HSUS Revealed!

Caught a GREAT blog post on the truth about The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). This video was created by Missouri farmers. It tells the truth behind HSUS's purpose. 

The Humane Society Of The United States is probably one of the biggest donation traps I have ever seen. The money you send to them is spent on lobbying and fighting animal agriculture. 

Less than half of 1% of their annual budget is actually given to local animal shelters. 

If you want to help you local animal shelter write the check directly to them. 

If you don't believe me- just ask them!


Watch the video above and make sure to spread the word. 

If you are anything like me and get all mushy when those commercials come on TV that make you want to go out and adopt all the unwanted puppies in the world then donate your time and money to your LOCAL shelter! 

Not HSUS!

Here Comes Calving Season

I am always begging for something to do. Always. And normally there is something to do. My husband is always in the process of teaching me all sorts of things, however, I fully admit I am much better as a teacher, rather than a student. I get annoyed with his slow snail pace of  explaining-even though I agree it is much needed. And often find myself wondering, "So this is what my students think when I go slow to make sure they are getting what I am saying..."
(PS...Teachers make the worst students)

In a renowned effort to get me more involved around the farm my husband has found the perfect solution...

I can now take over what used to be "our shift" of checking cows...He has now lovingly deemed it "my shift".

Our shift to check our pregnant cows is between 1 and 2 AM...normally not a big deal since it's normally April...which surprisingly makes all the difference, at least to me! However, since we bought those pesky new cows, that shift checking officially started a few weeks ago.

So a few weeks back at 10 PM, I set my alarm for 2 AM.

At 2 AM I wake up to some generic cell phone song blaring. I slowly reach over and turn it off and about 2 minutes later make myself get up.

I walk slowly into our closet grab the closest pair of sweat pants and pull them on as I make my way to the garage.

I have no idea what shoes I put on, or of grabbing a coat...but I did, because it was lying on the floor this morning when I got up to get ready for school.

I just start to wake up as I open the garage door and feel the brutal SD cold. I wake up my sleeping golden retriever, Payton, and she grudingly moves aside for me to walk down the stairs.

I then get in my pick up and drive a mile over to my brother and sister in laws' house where we keep our cows. I drive slowly by the lot, shine the light on them and make sure that none are popping out a calf, or even suspicous of popping out a calf. I then turn around and drive back home.

I come inside and fall right back into bed and lay there for the next 30 minutes trying to convince myself to fall back to sleep because I have to be up in 4 hours to get ready to head out to sub.

So...Why do it?
When we check on cows...we are mainly checking for a few things.

1. A cow giving birth (or about to). We are looking for cows that are mainly giving birth because we want to make sure everything goes smoothly and safely for that cow. We do not interrupt them during the birth if we feel they are handling everything fine. Giving birth is natural, so therefore, we want to make it natural for them, allowing them to give birth on their own. We step in if we notice the calf not coming out as quick as it should or the cow appearing as if she is in pain.

2. Weather. If we notice a cow has just given birth to a new calf and it's below zero and the wind is blowing it's really important to get the cow and calf into the barn. The extreme temperatures can prove unsafe for a wet baby calf.

So, even though I am half asleep at 2 AM it's still important to look for these things. So, most recently the question I asked my husband...

"What do I do if someone is calving?"

Silly question right? Maybe so, but I grew up lambing on a small farm, helping OCCASIONALLY with lambing...not calving on a large farm. I have never had to pull a calf, but I imagine it's a lot like pulling a lamb..just a lot bigger.

His response is..."Well, come back home and wake me up. We will wait a few minutes and then go check again."

My response is..." So, why don't you just check cows in the middle of the night?"

He smiles and says..."Because you wanted to be a farm wife..."

Right... Gotta love my husband!

Here Comes Spring

This last week around the farm has been super, super busy for me and for my husband! We both had meetings like crazy, suppers to attend, and it was my week to cook. This week was a slight glimpse into my future if I decide to get a town job, in addition to my farming job! I had my week of cooking all planned in advance and had it ready to go at the shop the days I was MIA! I would say that it went smoothly and I reached my goal of being able to offer a variety of meals that can cook at the shop while I am away.

Right now around our area we are facing the realities of melting snow. I did a recent post a few weeks back talking about the flooding that occurred in our area during harvest last year. Well, I thought I would show you what it looks like when all our snow in South Dakota melts! A little something like this: 

This is actually supposed to be a field..

The Big Sioux River is supposed to be much, much lower!

That wire with the grasses hanging on it is actually the top wire on a three wire strung fence. 

