving it no longer being there.

Then one of my more recent memories..playing turkey bingo with my mother in law and my niece in South Dakota my first year spending the holidays there.

And this year spending the holiday with my family in Indiana, something I have been looking forward to since my morning sickness finally wore off. I didn't think I could ever pass up my Grandma's Thanksgiving meals, now that I am married I have to compromise a little bit here and there. But, I can promise you little Baby K will be getting his or her fill once I get to fill my plate!

This year I am excited to be spending the day with my Indiana family and my husband. I am thankful that we can all be together at times like this through the years. I tend to choose Thanksgiving over Christmas because the pressure of the gift giving isn't there, but the love of family still strong.

Happy Thanksgiving and I hope today you are thinking of family, eating, and of course football.

A Bushel And a Peck

2011-11-22T17:50:00.000-08:00

With Harvest 2011 finally coming to a close I really wish I could find a way to add a song to this one blog post- just for fun.

I am thinking the musical Guys and Dolls. A Bushel and a Peck is a very catchy tune from that musical by Doris Day and when I started this post I was trying to come up with a catchy title and this one stuck.

Because I am talking about bushels of corn and nearly every time my hubby came to the field to get a load of corn this year he made sure to give me a "peck" on the cheek.

What is a bushel? Good question. Easy enough answer. A bushel is a unit of volume.

One bushel of corn weighs 56 pounds.

Immediately I am picturing holding a 50 lb bag of dog food, while holding a small 6 lb yippy little dog. (I have no clue where that vision came from, the teacher in me speaking I suppose.)

One big and very important thing to a farmer after combining a field of any commodity (corn, soybeans, wheat, sunflowers, etc.) is the YIELD to that field.

What is a yield right?

A yield is how many bushels/acre came out of the field.

What is an acre right?

Picture a football field. One football field is equal to one acre. We farm almost 3,000 football fields. And people wonder why we need big equipment, geesh!

So, to calculate all of this you have to do a few simple equations. And I can easily tell you that as it was hammered into my head for 4 years of college.

But, I am guessing that may not be too important to you.

What I think you will find interesting and important is how our average yields have increased significantly in the last 50 years.

What does that mean exactly? That means that as farmers we are getting more corn off our acres. Which is important in feeding the world. You know, the 7 billion people we have on Earth.

But, in order to continue to have high yields, it means we have to take care of our soil. Which we do. It is recommended that soil tests be conducted every 3 years, which tells nutrient levels in the soil, along with the pH of the soil.

During harvest my sister in law calculates our yields for each field and we compare to previous years in order to help us make the best decisions for the following year.

This year she was nice enough to let me help and in turn helped me learn quite a bit about the soil and yields of our fields here on TKF.

As we work to increase our yields we also work to increase the number of mouths that we feed.

Some would say that as farmers this isn't something we need to worry about, but if we aren't worrying about it as producers and as consumers- who will?

Thankful For...

2011-11-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

During this time of year it's hard to not be Thankful, with holidays coming up and the thought of being together as a family, it's not just the pregnancy that makes me glow!

As I celebrate with my Indiana family this year, I keep my South Dakota family close to my heart.

Today I am guest blogging on The Real Farmwives of America page about one of the reasons I am so thankful to be a part of a family farm!

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

The Real Farmwives of America

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

2011-11-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Well, there was a winner for a new pair of Nocona Boots!

It wasn't me....but, it was a close call between me and Sarah over at This Farm Family's Life. Be sure to check out her blog, she has a really yummy looking recipe she put up this week.

Not to mention she is so deserving of a new pair of boots!

I would like to say thank you for all of my followers who voted for me. We must have had luck on our side because as it turns out one of my followers won herself a new pair of boots- all because she voted for me!

Congratulations Janelle! I hope you enjoy your new pair of Nocona Boots!

To New Beginnings

2011-11-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

Today I am spending the day in a small hotel room packed with 11 women all getting ready for our favorite couple's wedding.

Reminds me of my wedding day two years ago. How I felt...the emotions...the rush....the excitement of spending the rest of my life with my husband.

Sadee and Nick have been together for nearly 9 years. A common law marriage in some states. When she called to tell me he had proposed I was so excited for her to start the next chapter of her life with her best friend.

So here we are in St. Petersburg, Florida celebrating her special day with her closest friends and family on a beautiful beach right before sunset.

So here's to love, happiness, and all the wonderful things that come with wedding days.

Fashion On The Farm- Boots

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

When I first moved to South Dakota in the Fall of 2008 (Chopping corn silage is actually my anniversary every year!) I brought with me my beloved black muck boots. I love them so much I wear them almost every single day.

When it's cold, when it's hot, when it's raining, and when it's not!

My husband has pretty much hated them from day one. Hated them so much after popping the question of "Will you marry me?" he followed it with, "Well now that we are engaged I think it is time to get rid of your muck boots." I just smiled and said "Okay Honey", when I was really thinking "He's CRAZY if he thinks I am getting rid of those muck boots!".

I just think they are so great to slip on and I never have to think twice about entering a cattle lot on short notice or of stepping into a muddy garden.

So, a few months after our engagement we are at our wedding dance. There is something in South Dakota they like to call the "Garter Auction", yep, never heard of it until I came here.

Anyway, basically the idea is they auction off the garter, instead of constantly raising the price, guests just keep giving money. When the money giving dwindles down, the last person gets the garter.

