SatURdaY saSS

Some days just call for a lil humor in the midst of the irony of it all    :)

For those of you who have never traveled to the west, or southwest,
cattle guards are horizontal steel rails placed at fence openings,
in dug-out places in the roads adjacent to highways (sometimes across highways), to prevent cattle from crossing over that area. For some reason the cattle will not step on the "guards," probably because they fear getting their feet caught between the rails.

A few months ago, President Obama received and was reading a report that there were over 100,000 cattle guards in Colorado . The Colorado ranchers had protested his proposed changes in grazing policies, so he ordered the Secretary of the Interior to fire half of the "cattle" guards immediately!
Before the Secretary of the Interior could respond and presumably try to straighten President Obama out on the matter, Vice-President Joe Biden, intervened with a request that...before any "cattle" guards were fired, they be given six months of retraining.

'Times are hard,' said Joe Biden, 'it's only fair to the cattle guards and their families be given six months of retraining! '

And these two guys are running our country.....

... WARNING ... 'SNOPES' says this is a joke ... A Re-Post from the Clinton era ... 

LiFe LeSSons fRoM a coWBoy to HiS dauGHter

Life Lessons from a Cowboy to his Daughter

My dad is a cowboy
His rules are my roots.
He taught me his ways-
 I followed his boots.

To a gun-fight don’t bring
A knife, he once said.
Always follow your heart
But don’t lose your head.

I knew I could jump
Whenever I felt froggy
But I was never to let
My pack become soggy.

He saw through my games-
Even at my worst.
Because my rodeo
Was never his first.

Finally-I should rein
With a strong, sure hand
Because as long as I live
I’ll ride for his brand.

by Amanda Stavropoulos

Poem of the Week for 10/19 

Cowboys and Indian Magazine

Benefit for Children of Janis Davis & Ned Kayser

It is our faith in God, family, and friends combined with our compassion for others that bring about a strong bond of community and love.  From our souls, there come words which can bring healing to a broken heart and renewed hope to a sagging spirit that tomorrow is going to be a better day.  It is from our pocket books that the reality of tomorrow's basic needs are going to be met; and it is from that vein of thinking that this is being offered.

A fund raiser has been started with the proceeds going to the children of Janice Davis and Ned Kayser.

Ned Kayser (center) Centerville, WA April, 2011 Kayser Branding

Hopefully, this will help some good kids out!  A 2011 foal by Frenchmans Guy out of the Dash Ta Fame mare, Lady's Famous Number will be used as the fund item.   "Lady" has made over $30,000 in barrel earnings and is currently being campaigned.   Only 275 tickets at $250 each will be sold. The event will start on June 25tht and will continue until such time that all 275 tickets are sold...when they are gone...they're gone.   Your receipt will have your number as well as your address and phone number. The drawing will take place on Aug. 28th.   There will also be a consolation prize winner!   A 2011 foal by Frenchmans Falcon will be given to the second ticket drawn.  So you have two chances to win an outstanding foal by either of these exciting father/ son sires.  Winners are responsible for picking up foals from Granger, WA within two weeks of drawing.  AQHA transfer papers will be given at that time.

We need your involvement in getting the word out about this opportunity to help.   Please email or tell everyone you know about this event.  They can email Cindy at cindy@westerncrossings.com or call Cindy at 1.509.439.1227 to buy a ticket or get more information.

tHe DaiLy CoWMaN

So proud to present you with this Cattlemen to Cattlemen "Day In the Life" segment with our Washington Cattlemen's Association President, Larry Olberding and his family! I am honored to have the chance to work with Larry through our state Cattlemen's Association. He has truly walked the talk in supporting the younger generation coming up in our Cattle Industry. Keep in step with Larry by following him on Twitter as well as reading his blog, The Daily Cowman. You WiLL never be without a laugh & smile after checkin' in with Mr. Olberding!

CME Ag Report - Opening Calls 4/13/11

Below is today's Opening Call Corn/Ag Report Commentary from the CME....everything in this report indirectly relates to my everyday job...aka now I actually have a valid excuse for my nerdy nighttime reading...it relates to my paycheck...yep...major GRACE MomenT! ;) What was one of your gRaCE moments of today? 

Corn: Ag Report 
(CME Daily Market Commentary)

** OPENING GRAIN CALLS **
Corn: 5 to 7 cents higher; tight old-crop stocks, planting delays.
Wheat: 4 to 6 cents higher; weather concerns in the Plains.
Soybeans: 7 to 10 cents higher; short-covering.
Meal: $1 to $2 higher; spillover from soybeans.
Soyoil: 30 to 50 points higher; spillover from soybeans, crude oil.

