Times they are a changin'.....

Three years! It has been three years since I posted on this blog, and let me tell you it has brought some big changes.

1) I took a job that moved me back to the Yakima Valley in Washington. I worked in a completely new career (agronomy) for a year and a half. Everything was going well, my custom livestock raising business was beginning to take off, I was asked to be a panelist for a Women in Ag conference, I found a place to rent in the country that was perfect and had an easy going landlord, and I finally graduated with my Masters degree! Then I was called into the boss' office one morning prior to a conference and was told I was being laid off. Holy crap! So I took some time to regroup and began a new job search.

2) I decided I didn't like the sales portion of my previous agronomy job and started searching for a position in Extension once again. After all, it has been a dream of mine since I was 16! So I claimed unemployment, raised animals to fulfill the contracts I had in progress and for my freezer, and applied for jobs. Once the interview processes began, I was ping-ponging all over the Western United States! In the month of April 2014, I was only home for 17 nights. I was one tired lady!

3) I accepted a position with the University of Idaho as the Small Acreage & Production Livestock Extension Educator for Canyon county. I am in my 2nd month of the job and so far I'm loving it! It's the perfect blend of concepts to satisfy my inner hippy and yet also my practical side by working with area dairymen and cattlemen. I have kept my goat herd and one breeding pair of sheep and plan to begin anew with my custom livestock raising project. I have been laying out breeding plans, and tracking down bottle calves and hay for the winter.

I am happy to be working again and be able to follow my personal vision to operate Cherryview Creek Custom Livestock in Fruitland, ID and I promise to do a much better job blogging! :)

You may outgrow the clover but you never outgrow the experience....

Living and breathing within the agricultural industry (and all it's aspects), I tend to forget how many people out there are against "us." I was reminded this morning by Trent Loos and his Friday edition of Rural Route Radio, where he and his guests discussed a recent CNN blog questioning whether 4H desensitizes kids to killing.

Now in full disclosure, I was a twelve year member of 4H and I have been a 4H leader for 10 years now. My how time does fly! I was also an FFA member and stay current with my alumni chapter in Washington. That's roughly twenty-two years of raising, or helping raise, animals for the fair. I also did the home economics type stuff like cooking, sewing and bread baking. I carried about 7 projects for those years of 4H, and participated in many Career Development Events in FFA. I think you all are intelligent enough to understand the impact 4H and FFA had on my life, considering I am now an agriculture Extension Agent. :)

Getting back the the CNN blog and the point of my entry today. ... "Eatocracy" is the title of the blog. They recently did a feature on why you should buy your freezer hog (or other type of meat) from a local 4H member. I cannot say that these people are totally against 4H and it's educational model, but some of the people who read it are. This blog entry, "Does 4-H desensitize kids to killing?" uses comments from both pro-4H and anti-4H people, and both sides have valid opinions. Here is an excerpt from the blog entry:

"4-H stands for "Head, heart, hands, health" and apparently a fifth - for "haters." To many, 4-H Clubs are all about nurturing sweet little calves, adorable children winning ribbons, urban garden patches and proud future farmers grooming prized pigs for show. To others, it's a calculated system for turning the youth of America into cold, unfeeling animal killers."

This is truly what some people feel about 4H? When I read that paragraph I was appalled! How could such a wonderful organization have such a bad reputation with so many people? I actually learned more by participating in the 4H "Know Your Government" conference than sitting in a high school civics classroom. I am one of the few members of my generation who can sew, cook, administer first aid, comprehends food safety, can take some pretty cool pictures and can identify, diagnose and doctor a sick animal, and then some; And all this is because of my particiaption in 4H.

I want to clarify that the Eatocracy blog isn't totally bad. They did have a good article titled, "Five reasons to buy from your local 4-H." This article advocates utilizing the entire animal, sourcing your meat locally to cut down on food miles and 4H animals being some of the highest quality animals in the country. The blog entry we are talking about here is in response to reader comments generated from the 5 Reasons blog entry. This blog is acutally defending 4H and it's educational goals. Kudos for that! :)


Then I read further and realized it wasn't 4H the readers were upset with, it was the fact that people were harvesting animals for their omnivore diet. The reader's emotions and personal values were set to defame an amazing organization. Sad day!