Well, much to my husband's dismay a few weeks before the wedding my Dad comes up with this absolutely priceless idea and the only people that knew anything about this plan was my Dad, my sister in laws, and my mother in law. So, they were all prepared with their cameras!

Our lives seem to have so many defining moments involving boots. From the moment I set foot on our farm with my black muck boots to wearing them during our garter auction and then to taking these pictures back in September to send to my parents to let them know we were expecting our first little one.

I would say boots always put a smile on my face and now it's time for me to put one on yours!

The Real Farmwives of America and Friends is giving away two pairs of Nocona boots.

There is a chance that one of my readers could receive one of these pairs and there is also a chance that I can receive a pair of boots- these boots in particular (Yes, I already picked out a pair that I love...)

Nocona Fashion Line

Are they not adorable?!

Here's how:

All you have to do is go Real Farmwives of America and Friends and leave a comment to vote for me! There are two ways you can do this:

1. Head over to their website: Real Farmwives of America
2. Head over to their facebook page.

I am hoping to win this pair of boots to add to my collection of much loved boot stories. Plus, I would love for one of my readers to start a boot story of their own!

Corn Harvest 2011

2011-11-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, the rush of season is finally coming to a close.

We set records here on TKF with finishing Harvest by October 16. But, don't let that fool you. Even though we finished early, we still have lots to do.

I was just having a conversation with another farmer about how even though harvest finished up early this year, it seems we got even busier once the combine rolled out of the field for the last time.

After we finish combining we still have equipment to clean and field work to be done. Not to mention we have been buying cattle and selling cattle the last couple of weeks. Which means lots of early mornings and lots of cattle to work.

A farmer's job really is never done.

Here is that promised video on Corn Harvest 2011. My sister in law was kind enough to do most of the video footage for me since I spent most of my time in the tractor this year.

This video is a video of us combining corn for feed. The corn that is coming out of the truck and going through the long pipe looking thing (auger) is actually getting cracked into smaller pieces and being wet down so it can be packed into the bunker so it is easily accessed for feeding our cattle during the winter. Once we get enough corn for feeding our cattle we either do one of two things 1) Haul the corn to town to the local co-op to sell or 2) Store the corn in bins to sell at a later date.

The corn is hauled from the field by semis and grain trailers and weighed in our scale shed so we know how many pounds (and later converted into bushels) we are getting out of each field and how many pounds we are putting into our bunkers for feed.

All of the corn combined in our fields is for our animal feed. We do plant a small patch of sweet corn for us to enjoy :)

One thing I didn't get video footage of is of us tarping this particular corn pile. We actually have two bunkers that we use for corn (very similar to our silage bunker). But, it just so happens this year the day we tarped the first one it was raining and the next time we did it in the dark.

Here's to the end of another harvest year!

Thank You South Dakota Farmers

2011-10-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

I have that Harvest 2011 video all ready to put on here, but for some reason it wouldn't upload from my video editing program today.

I shall try again in the morning.

But, while snuggling in bed with my hubby this evening a commercial came on that I loved.

So, naturally...I had to share.

My husband is a director for the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council, so needless to say the organization holds a place in my heart.

(For some odd reason YouTube will upload- but not my computer?! I love technology!)

For more information about corn see

SDCorn.org

YouTube: South Dakota Corn

Worldess Wednesday

2011-10-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Around the middle of corn harvest I asked my sister in law to take some video footage for me so I could put together a Corn Harvest Video, since I was stuck in the field I could only get what we do in the field!

That video is coming soon...but in the mean time...

My niece's video was much more entertaining!

Farm kids really are some of the happiest kids around.

Old Rakes On The Farm

2011-10-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

My internet has not been my friend this week or else I would have gotten this up on Thursday as planned!

Anyway, around the time we were tarping our silage pile I noticed this old rake hanging on the side of the bunker.

Maybe I should said "older looking". It is still a much used rake, but after tarping the pile I convinced my farmer I had to have it for this Fall season.

Super simple project.

Buy some indian corn (or borrow it from my basement). Wire the corn to the rake. Sit outside on it's handle end.

Easy right? I planned on doing more with it, but then decided that was more ambitious than I wanted to be this year.

I have received loads of compliments and I love it so much I want to just keep it forever. However, I have already been told at the end of Fall it needs to be returned to the side of the bunker on the rack it was hanging on. But, I do see it returning to the front of my house next year!

And you can even insert a cat into the whole Fall display. If you need one of those feel free to contact anyone on our farm. :)

Food Day Voice

2011-10-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

After hearing some of my thoughts yesterday on the upcoming Food Day, check out another great advocate telling her thoughts on what Food Day means. Some of you might remember seeing her back on this post, right after she was crowned.

Food and Farming

2011-10-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

When you think Food....I hope you think Farmer.

Food and Farming should almost be one in the same. They have a bit of a partnership we will call it. Wouldn't you agree? :)

Food Day is coming up on October 24. Sounds exciting, interesting, and like I might want to get involved.

Except, as farmers, we weren't really asked to.

Even one better for you, I think they kind of are nixing us out of the "day" all together.

After taking a look at their website I came across some things I agree with and some I disagree with.

They have a list of 6 principles. Check them out. Feel free to comment your thoughts. I would really love to hear what you as consumers think about them.

