TT – Honored by Sigma Alpha

Posted on April 4, 2012 by wagfarms

Last Saturday, I received one of the greatest honors of my whole “career” in agriculture. The Sigma Alpha Sorority at North Dakota State University honored me as their 2012 Agricultural Woman of the Year. And I hope I can live up to it.

A month or so before, a young woman and friend of ours asked if she could nominate me. I told her that, of course, she could…and I filled out the necessary forms and did what was needed. And then I put it on the back burner.

I didn’t think that my influence in agriculture was that great, nor was it anything out of the ordinary…or at least, it shouldn’t be.

But apparently they thought differently. And I was honored to be asked to join them for their 19th annual Founder’s Day Banquet, and to speak to them about the opportunities they have as a voice in agriculture, and the roles they can play.

That was the best part of all!

No, the plaque is beautiful, and the supper was absolutely delicious, and the time spent with my husband during calving season, well, that’s not easy to come by. But the chance to speak to the energy and backbone of our industry? I couldn’t imagine a more important place to be at that moment.

So, thank you, Sigma Alpha. Thank you for giving me the opportunity, thank you for making my night such a memorable one, and thank you for letting me see a glimmer of where our industry is headed.

Those young women are no longer just the future of agriculture…they are agriculture.

WW – Wrestling

Posted on April 4, 2012 by wagfarms

Just a quick post that pretty well wraps up Scooter’s March…and I think he’s hooked on wrestling!

Scooter, warming up with a teammate. He's really improved this year!

I've loved his energy for wrestling this year...giving it his all!

One of Scooter's pins this year...he placed third at the state tournament, but learned so much!

Proud to hold his trophy. And I'm proud of his positive attitude and willingness to learn.

Taking a picture next to New Salem Sue...who wouldn't take a photo of a giant cow?

My Future of Ag

Posted on April 3, 2012 by wagfarms

Recently I wrote a blog for a contest. I wasn’t sure if I should, but the topic was one that hit so close to home that I couldn’t help myself. As I sat to type, it was if the words were already there…I just had to put them on paper.

You can read the post here (and vote for it, of course!), on the Alltech page.

I won’t reprint the whole thing here, but I don’t think the topic will surprise anyone. It’s about my boys. And they’re the whole reason I started this journey.

You see, about 2 years ago I attended a conference hosted by the AgChat Foundation. (AgChat and the foundation are celebrating their 3rd and 2nd birthdays…Happy Birthday to them!) Side note: AgChat is an event that occurs on Twitter on Tuesday nights from 7-9 p.m. CST…it’s a great time for consumers and producers to connect and to learn from each other.

At the conference in Chicago, I participated in a round-table discussion, where you could ask any questions you wanted from different people with experience in different areas. I sat at a table with a woman who was soon to become a fast friend in real life, not just online.

She was answering questions about blogs…and I had a bunch! I wasn’t sure if blogging would be for me, but I wanted to give it a shot. I just didn’t know if I had enough of a story to tell, or if it would be of interest to anyone, or if it was different enough to make a difference.

I felt a little bad about monopolizing a little block of her time, but I was hungry to know more. And she was willing to fill me in.

And so it began.

A few weeks later, in September of 2010, Wag’n Tales was born…and the rest, as they say, is history.

Happy Birthday, AgChat! Happy Birthday, AgChat Foundation! And thank you, Janice, for giving me a push (OK, more like a two-handed shove!) into blogging. Your encouragement and support has meant the world to me.

Poor Man’s Lobster – Boiled Northern

Posted on April 2, 2012 by wagfarms

My dad had a slight stroke last week…we use the word “slight” because he’s still here to tell about it. But, in reality, it could have been so much worse. He was lucky…and with determination, he came home without the walker they were predicting and he’s almost back to normal…whatever that is.

He asked Saturday evening if Big Bro could go with him fishing on Sunday, and although we usually go to church and Sunday school before any other events, I gave him a pass to spend the day with his grandpa. And he thought it was worth every minute!

The fishing was great, they were biting heavy, but better than that, the memories will be amazing for them both. And when they came home with four decent-sized northern, Big Bro was proud as a peacock.

I’ll share with you my new favorite recipe for northern…and it’s super simple:

Cut up your northern into bite-sized pieces.