And around this time of year...a lot of roads start to look like this. (These roads are actually closed. I have on really cruddy shoes and a decent lens on our camera!)








Flooding can be pretty serious. Although, it seems that every year since I have been here in South Dakota the "great flooding" marks the start of spring!

After doing some touring on the flooded roads we stopped at our friends' house to say a quick hello and I had to run back to the pick up and grab the camera because I felt this was another event that marked the start of spring.

Two moments that make me smile and I begin to imagine that I am smelling green green grass...

Another event around our farm that marks the start of spring is the arrival of new babies...

Here is the first baby of the year! He is out of one of the new bred cows that we just bought a few months back. 





It's important right after the birth of a calf to give the Momma and new baby some time to adjust to each other, and of course to eat!

You can see in this picture the umbilical cord hanging from the calf's belly and also the after birth making it's way out of the cow. (Very similar to us!)








These are just a few things that get me excited for spring on our farm.

Not to mention: 

Green Grass
Green Trees
Mowing
Birds
Gardening
Kittens
Clean Garages
Clean Vehicles
Clean Puppies
Clean Husbands 
Half Way Clean Kids 

(Pretty much all things clean!)

Teach Ag Day

As promised here is some additional information on Teach Ag Day. 

Remember...Thank an Ag teacher today! 

 Thanks Mrs. Weiss!
 

WHAT IS NATIONAL TEACH AG DAY?

National Teach Ag Day is a campaign to encourage agricultural education advocates, especially current agricultural educators (middle school, high school, post-secondary, pre-service programs, etc.) to share with others the great career opportunities in agricultural education and encourage them to consider careers as agricultural educators. It is also a day to recognize the contributions of current ...agricultural educators.

WHO IS IT FOR?

National Teach Ag Day is for anyone who wants to share the story of agricultural education and encourage students to consider careers as agricultural educators. We anticipate that the bulk of our participants will be secondary-level agricultural educators. However, National Teach Ag Day will include agricultural education at every level, from elementary classes to postsecondary agriculture programs.

WHAT HAPPENS ON NATIONAL TEACH AG DAY?

Agricultural educators and agricultural education advocates will engage in a variety of activities to promote the career of agricultural education. These activities may include capitol rallies, special lessons, community activities, and more. The Teach Ag website is a clearinghouse of resources to help teachers teachers and advocates introduce the topic on that day, including a video, suggested teaching activities, games, and giveaway items.

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

* Write the Teach Ag Day date (March 24, 2011) on your calendar and plan to include a lesson about the opportunities in agricultural education. Click here for lesson plans and activity ideas specifically for Teach Ag Day.
* Tell everyone you know about National Teach Ag Day.

* Vist the National Teach Ag Campaign community on NAAE's Community's of Practice to get involved in the discussion and share your ideas.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TEACH AG DAY?

National Teach Ag Day is a component of the National Teach Ag Campaign, an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). It is sponsored by Campbell Soup Company and Landmark Nurseries as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

You've Been Tagged To Teach Ag

This week marks once again another fun week in the world of agriculture. 
 
Thursday, March 24, 2011 marks National Teach Ag Day. On Thursday I plan on posting some information about the day's main purpose directly from their resources.

Today I wanted to share with you my story on how I was "Tagged To Teach Ag"


It isn't every day that a girl growing up in a small housing suburb with her Mom and younger sister chooses a life in agriculture. Did I mention my Dad and Stepmom are both pool players? Yep...and now I am a farm wife...crazy world right?


Anyway, through out my life I was actively involved in both 4-H and FFA. I had a lot of really great mentors in both programs and with their help I decided on the career path I would come to love. 

PS. Repeat picture from 4-H (Bill and Judy)

For a good chunk of years I spent nearly every summer with a couple that lived on a farm that was about 45 minutes from my home. I remember my Mom would drive me all the way there and come get me at the end of the day. And I went very very often (Thanks Mom!). They raised sheep and had a few horses. I was in heaven. I spent time with them doing everything from helping in the garden to sorting sheep to raking hay and to riding until my butt was screaming at me to get out of the saddle. Needless to say that I complained, cried, and had some terrible hissy fits I am sure. I always loved the riding horses part of my days, but what I really appreciate now is all the work they had me do around their farm. I credit most of my horsemanship skills to riding in all the impossible places Bill made me ride (Bill has never really liked following the marked trail). I credit my sheep knowledge and gardening ability to Judy. Both of them instilled in me the tradition of the family farm.  


I always knew I wanted to teach. My Stepmom will tell you that she always said I should be a teacher. And she still tells me that almost every time I am with her. I guess deep down I knew she was right. The big decision was what kind of teacher I wanted to be. 