"In cold blood - I don't and would never support the 4-H. This group helps desensitize youngsters into having no emotional attachment to animals raised for food. For those who say no one should have attachment to animals raised for food, I say "of course". This is how the meat industry stays in business. If children are raised to love all animals and not try to see them as products, they would not be interested in seeing them killed. "Listening to the auctioneer and seeing how excited the children get when their animal is purchased is an incredibly fulfilling experience."

Really? Incredibly fulfilling experience. You mean knowing the animal that trusted you from birth is off to be mistreated before being slaughtered! That's fulfilling? Maybe that's because the 4-H has successfully desensitized these children who may have once be appalled by this. It's simply horrific. Shame on you 4-H for what you do to animals and to children. - Heather King"

I wonder if this person is a vegan? Or perhaps they think bacon comes from the grocery store and not from hogs. I truly feel sad for this person that they never experienced all the things that I was fortunate enough to go through and learn in the 4H and FFA organizations. I can honestly say that you don't become desensitized. You become appreciative of the hard work it takes to raise that animal, treating it much better than simply humanely, and then are rewarded by a check and the companion animal on your plate. There is no substitute for growing and harvesting your own meat. And yes, I have harvested and butchered my own 4H animals. It's a tremendous learning experience, but one every person should have!

As an agriculture advocate, I realize I have not done a thorough enough job in my education of others! We all must take the time when we over hear a person in the grocery store or on the street saying something ignorant about agriculture. It's not their fault - they haven't been educated! Another commenter responded to the "In cold blood" entry with the fact that 4H is an educational opportunity not to be missed.

" Education, not desensitization - What 4-H does do is promote responsible animal husbandry and the cultivation of food resources in a responsible, ethical way. I accept your position that any killing of animals for food is, in your position, not ethical or moral, however most of us are omnivores and I for one would rather that those producing the meat I choose to eat do so in a humane and ethical way. I respect your position, but I would also hope that you would rather see people brought up to understand, and therefore demand, that there an ethical way to treat an animal even if that animal's eventual purpose is the nourishment of a human being.


Desensitization is the wrong word–education is the right word. These kids (I was one) are not at all desensitized to the process–rather, they are educated about proper raising and care of these animals. Not only was I a member, but growing up we also purchased meat and produce from 4H and FFA members–talk about locally sourced! We could be confident in the quality, origin, and raising of these products in a way we can rarely be in a supermarket. - Value rather than desensitization"

We all must work to educate others about what agriculture really is and how we, as farmers and ranchers, are the trusted stewards of the land. Now don't get me wrong there are bad seeds in every industry but with all the negative press about how agriculture is ruining the environment, we need speak up louder than the rest and tell people the good things that agriculture can and IS achieving. For example, the CRP prgroam (Conservation Reserve Program) even though it can be controversial takes steps towards preserving farmland at high-risk for erosion. Wind erosion alone causes 5.5 tons per acre of soil to be lost annually. This program helps to maintain and enrich the current soil levels. This is just one example of an agricultural program ushering in a new level of stewardship within the industry.

Take the time to educate others around you. Slowly and steadily the ignorance and bad attitudes toward agriculture will meet with what actually happens. You can't change every one's opinion but shining the light on reality may be enough to get them to think twice about agriculture.
             

Some photos from around "Crazy Woman"

So I have decided to dub my little slice of Northcentral Montana the "Crazy Woman Ranch" courtesy of my favorite Louis L'Amour movie. This post isn't much but photos so come on over and take a look.

Can you see my lake?

The river is high, the slew is full and the surrounding creeks are out of their banks. This water is all from snowmelt.
Thankfully the nearby canals haven't filled with water and the barrow ditches around the house are blessedly empty. Everything here is just a bit more difficult so I do not want to have to face flooding issues.

This is a picture of me and my pooples that dad took when he was out for a visit. Notice no one is looking at the camera but me. We were facing a bit of cabin fever induced ADD that day. From left to right - Lil Guy the Chihuahua, Yotee the Mini Aussie and Ruby the Beagle.

And because I simply couldn't stand not having something growing green in my presence I started my garden plants this year. From left to right - jalapeno peppers, sausage tomatoes, Tom Thumb tomatoes and Black Beauty eggplants. You can kind of see my cabbage, broccoli and wong bok in the foreground.