The one I was completely focused on was

4. Protect the environment and farm animals by reforming factory farms

More than once I have heard someone use the term factory farm to describe any type of feeding operation. Whether it be beef, pork, maybe even chickens?

In case you haven't read my About Me section, we feed beef cattle, lots of beef cattle, enough to keep us busy year round, day and night.

We are a family farming operation. We farm together year round. We feed cattle on Christmas and then meet up later in the day for a noon meal together as a family. This is our business, but also our livelihood. Our farm means everything to us.

What do you think? Are we a factory?

Most people make an uneducated guess that we are, which I totally get.

I mean if people are telling you we are a factory farm, because we are a larger operation, what else do you have to believe?

Well, believe me. And believe this statitistic from the USDA.

98% of farms in the United States today are FAMILY OWNED.

Last Friday at a women's event here in South Dakota, someone made the comment, "I just don't like buying from big farms, no offense to you."

I told her, "Trust me, we still have the same morals and values that small farming operations had years ago, we just farm on a large scale because now we are feeding more than just our own families, we are trying to give you something safe and healthy that you can go right to your grocery store and pick up, instead of having to raise it yourself."

The conversation of course expanded into more aspects of big farms v. small farms and today's modern agriculture. It then expanded into me telling her we sell our beef to local consumers in our area, as well as Tyson.

I then told her that the American family farm is responsible for feeding 155 people. I wish I could have recorded the reaction. She smiled and said "Well, I guess I should say thank you". I simply replied, "No, thank you, for trusting my family to provide you with something safe and healthy that you can feed to your family."

So, when you think Food Day, think family farm, don't think factory farm. We are so far from it.

The End Is Here

2011-10-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I am proud to say we finished the last of our harvest today.

We farm around 3,000 acres....or to put it in visual form for you 3,000 football fields.

We have been going non stop since around the first of September.

I am so excited to be done with the harvesting portion of Fall.

It means things slow down, well kind of. Maybe less late nights.

Even though we are done with harvest (yay!), we still have lots to do before Fall is finally complete.

All those fields we just combined need to be worked.

All the equipment we have been using since the beginning of September needs to be blown out, vacuumed out, washed off, and put away until next year.

Anyway, today was a perfect day to end it on.

My next posts will hopefully be about what Harvest looked like on our farm, corn and soybeans. And also a super fun Fall project I have received tons of compliments on, even from my hubby!

Happy Harvest!

Wordy Wednesday: Lesson Learned!

2011-10-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

So, earlier this evening I logged in to my blog with the intention of discussing my perfect wedding ring.

A bit cheesy, yes, but I had a good point.

Going back to my love for fashion.

Even though I am a farm wife I still appreciate jewelry.

And I adore my wedding ring.

It is perfect for our lifestyle.

And perfect for me.

Then I had to hit save and run up to the farm to help tarp down our last bunker of corn. Well, amidst the tarping I realized I still had my ring on so I moved over from the rather high ledge to remove it and what do you know it just fell right off.

Did I mention I was sitting in a large bunker filled with corn? Or that we were tarping in the dark? (PS. Click on tarping to see a video that has us tarping down our corn silage pile)

I definitely had an "Oh crap" moment. I casually asked my brother in law if I could borrow his phone for the light, he says "Oh, did you drop your phone? I'll call it for you." In a hushed whisper I say "Noooo, little bit more expensive...my wedding ring." His reply, "Don't move, I will go get a light...just don't get up."

We spent the next 5 or so minutes looking for my wedding ring, when I decided to go to the ground 12 feet below where I had been sitting.

Luckily, my wedding ring was sitting on the ground waiting for me!

So, tonight's post was supposed to be a Wordless Wednesday with this picture of my perfect wedding ring that I took in the tractor earlier today, because it was just looking so irresistibly shiny and beautiful. With the intention of saying that when we bought it I was thinking of the lifestyle I was choosing, and a band with diamonds would be perfect.

Instead it turned into a Wordy Wednesday with a lesson well learned!

HSUS Revealed

2011-10-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

At this point most of you know my fondness for sharing the true story of the Humane Society of the United States.

Check out the newest Revealed poster.

Way Less Words Wednesday

2011-10-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I am so exhausted right now I actually had to sound out Wednesday? :)

Anyway, thought I would share that every now and then farm wives can get cleaned up pretty nice.

My sister in law did some PR pics for me in between combining soybeans and starting to combine high moisture corn today.

It is impossible for me to not share at least one. I love this picture because it has some of our best looking cattle lined up at the bunks.

Anyway, right now on the farm we are combining high moisture corn. Which is exactly what is sounds like, the corn plant is at a high moisture. We combine corn when it's still pretty wet to grind up and store in our feed bunkers, very similar to what we do with our silage. This corn we use to feed to our cattle all winter long.

If I can convince my husband to allow me a short amount of time out the grain cart in the next few days I will snap some pictures of the process!

Fashion on The Farm

2011-10-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Bet you never thought you would hear a farm wife utter those words?

Well, fashion is up there with a few of my favorite things. I love fashion and I just had a conversation the other day when I was putting on make up for some pictures, that I was pretty sure I hadn't worn that much make up since the day I got married...Almost 2 years ago.

Even when I know I am going to spend the day on the farm, it's really hard for me to not be fashionable. Really. I just feel better when my hair is half way not crazy and I have on at least mascara.