I love English. I may not always get it right but it's always been a favorite subject of mine.

I have played the violin since I was in the 7th grade. I loved it and still do when I take the time to play (I'm not nearly as good as I used to be!)


And, I loved FFA and my Ag classes. 


Lots of choices there. Really, you have to choose what age group you want to teach first. My ag teacher, who I give credit to also encouraging me in the right direction of Agricultural Education, told me once that she always thought teaching high school students would also continue to grow her knowledge as a teacher. 


When you put it like that it really made it an easy decision. High school students here I come. 


Now...Agriculture, Music, or English...Tough


What subject area would I find substantial in my life for years to come. That would be forever changing and always a challenge. I wanted a career that would also continue to expand my knowledge base, that could offer the endless possibility of changing a life. 


Agricultural Education has all of those things and more. It offers a great intracurricular program- the FFA Organization.


Anyway, 


I think Agricultural Education is GREAT! Every high school student should have to take at least one Ag class during their high school career. 


Agriculture is a huge part of our lives. In case you didn't already know that :) 

Here is to the future of agriculture and agricultural education!

My little sister- She loves hearing about life on the farm- and Dad

Women In Agriculture

In light of an article that was sent to me a few weeks back I wanted to address the topic..

Women and their involvement in agriculture.

Over 98% of farms are family owned...often with generations farming with one another. So somewhere amidst that family farm I am going to bet there is a woman. Right?

Granted, I will give in to this specific article and say that yes women do not sit on the top five commodity national boards (These are basically National Corn, Soybean, Cotton, Rice, and Wheat).

But, did anyone think to ask us whether or not we have any desire to sit on those boards?

Or better yet the fact that there is more to agriculture than just those five commodity boards?

Women in agriculture may not be on the forefront of agriculture- but trust me we are totally there. Matter of fact I don't think I have ever met a harder working woman in agriculture than my mother in law

What I have come to conclude on a few things could be potential reasons for why you don't see women in the forefront of agriculture:

Someone has to take care of those kids. (Meaning: School, day care, extra curricular activities, religion class, doctors appointments, etc.)

Bookwork (A huge part of farming- around our farm we share the responsibility with the guys pitching in periodically.)

Parts (It's amazing how many parts you order every single day when you are a farmer- and what's more amazing is how someone needs to make the trip to town to get them constantly...)

Town jobs In some cases farming won't pay the bills. Or, how about that pesky health insurance (I can tell you from personal experience that if you are paying for it solely on your own it's a pretty big chunk of change. Now picture adding a house full of kids to that payment)

I know there are a lot more reasons that I am not including here, but I wanted to just highlight a few that hit pretty hard with me. I see my sister in laws working their tails off around our farm and my mother in law who has worked for years on the farm doing it all from raising kids to hauling silage.


We are very much a part of agriculture! We haul silage, check cows, pull calves, feed cattle, feed bottle calves, run combines, run grain carts, haul grain, rake hay, bale hay, stack hay, run parts, clean windows on equipment, clean the shop, mow grass, fix fences, fix gates...Do I really need to go on?

You Might Be a Farm Wife...

I normally try my hardest not to pass on forwards I get via email...but I was just discussing with a friend of mine the other day what it's like to really be a farm wife. 

To help explain it this is what I sent her...
(This was actually much much longer, so I shortened it up a bit for more "light" reading.)

You Might Be a Farmer's Wife...

