Beginning to Grand

As our family has made friends showing sheep, it is interesting to me to watch the interactions between the breeders of the animals and the exhibitors. Hewlett Farms is a local sheep farm.  They have helped us more than we ever could have imagined with sheep we have bought from them and with sheep we have bought from other breeders Ed and Connie (aka the Night Watchman) have been an incredible wealth of knowledge for the boys and the whole family. I asked Ed for a story about their farm and he shared how their youngest son got started in the sheep business himself.  You can find them on Facebook at Hewlett Farms Sheep.

 At the Black and White sheep show and sale 2005 in Oklahoma City. The beginning happened, the idea, thought,and or an inclination at least to be or do something different. Not by me, or the night watchman but rather 11 year old son Curtis. He, while checking out the stock, and wandering through the aisles of lambs, proposed the question. Mom why don't we buy a Dorset Ewe? 

When she presented the same question to me, I still remember the pride of owning my first 4-H project and in no way was I going to deny him of the same. So, the ground rules were laid and he was off to select the ewes he liked. The only real rule was that he had to pay for it with his own savings.

When his first choice hit the auction block and blew by his limit and so did number two, he came to me head down and discouraged. So doing what any good father would, we set out together to find another and as luck would have it choice three was the winner. After the show, enroute home, the night watchman proceeds to tell me her only experience with Dorset sheep is they had one as kids and she never lambed. Oh no! I thought Curtis has just bought one and now she is not going to breed, and that just wont do, so that was the beginng of phase two: Get more Dorset ewes. 

A call to Mr Ross owner of Curtis's new ewe and a road trip later his flock was now two . Feeling good about the project a few months later at the Midwest Stud Ram sale in Sedalia, Missouri, we ask Curtis about the idea of buying a ram and a couple more ewes. We thought he could be starting his own registered flock and not cross breeding them. He thought about it for a short time and then was off to select his new stud Ram and much like earlier at auction time his ram selection went out of sight he thought. He said, "Now what? I don't like any others!" 

By this time the night watchman was in the game and she had a young March ram in mind. With quick discussion and convincing he was to be the one and by the end of the auction Curtis had added a stud ram later named Polar Express and two more ewe lambs. He was set, and phase three was put in place. The plan was nothing short of Genius. Breed the four ewes and take those lambs back to Midwest ram sale the very next year. 

The year seem to fly by and Polar Express, though small, finally got the job done and lambing time was smooth. Praise the Lord! Curtis now had 5 lambs, 3 ewes and 2 rams. He decided that he would take Polar and 2 ram lambs to Sedalia and while there buy a new stud ram. It seems so simple.

During the show luck was with Curtis, and when judge Clay Elliott made the final selections. Curtis's little flock had the Res Grand Dorest ram, a second to him in class and the first place yearling with Polar Express. The phone call back to the Night Watchman was exciting and she couldn't believe it. All that was left to do was buy the new stud ram and wouldn't you know the only one he selected, was the one he couldn't beat. That's right the Grand ram bred by Slack was the one his sights were on. 

With great anticipation we could hardly wait for the auction. It was a tough fight and more than he wanted to invest but the gavel fall proved Curtis meant business. The only fitting name for the new stud was simply Grand. In all endeavors, there is always risk, and with that Curtis had put it all on the line. We encouraged him to buy more ewes to spread the risk, which he did adding three more. The plan had worked so why change it and year two was to be much the same. Save back a few ewe lambs and sell the ram lambs. 

To save you all the drama year two was incredible. Grand's first lamb to be offered won the Black and White Dorest ewe show and sold well. Then on to Sedalia, Curtis was loaded for bear. He took three each rams and ewes all lambs. With the judge favoring our style, the lambs were unbeatable. Curtis carried both the Grand ram and Grand ewe ribbons out of the ring. The sale went just as well and Curtis's second year endeavor was in the black with room to spare. From just a simple idea 24 months before to a winning, profitable, program all thanks to breeders offering good animals and a great ram called GRAND. 

Ed Hewlett 
Hewlett Farms Sheep

Hardwork ALWAYS wins over High Prices

Over the years that my kids have been in 4-H showing livestock, I have met some pretty well spoken young people. Caitlyn Carnahan a student at NEO shared this on her Facebook page the other day. I asked permission to repost for all of you to share.  I would echo many of her thoughts as we enter a new show season and are shopping for this year's new projects.

I recently saw someone say that money will get you success, specifically in the livestock showing industry. This is very false and also true in a way. It is not all about money, and HARDWORK conquers all. In the end hardwork will lead you to success. Hardwork may not necessarily reflect on your winning in the showring on that day but it will prepare you to be the successful adult that you will become. 

