We had some very special visitors at the Circle L.
Kent and Shannon Rollins, along with Rabbit Foot Productions crew and the Outdoor Channel joined along for a few days as we branded and carried on with ranch life. We made lasting relationships and memories. Clay, Rob, Sam, Nate, Bryan thank you for all your time and your efforts. We are excited to watch this show. We needed the fellowship from this crew.
Thank you to Cory Weise for recommending the Circle L.
Thank you Kent and Shannon for teaching us some new ways and for just being you all. What a blessing you have been to our family. Your cooking is amazing.
We did learn a few things:
We learned that Curlews don’t like drones. They will attack and break it.
We learned what Take 1, Take 2 and Take 3 was like when we went to go check water. It will only take a few minutes but turns into hours!
We learned that Ryder fit right in with the film crew and was their tech support.
We witnessed a group that appreciated our way of life and our traditions. We sure are glad we could share them.
We witnessed a Cowboy that showed Grace, Love, Patience, Kindness and dedication to his work and those around him. Thank you Kent for showing us and our kids your soul.
Kents Dutch oven enchiladas are really, really good.
Kent tried out Grandmas Cowboy Cookie Recipe and let me tell you, they were good.
We were honored to have Chris and Kent brand our late calves.
We appreciated our neighbors coming to help us.
We appreciated our tent talks!!
Thank you to the Rabbit Foot Productions – Clay, Sam, Nate and Bryan for your patience and also for giving us a few behind the cameras. We are thankful for your friendship.
Thank You Rob for joining along and for your ideas for the Outdoor Channel. We do believe these shows will be a hit.
Thank you Chris for all you did. From washing dishes , to mashing avocados and all your stories and wisdom, you are a special cowboy for sure.
Thank you Shannon for all your advice and words.
We witnessed a cowboy friendship that is a great example to all of us. You see, Kent’s Chuckwagon was brought in by Kent’s best friend, Chris. Chris stayed out of cameras but he sure was a star. We loved their stories and their friendship.
“You know you’re a good cook when the cowboys will come back for seconds and thirds.” Kent
“Don’t get too busy that you forget your passion. Trust your heart, there’s a reason if it doesn’t feel right. Have faith when it’s easy and more faith when it’s difficult. Always remember to get back on when you get bucked off. Share with your neighbor. Don’t overlook little blessings .” Kent
Could we also lift Kent and Shannon up in our prayers as their second home was destroyed by the Ruidoso Fire. Lord, please comfort Kent and Shannon as they face the days of rebuilding. Give them strength. We pray that your presence would be felt by those who lost it all. We pray that you could also lift up their neighbors as well. Amen.
With love,
Circle L – Cody, Naomi, Cade, Dani, Kason, Ryder and Reata
Circle L Ranch makes an appearance on Episode #1. We hope you will be watching. 📺 Outdoor Channel (visit kentrollins.com/cast-iron-cowboy for more ways to 📆September 29, and then every Monday 🕤9:30PM EST 8:30PM CST Outdoor Channel
Let me ask you. Have you ever had a battle with yourself? Have you won the battle in your head? Do you consider yourself a warrior?
I can tell you one thing; I have been having quite a few battles within my head. I have been really trying to win this battle. I am wanting to be a warrior. And I want those around me to win their battles as well. I am going to share some thoughts that I have been working on.
For sure this year I have learned that before you conquer the external world, you must master the inner world of your mind. I have learned that some of these battles are bad. These battles have left me hurting and I have questioned my faith. You see, the enemy lies not in the outside world. It is not money, people, or opportunity that is holding you back. It is us. It is the battlefield between our ears. It is that little voice saying, “you can not do it” or “you will never reach your goals” or “you are not good enough”. “Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.” ~Laird Hamilton I have found that self – doubt creeps into our heads at the weirdest moments and for me, they creep in when I am at my weakest. They creep up on me when I think I have all my ducks in a row.
And then suddenly, when I am not ready, I have a true inner battle going on:
“Why?” “Is it really worth it?” “I cannot do it.” “You are not good enough.”
You see, I have been having a few of these battles between my ears. I know that I am not the only one so I wanted to share a few of my strategies of becoming a warrior.
I have been working on all of these. Being a warrior is something that I must work on every day. Do not ever let up. I am telling you.
~See Yourself as A Warrior~ Let me say that again, we must see ourselves as warriors. We must tell ourselves that we can win. Everyday we have constant battle(s) with ourselves. We must realize that ourselves are in control of our lives. It is not the world around us, our friends, our spouse, or anything else in between. That means one simple thing: This is your life. Own it. Let your life shine. Warriors do not blame themselves instead, they fight, and they never give up.
~Know Your True Self~ What makes you angry, sad, fearful? How do you make decisions? What is most important in your life? If you want to win your inner battles, it is obvious that you must know your enemy.
~Have Zero Expectations~ One of the biggest causes of inner conflict is that we have too high expectations. We expect a lot from our spouse, family members, friends, etc. But that is not the way the world works. You do not control people. You only control yourself. Having high expectations only brings disappointments. Instead, expect nothing. Stop expecting that: Your friends will always be there for you. You will always stay healthy. Your family will always be with you.
~You are Not Perfect: Accept It~ Never beat yourself up for making mistakes. We are human. We make mistakes and that is okay. This is life. It is unpredictable. Sometimes it makes no sense. Sometimes it is not fair. Crap happens. When you try to be perfect, you are always at war with yourself. You are never at peace when you are trying to be perfect. Nothing is good enough. You will never get to enjoy life for what it is if you are always trying to be perfect.
~Do not Burn Yourself Out~ Always keep in mind that you are worth more when you are at full strength. This is a super hard one for me. Always remember that it is better to do a great job at one job than it is to have ten jobs and do a crappy job at all of them. You might want to achieve something so bad that you put all your energy into it. You work hard. Do not sleep. But here is the thing: You might win a hard-fought battle, but not the war. You see, do not burn out before you reach the end.
~Never Question Life~ I get it. We work our butts off and nothing happens. Maybe you do not see results. You ask: “What Am I Doing This For?” No one reads your work. No one cares. All these negatives thoughts just open the floodgates. Never question life. Never think about it. It is a discussion you will never win. It is best to avoid this war.
~Let you Light Shine, aka Believe in Yourself~ How do you believe in yourself? “Affirmations,” says the ignorant self-help guru aka life coach. “I’m the best. I am the best. I’m the best.” You also cannot say things like that to yourself if you do not believe it. Lying to yourself will not help. Lying to others will also not help. Work, practice, see results, and believe in your abilities.
~Stop Making Assumptions~ Never make conclusions based on assumptions. Always look at facts. Do not have the facts? Do not make assumptions. Also, ignore conventional wisdom. Most stuff you hear and read around you is not true or very subjective. Avoid inner conflict by looking at facts. Always.
~ Never Stop Moving~ No matter what you do, never stand still. Staying still is the same as moving backward. Because life does not wait. Mental toughness is created by always plowing forward. By facing your adversity head on. You do not become mentally strong by ignoring your inner troubles and looking at your social media feeds. No, our battles are not fought on our phones. You fight by looking in the mirror.
~Do not Forget to Pray~ Praying about the battle in your head is a necessary and powerful step in becoming a warrior. How do you win your battle (s) between your ears? I want to hear. The battles that we fight with ourselves are very real. If we arm ourselves with Godly thoughts and strategies, we will win. We will be warriors. We cannot be defeated if we never give up.
Shine on, Shine On. Photo Credit: Brooke Juma Photograph
Shine On, Shine On was the subject of a blog post that I did a while back.Here is the link to my first Shine On, Shine On post!I have decided that there are a lot of people that help me “Shine” and I am going to feature them on my Shine On, Shine On series.This year I decided to start a new spin on my Shine On series and add a little more of agricultural spin. I am excited to be bringing you these interviews. My goal is to share these fine ladies stories with you all. From historic homesteaders to contemporary cattle ranchers, women have been the cornerstone of America’s agriculture heritage. In fact, the 2012 Census of Agriculture notes that nearly 1 million women are working America’s lands. That is nearly a third of our nation’s farmers. Women are also scientists, economists, foresters, veterinarians, and conservationists. Women are in the boardrooms and the corner offices of international enterprises, and are the owners and operators of small businesses. Women are property owners and managers. Women are policymakers and standard bearers. Women are involved in every aspect of agriculture. Women do play significant roles in agriculture and this series is to spotlight some of those women.