Following yesterday's sharp losses, grain futures were higher on short-covering overnight amid ideas losses were overdone. But futures only recouped a portion of yesterday's losses in overnight trade. If grain futures can build on overnight gains, however, it would suggest yesterday's round of liquidation pressure has run its course. Additionally, outside markets are price-supportive this morning. The dollar is slightly weaker, while crude oil and gold futures are firmer.
Ongoing concerns about tight old-crop corn stocks and planting delays are expected to bolster corn futures this morning. Cooler temps are entering the Corn Belt, with a more active precip pattern seen into early next week. As a result, traders are becoming more fearful of a late start to the planting season in the Corn Belt.

Weather is also a worry for the hard red winter wheat crop. This week's light rains are not enough to erase the drought, maintaining crop stress.
Traders in the soybean pit are digesting news Chinese buyers are negotiating to cancel or defer delivery on 10 cargoes of South American beans. Tightening crush margins have left importers overbooked.

** OPENING LIVESTOCK CALLS **
Live cattle: Steady to firmer; yesterday's losses overdone.
Feeder cattle: Steady to firmer; spillover from live cattle.
Lean hogs: Steady to firmer; short-covering.

Livestock futures are called to open steady to firmer on ideas yesterday's losses were overdone. General commodity buying was seen in overnight trade, leading to expectations for spillover into the livestock markets this morning.
Cash sources look for packers to more actively bid for cattle today, but that doesn't mean higher cash cattle prices are expected. While boxed beef prices have stabilized on improved movement, expectations are for steady to weaker cash cattle trade after yesterday's sharp pressure on futures.
Live cattle technicals also weakened after yesterday's island-top formation in June live cattle -- suggesting a high has been posted.
Additional support in the lean hog market is expected from yesterday's sharp recovery in pork cutout values, helping to boost packers' profit margins. The cash market is expected to be mostly steady today, but some firmer undertones are possible as packers compete for tightening supplies and still need to fill late-week needs. Downside risk in April lean hogs will be limited by cash strength ahead of Thursday's expiration.

(WA Feeder Cattle Cash Prices - 4 weights sold for $175 Last Thursday @ Toppenish Livestock Commission's special Feeder Sale. Avg weight: 595# Avg Price: $162/100 wgt, 1342 steers & heifers sold)

Cryin' in our Corn

Farms.com

Corn: Mid-Session Corn Market Report for 2/10/2011
March corn opened unchanged on the session at 698 and established an early range of 696 1/4 to 704 1/2. Follow-through buying after yesterday's bullish USDA ending stocks news plus strong weekly export sales news helped support the early rally today as the market shook off negative outside markets to move to the highest level since July of 2008. Weekly export sales came in at 1.107 million tonnes for the current marketing year and 104,500 for the next marketing year for a total of 1.212 million tonnes. Cumulative corn sales stand at 61.3% of the USDA forecast for 2010/2011 (current) marketing year versus a 5 year average of 61.8%. Sales of 639,000 metric tonnes are needed each week to reach the USDA forecast. The European Union is proposing to temporarily suspend its import tariffs on feed wheat and barley in order to secure feed due to high prices and tight supply. Keep in mind; world coarse grain supply at the end of the season is expected to be at just 50 days supply, the lowest since 1973. For the US, ending stocks represent just 18 days supply; a record low.
*Disclaimer: The information in the Market Commentaries was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but we do not guarantee its accuracy. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed therein constitutes a solicitation of the purchase or sale of any futures or options contracts.

Further Market Commentaries can be found at CME Daily Market Commentaries

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Winter Planning for High Production in Irrigated Pastures

Winter Planning for High Production in Irrigated Pastures

In irrigated pasture management there are many places to spend money, but four common areas make the greatest economic impact on pasture and grazing income. The economic impact areas include: pasture fertility, pasture fencing, pasture seeding and irrigation improvements. This article will concentrate on pasture fertility.

In a recent test, cool season irrigated pasture maximum production under “ideal conditions” was measured. Water and fertility were closely managed. The pasture test plot was clipped and weighed repeatedly during the growing season. The test showed under “ideal conditions” irrigated pasture production can approach 20 tons of dry forage per acre. It is exciting to think of the possibility of pasture producing 20 tons of forage. However, the economics of doing this on a large scale would not be practical or profitable as the plot was extremely moist at all times and maximum production used a great deal of fertilizer.