---

• If your name is taped to the side of a cakepan:
• If you call the implement dealer and he recognizes your voice:
• If the vet’s number is on the speed dial of your phone:
• If your second vehicle is still a pickup:
• If your husband has ever used field equipment to maintain your yard:
• If you’re in the habit of buying foodstuffs in bulk:
• If the word "auction" makes you tingle:
• If "picking rock" is considered a chance to get out of the house:
• If "a little bit of lunch" involves 6 courses and a dessert made from scratch:
• If the "fresh ingredients" your recipe calls for reminds you to do the chores:
• If taking lunch to the field is as close as you get to a picnic:
• If that pail with a hole in it is a flowerpot in the making:
• If your rock garden was hand-picked:
• If you can mend a pair of pants and the fence that ripped them:
• If you’re on the lookout for new uses for "Jell-O":
• If the shopping list in your purse includes the sizes of filters, tires, overalls, chains, belts, lights, cables, spark plugs or shotgun shells:
• If "Farm", "Ranch", "Country", "Cowboy" or "Antique" is in the name of your favorite magazine:
• If your tan lines are somewhere below your shoulder and above your elbow:
• If you’ve ever been grateful for fingernail polish, because it hides the dirt under your nails:
• If you’ve ever called your husband to supper, using a radio:
• If being taken out to dinner has ever included a talk by a seed corn dealer:
• If your mailbox looks like a piece of farm machinery:
• If the daily paper is always a day late:
• If you have a yard, but not a lawn:
• If you have lots of machinery and each piece is worth more than your house:
• If the leaky barn roof gets fixed, before the leaky house roof:
• If the neighbor’s house is best viewed with binoculars:
• If the directions to your house include the words, "miles," "silos," "last," or "gravel road":
• If your storage shed is a barn:
• If you measure travel in miles not minutes:
• If your farm equipment has the latest global positioning technology and you still can’t find your husband:
• If you consider "hot dish" a food group:
• If your husband says, "Can you help me for a few minutes?" and you know that might be anywhere from a few minutes to six hours:
• If you plan your vacations around farm shows:
• If grass stains are the least of your laundry problems:
• If your car’s color is two-toned and one color is gravel road brown:
• If you’ve ever grown your own wall decorations:
• If you’ve ever said, "Oh, it’s only a little mud.":
• If your husband gave you flowers, but you had to plant the seeds yourself:
• If you've used the loader to reach the windows when they needed washing:
• If you’ve ever used a broom to shoo a critter:
• If dinner is at noon and lunch is before and after dinner:
• If you don't need the recipe to make Rice Krispies bars:
• If you shovel the sidewalk, with a skidsteer loader:
• If quality time with your hubby means you'll have a flashlight in one hand and a wrench in the other:
• If you know the difference between field corn and sweet corn:
• If you buy your husband's "dress" socks at Campbell's Supply:
• If you can make a meal that can be ready in six minutes and will still be ready in two hours:
• If "sharing a cab" has nothing to do with a taxi and everything to do with getting across the field:
• If your job in town is considered a farm subsidy:

Sirloin, Chuck, and Ribeye....Oh My!

PS. This is a Dairy steer

If you are anything like myself, before being a farm wife, I simply went to the grocery store and picked the meat that my recipe called for...not thinking anything of where the meat came from on the cow, or even worse yet, the farmer behind the production of that cow.

I now have a new found appreciation for that farmer, because I am that farmer!

I refer to everything from a cow, but hamburger, as a "cut of beef". There is quite a bit of science that is behind the muscle to meat conversion; but I am guessing you really don't care about all that.

When it comes to choosing a cut of meat, it's all about the tenderness, or at least how to get it tender. The tenderness is mainly determined by where the meat comes from on the cow. If you were to eat a steak cut from the leg chances are it's going to be pretty tough. The leg is a muscle that is worked often during the cow's life, obviously. So, any steak cut from the leg will be tough. That is why a lot of meat that comes from the legs, chest, and rump will be turned into roasts, briskets, or even ground up into hamburger.

The much loved filet mignon...yummy! One of my favorites. The filet mignon is actually from the cow's loin (or backbone). It sits just under the backbone. The filet is actually cut from the tenderloin. If you see the cow pictured below you will notice that the "loin" cuts are all located pretty far away from some of the more muscular parts of the animal, such as the rump and legs. The loin cuts are considered the most tender on the animal. They are considered the most tender because they come from muscles that are worked the least during the cows life. However, the way you cook the meat can play a big part in how the meat turns out.

PS. This is a Beef steer

The brisket recipe I did a few weeks back is the slow and moist method, if you remember that.  Steaks, on the other hand, are supposed to be cooked fast and in a dry environment, such as the grill.

Another important factor of cooking steaks is the temperature at which you cook them. The safest way is to use a meat thermometer and cook the meat to a degree of doneness. To achieve the results you are interested in see the chart below.

Rare	120 to 125 °F
Medium Rare	130 to 135 °F
Medium	140 to 145 °F
Medium Well	150 to 155 °F
Well Done	160 degrees and above
Ground Meat	160 to 165 °F

When cooking steaks it is important to take the steak off of the grill when it is 5 degrees away from being done. The steak will continue to cook itself while it's sitting on the plate waiting to be eaten.

A meat thermometer will always ensure that the food is safe and that it is cooked to the correct degree of doneness. I use one every time I am cooking meat. 

Most of the information in this blog is based on my knowledge of cooking cuts of beef. From what I have learned in college and what I have learned being a beef farmer.

I say that anything cooked past medium is really just like eating glorified hamburger. If you are one of those well done steak consumers...I encourage you to branch out and try ordering your steak medium well- it might be a fun change of pace!