 

With being in the livestock industry and the show industry, hardwork has gotten me a lot farther than what money has. Yes money can get you that high dollar, flashy animal but what is that teaching you? 

In the end hardwork is going to get you a lot farther in life and the real world than what money will. Money is temporary and hardwork is infinite and will last you a life time. With going into my last and 11th year showing, the hardwork that it has set within me and the life skills it has taught me is going to allow me to get far in life to help me accomplish my life goals. 

 

I have always had to do my own work with my show animals, from my first year showing a pig to my last showing sheep and cattle. Along this journey there have been people that have accused my family of not doing our own work, especially me myself. At my barn it has always been a group effort, however if my brother or I were not out in the barn my parents were not. Because of them I want to do all of my work with my animals so in the end if I do get the purple ribbon and get to stand in the winners circle I can say that I did my OWN work MYSELF. 

 

To me that is a big deal because my family did not have to pay someone to do the work I am very capable of doing. This following fall I started college at NEO and still had show animals at home. Yes, I was not there every single day to feed them or work with them. However, I made an effort to drive an hour one way every other day throughout the week and every weekend to just be home for 3 or 4 hours so I could get work in with my animals. After I would get finished I would drive back to Miami, Oklahoma to school. While all of this, I was one of the baton twirlers at NEO, having practice daily. And that fall at the Kansas State Fair I achieved one of my goals to get into the top five in showmanship.

 

 I was able to achieve this with my own hardwork, not with money or having the right name or because I knew a certain person. In college everyone pays the same amount, and those who have went above and beyond with their own hardwork were awarded scholarships. But in college if you do not have a drive and do not work hard then you will not be successful. So before you think that money will buy you success, go out and achieve your goals with hardwork so you can say, "THAT WAS ALL ME.

Action Please Take Two

Those of you who have followed me for a long time know that my blogging has slowly declined over the years.  I mean I went from posting a recipe every single week to not posting anything other than Flat Aggie for the last six months.  Three years ago, two young ladies asked me to take #ActionPlease and coach their 4-H Livestock Skillathon Team.  This sounded like fun, challenging and best of all my oldest son LOVES this contest, so of course I said yes.  Somehow in saying yes, I also agreed to coaching the Livestock Quiz Bowl team for our extension district as well.

The first year I coached them the Skillathon team placed second at state.  And then the first place team decided not to go to the National contest, so the rest of that fall was spent trying to figure out what they had gotten me into and how to prepare them.  This took a serious amount of time for someone who already had a full time job and was only doing this as a volunteer.  They taught me a lot about being a coach, teacher and mentor.

The past fall, a team took me to the National 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl competition.  We didn't have as much time to prepare, but the month we did, I was consumed with all things quiz bowl to the point I was told my other half didn't want to hear another word about it after the contest.  This group did extremely well as they ended the competition as National Reserve Champions.

So what does this have to do with my previous post?

These kids are much like my kid's 4-H club.  They don't back down from a challenge.

This group is extremely smart.
They are extremely driven.
They are excellent speakers.
They not only want to learn about livestock, but all things agriculture.
Less than 20% of the members involved with livestock skillathon and quiz bowl over the last three years have come from a full time farm and ranch.  They love agriculture, but they don't get to live it.
They are future consumers who know that food doesn't just come from a grocery store.

I have been working with them to become better agvocates along the way...sometimes directly, but more often indirectly.  Half the kids are teens who are already online and active on different social media channels.  From time to time, we have discussions about things they see that they know aren't true.  Sometimes, I send private messages to encourage them to take a second look at their reactions and they are getting much better.

We discuss HSUS.
They can know the difference between animal welfare and animal rights.
We discuss GMO's.
We have even discussed corn pollination. (Thanks to a team member with a 32 oz Coca-Cola habit and an eight ounce bladder and a six hour road trip.)  ;)
They are sometimes amazed and frustrated with how much math farmers do and that I can do it while they struggle.
They love science and try to challenge my knowledge all the time.

I would not be afraid to take any of them with me to speak about livestock production.  They know the ins and outs even though they only get to raise a handful of animals each year themselves.  They inspire me to Take Action more often.  They often push me to look at things they find online and help them to respond in a mature way.

Once again, are we missing the boat with these agvocates?  They are more social media savvy than my farmer for sure.  They care about an industry that they hope to be a part of some day.
Farmers and Ranchers I challenge you to Take Action Please!  If you aren't interested in sharing your farm story with the public, share it with your local 4-H and FFA members.  They can help us in an ever electronically based conversation.  They take the time to be online whether they have the time or not.  They are inspired by the generations that came before them and many want to get back to the farm like their grandparents before them.