The largest management variables in achieving high cost-effective levels of irrigated forage production are fertility and fertility timing. A pasture populated with modern forage varieties can use 300 pounds of available nitrogen during the annual growing season. The economic feasibility of applying 300 pounds of available nitrogen is not cost effective. Fertilizer could cost more than the forage gain. There is a logarithmic increase in forage production with available nitrogen until roughly 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre. After 150 pounds of available nitrogen a gradual leveling off of production is observed. It is recommended to divide fertilizer into three applications, early, mid-season and approximately August 1st. It is not recommended to apply 150 pounds of available nitrogen in one large application.

Studies show timing of fertilizer application is important in irrigated pasture production. An application of approximately 70 pounds of available nitrogen when annual centigrade degree days reach 200 show an increase annual pasture production by 30% when compared to applications later in the growing period. Degree days are regionally variable and should be calculated using public access weather stations near the pasture site. For example 200 degree days is in mid-January in the Walla Walla region while it takes until the first part of February in the Yakima region.

Best management practice includes the use of soil samples annually, prior to developing a fertility management plan. Having 70 pounds of available nitrogen available at 200 degree days is important. A second application of 50 pounds of nitrogen should be applied to irrigated pasture around the time when the region is cutting hay for the first time. June 1st in the Yakima region, is advised. The third application of 50 pounds of nitrogen should be timed around August 1st to capture the second growth curve of cool season forage species and aide in meristem production for the next season. Sulfur and phosphorus can be important fertility additions. Consult professionals in your area to plan fertility management.

Answering the key question, is it economically feasible to fertilize irrigated pastures with 150 pounds of available nitrogen, the answer is yes. Several years ago, when nitrogen fertilizers were higher than $1,000.00 per ton, the numbers showed fertilizing at this level was profitable. At today’s nitrogen prices (approximately $550.00 per ton) it is feasible, profitable and intelligent to spend money on soil testing and fertilizer in irrigated pastures. Every dollar spent on fertilizing results in $19 to $35 of forage production, depending on forage plant species, population and several other variables. A fertility plan should be one of the highest priorities in a managed intensive grazing program.

Previously published: WA Cattlemen's Association Ketch Pen-January, 2011
Authored by: Frank Hendrix, WSU Extension Educator-Livestock, Pasture Mgmt

Read more on pasture improvement & Frank's work:
~ Intensive Grazing Trials
~ Is Improved Pasture Economically Viable
~ Easier Irrigation

BreNN hiLL supports his CattLe Industry with mOrE than BeautiFuL MusiC

~UPDATE~ (previously posted 12/17/10)
Brenn Hill extended his offer to donate $5 from each CD sold on his website to the US Cattlemen's Association all the way THROUGH the END Of JANUARY, 2011! There is still time so head over to his website NoW to purchase one of his GrEaT cds OR purchase all 7 cds for just $100 w/ free shipping...those mp3 sites we know so well can't even beat a deal like that!;) I'm checkin' out riGHt now with my purchase of EQUINE...I just couldn't get over the beautiful title track song & had to have it:) With 16 SONGS Mr. Hill certainly understands the value of the dollar!
Check out these links to view Brenn's performance at Ellensburg's Spirit of The West Cowboy Gathering here. It's no surprise Ian Tyson stated, "Every time I see and hear Brenn Hill, he just keeps getting better and better. His love of the west shines through in his music."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not every day one of the famous folk gives a nod to our cattlemen, so when a savvy singer/songwriter like Brenn Hill is sending a chunk of his change to support our ranchers we all best take notice! 

Mr. Hill is saying "thanks" in December to the people who put food on his table by donating $5 from the purchase of any of his albums to the United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA).

"This organization represents the folks across this country who take care of the land. I feel that USCA fits the fundamental values of my music, so working with this group seemed to make perfect sense," said Hill. "I find myself thinking sometimes about how I can help ranchers and farmers, and I thought this would be a small step toward letting them know how much I appreciate everything they do."

Brenn knows that farming and ranching isn't easy...it's one of America's most critical businesses and ways of life...plus each and every day it takes organizational advocacy to ensure that the U.S. Cattle Industry remains profitable and viable...Brenn has dedicated the widely acclaimed "Into the Wind" (click here to listen to a portion of the song) to all of the hardworking ranchers across the country...Into the Wind is the rallying call for ranchers to continue their successful operation, and it's the rallying call for USCA to champion the issues affecting the U.S. Cattle Industry...