In Honor Of National Agriculture Week

This week is National Ag Week. 

All I ask is that you take a moment of your week to thank an American farmer!

Watch the video to see just how many people one American Farmer will feed this year!

Reflections of A Fair Queen

 

Last week I was asked to judge in the Morgan County Fair Queen contest. Things won't work out for me to do so, but it still brought back a lot of really great memories. 

I still remember making the promise to my Mom to run for Morgan County Fair Queen, and honestly thought I would really really regret that promise. I wasn't so sure I really wanted to be "Morgan: the fair queen from Morgan County". Can you imagine what fun they had with me?

I would not consider myself fair queen material, not in the least. I had no clue how to walk, how to smile continuously for a long amount of time, and do not consider myself to have anywhere close to a "fair queen" body. But, the one thing I knew I had going for me was my passion for the 4-H program and the ability to give a dang good interview. 

I spent 9 years of my life dedicated to the 4-H program. That's a long time to stay dedicated to one organization and I feel that those nine years continued to build a foundation for my future as an adult. And it wasn't just creating a knowledge base for agriculture so I could be a farmer's wife...It was so much more. 

I had nine years to experience being a leader, a team player, an animal caretaker, an announcer, a speech giver, a parliamentarian, a council member, an organizer, a fair queen, and I really could go on and on.

4-H taught me so many great qualities and morals it's crazy. The program teaches children to become individuals, to find out what they believe in. Not to mention creating relationships that will last a lifetime. 

Battle of The Barns. My last and final victory with the Horse and Pony Team.

At the time 4-H was just fun. But now looking back on the nine years I spent becoming who I am today I realize how important and vital those years will be through out my entire life. 

Two very important people in my 4-H experience. Any 4-H program would be lucky to have them.

Being the fair queen my last year in 4-H really just summed up the ending to nine years of the perfect experience in agriculture. Looking back I realize how relieved I am that I was the fair queen my last year of 4-H because I was so busy with my duties I forgot to cry when it was all over. I remember sitting in the sheep barn after I sold my last lamb in the auction and really reflecting over what 4-H meant to me. It helped me become who I am today, it made me fall in love with agriculture, and most definitely helped me become a better person.

Darby Elliot. A time for me to face the harsh realities of life. The hardest thing I have ever done in my life is say hello to a little girl that was dying. But also the most rewarding because all she wanted was to meet me.

Every year that I have been in South Dakota I get very emotional around the week I know fair time is hitting Morgan County. It played such a vital role in who I am it's sad to miss, but knowing the things 4-H has taught me I realize that I may be missing the fair, but I still have a part of it with me as I work around our farm.

 The benefits of any strong youth organization can be rewarding. 4-H is listed as the world's largest youth organization and I really feel that what I learned within it helped set my focus on the world of agriculture and the importance it can play in every day life. 

So in the end I will never regret my decision to run for Morgan County Fair Queen. It was the perfect ending to a perfect beginning. 

Whether The Weather Is Hot...Or Whether The Weather is Cold

Have you ever noticed how when there is a lack of anything to talk about in a conversation it somehow transitions to a lengthy discussion on the weather, or complete strangers will spend minutes talking to you in the store about it.

Yesterday I was running errands in town and couldn't help but notice that everywhere I went, everyone had something to say about the weather. The cashiers, the people next to me in line, the people around me shopping with their children...everyone. 

One of things I noticed immediately when I moved to South Dakota was how friendly the people who live here are. It is such an obvious difference it's crazy. I have been known to stop in the dog food aisle and carry on a conversation with a stranger for at least five minutes, and not even about dog food, but the weather. 

Another thing I have realized about being a farm wife is that every one expects you to know how many inches it rained, how many inches it has snowed, or when it is supposed to be above zero degrees. It's almost as if knowing those things each day is a requirement to being a farm wife. 

Let me tell you that my answers to those questions are often very vague and most likely not what they are looking for. 

"Nope, I don't know how many inches it has snowed, all I know it has snowed enough for me already!" (And we are only two snowstorms into our winter!)

"I don't know how many inches of rain it has poured because as far as I am concerned- it's better than snow."

"And no, I don't know when it will get above zero again because to me it's all cold and it really doesn't matter after you reach a certain point of cold what the temperature gauge actually reads"

Weather is important to ANY farmer or farm, and at times I do take notice and care- if I must! The weather tells us how we plan our days, our week, or even our month. 