And just so you don't think Extension Agents stick to the book please enjoy this video of a wonderful little song written by one of my fellow brethren. Turn up the volume and enjoy!

My goodness! It's been over a week since I last posted and I have to say that's a good thing. I have been busy preparing for workshops, coffees and visitations out with entrenched community members.

Next week I teach my fist clinic on fall garden clean-up and am hoping to get a couple people to show up. Sad statement to me but I'm hoping the longer I'm here and the more I hammer away at the concept of workshops the higher the attendance will begin to be. Keep your fingers crossed!

I am also scheduled to head out with a new friend, Hillary, and the Fort Belknap Community College book-mobile. We're going to load up her trunk with books and bring the library to the other remote communities. It sounds like a fun activity and time with Hillary is always time well spent. :)

I filled out two job applications for Scott today, here on the Reservation and am hoping he gets one of them. I am struggling terrifically with homesickness. I have "clicked" over into my fall mode and I just want to sleep. I am a bit worried about slipping back into depression but knowing the signs is a step ahead of where I was last time. I am going to call my doctor, who is great by the way, and ask for a referral to a counselor/psychiatrist because I feel like that is something I need to do. Please keep me in your thoughts because I'm feeling as though I need a lil pick-me-up lately.

I am excited at the possibility of my aunt and uncle from Kansas coming up for a visit while my parents are here over the Labor Day weekend. I haven't seen them in a very long time and I have to say they are some of my favorites! :) Another set of fingers crossed please for this event.

Mom and dad are coming over Labor Day weekend to visit, drop off a load of firewood and a truck, and help me fix some stuff around the house that we didn't get to last time. I am really, really looking forward to this! Scott is set to visit the third week in September and words cannot describe how happy this makes me! My friend Jenna is always telling me Scott and I are disgustingly close for siblings and I am grateful for that closeness. :)

I have a pumpkin! One softball sized Sugar baby pumpkin has emerged and I think there might be some other ones on the way. I will have to get some row-cover material because people tell me it freezes good in September but October is beautiful. I hope so because my acorn and butternut squash are just now blooming! I've put in an order with mom and dad to bring over a bunch of produce from home when they come so I can can, freeze and dry my brains out! Living in the Yakima Valley has really spoiled me with regards to fresh produce - I miss it!

I was invited to a memorial this weekend by a co-worker and am excited to be included in the community. It came a bit quicker than I thought. Traditionally a show of acceptance like that takes quite a while. The memorial is more like a wake than what a white person would equate as a memorial. The family is hosting a kids rodeo, an 'old-man roping', a feed and a give away. Not quite a party but a happy time to remember the good things about the person.

In addition to the memorial, I have big plans to mow the lawn and let me tell you what this is going to take all day Saturday I think. I have been OK with mowing the inside of the fence but the outside has been neglected due to a lack of funds for gas. It takes two tanks to mow the outside and one tank to mow the inside. I tell myself I'm lucky to have a nice big lawn but when it comes time to mow...sometimes I forget! LOL I also am thinking of planting some garlic and onions in pots that I have so I need to get some soil for that. Busy Saturday - thank goodness!

I ordered a new mini-laptop and it should be here next week. Now if only the communications company would get their but in gear and hook-up my Internet. School starts on Monday and I would like to be able to do my work at home! :) Also, when mom and dad come up they are bringing Lil Guy over and I am not only excited for him to get here, he's got a great personality, but I'm hoping he'll wear Yotee out so they all sleep at night. Yotee has been waking me up in the night because he gets bored and wants petted, or to play. It's wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule! :)

Lean, mean snake-killin' machine!

I did it! I did it! I killed a snake - with an uber heavy post tamper but who cares they are dead and gone. Between my dad and I, four of the lil' bastards are gone, but there is one more lurking under the porch so I am conducting constant vigilance with the post tamper near at hand!