One of the clothing brands I have come to rely on is Carhartt. I wear them often and love them. Not only because they are very farm friendly, but because their items can let me be my normal fashionable self on the farm!

Recently, I was able to try out a new product on their Women's line. Love it. Perfect for the fall weather here on the farm and after day 2 of wearing it, realized it was super easy to clean up!

Not only do I own this perfect light weight jacket. I love their women's vests. I own two. And their women's work pants. I own 2 pairs. And their new lightweight zip up pull over, I love that too. Wow, my husband is right, I have a shopping problem. But really, their coveralls. They make a great pair of coveralls for women. When I was younger I only wore the men's brand, simply because Carhartt didn't come out with a women's line of clothing until 2006. Now that they make women's coveralls, I am in heaven. The waist actually hits my waist and the hips actually allow room for hips! And they are finally, finally, the right length for my short little self.

But, back to this jacket. Perfect for all my chores around the farm. Anything from loving on my farm dog to working cattle to checking the cows. This time of year is the perfect time for it especially since our days our getting cooler and some of our nights even hitting below freezing.

Needless to say, I have loved my newest addition to my fall wardrobe!

To check out the newest addition to my Carhartt collection click here.

While you are there be sure to check out some of their other items, and don't be afraid to buy! You will be one happy, happy woman.

And, the best part....

To win a Carhartt of your own please visit www.realfarmwivesofamerica.com to sign up for their giveaway.

Carhartt did provide me with this product to review but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Emotions and Beef

2011-09-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Since these days I am super busy with our CROPS.

Take approximately 6 minutes and 33 seconds to watch this absolutely great video about BEEF. Another one of our passions here on the farm!

This video is completely heartfelt and talks about feeding beef and the benefits of what beef has to offer.

Its Been A Minute

2011-09-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

I definitely feel like it's been a minute since I really gave you a run down of what is going on on our farm this time of year.

Really, it's been a lot of minutes.

This time of year is really when our big rush starts happening. Guys are running around like crazy- moving equipment, hauling grains, or feeding cattle. Girls are running around like crazy too- running equipment, getting kids off to school, running for parts, and buying an endless supply of chips and pop.

It's my week to cook this week and that mixed with running the grain cart all day has really taken up pretty much any spare amount of time I have. Because at night I am ready to hit the pillow!

Right now, as I mentioned in my previous post, we are combining soybeans. So far the yields (I will explain yields in a later post where I can actually show some pictures!) are looking good and we have had super dry fields.

Last night my brother in law pointed out "It was about 365 days ago it started raining and it never stopped. Last harvest was wet, muddy, and a constant battle of pulling equipment out of the mud. Needless to say, it was long.

This year harvest is looking great from the grain cart. I am constantly posting pictures on my facebook and on twitter. So if you aren't following me on those accounts, now is definitely the time!

(My farmer husband recently allowed me to upgrade to a smart phone, I, of course, am taking full advantage of it!)

Since my posts may be sporadic for the next few weeks, please follow me on twitter and facebook to see what's happening in our fields!

Twitter: SDFarmWife

Facebook: Morgan Kontz (While you are there make sure you 'Like' Stories Of A First Generation Farm Wife)

Beans, Beans, Beans

2011-09-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's officially official. We have started combining our soybeans. Which now truly begins the rush of a Fall harvest.

I took this yesterday while I was running the grain cart with my phone. Tomorrow I will remember my camera, I swear it.

Anyway, this time of year is where some of my posts may be a little more spread out.

But, in the mean time today I am guest blogging on the Real Farmwives of America website.

Check it out to learn a little bit more about me around the home as well as a super simple, but super perfect Fall decorating project.

While you are reading more about me make sure to check out some of the other Real Farmwives!

The 2011 Town Hall Live Event

2011-09-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Town Hall Live Event

If you have some time check this out...some very interesting discussions on the future of our food.

Farmers...Artists?

2011-09-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

When you think about Farmers do you ever think of them as artists?

Art

–noun

the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles,
of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

During our week of chopping silage, as I watched my father-in-law push silage I was standing there thinking, such an art.

It truly takes an artist with talent to get the silage packed just right, and for it to look just right.

Then later on as my brother-in-law blew silage over one truck to another I realized farming really is an art in itself.

Going back to our definition of art...I would say farming is quality and production of food, which is beautiful. But I also think it is definitely more than an ordinary experience.

Here's to the world's lesser known artists, but the ones we should appreciate the most.

Our farmers.

From the Field to The Feed Bunk

2011-09-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Alright, I promised a video blog on corn silage.

It isn't the prettiest- but it's my first and I am a bit proud of it.

I also set it to some very generic music that came with my Flip camera program- sorry about that. I originally had my voice, but I realized after I brought it back to the computer for editing that the cold I had last week makes me almost impossible to understand!

First, to explain a little bit about corn silage I am pulling this blog from over at South Dakota Corn's blog. They did a great job of explaining the purpose for corn silage. And plus, they are a great resource for more information about corn.

Late August and early September, or when the corn fields start turning from green to gold usually marks the start for corn silage season in South Dakota. Chopping corn for silage is a very popular practice, especially among cattle feeders as silage contains high energy nutrients and is easily digestible.

Corn silage is ideally harvested when the corn ears are well-dented and the plant begins to turn brown and dry. Late cut silage that includes brown and dead leaves will produce a quality feed, but will yield as much as 30% less.

