The Greatest Farmer And Father I know Is My Dad

Two years and a month ago I wasn’t sure how many more Fathers days I would have with my dad.

I have fought through many tears in my life and even had to lay to rest some of the greatest people I know, but hearing my mom tell me that my dad had cancer was the worst of all.

I will never forget that day. It was as if everything had stopped moving. I remember standing in my apartment and suddenly feeling numb while a single tear ran down my cheek that was later followed by many more.

I had known something was wrong and they were running test on him but I had never imagined hearing my mom tell me that he had an inoperable tumor. I would have given anything to be home right then and there.

That weekend was the first weekend in a while that myself, my boyfriend, my brother’s family, and my sister’s family had been home all at the same time.

I remember that weekend with such precision. It was as if nothing bad had just ripped through us, we laughed and joked around as our usual selves and even had our traditional memorial day weekend hot dog and s’mores roast over the fire pit with my grandparents. After a few days we all had to go back to work and our lives as my father and mother embarked on his journey to fight his cancer and boy did he fight hard for the next year.

It was a year later in April that I was sitting in my classroom during student teaching and I received a text from my dad. My dad didn’t text much at the time, so imagine my surprise and joy when I read the words; “I am cancer free.” It was as if I could breathe again. I don’t know that there could ever be a happier moment for me. I finally had my dad back.

This weekend is fathers day and I am so happy that I will get to celebrate this day for many more years with my father. He has taught me so much in life.

He was the one who taught me how to ride a horse, how to show a cow, how to ride a bicycle, how to drive a tractor and 4-wheeler. He was the one who taught me how to rake hay and then for every summer after that had me help me in the fields. He taught me how to be strong and how to stand on my own two feet. He taught me so many things in life but more importantly he taught me how to be a good person and know right from wrong and when to admit that I’m wrong and stand for what I believe when I feel I am right.  He had a lot of help from my mom in making me the lady I am today and I’m thankful for both of them.

Happy Fathers Day to all of the great Fathers out there.

 

 

 

The first break up is the hardest

As I walk into the barn, the smell of fresh wood chips overcomes my senses and it suddenly hits that this is what I have been working for all show season… the county fair.

Only this year is different. This year I have to sell my first steer on Friday night. In the past two years I haven’t had to do that before since I only show heifers. I can go home and visit them anytime I want, but this year is different. Justin ( My show steer) Isn’t going home with me after the show.

The week flies by, Tuesday is the opening parade, Wednesday is Show day, Thursday is the day to relax and watch the horses and pigs show.. Then came Friday, the most dreaded day of the week for a young 4-H’er showing their first steer. It is Sale day.

I wake up early and head to the barn with my dad and siblings. We get out cattle from the tie-outs (where they sleep at night) and take them to the wash racks so they can be clean and pretty all day for spectators.

As I fill the bucket with soap I realize this is the last day I will every get to scrub my steer and talk to him as I rub the soap in on his hair.

I take my time as the suds start to form in the bucket, letting it get as full as possible, as my big brother yells at me to hurry up. “We don’t have all day for this!” He says, someone is in a bad mood…

I hurry up and  the soap on my steer, and struggle to get the bucket up high enough to get it down his back just right so that it falls evenly on both sides.

After I’m done washing him I take him to the barn that is filled with the smell of cattle and wood chips. The best smell in the world if you ask me. As I take him to the stall I think about how slow I want this day to go, I’m not ready to sell him. I have spent the last twelve months taking care of him everyday.

The day flies by and it is almost time for the sell to start. The barns started filling up with people, the bleachers in the arena were packed. There wasn’t an open seat in the house, then the announcement is made by a guy with a deep voice saying “Welcome to the Atchison County 4-H sale.” With that announcement is all began. I watched as the Grand Champion overall steer walks out into the ring, the auctioneer is going about 100 miles per minute and hands of bidders are just flying all over the place. “Sold for nine hundred and fifty dollars!” yells the auctioneer. Then one by one cattle, sheep, and pigs take turns being sold.

My turn is rapidly approaching and I start to get teary eyed. Sure enough my big brother is there to tell me “Suck it up, don’t be a baby.” He always knew how to handle a sad  9 year old…

Sure enough I was called into the ring and I lifted my head high as I walked Justin (my steer) around in circles as people were placing bids on him. The auctioneer goes on and on and eventually he is sold.

The sale ends and the animals are loaded up on trucks to go to their new locations and the barns start to clear out. Kids and parents begin to pack up their stalls and clear out all of their belongings because the fair is now over.