During harvest if there is talk of heavy rains for a good number of days you better believe we are in the field until the wee hours of the morning getting in as much of our crops as we can. When it rains it doesn't just hold harvest up during those days it is raining- we also have to wait for the ground to dry in order to be able to get into the fields safely and efficiently.

If there is a lot of rain during harvest or planting season it can prove to be a BIG problem for farming. It can mean an entire field of crops completely underwater. It can mean spending more time pulling equipment out of the mud than actually combining. It can prove detrimental and dangerous to a farm.

Last fall when we were combining late one night my husband told me a story about how when he was younger they were expecting a pretty bad ice storm the following day and they only had a little bit to go to be completely finished with harvest. Him and his brothers combined all night long and finished the last row of corn right before the rain started falling. You do what you got to do when you're a farmer.


Snow- my absolute hate. I always get this sort of "awed" feeling whenever it snows for the first time on our farm. I am excited because it is so beautiful and the dogs love it. That moment of awe lasts for about 5 minutes, because then I remember after the snow comes the crazy temperature of 0 or even -18... 

When you have a lot of cattle lots like we do, you move a lot of snow. You have to move snow in a cattle lot mainly because it piles up, and piles up, and piles up. Eventually, because it snows so much here, it can pile up and the cattle can walk right over the fence. At our farm the guys move a lot of snow, and often. We like to get it out of the lots as soon as possible so it doesn't prove unsafe for the cattle, plus we really don't want our cattle wandering off to socialize at other farms.

Which means, a lot of gate watching. This means sitting at the entrance to a lot while the guys haul snow in and out. Cattle sometimes like to play games to see if they can sneak past you. Luckily, I have not let one escape yet! I sit and watch gates a lot. I like it- I can read my books, plan my dinners, and get a really really sore butt. 

Anyway, I talked about rain and snow because those are two big areas we seem to all enjoy complaining- I mean "socializing" about here is SD. Well, those two, and also how cold it is. Then when summer gets here we talk about how hot it is. Isn't it amazing how much we find ourselves talking about the weather?

Also another thing about farming in SD I never knew would be a pretty serious issue. The need to get a large amount of snow off of your home and also your out buildings as soon as possible. If you don't get snow off of out buildings quick enough in SD this is what happens: 

No cattle were in this building at the time of collapsing- so please PETA stay on your own side of the road.

Also, my Golden Retriever...whom I love and adore...absolutely loves the snow. She also likes to nap right outside our bay window on the snow pile that my brother in law threw off our roof

Regardless of SD's cold, blowy, miserable winters. I do love it here...I honestly don't think I could have picked a better place in the world to spend the rest of my life.

I Don't Think I will be a Farm Wife Today

So, a few days ago I posted on how I made something simple for dinner because we were all going out to Texas Roadhouse later on as a family..for some good ole quality time. 

Yep, that didn't happen.

Have I mentioned that as a farm wife it's important to be flexible, understanding, and able to drop everything on a moment's notice? Well...those of you who know me personally know how irritating that can be. Although, for the most part I have gotten pretty good at it. 

Except for that day.

The girls decided it was time for some much needed quality time away from the farm. So we plan this awesome trip to Sioux Falls for Texas Roadhouse. We were excited. We right it on the calendar at the shop a week in advance. Then we decide to go to the cattle sale.

This happens all the time. We plan something and it doesn't happen. Being as organized and scheduled as I am- I hate this. With a passion. 

On Tuesday, My husband stops by the house to pick up a few things, opens the door and says "Honey...." I already know what is coming before he even goes any further, simply because it's in that voice where he draws it out and says it all sweet. My reply is selfish, but so true. 

"Today, I do not want to be a farm wife."    Shocking right? 


But, it happens- trust me. Every now and then farm wives have that moment where they just get so frustrated. Even if they get it. I get that we had to go to the sale because our feed lots were getting low. I get that my brother in law had to drive 2 hours there and 2 hours back to get the cattle that my father in law bought. Not to mention hauling cattle in awful conditions.  Cattle are our money. I totally get that..but regardless on Tuesday I did not want to be a farm wife. I just wanted to sit back, relax, and be a family. I fully admit my selfishness.


Today is our rescheduled "family quality time" and judging how I feel, my husband would be crazy to come home, open the door, and do the "Honey..." routine. He really would. I take family time pretty serious around our farm. 


I miss my Indiana family- I hardly ever get to see them. All I get to do is sit at home and miss them. Because sometimes even calling on the phone is harder because it makes me miss them more. Some days I would rather just text or talk through email. It's just easier because then I don't feel like I am missing out. 