'Equine' Album

During the month of December, purchase ANY Brenn Hill CD, and Brenn will donate $5 from each sale to the US Cattlemen's Association! Good music, a budding icon that will one day be a singer/songwriter legend, and a chance to support the cattle industry, doesn't get much better than that! Not sure what Brenn's sound is all about? Just sample a few tracks on his website then jump to his music section for a quick and dirty purchase! 

(Information compliments of USCA, all photos from Brenn Hill website)

The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West

The following documentary comes to us from WSU student film maker Michael DeTerra, a Beef Checkoff "Millennial Movie Making Project" grant recipient, produced the documentary The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West. The film features Washington rancher Dick Coon, cattle feeder Cody Easterday, and Oregon Rancher Bill Hoyt. The film also features Dr. Temple Grandin, Professor Emeritus Animal Science-Colorado State University. Dr. Grandin is featured in 2010 Time 100, Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, due to her innovative contribution to animal husbandry practices in the Livestock Industry as well as her work bringing public awareness to Autism.

(Jump forward to clips of WA Cattlemen: Dick Coon begins at 5 minutes 30 seconds, Cody Easterday begins at 10 minutes 20 seconds)


The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West from ExploreBeef on Vimeo.

Well deserved thanks are due to Michael DeTerra for producing such an informative, thorough, and beautiful documentary! Those 'Cougs' sure are make for a unmatched group of folks! ;) 

BreNN hiLL& the CaTTLe Industry Make QuiTe the PaiR

Not every day one of the famous folk gives a nod to our cattlemen, so when a savvy singer & songwriter like Brenn Hill is sending a chunk of his change to support our ranchers we all best take notice! 

Mr. Hill is saying "thanks" in December to the people who put food on his table by donating $5 from the purchase of any of his albums to the United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA).

"This organization represents the folks across this country who take care of the land. I feel that USCA fits the fundamental values of my music, so working with this group seemed to make perfect sense," said Hill. "I find myself thinking sometimes about how I can help ranchers and farmers, and I thought this would be a small step toward letting them know how much I appreciate everything they do."

Brenn knows that farming and ranching isn't easy...it's one of America's most critical businesses and ways of life...plus each and every day it takes organizational advocacy to ensure that the U.S. Cattle Industry remains profitable and viable...Brenn has dedicated the widely acclaimed "Into the Wind" (click here to listen to a portion of the song) to all of the hardworking ranchers across the country...Into the Wind is the rallying call for ranchers to continue their successful operation, and it's the rallying call for USCA to champion the issues affecting the U.S. Cattle Industry...

'Equine' Album

During the month of December, purchase ANY Brenn Hill CD, and Brenn will donate $5 from each sale to the US Cattlemen's Association! Good music, a budding icon that will one day be a singer/songwriter legend, and a chance to support the cattle industry, doesn't get much better than that! Not sure what Brenn's sound is all about? Just sample a few tracks on his website then jump to his music section for a quick and dirty purchase! 

(Information compliments of USCA, all photos from Brenn Hill website)

Mark Crowley ~ GrEAt family MaN, CoWboY, 'neighbor' to aLL

The following article was previously published in the November 2010 Washington Cattlemen's Association periodical, The Ketch Pen. This article is dear to my heart for a few reasons. Mark was the first person to contact me after my very first foray into WCA involvement and ultimately the cattle industry.He graciously "welcomed" me to the fold and small gestures like that are rarely forgotten. Also, this article was "anonymously" written by our then-president's wife, Paula Coon. Paula and Mark share a humility that I great admire and continue to be humbled and inspired by the work they accomplish through their strong dedication to the industry and its people.Paula lent these words after I ingquired about posting this piece, "Mark is one of the many who live quietly and are the backbone of their communities, where their contribution is felt, but sometimes unrecognized." 

The kind of person who holds our world in place....

Mark Crowley

Veteran Secretary of Board

A native of Kansas, Mark Crowley, has served as WCA’s secretary for six out of the last eight years. Working with Sid Viebrock, Jim Sizemore, and now Dick Coon he takes care of recording the minutes of the meetings.

Mark served four years in the Army stationed at Fort Lewis and reaching the rank of Sergeant and serving as Squad Leader. A major in Agriculture Economics with an Animal Science minor he’s a 1992 WSU grad and a loyal Coug. He was hired by Gerry Pittenger, who raised Wagyu cattle. Mark had experience working under Dan Coonrad at WSU. “It was a big change for me and Gerry was pretty patient with me right out of school.” “Those nine years with Pittenger and that job provided me the opportunity to get involved in the cattleman’s association.”