Shine On~Women In Agriculture featuring: Kiah Twisselman
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your career path. Hi! My name is Kiah Twisselman, a 6th generation rancher turned entrepreneur and life coach. I grew up in rural California where my family has been ranching for more than 130 years. After graduating from UC Davis in Northern California, I made my way to Germany for a year as part of a one year cultural ambassador program. Upon my return, I started my first “big kid” job as the Director of Consumer Affairs for the Kentucky Beef Council. I had the honor of representing Kentucky’s 38,000 beef cattle farmers and sharing their story with consumers through communication and outreach. It was through that role that I realized my passion for using my creative talents to share the story of agriculture. In the fall of 2018 I started doing graphic design and illustration on the side for small farms and ranches across the country, beginning my entrepreneurial journey with my side business Burley & Barley. In February of 2019, my Kentucky gentlemen and now fiancé, Brent, and I moved to my home county in California where he started as the Executive Director of our county Farm Bureau and I went full-time in my creative business. At the same time I started Burley & Barley, I also embarked on a health journey, determined to shed the excess weight I had struggled with ever since I was a kid. I shared honestly and openly about my health journey on social media and slowly friends and family began asking me questions and requesting coaching services which opened my eyes to an all new business venture I had never considered. In August of 2019, Coach Kiah was officially launched and I began doing life coaching and weight loss coaching primarily with other rural women in agriculture alongside my creative business. To date I have lost over 125 pounds and have been recently featured in People Magazine, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, Daily Mail, and more for my transformation story. While my heart will forever be in agriculture, I have recently decided to pivot my business to allow me to lean into coaching and focus on empowering others to love themselves to health and happiness too. As of July 1st, I am full-time Coach Kiah and on a mission to empower others to love themselves to health and happiness!
Tell us about your role and what does your “typical day” looks like. Each day typically starts the same – a cup of coffee, my journal, and 30 minutes of exercise before diving into the day. Beyond that, my typical day has changed drastically over the last year and half. As a coach, my day is typically behind a computer for a calendar filled with virtual coaching calls. When I’m not coaching, I might be doing media interviews or spending time at my family’s ranch helping with our new direct to consumer beef business.
Who is/was your biggest influencer or mentor? What did you learn from them? I’ve had some really influential people in my life over the years. The first and greatest mentor I’ve had is my Grandpa Darrell. He is the smartest man I know and has lived such a vibrant life filled with adventure and curiosity. Ever since I was little, he always told me I was destined to work with people. I never really knew what that meant for me or how that might translate into a career, but over the last year and a half I think his words are finally falling into place for me. He has instilled his same curiosity and love for people within me and I’m so grateful for his continued wisdom and support. On a flight from Kentucky to Arizona for Ag Media Summit, I finally read that book so many of my friends were raving about, Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. I devoured that book in one flight and it was the words I needed to hear at a time when I was ready to receive them. Her words were my wake-up call that if there was any aspect of my life I wasn’t satisfied with, whether that be my health or career, then it was 100% up to me to change it. That fall, October 1, 2018, is when I started my health journey with Rachel Hollis’ Last 90 Days, practicing 5 simple daily habits to become my best self. They were: 1) Wake up one hour earlier for yourself. 2) Drink half your body weight in ounces of water. 3) Give up one food that doesn’t bless your body. 4) Move your body for at least 30 minutes. 5) Write down 10 things you are grateful for. After 90 days I had already lost 25 pounds and for the first time ever didn’t feel like I was making empty promises to myself come January 1st. It set the foundation for my healthy lifestyle and I can’t thank Rachel enough for being the inspiration for trying again.
How do you define personal success? How are you working to get there? Through my health and entrepreneurial journey, I’ve realized how important it is to celebrate the small wins. I think we often focus on success being these big grand goal accomplishment, which are great, don’t get me wrong, but I think the real magic is in the small, baby step goals we accomplish along the way. Some of my greatest wins on my health journey were being able to comfortably fit into an airplane seat, wrap a towel around my body, or being able to cross my legs like a lady. Each day I wake up with the desire to get just one step closer to the best version of me. Long term personal success isn’t about drastically overhauling our lives all at once, it’s about being intentional to wake up every morning committed to becoming just 1% better than who we were yesterday.
How do you think a women’s role(s) in farming/ranching/agriculture has changed over the last decade? I think this next generation of women ranchers especially is learning to fully embrace our title as farmers or ranchers amongst the men. In the past, I think many women considered themselves to simply be farm or ranch wives and weren’t as likely to wear the title of farmer or rancher with pride. There is nothing wrong with being a farm or ranch wife, but I want every woman in our industry to know they are just as vital to our industry as any man. Whether that’s doing the hard labor, taking care of the cattle, tending to the crops, raising kids, or keeping food on the table for the family and crew. Agriculture has traditionally been seen as a man’s world, but I see that changing and evolving with time. It takes all of us to feed the world – men and women, old and young, urban and rural.
Learning from our mistakes is an important part of life. Would you mind helping others and share a mistake that you have made and what it taught you in the process? When it came to my health, I tried countless fad diets over the years. I would get to a place where I hated myself enough that I was desperate to try again. When I’d slip up and eat something that I “shouldn’t have” or missed a workout, I would beat myself up about it and revert back to food for comfort from my self-shame. This became an endless cycle for me. This last time I decided to try again, I knew I had to learn from all my failed attempts before and do something different. That difference for me was learning to love myself FIRST instead of thinking that the weight loss would be what made me finally feel worthy of love. That mindset change completely transformed my life and has allowed me to empower so many others along the way to love themselves to health and happiness too. I think it’s important that we rethink failure in our lives. Instead of seeing mistakes as a stopping point, it’s so important that we instead view them as our greatest teacher along the way. Instead of fearing failure, we should embrace it and recognize that through failure there is growth. And growth is a challenging but beautiful thing.
How would you define “women in agriculture?” I would define “women in agriculture” as any woman working to produce, process, market, or support agriculture in whatever way that may be. I grew up in production agriculture on my family’s cattle rancher. I worked for agricultural advocacy organizations for years and supported ag businesses through marketing and communications. Today as a full-time life coach, some might think I’m no longer in agriculture. I would argue, however, that my role has simply transformed. Now I have an opportunity to use my platform as a voice for our industry, which is just as important for agriculture as the men and women that are working in it each and every day. It takes all kinds of kinds and I’m honored to find a way to continue being a woman in agriculture as my career path continues to evolve with me.
What in your opinion, is the most important topic in the agriculture world right now? I think the most important topic in agriculture is communication. In fact, I think that’s the most important topic in society right now. Less than 2% of the population is involved in agriculture yet we feed 100% of the population. With the gap between consumers and producers growing larger by the generation, it is more important than ever that we continue to share our story. Sharing stories is able to build bridges between worlds. It helps create trust and understanding, especially at a time when there seems to be so much divide. We can’t simply expect consumers to understand how their food is raised or trust that it is raised responsibly unless we continue to share our voice, and more importantly, unless we LISTEN to their concerns.
What is in your daily toolbox? Planner? Phone? Computer? Special item(s)? Why do you carry it with you? I suppose I’m a typical millennial – you’ll rarely find me without my smartphone! It’s where I do most of my business besides on my computer and how I stay connected with friends, family, and clients. It’s also how I document all the things, I love taking photos! As much as I love the digital world, I’m also a die-hard paper planner and journal user. There’s something about pen and paper that is so therapeutic. My other favorite accessory that I carry with me wherever I go is my water bottle. It’s plastered with some of my favorite stickers I’ve illustrated for myself and clients!
In closing, do you have any advice, quotes for young women, or anyone that is starting their career in agriculture? Don’t let anyone tell you that your dreams are too big. Dream BIG, even if it scares you. Heck, even if it scares other people! Amazing things can happen when we start believing in ourselves. Will it be challenging? Absolutely. Nobody is entitled to having it easy. You’ll fail, a lot, but whatever you do, don’t let it stop you. Failure is guaranteed, standing back up is a choice. Learn from every mistake and failure along the way and stand right back up on the other side even stronger. It will take a lot of hard work to get there, but your dreams are absolutely worth chasing.
Is there anything you would like to add? If you’d like to connect on social you can find me on Instagram @kiah_twisselman or on Facebook at Coach Kiah. If you’re interested in learning more about my story or exploring coaching, visit www.coachkiah.com. Stay tuned, later this summer I will be launching my first ever digital course teaching others how to live life with intention to lovingly lose the weight for good. Sign up for my newsletter on my website to be the first to know when more details are available!
Thank you Kiah for taking the time to share your story on Circle L.
Here are a few more reasons that you help me Shine On:
🌟I love your attitude. Your good attitude on everything you do does not go unnoticed.
🌟 I admire your outlook on life.
🌟Your a hard worker and it shows.
🌟Your beautiful inside and out.
🌟I admire your story.
🌟I appreciate your advocacy efforts. Telling your story is so helpful and I admire you helping those along the way.
🌟You are an great example.
🌟Strong women stand together when things get rough, hold each other up when they need support, and laugh together when there’s no reason to.When I think of you, this quote comes to mind:“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” -Dale Carnegie
And you my friend, are one of those strong women.
My message to you, dear friend is Shine On!!Thank you for just being YOU!~Naomi
I’ve thought about this post a lot the past 60+ days of quarantine in Nebraska. Every day I find another lesson, but today I decided to put my thoughts on the blog.
I think it is important to think about the study of home economics. Home Economics originated as early as the late 1800s as a way to teach young ladies basic life skills and provide a pathway to employment. The disciplines of home ec loosely included food preparation, child development, home management, sewing, budgeting, hygiene and community awareness. In the 1900s or so, home ec started including the boys. In high school I know that in home ec we learned skills like how to sew on a button, how to balance a checkbook, or responsibly tote a “baby” egg around without dropping it for weeks on end. These were just a few of the lessons designed to impart that wisdom. But somewhere along the way, in my opinion, we lost the budget, patience and teaching staff for Life Skills 101, and home economics classes have become near little extinct in many schools.
But enter the quarantine 2020.