As the corn is chopped, the plant is still alive as it continues to breathe producing carbon dioxide and heat. When the plant cells stop breathing, the plant begins to ferment and will continue for around three weeks while the silage preserves. The less air reaching the corn silage the better, as it’s important to properly cover the pile or fill the silo with temperatures between 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Properly packed and heated silage will have a light-green to yellow color with a vinegar type odor.

As of September 11, corn silage harvest in South Dakota was 41% complete. That’s 13% behind last year and 1% ahead of the five year average.

South Dakota Corn actually came out and took some great photos here at TKF last week while we were chopping silage and also a great video of my husband talking about corn silage. Lucky them! I asked him to answer some questions about corn silage for my video and he gave me "The Look".

Anyway, this is corn silage 2011 on our farm. Any questions please feel free to ask! If I don't know the answer, I will get one for you!

Busy as a Bee...Or a Farmer

2011-09-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

Lot's of times what we run into this time of year is the fact that we are chopping corn silage first thing in the morning, after feeding our cattle, until well past 9 P.M. Which fills up your day quite quickly when you really get to thinking about it, it's really an all hands on deck kind of process.

Well, even though we are chopping silage like mad men we still have lots of other things that need done around the farm. Everything from meeting with the random people that stop by on a daily basis to feeding cattle to cutting, raking, and baling our last cutting of hay.

This week my sister in law, mother in law, and myself raked our hay and then the guys took over baling in the evenings. I was able to capture a few good shots with my father in law and his son, Troy, as they were baling hay at sunset.

Then I realized in my effort of capturing my family, I accidentally captured this little guy too. My photographer sister in law would be so proud. Since I am constantly freaked out by her insistence to take pictures of all things creepy and crawly.

It's another busy day at TKF. We are taking a break from chopping corn silage to pour some concrete for our Uncle Charlie, then back to chopping silage. Hopefully we will get our bunker full in the next day or two. Then on to custom silage chopping jobs.

I plan on making a video for you to all see what I mean when I say chopping corn silage. Wish me luck! That area is definitely not my forte!

Way Less Words Wednesday

2011-09-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

We started chopping silage yesterday. I raked hay last night during a beautiful sunset. And my Mom arrived today!

Feeding My Family

2011-09-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

Remember at the beginning of the summer you saw a picture that looked like this:

Representing my newly planted garden.

Well, now at the end of the summer my garden looks more like this:

Now, keep in mind..I have pulled up some plants. And my lettuce back there is going a little crazy.

And last fall after the pumpkins I had purchased were well past their prime I tossed them next to my bushes that run along my quonset building. Needless to say this Spring they went crazy. And they are absolutely beautiful the way they have vined into my bushes, and of course across my yard...

I was so excited to see how well my garden has done this year. Thanks to a loving husband and a great friend it got weeded when it should, especially since my version of weeding is more like using my pesticide applicators license and spraying everything with Roundup.

Today we started chopping corn silage...and I have ton of beans that need canned...and it's my week to cook...and my hubby says I have a ton of hay to rake. But, my Mom is coming from Indiana for a visit!

The life of a farm wife is always fun, always busy, and always changing!

HSUS Revealed

2011-09-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

Remember my interest in the Humane Society of the United States?

Well here is another visual for yet another reminder of why you should donate LOCALLY.

Kids On The Farm

2011-09-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about our family farm is that there is always a kid around.

Actually, it kind of saddens me to think that one day after all the kids are grown it will be more adults than kids.

Guess I will have to start convincing our oldest nephew that girls aren't gross...got to secure the next generation some how!

There is always a place for kids on our farm. And we can always find a way for them to be involved. Whether it be working cattle, baling hay, unloading hay, or just simply watching.

Quick break for shoes to get tied.

Little push...

Too cute to handle.

Sweet Corn? Yes Please!

2011-08-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

Well the summer is dwindling down and our Fall harvest is just about ready to begin.

I get super excited about harvest every year. It is such a bittersweet few months. I get so excited that the day we start chopping silage marks the day for me to begin decorating our house with Fall decor!

Yes, call me crazy. I decorate for fall in September..but let's be honest- the Fall really starts for us in September and there is something about a home filled with Fall that makes my heart sing.

Another mark to the end of the summer is the process of freezing our sweet corn. Freezing sweet corn is really simple to do- anyone can do it really. If you have a farmer's market you often go to you will realize that at the end of their season the sweet corn really starts to get cheap. Buy some up and give it a try, I promise you that you will not be disappointed with it come January and you are craving some sweet corn that doesn't come from a can!

First things first. If you are picking your own..grab a friend and four small children!

Well, that is how I started out. I realized that it would go much faster if I had someone to do it with me this year. So, I convinced my sister in law she needed to freeze some corn and she brought along 4 little corn pickers. Now, if you have small children helping you..pick a little extra.

My very first year here my Mother-in-Love spent a day with me showing me how to freeze sweet corn...I owe all of my ability to freeze to her because I have to call and ask her every time I go to do it how long I need to boil anything, or whether or not she has frozen certain veggies (a few weeks ago- green beans).

Step 1: Shuck your corn. And pile it all into one big bucket. I like big red buckets.

Step 2: Add the corn to a BOILING pot of water, has to be boiling. This is a process called blanching. My sis in law does a fabulous job of demonstrating!