Want to know more of why I love these kids?  I had almost forgotten about this letter I wrote to them a few years back and it still rings true with this group.  A Letter to My 4-H Kids

All for Him Lamb Challenge

 Today, I have an opportunity for you to share.  An amazing opportunity that could potentially change a young person's life forever.  I have talked about the Not so Typical Summer Camp my oldest boy attended and what the organizer of the camp has to offer is nothing short of amazing.

It is no secret that I am a proud supporter of the 4-H and FFA programs.  My kids show livestock for many reasons and one of them comes out in this interview.  There are very few people in the world that are as caring and giving as livestock people.  The following quote rings true with this interview:

“You can’t live a perfect day until 

you do something for someone 

who will never be able to repay you.”

― John Wooden

Please take time to read the Q&A I had with Chastin Leggett, then take the time to share it with someone who could truly benefit from this experience.  I know you won't regret it. 

 

1. Tell us a little about your latest project.

A. In February we launched an exciting new scholarship program titled the All for Him Lamb Challenge. This is a unique opportunity for 4-H or FFA members to win a free lamb to show and a full ride scholarship, to any You Gotta Believe Livestock Camp.

2. How &/or why did you come up with this idea?

A. I have been very blessed by interest in my show camps this year and by people who have helped me accomplish my life long goals. I decided I wanted to give back to the youth and give them the same opportunities that people once gave me. Once I had the idea, I started making some calls and was very blessed by the amount of people who wanted to help this happen.

3. Who is eligible? 

A. Any 4-H and FFA member or child who has never been in 4-H or FFA but wants to join can apply. There is no state restriction; applications will be accepted from all states. Applicants must show citizenship and leadership as well as financial need. Scholarship winners are required to attend lamb camp and complete small monthly reports to help teach them more about their projects.

4. Where can we find the application? When is the deadline? Who can we contact with questions?

A. You can find the application on our Facebook page YouGottaBelieveCamps. Or by e-mailing me at leggettcl@ymail.com. Anyone who has further questions is free to contact me at 620-762-2226.
The applications must be postmarked by April 1st, 2014.

5. Who is helping sponsor the lambs? Will there be mentoring on feeding and care available for
those who want it?

a. Brillhart-Slater-Leggett Show Lambs in Fort Scott, KS and Wright’s Farm in Fayetteville, AR helped launch the event by sponsoring the original two lambs. Clancy Anderson of Denver, Colorado stepped up and sponsored the advertisement for this event. After hearing about the project, Annuschat Club Lambs of Stillwater, OK offered to provide another lamb.
Other sponsors include Jodi Thompson, Les and Carrie Edwards, Tyler McVay, B-3 Construction, and Columbus Tire. Sponsorships are still being accepted either donations of lambs or monetary donations to help with show supplies and other expenses for the kids.

6. How has showing livestock changed your life?

A. When I joined 4-H at 7 years old I became instantly addicted to showing and judging livestock and it has altered the course of my life. The miles I have traveled, the people I have met, and the level of leadership and commitment I have learned led me to where I am today. In my mind, there is no other organization or opportunity that will teach our youth as much as purchasing an animal and learning to fend for something other than themselves. It teaches them about winning and losing, dedication, friendship, and ultimately how to be a productive citizen.

Here is my challenge to each one of you.  Forward this opportunity on to one family that could truly benefit from an experience like this.  We all know those kids that haven't quite found what they love in life and are searching for a place.  What if their place to shine is in the show ring and you could help make that happen for them?

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Not your Typical Summer Camp

Every summer kids get sent to different camps all over the world.  Kids go to space camp, church camp, basketball camp, football camp, cattle camp and sheep camp.   

Yes, I said cattle and sheep camp.  Kids that really want to do well at showing spend hours at home practicing.  They also often attend camps to get help with things beyond their parent’s expertise.

This summer, I sent my oldest son to a lamb camp.  Just like all camps he made some new friends.  Friends that he will probably see again this fall and next spring at shows.

Friends that understand what it is like to get up early and stay up late to take care of animals.

Friends that he will battle against in the show ring, but I guarantee you when they walk out they will congratulate each other and continue to be friends.

They learned how to clip their lambs.

They learned how to present themselves and the lambs better in the show ring.

They became friends.

At the You Gotta Believe Camp, the kids also were brought closer to God.  They were led through devotions and prayed together…even with their lambs.

There are no kids that work harder than 4-H and FFA kids.   Not their show dad. Not their show mom.  When they go in that ring, it is all about them and their animal.  They are a team.  If something goes wrong in front of the crowd, there is no one to blame or congratulate other than the team in the ring. 

What was your favorite type of camp to attend growing up?

