Just loving my day with the boys…and who can blame me? We head to Mayo on Monday, and that’ll be worries for Monday. For today, I’ll just enjoy what we have.
"Mom, will this be mine some day?"
A rare moment of stillness, and no one fighting!
George teasing EJ that he was going to beat him to the shop.
Well, he decided the reward wasn't worth it.
Yesterday was the first day of spring, but Boss Man got a jump start on spring work by fixing fence this weekend.
It’s hard to believe that it hit 80 degrees in “winter,” but you won’t find me complaining…well, at least not too loudly. 😉
Fixing fence that was destroyed in last summer's storm.
The early-spring weather has let us get a lot of catch-up work done.
It's amazing what can get done when the weather cooperates.
The cows are watching, making sure he's getting the fence tight enough. Well, maybe they're actually hoping he forgets a strand!
How are you preparing for spring?
What happens when a 1200-pound-plus cow steps on its newborn calf? Well, lets just say that the calf isn’t usually a winner. But in this case, the vet was called in and so far, things are looking good.
He may be wearing a cast, but it's not slowing him down!
That’s right, we have a calf in a cast. He’ll keep the cast on until the first week of April or so…and while he has his cast on, he’ll be treated to a special pen in the yard, and will spend his nights next to his mother in the barn.
Broken legs don’t happen often on the farm, but when they do, it’s important to have them heal as best as they can, so the calf can walk normally and be able to stand and regain use of the limb. And so far, this little guy seems to be doing great.
Walking around, checking out his surroundings.
So what does it cost to have a cast put on a calf? Our vet bill was right at $200. Plus a little extra time for a few weeks.
And it was a great teaching moment for the boys.
And those moments are priceless.
No, our March madness has nothing to do with basketball, and I’m talking brackets of a different kind…this March is madness with peewee wrestling and spring weather. And it added up to spending an afternoon digging out some water pipes.
Let’s start off with Saturday morning and early afternoon. Scooter participated in our local peewee wrestling tournament and managed to come home with a first-place medal.
The weather was so unseasonably warm, that I decided we should finish a project we had started earlier in the week. Our aging pipes had sprung a leak, which lead to a continually green patch of grass in our yard all winter. But as it was warming up, that green patch had turned to mush. We needed to work on a fix…and 70-80 degree temps in North Dakota in March is a great reason to spend some time outside, even if it is to dig a hole.
So, if we’re fixing a water pipe, one would think that you would call a local backhoe and have it done in a jiffy, right? That’s not the way we roll around here. Instead, Boss Man gave a few directions, gave us a rough outline of size, and away we went.
Me and my little sister, just digging a hole.
Yep, my little sister and I became excavators and dug out the hole that will be needed to fix our water leak. And I have to say, I’m happy with the work we did, and enjoyed spending the hour or so outside in the beautiful weather.
And today (Sunday), the weather has continued on its beautiful streak, cracking the 80 degree mark. Let’s just hope our temps stay above freezing, because all of those beautiful buds and new plants will be a hard loss to take.
Our rhubarb is up...and it's March.
By tomorrow evening, I'm guessing we'll have full-fledged leaves on our lilacs. These buds are busting at the seams!
A few days ago, a close friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook, directing me to a conversation that was taking place on a specialized sheep page. The message was shocking, and laughed in the face of all we’ve been doing to educate and show consumers where their food comes from…but it was far from funny:
You are a Joke! a Fraud! you can not sell meat! What you are selling is wrong! Meat comes from the grocery store meat departments where they grow it for us to eat. You are one sick individual who says you will sell lamb meat from those cute fuzzy animals! you are gross! Milk comes in a powder that the grocery stores mix with water! Why are you lying to people! you are a sick person who claims to sell meat, milk and cheese that comes from poor helpless lambs!
And no, I can’t make stuff like that up.
So why does it matter? It’s just one loon out there, shouting lies and slinging mud at whomever will listen, right?
Wrong.
One of the reasons that agriculture is being slayed in the media the way it is, is that for too long we figured that people would “get it.” That they would understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and just leave us alone to get the job done.
That’s not the case any more, and I don’t think it ever will be…and shouldn’t. We want people to have a connection to their plate, we want people to understand the power of their input at the grocery store. But they also need to understand that farms are businesses, we provide a product, we need to make a profit and we prepare for the future as well.
There must be a middle ground, a place where we don’t raise our voices, don’t shake our fists and don’t make it personal…I just don’t think we’re there yet. I read a comment recently that stated that farmers need to remember that they are more than just a farm, they are people, too.
Our barn is dated from when it was built. That's a history we can't forget.