Step 3: Boil corn for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. It is basically just like boiling the corn to eat.

Step 4: Fish out corn and add to a cold water bath. I filled up my sink to I could easily replace the water once it got too cold.

Step 5: Start cutting. The first year I did this I used a regular knife to shave it off the cob. My sis in law brought along her electric knife and I swear there was a lightbulb that went off inside my head. Such a great idea.

Step 6: We fill up large mixing bowls with all our corn. Then use measuring scoops to scoop out what we want in each Ziploc bag. I only put one cup in my baggies. My sis in law, with her family of 6, puts in 2 cups.

Step 7: Find room for all your fresh sweet corn in the freezer. If you are like me I just kind of dumped it in there until I could make room. But, make sure you keep it flat until it freezes, then you can maneuver it around.

We roughly picked around 100 ears of corn. That makes about 54 bags of corn, with one cup in each bag.

Kitties On the Farm

2011-08-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

When you live on a farm one of the MANY animals you have running around is probably a small HERD of cats.

Well, unfortunately sometimes you lose one or two during the year.

At our home place we only have (had) three cats. Three cats that I have nurtured and loved like crazy for the last year...well actually it started out with 6 cats that I loved and nurtured for the last year. They were my babies...well them and our two puppies that I take pictures of non stop.

But our cats...now they really own the place. They look like large indoor house cats that live outside and are supposed to be our mousers. Needless to say, I have a problem spoiling them I think.

Anyway, we lost our fluffy kitty Gracie a few days ago..

Can anyone guess what that means for me for the next 6 weeks??

For those of you who guess correctly....

Yes, bottle feeding baby kitties.

Here's to a few late nights and practicing my patience.

The Pioneer Woman

2011-08-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Let's be honest, who doesn't love this woman?!

We love her positive attitude for life, her recipes, her blog, and I really could keep going on.

What I loved so much about her in the beginning was her love for life. And of course how she became an "accidental country girl"... I immediately felt a connection and have been sucked in ever since I came across her blog a few years ago.

I am so excited to announce that she has a cooking show debuting on the Food Network this Saturday! The show will feature recipes and tid bits about her life living on the "Ranch in the middle of Nowhere"

Sneak Peak at The Pioneer Woman Cooking Show

Check it out and set your DVR's. I promise you will not be disappointed. But, in the mean time check out her blog...and try out one of her recipes!

The Pioneer Woman

Canada, Eh?

2011-08-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

As most of you know last week Jason and I spent some much needed time away from our much loved farm. Amazing as it sounds farmers do need a break every now and again, although ours prefer more like a 20 to 30 minute break.

Jason and I spent the week fishing with lots of good friends in Ignace, Ontario, Canada. Here are the pictures, as promised..and if you look close you will notice that when it came to fishing in our boat, I do believe I caught the most fish- and the biggest! But, my hubby was a great sport about it and was super encouraging the entire week!

It was quite a ways out where we were going, down an old train track. This bridge got to me, just a tiny bit.

While we were waiting on everyone else to arrive we took a ride with the 4-Wheeler and picked a quart of blueberries! Yum!

Our first day on the water. That is one happy husband, if I say so myself!

Our lunch rock.

Our first catch of the week!

Now those are some skilled fishermen!

This is the fresh water spring where we got our drinking water.


Part of the gang


Jason and one of his closest friends, Doug

My first catch- don't worry my next few get bigger! :)


Now that is a fish!


My last catch of the trip!

He was pretty excited about his last catch of the trip too!

We didn't ride this in to the cabin we stayed at, but back in the day the only way to get to the cabin was by plane!

Back Home Again on The Farm

2011-08-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

Wow! Such a great vacation trip for me and my farmer!

Canada was amazing and beautiful. We caught lots of fish, shared lots of laughter, and spent some much needed quality bonding time together in a boat every day!

But, as great as Canada was- it was sure great to be home too.

Jason was pretty excited to get up to the farm this morning for his Sunday chores while I grudgingly got up out of bed to start the laundry from our week long trip. We took a coffee break with my in-laws to catch up on all that we have missed and for me to let them know that all the fish I caught were bigger than Jason's!

Now, I prepare for another busy week of hitting it hard. Monday is a State Fair work day for the FFA, Tuesday is going to be filled with freezing sweet corn, Wednesday is Dakota Fest (a farm show) in Mitchell, SD....

Did I mention it is my week to cook again? Which, is also a nice reminder I had better get planning those meals!

Vacation

2011-08-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Every now and again our farmers decide to take vacations.

This weekend marks a big "vacation" weekend for our farm. It seems everyone is off to some fun destination while grandma and grandpa hold down the farm, and 4 grandkids.

We are leaving today for a fishing trip in Canada and won't be back until next weekend. A much needed vacation for me and my farmer.

No internet connection or cell phone service. So look for me again in a week!

While I am away take a chance to check out the other blogs I follow--A few of my favorites are listed on the right side of the screen.

I will miss you while I am away!
Morgan aka "South Dakota Farm Wife"

Mowing Road Ditches

2011-08-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Here in South Dakota we try not to let anything go to waste.

The art of baling road ditches is one thing I had never quite seen until I moved here. I am not saying that farmers in Indiana don't do it, but I had never seen it myself. I think it is a great idea and such a good resource to use to feed our cows in the winter time.

