The Working Ranch Blogosphere

I apologize for my absence from the WR blogging world. The summer got off to a rough start when an outbreak of polioencephalomalacia (or that’s what we think it was, still not completely sure) had us scrambling...
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Cattle Tracks, they are all around us on the ranch, but do we ever stop to think from where they come, or more importantly, where they will be going? The cattle industry is a big place. Do you take the time to learn about the structure of your production chain?
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I remember my first time in the feedwagon alone when I first started at the ranch. It was a cold, December morning and there was quite the frost on the ground. The yearling steers were staring at me through the gate like my kids when I take the last pancake at breakfast. They were packed up against that fence tighter than painted on jeans. I sat there for a minute, then two, and then five minutes later I called Kirk. Every morning Kirk had been a horseback to get the gate and shoo 'em out of the way and make sure no convicts escaped. How was I gonna do this alone? "How do I get through the gate without 'em getting by me?" I asked.
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Seems like a decade, but I have only been off-line for a month. Now that the cable company and I have worked out our differences, I can get back into the swing of things from Dalhart, Texas!
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Change is a frequent event on a ranch. Seasons come and go, cows are culled, heifers give birth, and bulls are sold when they just can't get the job done anymore. We're haying now, but it seems like winter just ended. Soon enough Cowboy Christmas (weaning time) will be here. Yes, life moves pretty fast sometimes. Some changes, like this Spring after a long, hard winter, are easy to take. Some, like a cow who has faithfully weaned off a 600 pound calf for the last eight years, coming up open, are harder to swallow. I've recently encountered a change that I have mixed emotions about.
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I don't know about you, but I've started on my ark already. I'm not gonna say I've heard a direct voice telling me to do so, but I can take a hint. This summer reminds me of 2004. That was the year I tried to go it on my own with a hay business. I think it quit raining that year about August. I didn't try and build an ark, but I could take a hint back then as well. That's how I ended up here at Tailgate. I've heard it said that when God closes a door He opens a window. That was true in '04, but I wonder what He's hinting at this time around?
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Every year about this time, I take off from the ranch for a couple days to go help with a Rodeo Bible camp that is put on at the Johnson County Fairgrounds by the Spoon Creek chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys (F.C.C.). There is a Jr. High camp that lasts three days and a senior camp that is five days. I always do the jr. camp. I only take off three days at a time so I can save the rest of my vacation days for family outings. That and those jr. high kids don't quite know everything just yet, so they are a little more pliable and easier to teach.
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One of the challenges we as producers have, is to get an accurate message to consumers about what, why, and how we raise our livestock. I write so I can put a face behind that steak on their plate. I want the consumer to understand the blood, sweat, and tears that I've poured into my cattle. I know that I can only convey so much through a blog. That's why when the ranch has an opportunity to host a group on tour, we jump at every chance we can get. This last Thursday we had that chance.
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School may be finished, but the learning process is just starting. My first week in the feedlot has been quite eventful and busy, and Texas is welcoming me with hospitality. I can't wait to hear what you want to learn from my first-hand experience in the cattle feedlot.
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Last week I challenged my AgProud followers to talk about agriculture with at least three other people they met in their communities. I thought I would share my experiences in hopes that it will inspire you to take this challenge in future weeks. Even if you live somewhere like “Goat Gap” there is someone that would learn from your conversation with them.
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