This day was a great birthday but it had a rather sad ending, but like I said the first break up is the hardest. Meaning the first steer you sell as a 4-H’er is the hardest one. After that you learn to realize it isn’t a bad thing, because he is going to be food now and feed a hungry family or two maybe even three.

I believe in the future of agriculture, do you?

 

 

 

As the FFA member I was  proud to wear the famous Blue Jacket that is the trademark of FFA. As a FFA advisor I’m proud to have my students wear the same jacket I once wore in my teenage years.

To many people the FFA jacket is just a blue corduroy coat with a big yellow circle on it. It looks hot and out of style, but to those who have been a part of the FFA organization know that it means so much more than that. .

The jacket is a symbol of Premier leadership and Growth

It is a symbol of hard work and dedication.

Most importantly it is the symbol of Career Success and the Future of Agriculture.

The letters FFA and the blue jacket stand for so much more than meets the eye. The FFA is the largest student organization in the United States and I for one am very proud to say I am a Former FFA member.

You will not read about the FFA in a history book, but know that the FFA has made history.

It all started in 1925 when a group of young farm boys in Virginia decided they wanted to start a club for boys who like them love agriculture and believe in the future of farming. This club was named the Future Farmers of Virginia.

The idea caught on pretty good. So much that in 1927 another organization was formed called the NFV or New  Farmers of Virginia.

The idea that Virginia had just created something spectacular that they knew, but I wonder if they knew just how spectacular it would be.

A year later in 1928 in Kansas City Mo. the FFA was established as a national organization. The Letters would Stand for the Future Farmers of America. This was the first National Convention, attended by 33 delegates from 18 states. Seems pretty small right… well just wait it gets better.

Just one year later there was another National Convention held, and it had 68 delegates in attendance. The idea was catching on and the organization was growing.

The next year to follow would bring one of the greatest pieces of history to the FFA. No not the jacket.. yet. This was the FFA Creed by E.M. Tiffany. If you have not read this or heard of it I suggest you read it. It sends a powerful message to those who Believe In The Future Of Agriculture.

In 1933 another great symbol would be adopted into the FFA. Yes this is the year the famous blue jacket became a staple to the FFA organization. FFA members wore this jacket as they traveled to the white house to meet the President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1935 that NFV group I mentioned had now become a National Organization as well. Now known as the New Farmers of America. Also in 1935 just EIGHT years after the FFA was established membership had risen to 100,000 members!!

Jumping forward now to 1965 another major change happened. Unity happened. The NFA and FFA have now become one major organization. They kept the name FFA to represent the organization. Then just 4 years later in 1969 girls were allowed to join the organization.

This unity of organization and allowing females to join was a big step for the FFA. The FFA now represents all members of society who believe in the future of agriculture.

In 2012 the organization hit a record high in membership, topping out at just 557,318 members. CRAZY right?

The FFA stands for many things, but the most importantly it stands for growth and success. FFA members work hard to improve their school and community, they also work hard to improve themselves. They participate in several activities varying from local, to district, to state, and lastly to National levels. Through these events they expand their personal growth and leadership skills to help them achieve success.

So next time you see the blue jacket think about all that it stands for and be thankful you were a FFA member or if you weren’t be thankful that the FFA exists, because it is one of the greatest youth organization.

Lastly… always believe in the Future of Agriculture.

Top Ten Myths About Agriculture & Farming

Fastline Front Page

Agriculture and Farming are the backbone of this world – without em’ we’d starve. So why do so many people want to pass along lies and myths about the industry that keeps them fed? In honor of National Ag week, we’re setting the record straight on the industry we love.

(DISCLAIMER: The below post is a generalization of the top things we hear about the Ag industry that are not true. Should you disagree or want to know more about any of these statements, we welcome you to research more on each topic. We have included several sources from the USDA to Bloggers that can be found in the comments section to help with that. )

1. The Myth – All Farms are large, corporate Farms. The Truth – 97 percent of all farms are family owned and run. Don’t let the names of some fool you, just because they…

View original post 717 more words

It’s Never Too Late To Thank Your Parents

I have learned several things from my parents and am grateful for every lesson they have taught me. I see kids particularly teens every day take their parents for granted and I just wish they could realize that one day their parents won’t be there to help them up when they fall.  I’m a lucky person to have two loving parents and I hope they know how much I appreciate them.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you.

You will never know the amount of love and appreciation I have for you, because it is more than I can express.

I’m thankful that you not only taught me what it means to be a hard worker but you also taught me how to be ethical. You taught me to always be grateful for what I have and to dream big. You also taught me how to me a lady.. well at least how to be a lady in public. You taught me to not only know right from wrong but to recognize when I am in the wrong and to fight for what is right.