I always say the only reason the ditches are so huge in South Dakota is to simply fill them up with snow come winter time and then come summer time we allow them to grow beautifully until the grasses have reached maturity and then cut the grass, rake the grass, bale the grass, and finally move the newly formed bales.

These pictures below are how Jason and I spent our afternoon of Sunday chores this week. It was some fun bonding time and proved to take some maneuvering because of wet ditches and Sunday traffic.

He picks up one bale.

Sits it next to the second bale.

Picks up both the bales.

Loads them on to the flat bed trailer I am pulling.

All while working around this.

All in all, a productive day.

Life Never Seems To Slow Down...

2011-07-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Already tomorrow is Saturday and soon my Dad and little sis will head back to Indiana.

I then leave for Pierre, South Dakota for Ag Teacher's Conference for 4 days before heading off to Canada for a much needed fishing vacation. The only thing consistent with this summer is the fact that I have spent more time traveling than around our farm.

But, this week has been a breathe of fresh air with the visit from my Dad and little sis.

We started this project last year, and thought we had finished, but me being the woman I am, it just didn't look quite done.

Now, I can officially say our "new" deck looks very finished, beautiful, and perfect for entertaining our 100+ guests tomorrow night.


The top part of the deck was the Summer of 2010 project, the lower portion and walkway off to the right we did this year.

Too Hot To Handle!

2011-07-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Talk about one hot week! The last few weeks in South Dakota have been brutally hot.

Records have been set for cattle lost across the state due to all the heat. Which is absolutely devastating. In cases like this it doesn't matter if you are feeding cattle inside- or outside. Hot is hot.

Around our farm we started preparing for the heat wave a few days ahead of time. This means we put extra water tanks in each lot and in some cases a sprinkler system.

When days like this hit the farm it means a full day of constantly filling water tanks and checking cattle constantly.

Another big adjustment we make is feed. When the weather is super hot cattle don't really like to get super full bellies, so normally we adjust their rations. When the weather cools off we then slowly move them back to their original amount of feed.

On a positive note, when it is really hot around the farm guys don't like to eat as much at dinner time, which means cooking a lot less food!

This week my Dad and little sister are out for our annual neighborhood party. My Dad came out last year around this time to build our deck. This year he is adding to our deck to finally call it a completed project!

Since my Dad and hubby are working their tails off in this heat I keep my little sis occupied. Which means lots of hanging out at the farm, sleepovers with my niece, and trips to the pool!

So far I would say she is having a blast!

One thing about my little sister is she LOVES her Daddy!

2011-07-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Real Farmwives of America and Friends

Sounds like so much fun right? I was recently asked to become a member of this group and I was thrilled!

To introduce me to the world I was asked to do a guest post over at 3 kids and lots of pigs.

There is a lot going on in this pig pen, so instead of reading my blog today head over to read the story of how I became a farmer's wife and to read about what life is like on a pig farm in my native state of Indiana!

Three Kids and Lots of Pigs

Humane Society of the United States Part 5

2011-07-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, talk about a crazy week we have had here in South Dakota!

Mother Nature is really giving us farmers a tough year. But, more on that over the weekend.

Today, I wanted to share with you yet another interesting tid bit on the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). If you are a regular follower you know how passionate I am about sharing HSUS's complete hidden agenda.

This map below shows how much of HSUS's annual budget last year went to each state. South Dakotans- notice there is a big fat 0.0%

Just a little something to think about.

Remember, if you want to donate to your animal shelter- do it LOCALLY.

West River

2011-07-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

There is this fancy dividing line in South Dakota, called the Missouri River.

When I first moved to South Dakota my father in law took me to my first cattle sale in Pierre. Which basically sits on this fancy river.

But, other than that first cattle sale I have never really been "West River".

This week for the first time I have spent some time West River. So far I have seen some amazing things! See below for some of my pictures through Custer Park.

But, I would have to say my favorite so far...

The FFA State Officers, Ambassadors, and State Staff at Mt. Rushmore!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

FFA Leadership Retreats started full swing this week in South Dakota. The South Dakota FFA State Officers and Ambassadors were raring up and ready to go at their first camp this evening!

It isn't my first FFA camp, but it is my first South Dakota FFA Camp! Wish me luck!

Mother Nature at Her Finest

2011-07-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest parts about being a farmer is the fact of not being able to control the weather.

This year has been hard on all the farmers in our area.

With all the water it's hard for farmers to get in the fields to plant their crops, which means less bushels per acre. Which means, less money.

On Friday we had an awful storm come through our area. We spent all of Saturday working together as a family to get all of our debris cleaned up. It was definitely one of those days where I am so happy to be a part of a family farm.

We started at one place and moved to the next pretty much all day. At the end of the day everyone was worn out, hot, sweaty, sun burnt, and surprisingly not as grumpy as when we first started!

After a long day of picking up trees my mother in law and I decided we would rather pick up sticks for days than to see some of our corn laying nearly on its side like it is now.

We got really lucky in the fact that it only took out some of our big trees and windbreaks for the cattle and laid down some of our corn. Other farmers in the area were not nearly as lucky.

Cold Blooded Killer

2011-06-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought these terms would be used to describe me...a past 4-H, livestock showing, member.

Last week I received various emails, facebook messages, and tweets encouraging me to check out this article. This really, really interesting article about 4-H.

It started out being a really great article. Titled "5 reasons to buy from your local 4-H"...Great right?