Over the past 70 days, and counting, ranching duties have continued and home ec classes have redeveloped on the Circle L ranch. Along with all our ranching duties, our family has had a few quarantine lessons!
6 Quarantine Lessons From the Ranch
1. We have got to get back in the Kitchen.
Years ago, feminism stepped up to reject the idea of labeling cooking and cleaning as “women’s work,” which likely has something to do with home economics tapering off in the first place. But here we are, decades later, men and women alike, teaching our children the value of baking beer bread and smoking a beef roast. Not to mention, we should never underestimate the joy-inducing power of a homemade dessert.
So, we are embracing the trend: Teaching our ranch kids to scrub vegetables, grind pepper, melt butter, grilling hamburgers, build a building, making repairs around the ranch and other skills — it’s all useful. At the very least, maybe the ranch kids will remember the time they had in quarantine as a happy time.
2. Learning is Ageless
We are all never to old to learn a new hobby and/or skill.
Learning is for all. Since we’ve had more time at home so much lately, we all have been knocking out little projects that we otherwise wouldn’t have time for. For example, Cade has learned how to play the piano. Kason has learned how to rope left and right handed. It is really a great opportunity for all of us to learn a new skill or two.
3. Finding New Skills/Restarting Old Skills
This one goes right along with the above lesson, you are never to old to learn. Sometimes all you really need is a little time to find new skills. Quarantine time has given us an opportunity to hone on some new skills. We are also learning more valuable lessons. Like what it really takes to adapt to change. We are learning that we all need space, and when we need our community and friends. We are also picking up skills that we usually don’t have time. For example, I have been jogging/walking! We have learned that Reata is a good gardner and Ryder is a great hunter.
4. Sharing the Workload
With all of us home everyday, it is nice to share the ranch chores. You see, everyday before the quarantine, the kids had a chore list and then Cody would finish the chores when we would leave for school and work. But now, everyone takes the workload outside and inside. The kids are also learning how to do the dishes and laundry. I am pretty sure that the boys’ wives will thank me later!!
5. Slowing Down is Okay
In the beginning of this quarantine, we where running around to school activities like sports and such every week and every weekend it seemed. It was hard to relax and just slow down. But man, did we ever learn that slowing down is okay.
6. Don’t Take Small Towns for Granted
I knew our small town was filled with heroes, but the quarantine has pointed it out to me even more — doctors, teachers and those who keep your home alive and well are so important to our daily lives. Local businesses are working around the clock to ensure the comfort, health and general safety of their neighbors. Many restaurants are keeping their kitchens open for takeout, churches are collecting food and clothes and schoolteachers are navigating new technology to make sure that their students can still learn. Hometown heroes are a special kind for sure.
I’ve found a lot of beauty in this uneasy time at home, and I’m grateful to even be able to write those words. Perhaps the part of me that was so proud of how well I managed to juggle an over-scheduled routine is grateful to have a “valid” reason to simply stop. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to still work at the feed store and provide a service in our small town as well.
When we look back on this event in history, I want us all to remember that this was not the most stressful time of our lives, but one of the most fun and creative—a time when we learned all those lessons, a time when we just continued our ranching schedule and the most important one of all: How to take care of ourselves and each other.
There is no doubt that the time we’re currently living in poses challenges and hardships, but we’re choosing to filter out the fear and continue cultivating the positive. Call it what you wish, our quarantine home economics course is teaching us all to take more time out to focus on love, learning, laughter, self-improvement and memory-making.
I have decided that there are a lot of people that help me “Shine” and I am going to feature them on my Shine On, Shine On series.
This year I decided to start a new spin on my Shine On series and add a little more of agricultural spin. I am excited to be bringing you these interviews. My goal is to share these fine ladies stories with you all.
From historic homesteaders to contemporary cattle ranchers, women have been the cornerstone of America’s agriculture heritage. In fact, the 2012 Census of Agriculture notes that nearly 1 million women are working America’s lands. That is nearly a third of our nation’s farmers. Women are also scientists, economists, foresters, veterinarians, and conservationists. Women are in the boardrooms and the corner offices of international enterprises, and are the owners and operators of small businesses. Women are property owners and managers. Women are policymakers and standard bearers. Women are involved in every aspect of agriculture. Women do play significant roles in agriculture and this series is to spotlight some of those women.
Shine On~Women In Agriculture featuring: Megan J Harkless
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your career path.
My name is Megan J Harkless, I will be 30 *YIKES* this May. My husband Matthew and I have a three-year-old son, Tyce, who is our wild little cowboy! I grew up in Oral, SD but now reside in Oelrichs, SD. I’ve always had a passion for livestock since I was a little girl, and I knew I wanted to make a career path doing something involved in the livestock world. Almost five years ago I finally made my dream a reality and started by attending an A.I. (artificial insemination) school put on by Genex in the spring of 2015. Later that year I went onto ultrasound school, and from there M&M Cattle Services was born. Since than I have became a sales rep for Genex (a cattle semen company), a dealer for Ramona Warehouse (horse feed/mineral), and recently became a dealer for Smartlic/Horselic mineral tubs. I also started ultrasounding cows at Fall River Feedyard going on a year in January, this is year-round, as cows come in consistently.
I also run the Fall River County play-day, put on a barrel series and jackpots throughout the summer (Crushin Cans) which will be expanding this year with locations including Oelrichs, Harrison, Hermosa and Edgemont. I am also on the Fall River County Fair-board, and will be taking over putting on the ranch rodeo at this years fair
Tell us about your role and what does your “typical day” looks like.
A typical day for me would be at a client’s ultrasounding, A.I.ing, delivering feed/mineral, going thru bulls for the next/current AI season, looking at their cow herd & calves, or simply just delivering feed or mineral, but most days you could probably find me at the Fall River Feedyard ultrasounding. I have recently added two helpers, Matt Peters & Clay Edgar, who you can also find with me on a typical day, operating a chute, giving shots, tagging, implanting, or doing whatever task needs to be done. They have been nothing but tremendous help, with a lot of laughs! They will both be attending AI school this spring, which I am so excited about, I can’t wait to see their future grow with M&M Cattle Services!
Who is/was your biggest influencer or mentor? What did you learn from them?
One of my biggest influencers and mentors would have to be Amy Pravecek, she has been a HUGE part of my life going on 12-15 years now. She has taught me to dream big, stay focused, and work hard. To never give up no matter how big the mountains may be. I am so thankful and blessed to have her in my life, let alone by my side. Much of my accomplishments are with her influence and persistence of pushing me to keep going. She is always sending me information to further my education, connecting me to people to continually grow and expand my business. She is one of the greatest women I know, so Amy if your reading this THANK YOU, I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without you.
My second biggest influencer would be my parents, Russ & Lisa Frasier. Many probably don’t know, but I was not raised on a ranch; I spent a lot of my free time at my Uncle & Aunts ranch in WY, or at a neighbor’s ranch in Oral. My parents made sure we had enough land so I could have my horses, and for that I am forever grateful! Even though they didn’t own a ranch, they always instilled values into everyday life. I was taught to respect everyone, no matter the circumstance and to always remember everyone is dealing with something – so extend them a smile. As I have grown and became a sole proprietor, I continue to hold these values close to my heart. In fact these values are the foundation of my life and business, so dad & mom, thank you also for molding me into who I am today.
How do you define personal success? How are you working to get there?
I would define personal success by accomplishing your personal goals you have set for yourself, continuing to add to your goals when you get one checked off your list. One of my favorite quotes “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful” Albert Schweitzer. There is so much truth to that quote, I would not be successful if I was not happy, I would be miserable. Fortunately, I am lucky enough to absolutely love what I do, and to me that’s the best personal success you can achieve. I work daily to achieve the goals I have set for myself & my business, but when you wake up ecstatic to go to work its hard not to keep pushing yourself and striving for the best for not only you but your business.
How do you think a women’s role(s) in farming/ranching/agriculture has changed over the last decade?
I think over the last decade women are now coming into the forefront of agriculture, for example over the past 30-40 years the number of female owned farms/ranches has tripled. Which to me, that’s awesome, go get em’ girls! But as women continue to take bigger roles in the ag world, we are still the primary caregivers for our children, along with cooking and up keeping the house. Which therefore means we sometimes are working 24/7, not saying that men don’t by no means, but as a woman I still think this is a big part of our role.
Learning from our mistakes is an important part of life. Would you mind helping others and share a mistake that you have made and what it taught you in the process?
I know a mistake I make and get reminded of is thinking you know all of something whether it be ultrasounding or simply moving cows, no matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn. You can always learn more if your willing to listen and make yourself better, no matter what the situation may be. So, my biggest advice is to be willing to listen & learn, and in the long run you will be making yourself better and more knowledgeable to pass on to the next person. Just because someone does it different, doesn’t mean they’re doing it wrong, they just may be doing it smarter 😉
How would you define “women in agriculture?”
I would define women in agriculture as women taking the initiative to step out of their comfort zone to build a successful business/career of their own in agriculture, which in most instances means being willing to work just as hard, if not harder than the men in agriculture. I’m often asked if I feel like my growth has been hindered because I am female. My answer is no, absolutely not, I don’t feel like it has hindered my growth in the ag world or created obstacles. I guess I never have let the thought that being a female means I’ll have obstacles, because I don’t care if your male or female, everyone will have obstacles in their life.
