On the road with Marge

Last wednesday I was lucky enough to be asked to speak at the same conference as my grandmother!  I was excited as well as nervous about this, because hell I had to follow the Honorable Marge Burke for goodness sake!  The first and only women majority whip in the WV House of Delegates, let alone the millions of other prestigious titles she had won, along with at the present time being the Committee Chairman for the WV Farm Service Agency.  What was I going to say that was going to be anymore important or interesting to hear then what she said ?!?  So on tuesday during the 2 hour drive to Lewisburg ( and while Grandma was sleeping in the passenger seat) I started kicking around ideas on what I was going to talk about.  I could talk about.... going to college for Agriculture education....... my experience in the American Junior Angus Associtation and my run for Junior Board ( good times weren't they luke! :p) ............... graduating college to turn around and go on the road showing cattle.  All these were ok ideas and I had a hell of a lot of great stories to go along with them ( a lot of them weren't appropriate to talk about though :p) but I really didn't think they defined me and my role as a woman in agriculture.  We got to Lewisburg and I decided to give up for the night and just sleep on it.  Well no matter how many stars I wished on or Robert pattersons I dreamed about :p the idea still had yet to come to me.  We drove on into beautiful Lindside, WV and walked into this wonderful celebration.  As soon as we walked in, it was Hey Marge! all over, random people I couldn't name and lots of good friends and peers I have memories with since I was a child.  She was Ag superstar in our state and no one could top her, everyone wanted a hug and kiss from Marge and her big bouncy voice rang throughout that gymnasium.  That's when the idea hit me, all the ideas I had come up with to speak about they were great ideas in there own right but they weren't who defined my role as a woman in agriculture it was that big beautiful laugh from a little gray haired lady that defined me, this woman is who shaped my life and plowed the way of guidance to all the great things I have done in my life, she was the one who taught me to judge cattle and help me buy my first angus heifer (twistville's power play lady) to show at the 96 eastern regionals which began my wonderful jr. angus career, she was the one that enrolled me in 4 -h and ffa and instilled in me the desire to teach agriculture.  She planted the seed, tended the plant and made it blossom into all the wonderful things I had done in my life, but she was MY grandmother to all these people in the crowd she was a strong-willed, spunky woman that no one wanted to fight with and everyone loved.  I had a unique view on life because of her, I never thought that it was the man's job to farm, I never knew anything but how to work hard in life.  So that's what i talked about I brought my world to them, the same teachings that Marge instilled to me I tried to bring out in that crowd of women both young and old in Monroe County, WV.  When I was done speaking my grandmother was so proud and the whole ride home we talked just about life.  I will never forget the woman I am, nor the woman that made me, my idol and my grandmother Marge Burke.

Where's the FIRE?!?

If you live in Central WV this last few days have really made our namesake of Almost Heaven.  You couldn't ask for prettier days!  Well this past tuesday afternoon I had just gotten out of the shower( I was preparing for a roadtrip for Women in Ag which I'll blog about later!) and heard the doorbell ring.  Who could it be?  So I looked out the window and it was the State Fire Marshall's truck!!  I threw on some clothes and flew downstairs to see what the problem was; was the house on fire? did I not get the right codes for our new barn? were the animals out?  Believe me I was really concerned.  Needless to say I open the door to this nice older gentleman asking me if he could take a picture of our goat and cow!  I guess he drives by our house quite often and tells his wife about this trick cow and goat and she wanted a picture to show her friends!!  Needless to say I was quite humored and told him he could take as many pictures as he wants!  Well as mister Fire Marshall was outside taking pictures guess who came home from work?  That's right Andy and I don't think I've ever seen a vehicle fly into a drive way that fast or someone get out of it that fast!  He had the same idea I did and I don't think I've ever seen color rush back into someone's face as quickly as his did when I showed him what was going on!!  God Bless our trick cow and goat!