I’m so happy you chose to raise my siblings and I on a farm, I feel like we all learned a lot of lessons we might not have learned elsewhere. Looking back I’m really glad you didn’t let us have one of those fancy gaming systems or have cell phones at a super young age. Instead I learned how to have fun and occupy my time without technology which is something most kids these days probably would struggle with.

I could go on for days about how grateful I am to have two awesome parents like you and I could list a million things you have taught me so I will only list a few more.

Mom, you taught me how to be the person that I am today and to be proud of who I am. When dad got sick you taught me how to be strong and what it meant to love someone through the good time and the hard times.

Dad,  you taught me many lessons through all of the chores and work you had me do. You taught me how to be a good sportsman and to congratulate those who beat me in the show ring instead of throwing a pitty party for myself ( sometimes I still wanted to do that).  You also taught me that farming is a necessity and a great way of live. Most importantly you taught me to fight like hell when faced with a difficult challenge to over come it, rather than to give up.

You have both taught me many lessons in my 23 (almost 24 years) and I love you every day for teaching me how to be the person I am today. Thank you for raising me to be a self-sufficient, independent, responsible young lady.

Love,

Your Show Kid.

Red and Blue Eventually Make Purple

When I started showing cattle as a 7year old I thought I was going to win it all. I was ready for those purple ribbons and the shiny trophies.

Unfortunately it took a while to get my first purple ribbon. I showed for 2 years and received several blues and reds but then I showed my very first market steer at the age of 9.

By this time I had attended countess shows and could probably fit a cow all by myself, I didn’t need much supervision when with my cattle because I knew it all. I’m not being cocky, just stating a fact that I had worked so hard for the past 2 years I finally knew what I was doing. That isn’t to say I didn’t need my older siblings or parents help, I needed them more than anything.

Anyways back to the story, I had never wanted to show a steer until I wanted a bean bag and as a 9yr old I didn’t have the funds for one. BUT they were SOOO cool! I mean they aren’t anymore but man when they came out they were the thing to have! So I decided I would just ask my dad for the money and him knowing I didn’t want to show a steer told me the only way he would buy me the bean bag I wanted I would have to show a steer this year.

I thought about this for a long, hard 10 minutes…

“Okay, I will show a steer.” How bad could it really be?

It turned out to be the greatest decision of my show career. After receiving a few more red and blues I eventually ended up at the County Fair. This is when I received my first shiny trophy and purple ribbon.

Walking in to the show ring I held my head high as I showed off my awesome steer to the judge. I just knew today was my day. Sure enough he started placing them from last to first.

Slowly one after one the other steers were put in their placing and before I knew it I was the only one left not in a place. I was directed to go stand in the first place spot. I was so happy, I knew this was only a first in the class but it gave me a chance for that grand champion ribbon.

Later on I entered in for the champion market steer class and as the judged slowly walked around I felt like I was going to throw up from the anticipation. Before he made his selection he was sure to take his time!

My arm was tired, my steer was restless and I felt like I could pee my pants from the long wait.

But then… he walked up to my steer and shook my hand. At the time I wasn’t sure what was going on, like did I really just win?

My thoughts were confirmed as a voice came over the speaker and announced that I had won Champion Market Steer.

That was the first of many purple ribbons to follow, just goes to show that hard work and dedication really does pay off in the end.

Image: Google

 

The Perks of Being a “Show Kid”

 

10 things showing cattle taught me:

1. Work Ethic. While most kids my age were sleeping in till noon all summer, I was up before the sun doing my morning chores and back at them every afternoon.

2. Sometimes you have to fail before you can succeed. You can’t win them all, but you can often learn just as much from your losses than your wins.

3. Patience. Halter breaking a cow can take months, and requires a lot of attention from the handler.

4. Hard work does not go unnoticed

5. Family is the greatest gift. As I traveled to cattle shows I traveled with my family and no matter how many times I stood last place in the show ring they were always there to support me.

6. Competition can be good for the heart and soul. Feeling the sadness of standing last or in the bottom half of a class wasn’t fun but it made me a better showman and it kept me grounded so that when I did win I knew not to gloat for I knew the pain of last place.

7. Physical Strength. If you can control a 1200lb steer with only 2 foot of rope you will have no problem building strength.

8. Girls can do anything boys can do. So often people think only boys can work on farms and only boys can do things like showing cattle, but in reality there are probably just as many if not more girls who show cattle.

9. Even cattle need to be treated as humanely as possible even if they will become steak one day.

10. Being a show kid isn’t something you do it is something you are.