What in your opinion, is the most important topic in the agriculture world right now?
I’d say one of the most important topics in agriculture right now would be the importation of beef, or growing meat in a lab. We have a great product being bred & raised right here in America, why wouldn’t we support that? Not only would we be supporting an American product, but we are getting quality beef on top it all while supporting the American farmers & ranchers. Sadly, the world has made it more difficult for the smaller farms/ranches to survive in todays world as it gets harder for them to earn a decent living.
What is in your daily toolbox? Planner? Phone? Computer? Special item(s)? Why do you carry it with you?
My daily toolbox would consist of my A.I. tools, my daily planner, cell phone, a notebook and my Microsoft surface! I carry them all with me, as I never know when I’ll get a call asking if can come AI 2 cows that evening, as they were in standing heat that morning & I am already somewhere delivering feed etc. I have had this happen multiple times, so I try to keep extras stashed away in my pickup. I try to also keep my surface on me also as I have gotten many calls asking what bull they used last year or the year before, or how much of this product did I buy last year or last month, etc. The notebook has come in the most handy as I am able to always take notes, and not try remember it all by the time I get home. I’ve learned that if I can keep most of these items with me than I can pretty much be prepared for whatever the day may throw at me!
In closing, do you have any advice, quotes for young women, or anyone that is starting their career in agriculture?
My main message would be to never give up on yourself, your goals, and your dreams. We all have mountains to climb, it’s okay to feel beaten up, just never give up. Surround yourself with people who encourage you to be all you can be. I didn’t get to where I am in life today overnight, its only through having perseverance to keep moving forward when the going gets tough. I have had to climb some pretty big mountains and bust though many obstacles. People will quit on you; you just have to get up everyday and make sure you never quit yourself. We don’t always get what we wish for, but we do get what we work for. I would not change any aspect of my path that has gotten me to where I am today. Don’t spend your life making someone else’s dream, make YOUR dream. I have a lot of quotes that I love, but one of my favorites is “I am in competition with no one. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone. I am simply trying to be better than the person I was yesterday” Bill Owen. I picked this quote because I often think we spend to much time of our lives trying to out do the other person, when really, we should just be trying to focus on outdoing ourselves from yesterday. Judge no one, just work on improving yourself & remember everyone is fighting their own battles, so don’t judge someone just because they sin differently than you.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Just a heartfelt thank you to so many people, which unfortunately is to many to list, but without you I wouldn’t be able to be doing what I am passionate about. So, to all of you thank you, thank you so much.
Here are a few more reasons that you help me Shine On:
🌟I love your attitude. Your good attitude on everything you do does not go unnoticed. “
🌟 I admire your outlook on life.
🌟You make me want to be a better person.
🌟Your a hard worker and it shows.
🌟Your beautiful inside and out.
🌟I admire that you are producing ranch rodeos and keeping our western heritage alive.
🌟I appreciate your advocacy efforts. Telling our story about the way we live is important and You my friend, are one the the best.
🌟You are an great example.
.🌟Strong women stand together when things get rough, hold each other up when they need support, and laugh together when there’s no reason to.
When I think of you, this quote comes to mind:
“We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free.” – Kavita Ramdas
And you my friend, are one of those strong women.
My message to you, dear friend is Shine On!!
Thank you for just being YOU!~Naomi
2019 South Dakota Ag Women of the Year ~Megan J Harkless
Today is my 41st birthday, and to be honest I’m happy to embrace being another year older. Laugh lines, sun spots, calloused hands and loose skin are surface signs that I’ve lived well!
I’m a big birthday fan. I think birthdays are important to me because growing up, my parents and grandparents celebrated our birthdays to the fullest extent. I mean when it was your birthday, you got a special birthday breakfast, my grandma and grandpa would rush over and give us a present and loves. Then we were celebrated all day long!
I believe that birthdays are important to us all.
Birthdays gives us all an opportunity to reflect.
I thought I’d share a handful of lessons I’ve learned!!
41 Things I Know For Sure (In no particular order.)
Love is a choice, not a feeling, a mere emotion, or a passionate pursuit. True love does hard things, stands firm in messy situations, and forgives. True love is commitment.
Jesus is the answer. (John 14:6)
All encouragement emboldens us to stand tall and reach for our dreams.
Solid advice for all relationships: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you…” Matthew 7:12
Laughter is necessary for life.
You’re not defined by your last mistake.
Living a life of prayer is our lifeline, foundation and first defense, not our last resort.
Change is uncomfortable. Lean into the discomfort, the pay-off is immeasurable.
Be an example, even when no one is looking.
Thoughtfulness is underrated.
“Perseverance is what hope looks like in real life.” Erwin McManus
Coffee…the best motivator there is.
Marriage is sustainable with commitment, laughter, and a fierce friendship.
Be a life-long learner. Don’t stop Learning
Ask for help. It is always okay to ask for help.
God’s grace empowers us to live a life worthy of our calling.
Humility trumps self-importance every time.
It’s the little things that matter.
You’ll never regret choosing to forgive.
Drink the wine! Eat the red velvet cake and eat beef!! It is pretty simple.
Don’t give up on emotional and relational wholeness. (Proverbs 12:15)
Buy the swimming suit, wear the shirt. It looks amazing on you.
Believe the best about people, don’t assume the worst.
Drink Water everyday.
Take Photos and videos.
To much busyness drains our energy and sidetracks us from our God given purpose.
Do more things that are free, like reading good book, a good walk, a good hug, or a good friend.
Fresh Air can never be replaced and neither can the beach with sand in your toes and sun in the sky!!
I have learned that competition today is very rarely as useful as cooperation. Our society now days is geared toward competition — rip each other’s throats out, survival of the fittest, on and on. But i believe that God wanted us as humans to work together for the survival of the tribe, and cooperation pools our resources and allows everyone to contribute what they can. It requires a whole other set of people skills to work cooperatively, but it’s well worth the effort.
Limit screen time. I mean I get it, now days it is important but honestly it is okay to leave your phone or computer on silent to enjoy the folks and things around you. Look up and about. The views are better when you look up, for sure.
If you want to influence people, learn to “listen with the intent to understand.” Stephen Covey
Always trust your gut – it knows the answer!
We are all imperfect. I have learned that it is important to embrace our imperfections. None of us has it all together, and it it easier to embrace them and share them with others.
When we avoid, we lose our “why”. We lose a sense of passion and purpose.
Google really doesn’t know everything. As someone that knows. Don’t over do the GOOGLE.
No matter how hard things get, you’ll survive. And when you DO, you’ll have a new found appreciation for life.
“Failures are the finger posts on the road to achievement.” C.S. Lewis
Letting go and forgiving others may be hard – but your inner peace is worth it!
Stay present. Make phone calls. Meet with friends. The only moment we are promised is NOW.
When all else fails, saddle a horse and go for a ride.
Having empathy everyday for everyone around us, will bring brighter days. Too often we judge people on too little information. We must try to understand what they do instead, put ourselves in their shoes, start with the assumption that what others do has a good reason if we understand what they’re going through. Life becomes much better if we learn empathy.
2020 is going to be a great year, I know it. What’s one thing you know for sure? Help me celebrate my birthday and comment below!
The 2020 WSRRA Ranch Rodeo and Ranch Bronc Riding rodeo trail started off the year with a sanctioned event in Torrington, Wyoming. Thirty cowboys/cowgirl came from Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Nebraska, Arizona, Nevada and South Dakota to ride a ranch bronc and/or to compete in the ranch rodeo, in front of 500+ spectators. These cowboys, cowgirls and horses put on a western show for the crowd. This event was sanctioned by the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association and is an 8 Seconds Whiskey 40-point ranch bronc riding!
Long – Go WSRRA Ranch Bronc Riding – 8 Seconds Whisky Tour Stop
1st – Wesley Rosengreen – winning his fees back and a bottle of 8 Seconds Canadian Whisky 2nd – Devyn Sisneros 3rd – Charg Hebb 4th -Wesley Aragon 5th – Jesse Callahan 6th – TJ Camblin/Jay Chase/ Ty Fenster 9th – Cody Wheeler 10th – Dillon Cornelson/Baylen Ward 12th – Justin Quint 13th – Justin Sinks 14th – Chris Laucomer/Tyler Smith 16th – Gatlenn Huddleston 17th – Leonard Jumping Eagle 18th – Cinch Hebb 19th – Hunter Lawson/Colton Miller 21th – Brittany Miller 22nd – Joe House/ Wade Printz 24nd – Cody Miller 25th – Tyler Deaton 26th – David Sinks/Wade Pulver
SHORT -GO Results (Payout $6500.00)
Wesley Rosengreen –Winning a Champion Ranch Bronc Bash Custom made coat donated by Twisted Loop Embroidery
Devyn Sisneros – Winning a custom-made coat donated by Twisted Loop Embroidery and a custom spur straps donated by Cow Camp Saddlery
Jesse Callahan – Winning a custom-made coat donated by Twisted Loop Embroidery and a wild rag donated by Double A Feeds, Inc
Ty Fenster – Winning a custom-made coat donated by Twisted Loop Embroidery and a Bronc Rein donated by Twisted Loop Embroidery
Wes Aragon – Winning a custom-made coat donated by Twisted Loop Embroidery
This year we added an open and women’s ranch rodeo. The teams competed in a scramble where they had to load one, tie one and doctor one and a separate branding. These events added another level to our event and the crowd loved it. This event paid out $4000 plus awards. The Women’s division paid out $1600 plus awards.