So, around our farm I can honestly never get enough family time. I always say to my sister in laws, I know you think I am crazy but I want to do something together- dinner, supper, drinks, play games, anything. We spend a lot of time together at the farm...but I feel like it's not the same thing as making time in our schedules to simply sit down together. 

Don't get me wrong, it is quality time together, being at the farm. I enjoy seeing my nieces and nephews play in the shop while their dads work on tractors. I enjoy seeing my sister in law stand around chatting to her husband. I love seeing my husband with a niece or nephew riding along in the tractor to feed the cows. It is quality time, but I think it's important to get away from the farm every now and again to simply put the stress of farm life behind us, even if it's just for a night.


So being a first generation farm wife I will have to say at this point in my marriage and experience on the farm- I still think we need family time, outside the farm. I think my sister in laws agree with me and they have been married to the farm a long time, although I can't speak for them.


I love baseball games at the farm. 
I love tagging along to the children's museum. 
I love holidays. 
I love babysitting. 
I love doing crafts with my niece.
And I love my families!

So bring on some quality time!

The Perfect Days before the Perfect Blizzard

Today is an absolutely gorgeous March day. It is so great outside that I half way wish I had some lawn to mow. The truth is I have about a dozen phone calls to make and about 2 months worth of income to catch up on, not to mention a month of expenses. Which means, I bet I will be spending most of my afternoon indoors at the shop, at the computer. 

But, at least our shop office has tons of windows where I can see the light of day!



This is my desk at the shop...notice the pipe cleaner hangy thing on the drawer..not sure what it is, but my nephew loved making it for me!

While I was working so dutifully at my desk I heard voices. So, naturally I took a peak out the window. 

Reminded me that when the weather is nice and there isn't a whole lot to do how much farmers like to visit. (This went on for about an hour, well at least an hour..)







One of the things on my to do list today is to check out our new cows. 

At the end of last week we bought some new cows to add to our cow calf operation here at the farm. We bought third to fifth year cows. We call them that because it means they have had 3 to 5 years of experience in birthing babies, or have had 3 to 5 calves. Something we like around our farm, because it means less pulling of calves and less complications than if we bought first time heifers. Let me break down some terms for you:

Heifer: The cow has not had a baby yet, therefore we do not call her Cow, we call her Heifer 
First Time Heifers: Heifers that are having their first calves, they are now earning the name Cow
Cow: Has had a baby, so being experienced she has earned the name "Cow"
Steers: These are boys that are no longer men, they are like your dogs and have been "neutered" or in ag terms castrated
Bulls: The big man on campus. He can breed the cows because he has all the right equipment.
Feeder Cattle: What we have in our feed lots. These are a mix of steers and heifers. This is mainly what you buy at the grocery store. 

On a side note, why bulls and cows do not go into feed lots (The reality of your grocery store meat): Bulls have really really tough meat, so often they are ground into hamburger when their life cycle completes its course. A Cow's main purpose is to keep breeding, and at the end of her life cycle they are most likely also ground into hamburger because their bodies have become to be considered tender meat. Steers and Heifers have the most tender ideal meat at around 18 months, which is when they are taken to be processed.

Now that I have all the important terms out of the way...back to the new cows we purchased last week. 

Okay, maybe a few more important things...


Cows have a gestation period (or pregnancy) of about 9 months. Here at the farm our cows have an expected calving date (or ECD) of April 7th. Which means we hope to get past all the blizzards, snow, and slush. To have a good calving experience we work on rotations through the night amongst the six couples to check calves. T&M check at around 10 PM or 11 PM. J& I check at around 2 or 3 AM. And B&K check around 5 AM. During the day we often make many trips into the pasture to make sure everyone is doing okay. We give around the clock care to make sure our cows have a safe,  healthy, and smooth birthing experience. 


Now, these new cows...they are pretty much going to start calving any day now. 

Did I mention we are getting a blizzard like Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday? I can almost guarantee and bet the farm that the day they start calving will be right around the middle of the blizzard. 

That seems like how it goes for all farmers. 

It always happens when you don't want it to, prices on the market are always better yesterday, and it always rains for longer than one day during harvest. 

Anyway, when calving its important to have a plan. For example, if the weather stays clear we will let these cows calve outside naturally. If the weather starts to act up we will pull the cows to an indoor shed so they can have their babies in a warmer and more controlled environment. The weather in South Dakota can prove detrimental to newborn calves if you aren't keeping a close watch. 

Well, we are ready come snow or not. 

What do you think? Doesn't she look like she is going to pop out the calf now?

Following me uploading this picture..I said "Jason, what are the chances of a cow having twins?" Because let me tell you, she looks pretty ginormous in this picture. Jason says she probably just drank a whole lot of water. We shall see....