All you need is fish and beef broth. This fish is fresh, so there are bones in it. (My Dad doesn't have his de-boning technique down quite yet.) Be careful with those!

Bring about 3 cups of beef broth to a boil.

Bring broth to boil, drop in fish.

Drop in fish and let it boil for about 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Fish are cooked through, moist and so yummy!

It’s a very simple, great-tasting dish, sure to please everyone! You can add other seasonings if you wish, but my family prefers it straight from the broth!

This Shirt Works!

Posted on April 2, 2012 by wagfarms

Carhartt…it’s a brand that every man recognizes and respects. And you’ll find it on many items hanging in our entry way. And now you’ll find it in the Boss Man’s drawers!

The Real Farmwives gave us a chance to try out something new out of the Carhartt spring series, and after perusing Boss Man’s work clothes collection, I realized he was sorely in need of a new work shirt or two.

Starting off the morning at the computer...ordering parts, checking the markets.

Now, to be one of the Boss Man’s work shirts, not just any shirt will do. He’s kind of particular about them. He prefers button down or snaps, he likes to have a pocket (that can button close), it must be comfortable and it must be cut right.

And this shirt hit all of those marks.

Working on making tags for the new calves born. Yellow tags are heifer (girl) calves, white tags are bull (boy) calves.

Tagging our calves is an important part of keeping a close eye on our herd.

Not only that, but from a laundry standpoint, it hits some of the big things thatI look for in a work shirt. It cleans easy, it’s well-made, and it doesn’t need a lot of care (like ironing!).

Occasionally, we need to re-do the cow tags as well. For instance, sometimes they become hard to read, thanks to the weather.

Thank you, Carhartt! For hearing my wishes, even before I knew them myself!

Getting ready to head to the field and start spring's farm work!

Prep work is wrapping up, and soon we'll see this shirt in a tractor cab!

And now, head on over to The Real Farmwives page and enter for your own chance to win a great item from Carhartt! (The chances there are better than the Mega Millions lottery!)

Carhartt provided the shirt for my hubby to try out, but the thoughts and ideas are my own.

These Boots were Made for Working

Posted on March 27, 2012 by wagfarms

Not too long ago, the wonderful ladies over at The Real Farmwives of America asked if anyone would be willing to do a quick review on a pair of boots for “the man in our lives.” The funny thing is, that I had just talked to Boss Man about getting a different pair for him to work in…and so we jumped at the chance!

And boy, are they great!

Boss Man's new steel-toed Justin work boots...the verdict? A big win!

These happen to be steel-toed, yet they look so sharp!

Boss Man was working on the air seeder when his boots arrived...they went to work right away!

He loves how comfortable they are…and he keeps commenting how easily they are to get on and off. (His previous pair of work boots were lace-ups.)

Flexible and comfortable...two musts for a farm work boot!

Great grip, traction and still comfortable to wear.

Sometimes Boss Man is hard to veer from his routine…and lace-up work boots are definitely his routine. But I think even Boss Man was surprised by how much he liked his new boots. In fact, he liked them so much, he wore them out on Saturday night…and that’s something that never happens with his lace-ups. At least, not if he’s going out with ME! 😀

He loved how well they moved...even in some uncomfortable places.

No problems here, these boots were a home run!

And the best part of all? You can have a chance to win a pair! That’s right, thanks to the wonderful gals over at The Real Farmwives of America one lucky reader (or three!) will win their very own pair of workboots compliments of Tony Lama/Justin. Just head on over and enter now!

Although Boss Man was given a pair of boots, thanks to these great companies, the thoughts and opinions are my own.

School Carnival Craziness

Posted on March 26, 2012 by wagfarms

Friday night was the Casper Carnival in Ellendale. It’s a carnival hosted by the SADD group and it gives the kids a chance to have some good, clean fun…but I also realized a few things:

The dreaded goldfish game.

1) The hot game at the carnival is the ping-pong bounce, where you try to get the ping pong ball into a glass jar. And win a goldfish. I must have my head examined for allowing my children to play the game, but they love it. For many years in a row now, my children tote home some goldfish and I wait patiently for them to die. The math ends up something like this:

Amount spent to win $0.50 goldfish – $20

Amount spent on supplies – $30 (tank, food, water…oh, and don’t forget the goldfish toys…yes, I said goldfish toys…you know, the cool stuff in the tank?)