Open Champions – Renegade Ranch – Team Members: Logan Milligan, Brott Wilkins, Chance Lane, Austin Clough – Winning a Champion custom-made coat donated by Twisted Loop Embroidery 2nd place – JDS Livestock – Denim Santero, Denton Keener, Ty Chasile, Clayton Simmons – Winning custom spur straps donated by Cow Camp Saddlery 3rd place – Short em’ Land & Cattle – Devon Williamson, Dave Burton, Tanner Willey, Riggin Macintosh – Winning Wild Rags donated by Double A Feeds, Inc 4th place – McAbee Land & Cattle – Tim McAbee, Brett McAbee, Brody McAbee, Brett Jr. McAbee – Winning tack bags donated by Double A Feeds, Inc 5th place – Livewire Livestock – Anton Hermes, Brendan Hermes, Kyle Leoffler, Jerod Leoffler 6th place – 43/FX Bar – Chris Laucomer, Wade Printz, JD Williams, Clayton Williams 7th place – Bottom Barrel Punchers – Cody Wheeler, John Haskell, Cody Newtson, JC Chintala 8th place – Lost Creek Ranch – Cody Intermill, Chris Vineyard, Justin Shrewsbury, Ryan Heupel 9th place – VR Ranch – Jesse Callahan, Dyllon Nipper, Cooper Johnson, Tyrell 10th place – VL Livestock – Montana Button, Dave Mills, Forrest Lewis and Matt Cushman 11th place – Streakin’ Cash Quarter Horses – Scott Vogel, Jason Sachse, Dalton Harter, Kurt Hoksbergen
Women’s Champions – Bacon Rind Cattle Co. – Team Members: Bridget Downs, Jenny Walker, Tiffany Schwenke, Brittany Miller – Winning a Champion custom-made coat donated by Twisted Loop Embroidery 2nd place – Faith Livestock – Megan Lang, Shania Whiteman, Cassie Foster, Kody Lane Walter – Winning custom spur straps donated by Cow Camp Saddlery 3rd place – No Bull Breeding Services – Megan Vosburgh, Lane Stromberger, Lora Anderson, Dusty Henry – Winning Western Necklaces donated by 2 Broke Chicks Boutique 4th place – Sanford Cattle – Janice Sanford, Brook Guest, Audra Johnston, Caiti Hladky Top Horse: Kurt Hoksbergen Top Hand: Chris Vineyard Thank You to all that came out and supported our event. ~Naomi Loomis and Megan Vosburgh Announcer/Announcer Help: Cody Nusbaum, Chelsey Sterkel, Jennifer Blanke, Tileen Sullivan, Josh Keller Thank you, Cody, for keeping the audience informed and for helping me with all the contestant books. Thank you, Chelsey, and Tileen, for your help with the keeping records and for everything in between. Thank you, Jennifer, for saving me. You are a great friend and I owe you for all your help. Thank you, Josh, for all your support of our event. Judges: Jimmy Gebauer and Brad Hall Thank you, Jimmy, and thank you Brad for being our Bash judges. You two make this event go smoothly. Stock Contractors: Waters Rodeo and Mayfield Rodeo. Thank you, Stock Contractors, for bringing all your great broncs. Your hard work really shows when they crack the gate. All I can say is thank you for sharing your horses so we could watch a western show.
Behind the Scenes Help: Cody Loomis, Dyllon Nipper, Jeremy Parks, Jason Sachse, Andy Sherfey, TeJay Fenster and everyone else that was behind the scenes helping.
Without all your help the show would not go on! Thank you, Thank you!
Pickup Men: Andy Sherfey and TeJay Fenster
Thank you for all you do for our bronc ridings. Thanks for keeping the arena safe.
Admission Help: Cary Leithead, Cassie Leithead,
Thank you to all of you. Really, thank you a lot!
Veterinarian: Dr. Kaufman from Goshen County Vet Clinic
Thank you for being our Vet.
Photographers: Lacey Dale Photography and Andrea Rosengreen
Thank you for capturing our event! I cannot wait to see the photos.
And Thank you, Andrea for all the video!!
VIP: Thank you to the Goshen County Fair Board. Thank you for all your help and for your hospitality. Thank you to Torrington Ambulance Service.
Concessions/Beer Garden: 307 Bar & Grill
Thank you to our 2019 WSRRA Ranch Bronc Riding Bash Sponsors!
KNEB~Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Double A Feeds, Inc ~Bridgeport, Nebraska
Four Three Land & Cattle~Lusk, Wyoming
BioZyme Feeds ~Missouri
Platte Valley Bank~ Torrington, Wyoming
8 Seconds Whisky ~ California
Lerwick Equipment~Albin, Wyoming
Transwest Ford~Torrington, Wyoming
Brown Company~Torrington, Wyoming
Open Barrel Brewery~Torrington, Wyoming
No Bull Breeding Services~Bayard, Nebraska
A Huge Thank You to all the Bash SPONSORS! Your help doesn’t go unnoticed. I am very thankful for your support of the bash.
Advertising Sponsor: KNEB~Scottsbluff, Nebraska Thank you for always supporting the Ranch Bronc Bash and for getting the word out!!
A huge Thank You to all the prize sponsors. Your help is what makes this event a success. Thanks for all your help.
Host Hotel:
American Best Value~Torrington, Wyoming
WSRRA National Sponsors: Lucas Oil, Protect the Harvest, Twisted X Boots, Boot Barn, 8 Seconds Whisky, Yeti, Big Bend Trailers, Ram Rodeo, Chaz Mitchell Custom Hatz, Cowboy Choice Feeds, Gist Silversmiths, Mary Williams Hyde, Gouveia Ranches
It has taken us on a little detour for sure but we also learned a few lessons.
You see, just when we thought we had the ranching business figured out, 2019 came along.
I know that God is in control but isn’t funny when we think we have it all under control and we have these goals in mind, that God reminds us, that he is in full control.
I mean, who would of ever thought that we would have two, (2) storms that they called Bomb Cyclones, aka, a blizzard hurricane in the same month that produced strong winds and floods.
Who would of ever thought we would have a cows-belly-deep in green grass but that they grass didn’t have really any nutritionally value. You see, our cows had enough grass to eat, mineral and protein to meet their needs but all the storms really took a beating to their bodies. Some of the older cows didn’t make it, some of the younger cows didn’t either. It doesn’t mean that we didn’t try to take of our cattle to the best of our abilities, it means that the weather didn’t help us out.
Who every would of thought that 2019 would be the year that we had to change our financial plans because of the high cost of living and the low price of our calves. We planned to upgrade some of our equipment and put some money away for a new barn but we had to put those goals on hold and purchase more cows.
Even thou 2019, sent us on a detour we did learn a few lessons:
We are stronger than we think.
Time is precious.
Just Keep Faith and Stay Humble
You see, 2019 sent us on a detour. A detour that has cause me to cry and to laugh. A detour that has made me mad and made me happy. I know that life is full of ups and downs, and it is full of detours. I have often joked that God laughs when we make plans because He knows the true path your life will take, and sometimes it isn’t the one you are planning on.
Despite this fact, it is important to keep making plans, keep dreaming, keep living. And when the detours come, take them with excitement for the opportunities they will present. I am grateful for the new perspective I have and for the view I see from the road I am on.
Happy New Year! 2020- we are coming at you like a bug in a hot skillet!!
I have decided that there are a lot of people that help me “Shine” and I am going to feature them on my Shine On, Shine On series.
This year I decided to start a new spin on my Shine On series and add a little more of agricultural spin. I am excited to be bringing you these interviews. My goal is to share these fine ladies stories with you all.
From historic homesteaders to contemporary cattle ranchers, women have been the cornerstone of America’s agriculture heritage. In fact, the 2012 Census of Agriculture notes that nearly 1 million women are working America’s lands. That is nearly a third of our nation’s farmers. Women are also scientists, economists, foresters, veterinarians, and conservationists. Women are in the boardrooms and the corner offices of international enterprises, and are the owners and operators of small businesses. Women are property owners and managers. Women are policymakers and standard bearers. Women are involved in every aspect of agriculture. Women do play significant roles in agriculture and this series is to spotlight some of those women.
Shine On~Women In Agriculture featuring: Savanna Simmons
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your career path. Well, I’m an ag journalist, which includes photography, writing, and blogging; as well as a mom to two young cowboys, Brindle and Roan; a wife to my husband, Boe, of eight years; and a daughter of God.
I graduated from Chadron State College in 2010 with a degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in journalism. I got into journalism initially for the photography and graphics, but I have since transitioned to writing more heavily, even being awarded Professional Agriculture Communicators writer of the year a few years ago.
Right out of the gate, I worked for a small town newspaper for about a year, then transitioned to operating a business out of a horse barn for two years. I worked retail for a year when my firstborn was a baby, then got into writing for Tri-State Livestock News just after my second was born. I have since had articles and photos published in other publications, but I truly enjoy working for a local newspaper, Tri-State Livestock News, if you can call a three- to five-state coverage “local”.