Being A Teacher and A Farm Wife

As I mentioned yesterday, it is my week to cook around the farm. Today was also a day for me to do some subbing at the school where I last worked. How in the world do you make dinner happen when you are 45 minutes away from the farm?

Yep, trust me, it is really hard to make that happen. Honestly what's the hardest is trying to find good recipes that you trust to either cook in the shop oven, which can be temperamental at times, or good crock pot recipes. Both areas in which I lack a good amount of recipes.

So naturally, I go to the standard BBQ recipe. Which this would be a great place to add that BBQ is actually a cooking method, not just that yummy sauce you pour over chicken or ribs.

The BBQ method is cooking a piece of meat in a hot controlled area within the smoke of a fire of wood or charcoal. Some even will allow propane to be considered one of these hot smokes. Depending on who you talk to.

BBQ to me is hamburger, or any other type of meat thrown in a crock pot and put on the shop counter with sandwich rolls to make a "man sandwich" (Couldn't miss the pun to Manwich!)

Anyway, my sister in law makes a really good BBQ- or at least I think it is a really good BBQ. Every time she says that is what she made for dinner and it's at the shop, you better believe I am there to get myself a sandwich. I'm not sure what her secret is, and she told me once her ingredients, but I never can remember...so every time I make mine I kind of add what ever I want.

This morning before I left for school I decided to actually measure out my ingredients and take some pictures since so many people loved the brisket recipe yesterday. Well, my ingredients for today...that very easily could change next time I make this recipe.

1/2 package of dry onion soup mix
1/2 Cup of brown sugar
2 Cups of ketchup
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon of Dry Mustard
Swirl of regular mustard in a bottle or jar
2 lbs of hamburger






I am not afraid to use the store brand on a lot of things..although as you can see ketchup, mustard, and the Worcestershire are three of the items that are not in that store-friendly brand for me. The real thing tastes better.

Basically what you do next is cook the hamburger. Nice and easy right?

 While the hamburger is cooking mix all the other ingredients together. I say swirl of mustard simply because that is what I do, a swirl. I like a lot of mustard, so sometimes I put a lot...other times I am not in a mustard mood, so I don't. It's up to you how much you put!









But...Remember once you get it mixed together you have to try it, especially before you add the hamburger. If you don't like it, then chances are other people won't either. I have found that trying my BBQ sauce at 6 AM is not my favorite thing to do...but I do it.

Next add your hamburger and mix it in really good with the sauce.

In terms of presentation of the meal this plastic crock pot liner really doesn't do too much..But, if you are serving a meal to a bunch of guys in the shop, where most likely they won't take the time to clean out your crock pot when the meal is over, they are AMAZING...So, if you don't use them- consider them. If there is anything I hate more than washing dinner dishes it's washing a crock pot dish after dinner.

Lastly, put the crock pot on WARM, not LOW...you already cooked the hamburger. Now you just need to keep it warm through out the day. Hamburger shouldn't be left to sit at room temperature for longer than 4 hours! (Rule of 4 when cooking Meat!)

**Try to ignore the broken knob...I dropped the stinkin' thing on my foot last time I put it away. I swore when it hit my foot and swore when I saw what it did to my knob!


It can prove stressful to be a teacher and farm wife. I found that out when I took a temporary position teaching and still doing the farm wife thing. I found myself at the shop before school trying to make hedgeway on my book work..and spending any spare time I had doing the other things my husband has on his never ending list. And trust me that list is never ending.

A few things I have learned in order to succeed if I want to Farm and Teach:
1. Sleep is over-rated.
2. Plan meals a week in advance.
3. Life is more organized if every thing in your house is labeled, even those kitchen drawers.
4. High School students really do know if you didn't get enough sleep.
5. They also assume the reason why you didn't get enough sleep is because you were making babies all night.
6. If you start a project during the week, just plan that it won't get finished for at least a month.
7. Take the time to read a chapter from your favorite book at the end of the day.
8. It's okay to sit on the couch and do absolutely nothing for 10 minutes of your weekend.
9. The $100 Franklin Covey planner I bought last month gets full use.
10. Take one night a week to make a daiquiri and enjoy it for all it's worth.

And to think we want to start a family...I made need to do some more labeling before we get to that point.

In South Dakota they call it Dinner

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

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

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

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

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

Ingredients: 

2 cans of beef broth

1 1/2 cups of soy sauce

Juice of 2 lemons

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

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

7-10 ounce beef brisket

Should look something like this:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Cooking!