Good Ol' Reliable :)

(Look at those EYES! They scream I dare Ya :p )

In most family run farms in America, they know what Good Ol' Reliable is.  It's that one animal on your farm that you can always count on.  On our farm it's a 11 year old Angus cow name Titan Noel.  I bet you guessed why we named her Noel, christmas morning she was the best gift I could ask for :)  When we need to move cows or get them in I know all I need to do is yell for this good old girl and she'll bring them in.  When you farm like we do and it's either your 76 grandmother or myself doing the moving, sorta, etc.. you really appreciate this kind of cooperation.  This was the case yesterday when moving our maternaty ward around I noticed that Noel was limping on her hind leg pretty good.  So I got her in the barn to doctor her when I noticed a problem.  This girl is 9 months preggers and as big as a house!  No way I was getting her in that chute.  Well back in 2000 me and Noel took the blue in showmanship so I figured maybe she'd still be my girl.  I grabbed a rope halter and put it on her free standing in the alley ( she didn't fight one moment! ) then led her straight into the chute.  Now I knew I couldn't get her through it and wasn't even gonna try too but I know if I asked her she would do it.  But with her front end in the chute and her tied off I knew it would keep her from swinging around and trying to fight me cleaning her foot out, but there is one problem in this it keeps her hips and rear end full exposed and "kickin".  You have to remember though this is Good Ol' Reliable :p  I was actually able to pick her foot up like a farrier and clean it out!  She didn't kick or struggle once, I was feeling pretty good right about now, so I decided to go ahead and pill her while I was at it.  This is where I knew I would be pushing my luck :p  Because if you came to my place and saw Noel you wouldn't trust her at ALL!  She has these crazy looking eyes and bellers like a bull, makes you wanna run not put her in a head lock and try to shove 5 boluses down her throat :p My grandmother thought I was crazy but I knew my girl knew I was trying to help her.  So I did with a confident stride slip in the chute with her, wrapped my arm around her neck ( or at least try to she's a big girl ) and tried to pry her mouth open.  She was quite cooperable because all she had to do was fling her head one good time and she would have picked me up and thrown me out of there!!  Believe me for her acting so well I rewarded her just as good :)  Moments like those make me feel really good about what I do, because me and that cow were on the same level, she knew I wasn't purposefully trying to hurt her.  She knew i was trying to make her feel better and in return she helps me out by being cooperatable and keeping everyone one else in the herd on the same page.  She was happy and so was I.  I just wish PETA would have been there to see it, they might have thought twice about there actions against farmers.  Nah that's just wishful thinking on stupidity :p  I added a picture of Noel after all of this too show you how she doesn't look like a friendly cow, and how now she is standing on all fours!! :P

Being a farmer isn't just a name....

Like many of you already know the state of West Virginia has been hit extremely hard this winter with record breaking snow falls.  In my life I can't ever remember a winter with this much snow.  This past friday right before this lastest storm hit ( well actually it was the begining of the storm) was our Ag Days at the Captiol.  It's a chance for wv agriculture to shine and show our representatives exactly how important we are to the state and this great nation.  I got a chance to talk to several farmers about the winter and how they were getting along with it, and let me say the talk wasn't pleasant.   It was the same sad story over and over again, lots of dead calves because of the snow, farmers not even being able to get to their cattle because of the weather, a lot of farmers running out of feed because the amount of calories these cattle are burning and because of poor cattle prices this last fall can't afford to buy anymore hay.  The buzz was also going on about had this weather had finally broke a lot of farmers, that the cattle markets would be flooded this spring with people selling out, not a good sign for high prices this spring either.  All this talk made me extremely sad and anger at the same time.  This lifestyle is the only thing most people know around here, it's our heart and soul.  I don't think a lot of America understands what we as farmers go through especially with all these negative ads from PETA and other organizations that are too dumb to actually grasp the concept of animal welfare.  I know that I take more pride and respect in my animals then I do most people and I put my heart and soul on the line for them everyday.  Just to be kicked in the gut by one farmer they found in millions that didn't take care of his.  I also know that if it weren't for myself and other farmers like me, our nation wouldn't have a leg to stand on, because we built this great nation and we are the American dream.  So next time you have a great meal or put warm clothes on your back take a moment to say a Prayer, a thank you for the american farmer because sometimes we don't think you care.