And then, after spending all that time and money on goldfish “stuff,” I spend the next few weeks taking care of them…all while secretly hoping to find them floating in the morning. And no, they are still alive…today.

2) Scooter will spend $10 to win one can of pop…and then give it away to someone who hasn’t won yet. And that is awesome! (Don’t worry, he went on to win a 12-pack more…but I did convince him to share with his cousins, so he only had one to drink the next day.)

3) EJ believes that giving two tickets at the cake walk should be all you need to do, before walking home with a cake. This whole walking in circles until the music stops is for the birds! And then waiting for your number to be called? Not his cup of tea. Well, until he won a plate of cupcakes.

Just waiting on his fish.

4) The fishing pond will ALWAYS be the best game ever. You stand there, throw the line over and win something. Simple, to the point, and a no-brainer. That’s my kind of game-of-chance.

5) Duck ponds don’t work if you don’t like water. EJ was excited about playing the game, until he realized he had to get close to the pool of water. Then he thought maybe Mom should help him out. Sorry, son, I’m a little old for that! But I did hold his hand while he reached down…and neither of us fell in!

6) Big crowds scare George. He was excited about the games…until he realized that he had to share space with all those people. Grandma quickly realized that this wasn’t his idea of fun and took him to her house. He was much happier playing trains without his brother competing for space, than he was waiting in line. Just don’t tell his brother!

Scooter, right, and his buddy enjoyed playing on the pillow fight. I'm considering setting one up in the house.

All-in-all it was a great night, for a great cause! And the best part is that it will be another whole year before we get another goldfish!

Young Farmer Friday

Posted on March 23, 2012 by wagfarms

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.

An Ode to Someone Else

Posted on March 22, 2012 by wagfarms

It’s a plague that’s hit our nation hard…and possibly the world. And the cure seems to be hard to swallow.

I hear it all the time. From friends, from family, from workers, from leaders…the dreaded Someone Else.

One of the quotes I hear most often is, “You’re a mother of four, isn’t there Someone Else who could do that?” And the answer is an obvious yes, but the reality has become an obvious no.

When did our world become so indifferent to what was going on around it? When did we become satisfied with the status quo and willing to accept everything at face value? Oh, we like to talk a big game, and complain about our lot in life, but when it comes down to it we’re willing to pass the buck.

Do I need to clarify?

Two days ago, I blogged about a measure in North Dakota that would eliminate property taxes. One of the number one complaints of the proponents of this measure is that the legislature isn’t working on property tax reform fast enough. Someone Else isn’t correcting the problem. So the solution is to eliminate property tax, and then let Someone Else figure out how to pay for it. Hmmm…

I see it in the news all the time. Someone Else has done something wrong and Someone Else is responsible. Someone Else should have to pay and Someone Else needs to make some changes. People want to vote, but not for choices A, B, or C, but for Someone Else. And maybe we could make some change, but Someone Else would be just as bad.

Someone Else is responsible for our lot in life, and we could take the chance to improve ourselves and work for a better tomorrow, but it would be easier if Someone Else would pave our way…or better yet, pay our way.

Someone Else is the reason why I’m this way, and Someone Else will have to step up and reach out to me, just so I can make it another day. Someone Else will have to pay the price and Someone Else will write the check…physically or otherwise.

Someone Else is responsible for the food on my plate and Someone Else isn’t doing a good enough job. Someone Else should be watching out for our children and Someone Else should be rewarding those that are doing it right.

Yes, I’m a little tired of this Someone Else.

Yet, I see hope. Earlier this week, our local school had a meeting regarding the future of our wrestling program…and truly the future of most sports programs. The numbers are glum, but the future holds a glimmering of hope. And the best hope of all was that this group of people have decided that Someone Else isn’t the best person to have respond. It’s simply time to act.

I will admit, that there are times when you truly need to involve Someone Else. But it’s mostly an excuse to pass the responsibility on to another party, somewhere down the road. And it’s time to stop.

I better get to my dishes and laundry. I know Someone Else won’t do them.