But I have to say, from a farmer’s perspective, that’s pretty hard to do. It’s not just a building and some animals, this is our heritage and our family name. It’s the work of previous generations, resting on our shoulders to see it through to the next generation. And it’s up to us to be the communicators to protect not only the future, but the history of our farms as well.
The way I see it, the fact that we’re getting responses such as the loon above, and the other slew of media backlash, must mean we’re heading the right direction.
And if we’re willing to be talking, we better be willing to listen as well.
This weekend was absolutely wonderful. The weather could not have been more perfect…well, maybe a little less windy yesterday, but it was still very nice. And with nice weather came a little boom in our calving.
When the weather is nice, though, it’s a little easier. The mud isn’t fun to mess with, but thanks to the wind, it’s been drying pretty nicely.
Here’s some of my shots from the weekend. And I’ll have more on Wednesday! Enjoy!
Hmmm...My calving instincts aren't always right on, but I'm thinking something here is telling me that she needs to head to the barn.
Just another beautiful bovine.
Our lilacs are trying to tell us that it's spring.
The cousins, in a race of epic proportions!
Mom, can't I just nap here?
After a very long week, most people wind down with a date night with their significant other. Well, I’m still waiting for Valentine’s Day supper, but that’s nothing new. And truly, I don’t mind…that much, except when the weeks have been long ones. And this has definitely been a long one.
Since I won’t be heading out on a date night with the hubby any time soon, I thought I’d go through a flashback of some of our greatest date moments…well, at least they were memorable.
1) I do believe Boss Man holds the record for latest date ever…and it was one of our first. We were supposed to go to a movie, but I was stood up. He called me 9 hours late. Apparently he got his pickup hung up on an old house foundation in the pasture, and this was in pre-cell phone days. He ended up walking quite a distance, and then was home so late he figured it didn’t pay to call me. Because I wasn’t up waiting by the phone, wondering where he was? Right. So I can’t complain too loudly about his tendencies to run late. I’ve known from the beginning.
2) He surprised me for lunch once (and yes, I think it only happened once), when I worked in town. We took his “farm” pickup to the local drive-inn and had a great meal, and a much-appreciated break from the work day. When it was time to leave, the pickup wouldn’t start. Apparently a bolt had come loose underneath, and needed to be tightened…and he knew all this because it happened on a somewhat-regular basis. A few seconds under the truck, and we were on our way. And yes, this was before we were married. And although that pickup isn’t used any more, it’s still a great memory when I see it.
3) I vividly remember the day we went to pick up our marriage license, and the tuxedos for the wedding. In true farmer-fashion, Boss Man decided that we should kill three birds with one stone and return the manure-spreader he had rented, while running the other errands. The only problem? The manure-spreader was the furthest away, meaning that we took care of the other “things” while pulling the spreader. Our local courthouse was full of giggles, and the bridal shop attendant looked like he was going to pass out when I placed the tuxes in the back seat of Mark’s extended cab pickup. They did tell us it was the first time any type of farm equipment had pulled up in front of the shop.
Our dating life and our married life have been much the same. It’s been such a wild ride, but the laughs and the giggles make it all worth while.
And one last memory before this Friday is over. The day we were married, Boss Man showed up late for pictures. He said, “Well, I figured you could take a bunch of pictures that you didn’t need me for.” I understand the logic, but it didn’t make me any less nervous!
Then, the last picture before we walked down the aisle, a romantic shot of us behind the church, me and my cathedral-length train (what was I thinking?) and Boss Man. The photographer suggested that he dip me, and give me a kiss. How romantic! Unfortunately, dipping was not a move that we had discussed, nor practiced…and, well, see for yourself:
That's right...he dropped me.
I was most concerned about grass stains on my dress. This would be another reason not to take photos before the wedding.
Just sayin’.
Needless to say, the last decade-plus has been one interesting moment after another. I sometimes say that I wish we lived a normal life, but I’m pretty sure that’s not true. How boring would that be?
I never used to be a political person…well, at least not much. I had general ideas about where I thought our country stood, and felt that there were so many better-educated, passionate folks that could speak for me better than I could.
I was wrong.
I’m learning rather quickly that if I don’t speak up for what my family needs, then no one else will. And I will do everything I can to make sure that my children’s future is not jeopardized by an organization that attacks our livelihood, without taking the time to understand it.
Right now, EJ plays in the dirt...but I hope that someday he'll be able to farm with his dad. I'm doing my part to guarantee that. Will you?
What am I talking about? There is a group of individuals that have started a petition drive to collect signatures in support of a constitutional amendment that will safeguard farming and ranching in North Dakota. This amendment will guarantee that groups such as PETA and HSUS will not be able to manipulate the ballot initiative system in North Dakota and pass laws that will jeopardize our economy, our way of life and the future of our state.