Tell us about your role and what does your “typical day” looks like.
I write on a variety of topics; this morning, in particular, the topic was healing overgrazed pastures. I tend to enjoy equine-related stories and features about ranching families or individuals, but I have had stories on every ag topic out there. I appreciate cattle and all they provide me and my family, so I’m glad to take any beef or cattle stories that come my way.
During the school year, I blessedly get much of my work done while my sons are at school, but at the moment, my three-year-old is playing at my feet, having finished preschool at noon. During the summer, I do my best to balance being a mother and having a career.
Who is/was your biggest influencer or mentor? What did you learn from them?
Lately, I’ve been really inspired by my editors. I hadn’t really been inspired by a journalist before; I sort of followed a calling to head in this direction, which has been a big blessing in that I get to work from home or anywhere at just about any time of day. Getting back to it, Carrie and Maria are both mothers and at the head of a magnificent, award-winning newspaper that is really the backbone of ag media in our area of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, and a little into Montana and Nebraska as well. They’ve taught me a lot about myself and my abilities and have lent me a great deal of confidence.
How do you define personal success? How are you working to get there?
I worry less about success and more about what I need to do. I focus on the day-to-day and little things. I don’t care about name recognition or titles. It isn’t really me. I would rather put my head down and work hard for agriculture and let the others who are more worthy be labeled as “successes”. People like my husband and the men with whom he works are much more worthy of the attention. I just hope to shed a little positive light in their direction through what I do; I suppose that would be a success to me if I was able to accomplish that.
How do you think a women’s role(s) in farming/ranching/agriculture has changed over the last decade?
Women are such a quiet, support system in agriculture, in raising the next generation of ag producers to working alongside their husbands. Having a job in town to support the family or even stepping in to take over the ranch, in cases. I don’t know how much their roles have actually changed over the last decade, they’re just as strong and important as ever, but I do think more often they are getting a small nod from society in how much they actually contribute, which, in many situations, is a great deal.
Learning from our mistakes is an important part of life. Would you mind helping others and share a mistake that you have made and what it taught you in the process?
This year, I have been saying “yes” to opportunities and adventures for myself. While this sometimes takes the help of several big-hearted individuals to cover what I usually do, primarily taking care of my children and running them to school and back, I am adamantly not feeling guilty about it (trying not to, anyway) and brazenly going on my adventures. I haven’t done this in the past five years, and I’ve missed a lot of opportunities for it, and it turns out, the only person holding me back from all of this has been me.
This winter, I attended Art of the Cowgirl in Arizona; this summer, I attended an Art of the Cowgirl horsemanship clinic in Montana with Lee Smith, a woman I rode with in my youth; this fall, I will attend both a silversmith clinic in Nebraska (something I have never done, but had an interest in for some time), and I will attend a photography ranch tour in Arizona.
As soon as I started dreaming that I could let myself have some freedom and fun, generally all in the form of learning, a favorite pastime of mine, figurative do figurative doors starting flying open, if you can imagine.
How would you define “women in agriculture?”
See above
What in your opinion, is the most important topic in the agriculture world right now?
Society’s view on beef is so skewed. I’m such a fan of the work that ranchers are doing for our grasslands and our world, and city dwellers are concerned only of cow flatulence, a very small part of the big picture. Livestock producers are stewards of the land, often providing habitat for wildlife and improving pastures and grasslands that would otherwise be overrun by aggressive weed species, and they’re utilizing it all while providing a healthy, safe food source produced in our own country. I won’t get into it much further, but I do think education is key for our former, current, or future customers to understand what is really happening on the prairies and desserts of the midwest and west.
What is in your daily toolbox? Planner? Phone? Computer? Special item(s)? Why do you carry it with you?
I carry my former diaper bag, a beautiful handmade leather bag gifted from many friends, stuffed with my iPad Pro, my favorite on which to write stories; my Happy Planner, the third of its kind, which I adore; my headphones to make calls, giving myself a chance to hear my interviewee over my rowdy kiddos; a handful of colorful pens; and likely a few snacks as well. Kids have a harder time being loud if their mouths are full.
Occasionally, my laptop gets thrown in my bag for editing photos, but most of the time that stays home and my iPad is all I need.
In closing, do you have any advice, quotes for young women, or anyone that is starting their career in agriculture?
I have gotten to where I am from listening to God. Much like leading me to journalism, He has given me so many unique opportunities and adventures, and I am one to jump in headfirst. Not all are that way, but it has served me so well.
In hindsight, I can see God’s work in my life, which wasn’t always evident at the time. If you have a gut-feeling or can’t shake a feeling that you should follow a path, give it a go. Very few things in life are truly permanent.
Is there anything you would like to add?
For other women, find strong women who lift and build you up. Return the favor for them, and forget about those who tear you down. I have grown so immensely from the women in my bible study and those with whom I work. It’s been an amazing journey of growth over the past four years, but that has happened even more over the past year after allowing myself opportunities to connect with those strong, but humble women.
Here are a few more reasons that you help me Shine On:
🌟I love your attitude. Your good attitude on everything you do does not go unnoticed. “
🌟 I admire your outlook on life.
🌟You make me want to be a better person.
🌟Your a hard worker and it shows.
🌟Your beautiful inside and out.
🌟I admire your picture taking and writing.
🌟I appreciate your advocacy efforts. Telling our story about the way we live is important and You my friend, are one the the best.
🌟You are an great example.
.🌟Strong women stand together when things get rough, hold each other up when they need support, and laugh together when there’s no reason to.
When I think of you, this quote comes to mind:
“The world needs strong women. Women who lift & build others, who will love and be loved. Women who live bravely, both tender & fierce. Women of indomitable will.” Amy Tenney
As moms we have the power to impact our children’s lives in more ways than we know.
I have found myself telling folks around,
“If I could be any kind of Mom in the world, I would be just like my mom.” Right!
It has been 12 years since my mom died of cancer. She was my #1. We shared so many “likes”. The other day as I was checking on our cattle, I had some quiet time, I started thinking of things and memories of mom. Memories that I won’t forget. I have so many and I miss her everyday.
I decided to start marking a list.
Each of these items, memories, I treasure each and every one of them and am passing them on down to our kids.
A little about my mom!
My mom was spontaneous and quick-witted. My mom was selfless. She loved God. She loved horses. She loved the color green (I mean like sea green). She loved it so much that she had my dad paint her pickup that color! Her greatest pleasure was making other people feel loved. She worked hard, primarily as a farmer and massage therapist, always on her feet, working long hours to provide for her six adopted children.
In honor of Mother’s Day, I would like to share:
Things About my Mom I Don’t Ever Want to Forget
1.) She loved God.
She prayed with us and prayed for others.
It is pretty black and white. Mom taught me how to pray. She taught me about God and his love. She taught me to read my Bible. She taught me to love God and to follow his foot steps.
2.) She gave me her time.
We ate dinner together ALMOST every night. We went on adventures, like looking for arrowheads, climbing rocks, riding horses, chasing cows, the list goes on and on. But above all of this, she gave me time.
Mom, no matter what she had going on, made time for me. She was very good about being “there.”
3.) She shared her love for animals with me.
Her favorite love was dogs and horses. She loved American Saddlebred Horses, while I on the other hand, loved American Quarter Horses. While we didn’t agree on breeds of horses, she taught me how to ride, how to listen and how important animals can be in ones life.
4.) She was a “Mean Mom”!
She always insisted on knowing where I was, who I was with and what I was doing. She was the “mean mom” that made me do chores, milk the goats, wash the dishes, learn to cook and other really unpleasant chores. She was the “mean mom” that had eyes and ears in the back of her head. There was no lying or sneaking with my mom.
She was the “mean mom” that made me pay for my first pickup, my own fuel, my own clothes and made me get a job off the farm. She was the “mean mom” that taught me to dress and act like a lady.
5.) She made my Birth-Day day very special.
Yes, every year on my birthday, my mom made my favorite breakfast. Birthdays to her were bigger than any other holiday. I loved it.
6.) She loved odd food like pig skins, and pickled pigs feet.
While this seems silly, I love it. She was a lady that would try everything. I mean, one of her favorite meals was liver and onions. I could smell those things cooking from the house to the barn. She didn’t let that bother her at all. She knew that us kids didn’t like it very well, but she cooked it and we ate it!! I love all those “odd” things!
7.) She loved to paint.
My mom was an artist. She loved to paint. She loved to paint horses, Indians, cabins, cowboys, scenerys, but most of all she just loved putting images on canvas. I love that she was so creative.
8.) She loved to Crochet. She loved to sew.
She was my hero for sure. She sewed my wedding dress. She made table clothes. She made scarves. I could go on and on. She taught me how to do these things. I am thankful for our time together “learning” how to do these things.
9.) She had faith in me. (even when I lost it)
I am not sure how she didn’t give up on me, but she never did. She was always cheering me on. She was always helping me back up when I had fallen.
10.) She instilled traditions.
Oh the traditions! Mom taught me that traditions are important to to keep up through the generations. I know that some of the traditions that mom had where from grandma. That makes them even better; generations passing on traditions. I am not going to let my end down, I am keeping them going and adding a few to the list.