Mom and dad were out this last week helping me with fix-its around the house - thank goodness! I now have a usable light in the bathroom; trim to cover the gaping hole where it wasn't and a functioning door knob on the entry door! Amazing what deteriorates after two years of no-one living there and very little maintenance prior to that. The parental units also brought my furniture, and let me tell you that first night in my own bed was heavenly! :) We got the old furniture moved around and my stuff moved in. Aside from the teal walls and the yellow/brown colored carpet it looks pretty good in my attic bedroom! Ooooh yes, teal and affirmative I am planning on painting. A nice sage green will go on the walls and some searching for a new carpet remnant will be done. I swear this house is getting a serious update just because it's got a serious 30's-70's vibe going on! :)

As for the good part of work, I started a new blog (hopefully people on the reservation use it) and have met a lot of people. I am still learning my way around here and the paperwork that has to be navigated is astronomical - universities, I swear! I am enjoying the freedom to set my own schedule and not have someone breathing down my neck! It's glorious! :) I am still working on becoming a Montana resident and have to wait for my newly ordered birth certificate to get here before I can get a driver's license, the apparent key to everything, before I can vote, buy a car or just about anything else. So we're in a waiting game with that one!So far so good! I've been busy cleaning out the office I've inherited and when I say inherited I mean it. There is crap in here from the 60's that I'm purging. This office was gone thru about two years ago but the dude's doing it were not as judicious about throwing things away as I am being. There are original versions of the textbooks I saved from my Bachelors! Now you tell me what good is that? Anyways - venting over! :)


The weather here has been hit or miss for sure. While mom and dad were here it was sunny and in the 80's. Today it is windy and grey. I am wearing a fleece and running the heater in my office and by the end of the week it's supposed to be sunny and in the 90's...go figure! LOL My wheelbarrow and BBQ planters are doing really well, but my strawberries are getting wind-whipped. I need to move them ASAP before they go TU on me. I am excited because I kind of get to start all over again with the garden because it is so much later here than at home.

Well, I am on my way out for the day but wanted to get a post up. I am helping at the Blaine County Fair tomorrow and Friday I plan to rest a bit and then clean this office some more - only two more floor-to-ceiling stacks left. Oooh but then there's the two other storage rooms! It's ok....they'll give me something to do when spring/cabin fever hits in March! I am out like trout ya'll - hope ya have a good day! :)

Pacific Northwest Young Cattlemen's Conference

I recently attended a Young Cattlemen's Conference focusing on the cattle industry in the Pacific Northwest literally from pasture to plate. A group of approximately 120 young members of the cattle industry traveled to Pasco, WA to meet up and travel to a cutting edge dairy, a cow-calf operation, tour the Simplt feedlot and the Tyson meat packing plant. While at Simplot/Tyson we had an amazing BBQ beef lunch! In addition to the tours, PNW YCC attendees were able to listen to some world-class speakers from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, U.S. Meat Exchange, University of California-Chico, Colorado State University and Beef Northwest. We were treated to a prime rib dinner where as a group we were able to pick the brains of these speakers to find out more about the topics they talked about. The dinner was yummy and me being me snagged an end piece because I'm not a rare meat eater. It had all the seasoning an actually Jenna took the rest of what I couldn't eat because of that, and her's was super rare!

The next day we travelled to La Grande, OR and attended the 6th annual Cattlemen's Workshop, which featured the speakers we were able to chat with the previous night. I learned a lot and it was very interesting, but after closing down the bar two nights in a row I was having trouble staying awake. I am so proud of myself thought becuase I managed to stay awake and even take notes! And that's actually a big accomplishment for me with the whole thyroid thing - your energy levels deplete three times faster than a normal person. I am a walking miracle! ;) Lunch was BBQ'd beef and salads prepared by the local cattlemen's group. It was super yummy but I can't remember the last time I ate so much beef. After the conference we traveled back to Pasco and traveled home. The next day I do believe I slept most of the day away after returning home from a gun show. Nothin' says conservative like clinging to your guns (and religion) right?

Shifting gears I think attending the PNW YCC will help me greatly in my preparation and candidacy for the Ft. Peck extension job I am interviewing for on Feb. 9th in Poplar, MT. I'm not really concerned about the interview but I needed a refresher course on the buzz words and the PNW YCC was perfect. If selected I would be the agriculture and 4H/youth development extension agent for the Ft. Peck reservation. I am trying not to get my hopes up but I feel confident that I would be an excelletn choice. My main concern right now is putting together my presentation and finding a way to get there. One thing at a time, all things in succession right?

Ok, so here is your website to checkout and gather some awesome recipies for...you guessed it, beef. YAY!
http://www.beeffordinner.com/  and it even has a mobile compenant. Enjoy! :)