He met his wife, Raquel, in Ellensburg. She is the Vice Principle at the Granger High School, and they have three children: Jessica, 21, Elizabeth, 20 who both work in Ellensburg, and seven year old Wyatt.

Using the Internet to find job leads is a modern day trend and that’s where Mark found his present employment. Mark works at the Kittitas County Conservation District as Resource Technician where he works mostly with irrigation but also fills in with many other aspects of the Conservation District’s mission. “It was a steep learning curve to catch up on water rights and irrigation design. It was on the job learning.” They deal mostly with endangered species issues and water quality and quantity.


Like so many of the ranchers I’ve been privileged to visit with, Mark enjoys working with the youth in his community. He has led the Get Up & Go 4-H Club for sixteen years. He’s a past president of the Yakima Valley Team Penning Club, current president of the Cascade Team Penning Association as well as an an event announcer for them. YVTPC has eight events a year. This February a cowboy event, Californios (http://www.thecalifornios.com/), a companion to Spirit of the West is something Mark is looking forward to. It’s described as a ranch roping and stock horse competition involving working and doctoring cattle comprising the least amount of stress.

Mark sees the new HSUS invasion into our state as something to watch out for. HSUS has eight ‘Grassroots Meetings’ scheduled in Washington in October and November. He adds, “Water issues are central because you can’t live without water; both stock water and irrigation. WCA does what it can but unfortunately many cattlemen are not members of the WCA and don’t get the information about some of the important impending issues that will affect them. It’s essential; educating other cattlemen to realize how important these issues are, even team penning members should support these things or they won’t have cattle to pen. Everyone I work with, all types, need to be paying attention and helping out too. I always wanted to be a cattleman”, Mark notes, “cattlemen are steady people, they are people you can count on, the ‘go to’ people of the community.”

(Article written by Paula Coon)

Estate Tax--Go in with GuNs BlaZin'

Today the Senate passed a tax plan which reduces the top rate of the estate tax to 35 percent; increases the exemption level to $5 million; indexes exemptions to inflation and includes a stepped-up basis.
The House is expected to vote on this bill as early as TODAY.

Please contact your representative and ask them to support the estate tax provisions in the Senate bill.

Tips for calling members of Congress:
Remember calls are typically received by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment. After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message for the Representative.
You will want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senators' or representative's position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

Click below and enter your zip code to find your representative's contact information.



(http://www.inspiring-posters.com/pictures/Annie-Oakley.jpg)



BeeF inforMatiON DAY --- Grant County, WA

~FREE Beef Information DAY~

 Grant County Beef Information Day, Wednesday December 15th 2010 show up with your BesT bOOts at the George Community Center in grand ol' George, Washington! Join in on the learnin' at 9:25 AM and stay until 2:45 PM. Get your fill of listenin' from local and regional speakers with expertise in cattle health, beef quality, and agriculture commodity transportation will be featured.

Individuals involved in any segment of beef cattle production are invited to attend, and participants need not be a member of the Grant County Cattlemen or resident of Grant County to attend. The program is organized by Washington State University Extension and the Grant County Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s Associations.

Once you've had your fill of fReE coFFee & DONutS you'll be ready to saddle up for the mornin' session. Receive training & certification in the Western Beef Quality Assurance program and a presentation about improving heifer reproduction rates. After you've refueled with plenty of tasty beef  hit the trail hard for an afternoon learnin how to spruce up your operation's management plan with results that can be tasted! Just before you hit the open road, do you have what it takes to be legal on WA roads with your trucks, trailers, & farm equipment? The WSP CV Division will tell you how to keep your operation in the clear!

Tip your hat to the Grant County Cattlemen & Cattlewomen for cookin' up a FreE beef lunch! There is no registration fee to participate in the day’s activities, but ya better get your seat claimed before DEC 10th, 5:00 PM by callin' WSU Grant/Adams Extension 509-754-2011 Ext. 413.

(Read the entire NeWs ReLeAsE curtosy of the YWCA)

China & Washington...which is the "LittLe enGinE that cOULd"??