11.) She lived a simple life.
She lived a simple life, nothing fancy. She just lived within her means.
12.) She always had the best advice.
Looking back, every single time my mom gave me a piece of advice, she was right. Whether it was about being a first time mom or a health problem or a relationship issue, she was always right. She always knew and I trusted her to the fullest.
13.) She let me fail.
She let me fall. She let me fail. She didn’t clear a path for me. She let me learn from my mistakes. She let me learn life-coping skills that I still use today.
As one my favorite parenting philosophy goes: “Prepare your child for the road, not the road for your child.”
14.) She taught me from a very early age that ‘the world did not owe us a living’.
and ‘how you make your bed, that is how you lie in it’. I could go on .. ‘don’t make a rod for your own back’.
15,) She taught me to be a lady-cowgirl.
Mom was all about looking like a lady and acting like a lady. She would tell me, “Naomi, you can be a cowgirl, but you need to be a lady first.” It didn’t take me long to figure out that it was better to be a lady-cowgirl.
My mom, I would have to say was the best and while I no longer see her in real life, I know that she is looking down on us all. I am thankful for all of mom little lessons, her example and her love.
At the end of everyday, I always thank God that he picked “my mom” to be my mom. She was the best. I want to be more like my mom. I want my kids to have a mom like I did. The one that has stood the test of time from my experiences has been, “Give more to others than they give to you.”
This is my diary of the Blizzard of March 2019 aka Bomb Cyclone and also known as Ulmer.
At the time of these diary entries, we had just started calving with about 25 head on the ground.
Dear Dairy,
Friday, March 8
Today was my 40th Birthday. Cary and her twins, Cole and Logen, and my twins Ryder and Reata, and myself were in Lincoln, Nebraska. We were there to watch my oldest son, Cade and the Bridgeport Bulldogs Basketball team at State. We did a little shopping and by noon we were heading west. As we were heading home, radio stations across Nebraska were already talking about a storm that was heading our way. We made it home just after dark. We had a great time with friends and the kids on our trip. Cade and Kason came home late because they rode on the team bus.
Saturday, March 9
We had a big breakfast and talked as a family about Lincoln, Basketball, and the weather prediction. We all worked together to get the chores done and the cattle fed. I also worked on laundry and dishes. For supper, we headed in to town to have birthday supper with some friends and family at the local steak house. I had a prime rib!! 40 doesn’t look so bad!!
Sunday, March 10
We had a big breakfast as a family. We then sat down and read our Bibles together. Each of us shared a verse and what it means to us. I love hearing what the kids and Cody have to share. We then had a meeting about the chore list, who was going to do what chores and we also talked about the blizzard the weather channels kept talking about. We decided to bring a couple loads of hay close to the house and also build a wind break out of bales for the cows. It was a long day of chores and cattle work.
Monday, March 11
The kids did not have school. I went to Scottsbluff to pick up a processed beef, took the feed store’s crashed computer to a repair place, picked up some groceries and then headed home. The kids stayed home and helped Cody move all the cattle close to the barns. We had decided that if the storm was going to be really bad that we would move all the pairs (cows with babies) and all the heavies (cows that are still pregnant) close to our barns. You see, we calve out our heifers (first time moms) at our home place and our main herd at our place we call “Murphys”. Murphys is about 6 miles north of our home. It takes approximately 1 hour to get there, so two hours round trip. The house there is no longer livable but we do have a small barn and electricity there. After that they moved all the heifers and yearlings in the corrals close to the main house. We ended the day with eating the beef that I brought home!
Tuesday, March 12
The kids and I headed to school. We listened to our local radio station all the way to town, which takes about 45-50 minutes. The radio just kept telling us about the storm and that we needed to prepare for no electricity and prepare our livestock for a bad storm. By this time we all were getting super worried about what this storm could do. Cody built a couple of wind breaks with hay bales to help stop the wind. The weather stations were reporting that the wind would be out of the north. I had a doctors appointment in Scottsbluff and after my appointment I hurried back to the feedstore to help with customers. After work we headed home. We filled up all our water jugs, got all the candles out. I cooked 5+ pounds of hamburger (So we could have quick meals). The school called to tell us that there would be no school on Wednesday. As we went to bed, we prayed that God would be with our animals and that he would guide us through the storm.
Wednesday, March 13
We woke up early to freezing rain and the wind blowing. I cooked a fast breakfast and sent it with Cody and Kason. They headed to Murphys. Cade, Ryder, Reata and I stayed at home. Cade and I started to do chores which constist of feeding 8 bucket calves (calves that their moms didn’t have milk or they werr twins), feeding 5 bucket baby goats, feeding the 4-H/FFA steers, feeding the herd of goats, feeding hay to all the cattle in the corral, and checking on the heavies. My list goes on and on. Cody and I made a plan that I would be in the house at noon so that I could get his phone call. You see, you have to climb a certain hill and hold your phone just right to get any service.
“Hello.”
“Hello. You made it to Murphy’s?”
“Yes, we did. It is getting bad out. We have a couple of new calves, but everything else looks good. Kason and I are going to stay here with the cows. If it doesn’t get to bad, I will call you later. Man, the wind is blowing so hard I can hardly see the corrals. “
“Okay, it is getting bad out but we still have electricity. We haven’t had any new babies here.”
“I will call you when when the blizzard stops. Love ya”
“Love ya, bye.”
Cade and I continued going and looking at the heifers every hour. The wind was blowing so hard and the snow was piling up. The only way not to get lost on the way to the corrals was to head straight out the door and walk until you hit the barn. Then you could walk around to the south side out of the snow blowing so hard. It was about 5 o’clock and we decided to gather up all of the babies and put them in the barn. By putting them in the barn, I was sure that they wouldn’t be tampled. It was a chore. The mud was deep and the snow was cold. The babies weren’t sure what was going on but we managed to get them all in the barn. We left the moms out. They had protection from the wind. We still had not heard from Cody and Kason. The school called to say no school tomorrow. That evening we did the chores as listed above again and continued checking heifers though out the night. Cade would go one hour and I would go the next. It was a long night for sure. We didn’t hear from Cody and Kason. We didn’t loose our power. Two calves were born during the night and we put them in the barn.
Thursday, March 14
By this morning, Cade and I were exhausted and emotionally drained. We still hadn’t heard from Cody and Kason. The wind was still blowing. We had a little breakfast and started on the chores. It was a struggle to get them done. Every chore we had to work twice as hard. The goats’ pen was so full of snow that they couldn’t get out of their shed. The barn door had a huge drift in front of it. The chickens whole yard was full of snow. It took us 3 times the amount of time to get the chores done. By this time, we were thankful that we had power and that we could come in and warm up. We would come in and check the machine to see if Cody had called. He hadn’t. A little after lunch the wind started to die down. We made contact with a couple of the neighbors to see if everyone was okay. It was good to hear that everyone was drained, but okay. We decided that we would have lunch and Cade would head out with the tractor to Murphys. Finally after more than 24 hours, the phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Hello, its good to hear your voice.”
“You too.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yes, we are good. How about you?”
“We are good. We had 9 calves. We put them all in the barn. We didn’t sleep at all in the pickup but we stayed warm and nothing is dead.”
“Nothing is dead here either but we have a couple of heifers that are about to calve.”
“Okay, I have been stuck twice up here with the tractor and with the pickup. We got it out and we are going to try to head home.”
“Okay, I will send Cade your way with the tractor.”
“Love ya”
“Love ya bye.”
As the afternoon went on, Reata and I made some cookies and we continued to check the heifers. Reata and Ryder went sledding. One heifer was just having a hard time, so I decided that I better pull her calf. Reata and I got the job done. The baby and the mom are doing fine. The crew showed up in time to help with the night time chores. The corrals were full of snow, water and mud. We put fresh hay down for all the livestock so that they would have a dry place to stand. The school called to report no school for Friday. We ended our day with steaks on the Traeger Grill and a family around the table talking about the blizzard.
Friday, March 15
We started the day with breakfast. We all pitched in and helped with the chores. We did a head count on all our cattle. The mud was deeper than our Bog Boots. The meadows are full of running water. Cody, Reata and I headed to Murphys in the Big Red because a pickup would just get stuck. At the top of the special hill in Murphys I got a voicemail from the doctor. “Naomi, would you please call our office as soon as you can.” So holding my phone just right, I rang the doctor office. “Hello, this is Naomi Loomis and I am returning your call.” “Hi, Naomi just a minute and I will get the nurse.” “Hello Naomi, your test results that we did on Tuesday don’t look so good and you need to start on an strong antibotic right way. You also need to come back to the doctor in a couple of weeks for more testing.” “Okay, thank you. We will be in touch.” As I hung up the phone, I was worried about how to get my medicine. The roads were closed all around us and I knew that our county road would be full of snow. I ended up calling Cary, Cody’s sister, who was working at the feedstore. She went and picked it up for me. I told Cody that I would drive the Big Red all the way to town if I had to just to get my medications. We tagged and sorted the pairs out of the corrals at Murhpys and then headed back home. Cade and Kason had stayed home during this time. They kept tabs on the heifers and ended up pulling a calf.
As the night fell on the ranch, we talked about the folks that this storm affected to the west of us. We watched videos of water and mud wiping out what ever was in it’s path. We all prayed for our neighbors to the east.