Well, until you get to the comments portion.

I never would have imagined the reaction that was received from this article. I didn't realize there were so many non supporters of the 4-H program. I really had to take a step back, just to think.

4-H taught me so much. To hear all about it see a blog post I did a few months back titled Reflections Of A Fair Queen.

How could anyone think anything different other than 4-H being a positive impact on the lives of all youth involved?

Whew...Craziness!

I showed sheep for 9 years.
Every Spring I picked out my lamb to show at the county fair.
Every Summer I spent nearly every day halter breaking it and loving all over it.
And at the end of every county fair week I walked it through the ring for the county 4-H auction. At the end of the auction I put it into a pen, gave it one last pat and said "Thank you, buddy."

Does this make me a cold blooded killer?

Or, does it make me an educated consumer and producer?

One comment was made that 4-H desensitizes youth.

Does it?

Or does it create an understanding between man and animal?

I feel that because of my involvement in 4-H I have became a more nurturing producer and an even more educated consumer.

And just for the record...Every time we have a sick calf I still give it a little extra attention and check on it more than I may need too. And as we work cattle I still give them a little pat on the rump or a little scratch behind the ear. And at the end of their time on our farms I help load them into our trucks to haul to Tyson in Sioux City, Iowa. Not because I am a cold blooded killer, but because 4-H taught me the true value of life.

Amanda Radke over at the Beef Daily Blog told me a quote one time that really says it best.

“Everything lives and everything dies. Death with a purpose gives full meaning to life.”

Chopping Hay Silage

2011-06-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

We like to do a little something called chopping hay silage around this time of year.

Almost a bitter sweet moment- the rush of planting is over, transitioning into the smell of cut hay is in the air.

I have been quite busy this last week, that whole new job thing, so my husband was super sweet and took some pictures of the farm in action.

The hay is cut, raked into rows and then ran through the big green chopper, cut into tiny pieces, and then loaded into the trucks.

After we load it into trucks we drive it back to the farm and unload it into our feed bunkers where we pack it down with our "packing tractor".

Really, this happened a few weeks ago and I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to insert the pictures. But, better late than never.

Working Off The Farm

2011-06-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

So, I mentioned that I would have a post coming soon about working off the farm.

It just so happens that recently a job kind of dropped in my lap. Very recent actually.

My official title: South Dakota FFA Interim Executive Secretary

A big title like that means lots of responsibility. Lots of people relying on you. Lots of phone calls. Lots of emails. And the chance to mess up lots of time.

Whew, kind of scary right?

In the past I have talked about how 4-H was so impacting on my life. I suppose now is the time to talk about how impacting FFA was on my life. It could really take all night.

FFA stands for the National FFA Organization. Way back when, it used to stand for Future Farmers of America. Remember those days? The organization changed it's name to simply the National FFA Organization to allow for the ever evolving world of FFA and not simply stereotyping that all members were farmers..because now they aren't.

Kids who are like me, who don't come from a farm, are now in FFA. One of the largest chapters in the state of Indiana was in the heart of Indianapolis. Instead of growing crops or raising cattle, they were cultivating plants in the greenhouse and using hydroponics units.

My years in FFA I was involved in everything from judging animals to giving speeches to holding various offices at various levels. Each experience instilling great morals and values along the way.

I had a great high school agriculture teacher who I thoroughly enjoyed, loved talking to, and learned so much from! She was always there for me throughout my FFA experience, but also in other aspects of my life. An Ag teacher isn't always just a teacher, but also a friend, coach, and even a mom or dad. Ag teachers give hours of their life to their programs, not just in the classroom, but outside of it as well. It truly is a yearly teaching job. When other teachers have the summers off, Ag teachers are hauling students to convention, taking care of plants in the greenhouse, and attending their own summer conferences.

If I didn't get enough of a nudge in the right direction with 4-H, FFA really set me on the path to choosing a career in Agricultural Education. So, what do you do with a degree in Agricultural Education when you are tied to the land in one certain area with only a handful of schools around you? All of which have established agriculture teachers already.

Well, you take advantage of career opportunities that fall quite literally in your lap. Which is what I did.

With a job off the farm though it means being even more organized and scheduled than I normally am and planning things well in advance!

It means more hot dishes and crock pot meals when it's your week to cook. Which also means planning those meals way in advance.

It means late nights catching up on bookwork and bills.

It also means being in town every day to grab parts...

Learning more about South Dakota FFA...

And working with 6 amazing South Dakota FFA State Officers.

The job is currently temporary for about 3 months (I have not decided whether to apply for the position or not.) but to me it is still permanent for 3 months...which means still giving 110%!

2011-06-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

As a farm wife you learn to be flexible.

I just finished up another week of cooking. This week was not as extravagant as I normally get when cooking. And my husband even pitched in for a few days there when I wasn't feeling so well.

Saturday proved to be an amusing day. My brother in law calls at 11:45 and says he is going to be just a little bit late. My husband shows up ten minutes late and my other brother in law shows up 30 minutes late. Good thing it was leftovers day!

Anyway, normally the guys all pile into one farm truck and drive to dinner (a.k.a. lunch). Saturday was three different vehicles. And one vehicle that is a sure fire way of letting everyone know it's dinner time and your a farmer.

Even though the guys were running behind Saturday it was still a great day...one of those days that makes glad to be a farm wife!