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Tribute to Stock Show Moms

I grew up loving to show livestock.  I currently have one son that also has the love.  Growing up, I didn't realize how much my parents did for me and how much I appreciated all the other parents at the shows.  It is safe to say that there was a whole village raising me that happened to also show and love Limousin cattle.  They are all still like family to me.

I hope you enjoy this video tribute to livestock show mom's everywhere.  Please feel free to share it with your friends and those that made a difference in helping you become who you are.

Bless all the 4-H and FFA parents out there.  They make an impact on so many lives, not just their own children.  Thank you to all the stock show mom's that I had growing up!  I hope I can be half the mom that some of you were to me.  These kids are NOT Just a Farm Kid and their dad's are pretty special, too.

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Just a Farm Kid (Guest Post)

My farmer husband says, "Southeast Kansas may not be know for it's talent."  Maybe we are too humble.  Maybe we like to keep it all to ourselves.  Using last week's post from Larry Lankard as a gauge, I would say we have got lots of hidden talent.  The more I do this blog thing, the more I realize that there is soooo much to be learned from the generation before me.  This week's guest post is from Rudy Taylor.  I am reposting this with permission from his editorial in the Montgomery County Chronicle Newspaper. 

-KFM

‘Just’ a farm kid is a job prospect extraordinaire

While attending a job fair last week where Taylor Newspapers manned a booth, I met lots
of job seekers. Some brought resumes.

Others just moseyed by, picked up the free stuff on our table and asked a few questions.  But one young woman created a memory for me.

She was a senior in high school, seeking summer employment before starting to a community college in the fall.

“Are you hiring?” she asked.
We said probably not, but we’re always looking for good resources, such as part-time photographers and writers.
“We’d be happy to take your resume,” I told her.
Then she said something that stuck with me.

“I’m afraid my resume wouldn’t be too impressive,” she said. “I’ve spent all my life working on my parents’ farm. I go to school in the daytime and do chores morning and night.”

Whoa.

I told her to go home and create a resume, and write down exactly what she had told me.

As a farm girl, one who has driven a tractor since she was 12, one who has cleaned out barns, scooped grain until her back ached, fed chickens, pigs, cattle and goats --- this girl knows the meaning of work.

She knows about dependability and getting jobs done on time. The morning school bus won’t wait until a farm kid finishes those chores. They’ll be done on time or the young student will miss that all-important ride.

A young person who has put up hay, helped her dad and mother in the farrowing house or candled eggs has something more than words to jot on a resume.

Farm kids don’t need to take art appreciation classes in school. They witness picturesque landscapes, sunrises and changes in seasons as they grow up.

They ride horses, drive four-wheelers and neatly stack big bales at the edge of meadows.

They fish in their ponds, learn to handle firearms and shoot deer, rabbits and turkeys.

They work as a family in the garden, raising, harvesting and canning their own vegetables.

Farm kids learn to keep good records on their livestock.

When they raise and sell a 4-H calf, they can calculate the profit gained after deducting feed, vet medicines and other costs.

They typically know how to stand on their own two feet and give project talks, or give oral reasons for judging a class of lambs or swine.

Many of them earn leadership roles in church, 4-H or FFA, so they can moderate a meeting to perfection using Roberts Rules of Order.

They learn early in life the tactics of conservation --- how to keep topsoil from washing into Oklahoma; how to plant wind barriers and how to recognize grass-cheating weeds that need sprayed.

Any farm kid can handle a paint brush, spade a garden, pull worms from tomato plants, gather hen eggs, mow grass, groom animals and take one grain of wheat, bite down on it and determine if it’s time to start the combine.

And, this girl thinks her resume might be lackluster?

Oh, I don’t think so.

Put her to work in a hardware store, newspaper office or grocery store, and she will enter the front door looking for things to do.

It’s that way with kids who grow up as farm and ranch kids.

Their resume is written on their foreheads and in their hearts.

They should never apologize.

Never.

 

Rudy and his family publish not 1 but 3 local newspapers in Southeast Kansas.  They cover the news that the local people really care about.  His son, Andy sits with all of the other 4-H parents at the fair waiting to get that first smile when a 4-H'er is named Grand Champion.  The smile that can't be replicated.  They then put an entire 4-H fair section in their newspaper with every Grand Champion's picture.  Click on this link to see some of those smiles.

To say that this family "gets" 4-H and FFA would be an understatement.    I hope you enjoyed Rudy's thoughts as much as Farmer Randy and I did.

Oh, and I almost forgot!  We bought Norma from Andy's father in law.

What a great family!!

Want to see what it means to be a 4-H parent?  Check out my Tribute to Stock Show Moms everywhere.

-A Kansas Farm Mom