Saturday, March 16
The county plowed our road so that I could get to town. It took four wheel drive to get out of the ranch. We picked up a few groceries, feed and my medications. We headed back home. We helped finish up the chores. We tagged calves. We turned cows out to pasture. The sun was shining. We all got a short nap.
Heres a couple of my tidbits about the Bomb Cyclone, aka Ulmer:
I am thankful for the weather stations that gave us a heads up about storms. We were able to prepare our livestock to the best of our abilities to protect them from the elements.
I am thankful that cattle have thick skins that provide protection in weather like this storm.
I am thankful for our kids. It took a team to get everything fed, watered, checked and so on. The kids really helped us out.
I am thankful for the county who came and plowed us out.
I am thankful for all the prayers, calls, messages and texts for friends and neighbors near and far.
I am thankful for antibiotics. That was a rough week being sick and not being able to get to town to get them.
I think what set this storm apart was the unknown. We knew it was going to be a blizzard but by saying it was a “bomb cyclone” just added to the unknown. I am here to say that we survived a Bomb Cyclone.
I am going to end the diary with our nap because I think we should focus now on helping our neighbors to the east.
My 40th birthday is in a couple of days, and before I remind you to respect your elders, I have got some news to share.
I am going to rock 4-0!
I am not totally sure when I decided that I am going to embrace the forties.
Maybe it was when I found a long hair under my chin, or maybe it was when my oldest son could out lift me or maybe it was when I had to wax my mustache.
Looking Back.
My twenties were a blur of married life, motherhood, newly owners of a ranch, and a college degree. I also vaguely remember life as busy and no-stop.
I was consumed with ranch life and trying to get ahead. I was consumed in making sure that I had it all together. I worried about knowing the right people, making flawless impressions and setting up my future for myself and our family. It was a whirlwind decade of fun, of successes, of heartache and frequently crippling uncertainties best summed up by the questions, “Are we doing this right?” Should we have more kids? From getting pregnant to losing that baby, to tough ranching decisions to losing my mom. The twenties were interesting.
Then, the thirties hit. Oh, I will never forget my thirtieth birthday. I didn’t want that birthday at all. I struggled with my own self. But God had plans for me and we went from a family of four to a family of six. All the fear and doubt and indictable joy….it’s amazing I’m still alive. The thirties seem to hit all the BIG Stuff and cancer took our Papa. The thirties also brought great opportunities and adventures. Decisions loomed at every turn. Am I going to keep this extra skin flap around my belly, forever? How am I ever going to keep up? Thirties are not for the faint of heart.
And then, like the moment I realize I’m alone in the car and can switch the radio from Kidz Bop to 80’s country, it hit me like a ton of hay bales falling off the rafters.
I’m at peace with me.
I feel good about myself, friends! I can turn up the 80’s country and dance if I want to. I can have a glass of wine or two, whenever I would like. I can cry when special moments happen, like when our oldest son does an interview with a New York parent firm. (You can read it here.) While it is a shame that my face skin seems loose all of sudden, getting older means I like me. And guess what, I can buy products to tighten up my face skin. I’ve seen the products ads before and was skeptical, but it’s not a myth! Turning 40 is going to rock, and I am about to own this decade. Why?
I am learning to not let what people think of me get in the way of my life.
I mean, it is true. I am letting those go that don’t like me.
You may say, What?
Well it is true and it’s okay. I am a lifelong people pleaser. I will always care about being nice and helping everyone I can, but it has changed into something far more healthy in the past year. I don’t worry so much about what impression I just made with new people that I have met. I don’t say yes when I really meant no. Life experience means that I am confident in who I’ve become. I have learned that if I am at peace with God, my husband and our children, I AM GOOD.
If you don’t agree with me that is absolutely okay with me. The superfluous “someone” actually doesn’t really matter. I mean, who knew?
I actually have surprised myself with learning to be more confident. I have learned to embrace my personality. I used to pretend to be more reserved and maybe even a little quieter. I have spent years trying to “fit in”. I have spent years holding things in, in fear of saying the wrong thing. Get the gist? I have began to do the opposite because you know, 40 is awesome, even if some things you do embarrass your kids.
The bottom line? I am ready to own it, y’all. I am proud of the cowgirl I am, scars and all. I still have no idea what direction I am going half the time. I am pretty sure that the kids think that I am losing my mind, but doesn’t age equal wisdom?
I forgive myself and move on when I don’t get it right the first time. I recognize my good intentions and my unending love for my family and friends. I am moving on when things don’t go the way that I think they should. I am embracing the body that God gave me. I know that I am far from perfect, yet I want to do the best that I can. I am not worried about the people that judge me. I freely admit that I love the 80’s music. I am not embarrassed to tell you that I don’t have a clean house and that my sink is full of dirty dishes and that I can not tell you the last time that I cleaned the toilets. If you are being a jerk, I may tell you about it. Seriously, this decade is going to be my best!
Where are my fellow 40’s friends? Tell me your favorite thing about being in your 40s!
Chugwater is not only my home town it is the home of the famous Chugwater Chili. The founding of Chugwater Chili Corporation is a story of real small town values at work. Chugwater Chili Corporation was formed by a bunch of my neighbors in 1986. They purchased the Wyoming State Championship Chili Recipe, with the goal of helping the business community in Chugwater.
We love Chugwater Chili!
It is a spice that I use on almost everything I cook.
I serve Chugwater Chili with Cheese and Crackers. I also sometimes add a can of diced canned tomatoes into my chili.Left over Chugwater Chili can be used for Chili Dogs, Chili Frito's with cheese and Taco Salad.
Brown 2 lbs of ground beef; drain excess fat.
Stir in 3 Tbsp. Chugwater Chili Mix (more for hotter chili),
one 15 oz can tomato sauce and 15 oz water.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add two 15 oz cans plain pinto beans; return to simmer.
Serve Hot.
Recipe makes 9 one cup servings
This is not a statement that you want to hear from your son who just picked up his FFA steer. “Mom, my calf isn’t in the trailer.“
Before I start my story, I just wanted to tell you all Happy New Year. It has been a crazy, busy start but I am ready for what 2019 has in order. Thank you all for joining me on my blogging journey.
Now on to the story of 2018……….
It was the Friday after Thanksgiving and Cade decided that he wanted to purchase a FFA steer calf project from a guy in Colorado. While I was hesitant for him to buy a project calf, because he has his own herd, he was making all the arrangements with the seller. It was something that Cade wanted to do. He made the plans and this particular Friday worked out. Cade, who turned 16 this year, and Kason, who turned 14, as support, hooked up the trailer, and headed to Colorado this Friday morning.
Cody and I did what any parent would do……
“Cade, tie the trailer doors with a rope.” “Cade, drive careful.”
My husband and I gave him the “be careful talk”!
“Call me when you get to Sidney.” Call me when you get to the seller’s house.” “Call me when you get your calf picked out.” “Call me when you are heading home.” “Don’t forget your checkbook.” -Mom quotes
I went to work at the feedstore and Cody went on to do his daily chore list. Kason was keeping me up to date about where they were and how they were getting along. “Mom, we made it to Sidney.” “Mom, we made it to Colorado.” “Mom, we just pulled in his yard.”
“Okay, great. Call me when Cade has a calf picked out.”
“Mom, I just picked my calf, we loaded him and I wrote him a check. Mom, I just love this calf and he isn’t black. Mom, you should see his hair. Mom, he is so gentle.” -Cade
“Mom, we have a situation.” (My first thought was, “O no, the pickup broke down.” Cade was so calm and never changed his voice.)
“Cade, what is your situation?”
“Mom, my calf is not in the trailer.”
“Wait, what do you mean?” “I cannot see the calf in the trailer.” “Did you tie the big door shut?” “Cade, o my gosh.” “Cade, turn around right now and go look for that calf.”
My stomach was in knots. My fear was that the calf jumped out and would be hurt or dead or the cause of an accident. I called the owner and he was headed in to work. “I will have my dad jump on the 4-wheeler and head out and look.”
You see, they live by a pretty large highway, there are corn fields, and railroad tracks, and lots of traffic.
I silently asked God to help us out. I silently asked God for the calf to be okay.
and then my phone rang again……………………………………
“Mom, the calf is back by his buddies.”
“O my gosh, are you kidding me.”
“No!”
I have never been so happy to see a mouse-colored steer calf in the trailer! I have never been so happy to see the smile on the kids face when they pulled up that afternoon.
“Thank you God for all your do for us, our kids and our family,” was my silent prayer.
“Mom, we reloaded him and we are on the way home.”
You see, the calf jumped out the escape door. He must have jumped out when they where still in their yard. He didn’t have a scrape on him.
While this story has a great ending, it also has so many lessons.
Lesson #1 – I am pretty sure that the boys will triple check every door on the trailer next time they leave with an animal in it.
Lesson #2 – I am pretty sure that every time we head out to the corral and look at the only grey calf, we will all thank God he is in our yard.
Lesson #3 – God is here helping us with our kids and our daily decisions.
Lesson #4 – Never underestimate the power of prayer.
Lesson #5 – Never underestimate what your kids can do. Cade and Kason did a great job not getting all upset and just dealing with the problem that they had.
2019!!