The amendment simply states, “The right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state. No law shall be enacted which abridges the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology, modern livestock production and ranching practices.”
It’s straight, to-the-point and flexible enough to stand the test of time.
When asked about what this amendment would do, perhaps it would be easier to tell you what it isn’t…this isn’t about size of farm, types of farming, or allowing animal abuses to take place. It won’t supersede federal laws, criminal complaints or compromise zoning-type issues. It has nothing to do with farming systems, and everything to do with farming practices.
But North Dakota is an agricultural state. We would never do anything to harm our biggest industry. Right?
Did you know that ballot initiatives are already planned for our state by HSUS? We’re not talking about a far-distant, hard-to-imagine future. We’re talking about here and now.
Do you have questions? Ask and I’ll answer them or check out this link and see if your questions have already been answered. If I can’t answer, I have a whole slug of people who can (and I’m not afraid to use them!). Do you want to know how to find a petition to sign? Email me at wagntales@gmail.com and I’ll connect you to someone near you that has a petition. (You need to have been a North Dakota resident for 30 days, at least 18 years old and have a residential address…oh, and a US citizen.)
Instead of playing catch up, it’s time to take a stand and support those that make North Dakota the great state that it is.
Thank you to North Dakota Farm Bureau, North Dakota Stockmen’s Association and all other organizations in the state of North Dakota that support this effort. My boys thank you, too.
Our blizzard turned out to be not so much a snow event, as it was a wind event…but it still made me so very grateful. And after the storms in Illinois and elsewhere, I thought it would be appropriate today to give my thanks for shelter.
I'm thankful for shelter for our calves...and a Boss Man that cares for them!
The calves love playing in the fresh straw.
Snug as a bug in a rug.
I'm thankful for the equipment and technology that allows us to care for our animals, like this bale processor.
The bale processor (above) grinds up the corn stubble (left over corn stalks) that our farm baled at the end of harvest last year. It provides great bedding for our cows, as well as a treat or two, as they find leftover corn cobs and other goodies in the bedding.
It's kind of like an Easter egg hunt, in your bed.
And I’m grateful for our home, and for all of those that make it possible for us to provide shelter for our animals, our children and ourselves.
And as I give thanks for the shelter that we have, I offer prayers and condolences to those that lost their homes and their lives during this week’s storms.
Yesterday, I heard a lot of talk about the #OccupyOurFoodSupply movement. I read a lot of articles on the downfall of our modern agriculture practices, the need to “get back to the basics,” and the need to reconnect to our food supply.
So I thought that instead of blaming some unknown enemy for placing my farm in a bad light, or blaming consumers for not taking the initiative to actually visit where their food comes from, I would show you, just as I have for the last year and a half.
Meet the corporate head:
Ooh, he's using technology, too!
His name is Mark…and we’ve been married just about 11 years. He eats, sleeps and breathes this farm and this land. There is not a thing that he would ever do that would jeopardize it for the future. Not for his satisfaction, though. No, he has a contract with a group that has his number…and he doesn’t like the consequences of messing that up. Here, meet them:
Our boys...and the future of this farm.
A pretty rough looking bunch, eh?
But the real nasty one to work with is the one in charge of our seed selection, the one that forces what we plant, when, where and how…the one that determines whether or not we can farm next year. I’d like for you to meet:
Mother Nature
That’s right, Mother Nature.
You see, there isn’t a corporation, a seed company, a conglomerate of some epic proportions that determines how we farm. That decision lies solely with us. But, unfortunately, we’re not alone in the game. No matter what we decide, Mother Nature can always turn the tables, and we’ll need to react.
You could ask Mark today what his plans are for this spring, what he intends to plant where, and when he plans to start…and his answer will be, “I’m not sure.” You see, spring is not here yet, winter is not over, and Mother Nature can change a lot between now and then.
Do we have seed ordered? You bet. If you don’t order ahead, you risk not having what you need available, when you need it. Does any company tell us what to plant? No. That decision lies solely with this farm, but we do ask and receive recommendations from several different sources. Including our crop consultant, who tests our soil, tells Mark exactly what is needed, and what his recommendations are for each field.
Our farm is exactly that…it’s our farm. And I’m trying to let the public know that we raise their food on our farm. But we also are raising our farm’s future. And we would never jeopardize either for the sake of the other.
So, go ahead and #occupyourfoodsupply, but please don’t mind if it’s a full room…our farmers are already there.
*Added: Want to learn more about what others are saying? Check out these links:
Wag'n Tales 