China Imports $6 Billion A Year From Washington State

"China's status as the United States' number one importer has heavy hitters like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Michael Bloomberg passing through Beijing jockeying for a piece of the China market, But there's one little welterweight that's making a big hit. Call Washington state the little engine that could. After a hard-fought campaign of cold calls and constant visits, China is eating Washington up, from its apples, to its salmon and its candy.
In the last decade, Washington state's exports to China increased over 300 percent. Last year, the state exported nearly $6 billion worth of products to China, second only to California."   (from ABC World News )

Well...not quite sure I like the sound of "little engine that could". Washington State is a heavy hitter in exports which means its often only viewed as a little engine by its own nation. I guess since I am now paying my bills through employment in the WA hay export industry I could be called bias in my opinion. However, I grew up in Yakima County...anyone ever heard of WA apples, what about hops..those things they make beer out of...over 75% of all US hops come from Yakima County alone. Oh yes and let's not forget that hay industry...the largest hay exporter in the world resides right in lil ol Kittitas County, not to mention numerous other hay exporters from the same county. Guess this "little engine" has a bit more steam than others were aware.

Like I say, folks are only ignorant if you allow them to be. ;)

diZZying DichOtOmY

...'nough said

WCA aNNuaL ConvENtiOn WeeK

Can't beat my view at work

...It is already that time of year..the WA Cattlemen's Association Annual Convention technically begins...TomoRRoW! That means that it is already Mid-November(ish), which means its already winter...oh wait did I mention yet that it snowed...ALL..DAY...hmmm where was I again? Oh yes, Convention, November, Winter, all of this means that another year has FLOWN right on by! I'm not sure if I was gracefully flying through the year or more like an already disheveled mess that was forcibly plucked up by a crazed dustdevil, then bounced around through the year and dropped hard on my rump looking like a cross between a resident of the Harlem Projects & Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus! (umm yes, definitely the latter was how I traveled thru the yr!) Luckily, convention will not leave me in the dust...or at least not too much! I will be working throughout the remainder of the week but I am lucky enough to work in the same county as this year's convention location ! Tomorrow night I actually get to attend my 4th (??) WCA board meeting since it will be in the evening! I am excited to see all the great fellow board members as the last time I saw them I was saying goodbye enroute to TX. Although my detour is bittersweet for me, any free help that sticks around WA I'm pretty sure is just sweet by the WCA's standards. ;)

Friday night our banquet has a pretty snaZZy spECiaL guest: BaXteR bLaCk will be our entertainment following the Prime Rib banquet dinner! Tickets still available, contact information posted below! Thursday night is our social and Endowment Trust Fund auction so come on out both nights before Winter buries you inside and bans all socialization:) Thursday is Veteran's Day so those of you who get the day off from work have a great chance to head up to Suncadia Resort (maybe even sneak off for a relaxing massage...it is a resort after all!) Don't forget to come back Saturday for the Pfizer Cattlemen's College! I am excited to pop into that since I will be working during Thursday and Friday's daytime events.

Call WCA for tickets: 509-925-9871

CrazY cowBoy DrEAm

Crazy Cowboy Dream

“The miles that I have traveled, the places I have seen

Just won’t let me put a saddle on this Crazy Cowboy Dream”¹

          

A few days ago I took my niece up on the invitation to join her at school for “hot lunch”. When your nephew and nieces range in age from 13 down to 7, it is easy to see the GIANT handwriting on the wall. Those pending teenage years have the possibility to make those invitations a thing of the past ! A scheduling conflict resulted in the need to move our original lunch date from the coveted “salad bar” day to a standard “hot lunch” day. Have no fear, this school brought it’s noon hour A-Game. My nephew and nieces attend a private Catholic School in Yakima. Most of the teachers recognize me by now as I have been picking up at least 1 child a year for going on a decade! Despite what most folks would consider a less-than-friendly locale, the school proves friendly & welcoming to the weary lunch maven or afternoon courier. On this recent voyage I found myself likening their school to a small, rural town. The kind of town where the lunch is hot, the smiles are warm, & crazy cowboy dreams are still dreamed.

Back at the cafeteria my small town euphoria was kindly interrupted by a sweet voice, “Aunt Jenna, would you like milk?” Don’t tell the health officials, but typically the only time I reach for milk is when it comes served as a double in a tall glass with ice, a few choice ingredients, and a name that sounds suspiciously like a famous handgun!  On this day, nostalgia won as chocolate milk beckoned its way to my tray. As I found my way back to a table surrounded by 11 year old girls and not a boy in sight, I found myself wondering when that fateful day arrived so many years ago that took away the choice of chocolate milk and took our crazy cowboy dreams right along with it.