THANK YOU FARMERS FOR THE LIFE I LIVE!!

Blizzard of 2010!

As promised I've added some of our pictures of the Blizzard.....  As you look at these and gasp, think about the animals and farmers who are out in these elements.. take a minute and thank a farmer!!

Yeap that's a snow plow digging the way!!This is the actual depth of the snow!

These are full grown trees!!  Look at the monster snow drift behind them it's was like 30 feet tall!!

Blizzard farming :(

Unfortunately I haven't been able to keep up with my blog as much as I would like over the week.  I was gone from sunday to thursday hosting a Ag Safety Days in the eastern panhandle.  I came home thursday night to a Blizzard, I'm not joking I'm not making this up over 3 days we got about 30 inches of snow!!  Fortunately I have the new truck which has made my traveling adventures much more easier.  Friday night my grandmother called me in the middle of it all saying she was having babies!  Now if it was anyone else I would tell them just call if you get into any problems, but with my grandmother it's another story.  I love this woman to death she's my idle but unfortunately she doesn't realize her own age anymore, or that she doesn't heal quite as quickly as she use to!!  Now we cull heavily for bad temperments for these reasons exactly, but even with the pets you just never know because they are experiencing a million different things and life is a little crazy at the moment.  So Andy and I packed up in the pickup and went to the farm!  We ended up having four babies in the blizzard and everyone was great and got up and ate on their own!  Driving home I enjoyed telling andy some of our old horrior stories of calving back in the day with the normal 120lb simmy calves!  I've attached a candid moment from one of those pulls!  Marge was lying on the bottom of the chute pulling while I was pulling so hard above her I had one foot on each hip of the cow pullin myself straightly horizontal over marge when the calf finally popped i was able to jump back missing marge but she got to cushion the big boys fall!!

Animals are a personal heaven

Yesterday we lost our precious goat Oreo.  I'm actually out of town right now working which doesn't make this any easier.  Poor girl had been sick for about 3 weeks now and we had made the decision that if she was still in the same condition when I came home we'd put her down.
I'll be honest I cried for a good while yesterday, too some people she was just a goat but too me she was my child, my goat child.  I had picked her and sunday up from the stockyards as tiny baby goats not quite a year ago.  We bottle fed them both and they even lived in the house for a short period of time when it got really cold outside.  Oh but they loved the showbarn, they loved to play with the calves and run and jump.  She even thought she was a dog at sometimes I do believe.  She would try to herd the cattle up and out when it was time.  I can't help but sit here and cry as I write this. 
I am very lucky that I still have precious sunday but I'm very sad for her too as she's lost her best friend and sister.  Now we already have plans on getting another goat as soon as I get home as a buddy for miss sunday but I know it will never replace our oreo.
Now to the non animal person this would just sound plain crazy talking about an animal as if it was your own child.  But when you tend to god's creatures they do become your childern.  I believe in god full heartly and I know he is waiting for me in heaven along with many loved ones I've lost both in animal and human form.  If you don't know me personally I've attended my fair share of funerals these past couple of years and I would gladly be happy to retire the black attire, but I know that god has a reason for death as he does life it's all in his master plan, including my poor oreo.  Some people say that animals don't go to heaven they have no soul that it's only a people heaven.  I don't believe them at all, god created us all equal and I believe that in animal form as well as human form, you can't look an animal in the eyes and tell me it doesn't have a soul.  So when it's my time I won't be sad I'll be happy because I know my oreo and all my loved ones will be there welcoming me with open arms, paws and hooves :)