One of the great blessings life throws our way are the times when a philosophical theme of one kind or another takes residence in our mind. This philosophical battle invokes pondering that may last for days, weeks, even months. As we drive to and from the kids’ school, ride through that group of pairs, or fix the familiar fence line we may not even realize what our brain fervently ponders day after day. If we are lucky we will reach the pinnacle of all great pondering…the much lofted after revelation. Cattle ranchers are blessed to be an intricate part of nature that includes few others. They are able to take in the wide open spaces, fresh air, understand the delicate balance of all life that surrounds them. All that oneness with nature is great but let’s face it; 'em ranchers are slightly scant on human interaction! It has been a long time since they saddled up to a lunchroom table with their chocolate milk, unless you count those bi-yearly trips to the sale barn cafe!  However, this lifestyle makes them far from short on philosophical ponderings or even a profound revelation now and again. Rather than send our ranchers to “Mingling 101” down at the local Eagles, let’s keep them out on the range & tap into that pondering mind. How intriguing it is to sit down at the lunch table and hear a group of folks whose crazy cowboy dreams may very well be alive and kickin’.

My penchant is strong for anything that takes me back to a time when the worry was less and the “living and doing” was more. Typically that means a great deal of enthusiasm at every 2/$1.00 candy rack where the packaging hasn’t changed since Reagan was in office. However, if you look beyond the Cinnamon Bears, Bubbletape, & Slurpees you just might catch a glimpse of the “good ole days”. The Good Ole Days are not limited to the 1880s or the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder. We all have our very own version of good ole days. That school lunchroom with its choice of “white milk or chocolate” is just one small peek into our glorious yesteryears. Those days when our minds were full enough to be present yet empty enough to dream.

Someone reminded me this week of the saying about doers and dreamers. My personal rendition goes something like “There are three types of people in this world: Dreamers, Doers, and those that let others do the dreaming and the doing.” I believe we cannot successfully do until we have successfully dreamed. When is the last time you let yourself dream or even turned those dreams into something you did? We all know that no one has successfully ever kept us down without our consent but sometimes it takes a good hot lunch, carton of milk, and a kickball game to remind us to start living our crazy cowboy dreams.

“....The miles that I have traveled, the places I have seen

Just won’t let me put a saddle on this Crazy Cowboy Dream”¹

(¹ Robert Earl Keen. “Crazy Cowboy Dream.” Bigger Piece of Sky. MP3. Koch Records, 2004.)

Originally published in WCA Ketch Pen November 2010. 

RFD TV Cattlemen to Cattlemen: PNW Young Cattlemen's Conference

We are so LuCKy to have a 5 minute feature appear on this week's RFD TV Cattlemen to Cattlemen show!! Thanks C2C for such an amazing segment on our tour and on our PNW Cattle Industry! :)

Ride 100 Miles With Me

A movie was released this last year that featured a character I found myself strongly relating to. A classic scene in the movie included a speech by this character that stuck with me, "..I tend to think of myself as a 1-man wolf pack..." I share a similar independent spirit but over the years have learned to grow my wolf pack to include many different genres of life. Lately, I find myself relating to a rare and unique group of folks ... truck drivers. Now, I am well aware of the fact this elite group will not be inducting me fully into their posse anytime soon. Let's face it, does anybody really think that I am the best choice to pull that load of fat cattle or hay while bombing down the freeway? However, over the course of more than a year, the road has become my home. I'm not quite logging long haul miles but my nice weekly jaunt to and from my folks place covers 600 roundtrip miles. When I passed the 30,000 mile mark I officially moved into a new road warrior tier. This top tier membership includes perks & new-found wisdom such as understanding that any trips before 5pm and after 5am will encounter “unbearable traffic" through Eastern Washington, an unexplainable affection for gas stations-specifically coffee machines & merchandise racks, and the much lofted ownership of the 7-Eleven coffee refill card! However, what really sets this pavement pounding tier aside is the Zen-like deep thought the open road brings. While driving the other day I heard a quote from a California cattle rancher and agriculture advocate, "As my grandpa used to say, 'To understand my perspective, ride 100 miles with me.'" With my foot firmly glued to the pedal and another 200 miles to go, only two entertainment options remained for the drive: I could continue singing along to Tanya Tucker, or I could get this "perspective" predicament ironed out. It looked like 'Lizzie and the Rainman' was going to have to wait.

When is the last time you said, "I would be interested to hear what their perspective was on this matter." Can you actually remember ever saying or thinking that and if you are honest with yourself, did you really truly want to hear what someone else's perspective was? Perhaps now is a good time to take a serene drive and really chew the fat on ol’ Grandpa's quote. I will be the first one to admit that if you asked me if I really wanted to "understand Obama's perspective", colorful words would be heard for miles around. I am a little too prickled up right now to ride 100 miles with someone who's perspective I think does not contain an once of rationale or intelligent thought. Oh crap...now I sound just like the folks I’m complaining about.. open minded until I actually open my mouth. However, when I take a deep breath I think I would want to sit down with the Obamas and get an earful of their perspective. I am curious about how people get to their beliefs. If I wasn’t raised in Yakima County on a cattle ranch I guarantee my perspective on life would be far different than what it is currently. When is the last time you had a conversation with someone who had a different perspective than you? Better yet, would you even offer up your listening time if some young chap’s appearances hinted they came from a different wolf pack than you?

Some days I get so sick of being politically correct it’s enough to make me almost punch the next peace, love, and happiness socialist right in the teeth. Then, that annoying angel over my right shoulder starts reminding me that if I judge that hippie book by its cover or never open it up to see what it says I’m limiting myself to what could be something great. Every so often I do listen to that angel on my right shoulder and that 100 mile ride often ends with a new found friend and more importantly some new found perspective.

I knew a man who was not a stranger to uttering profound proverbs such as, "to understand my perspective, ride 100 miles with me." these out of nowhere statements always came during what seemed like a dreadful 100 mile no air conditioned, 90 degree day ride in a grain truck or a scorching sun filled horseback ride through the sageland. At that time, understanding his perspective was not the issue. The issue was the desire to understand his perspective or how he came to hold that perspective. As I've encountered many various wolf packs and genres of folk over the years, I've never forgotten those days spent learning silent lessons. It may be shocking to some that at times I am not shy at voicing my opinion or perspective. But isn’t that what all any humans desire, to be heard and understood? Every human being was given a voice and expansive mind to articulate individual views of how the world goes 'round. Gosh you are probably starting to think I sound more like Jane Fonda than Glenn Beck. Well now, you’ve never saddled up and went on that ride with me? If we desire to have our perspective heard by the world, are we willing to listen to someone of the opposite belief system be heard? Well cattlemen ... are we? If we want the Department of Ecology to listen to why they should grant us our right to use exempt wells for stock watering are we really going to open-mindedly listen to the Sierra Club’s views of water management? Perhaps the time has come to hop in the old truck or tighten the cinch on that old mare and go for a ride with them. When I find myself saying that I just do not understand how that person could ever come to that ideology of thinking its never long before a lump in my throat forms and I know my answer. The answer lies in the truth that I will never understand how someone came to their belief system unless I ask them or more importantly, I listen to them.

Have you ever truly listened to two people who can't agree on abortion. Yes, I just said abortion, perhaps the most taboo word ever uttered in the English language-you will survive I promise. It typically does not take long to understand why they can not agree-heck a six year old could figure out faster than us. Those two folks' perspectives are not the same because their life experiences are not the same, the way they were raised is not the same, or maybe their brains are just not clones of one another’s. We need to stop caring so much about people who don’t think the same as us-get over it. If we want people to not stereotype agriculturists, conservatives, religious followers in a box, then we need to lead the pack by example. We keep waiting for our neighbor to become open minded and expand his knowledge, while that wait cripples us farther. Is a tattoo, piercing, or bumper sticker stopping you from pulling up a bar stool and getting to know someone? The worst case scenario is that they in fact think or believe in something opposite of you. That long-haired tattooed man just may be the new pastor in town or the clean cut business suit sporting neighbor might be Jeffrey Dahmer in waiting. Our perceptions are often the dead leg that’s slowing us down in this business. To become successful in business or in your personal life then we have to challenge our own perspective first. Something in the universe triggered you to choose Angus over Brahman, Quarter Horse over Arabian, or Miller High Life over Busch. Did education and knowledge drive your choices? Or were your choices formed by people around you, your background, environment, or what the 8-ball said? When we understand what is driving our perspectives and our neighbor’s perspectives then we can effectively start to change some factors in our lives for the better. The cattle industry features some of the most intelligent minds in business and I am confidant if we pull up a bar stool to our adversaries, alliances can begin to form and we will not continue to be victims of circumstance.

As you find yourself driving down your own lost highway this week, decide whether you really would ride 100 miles with me to swap perspectives. Do not let the inherent fear of learning something new about yourself or other people limit you from discovering new ground.

~The Animals Come First~

Through all weather conditions, no one works harder to keep their animals healthy, happy, and well-fed than our cattle ranchers. KXLY has a great news story on feeding cattle, delivering calves, and keeping them healthy through heavy snow storms and many other conditions!