CALVES Poem..a step in the past

I wanted to share this article that was 5 years ago.  Some things have changed since then...I no longer teach but stay on the ranch to help as needed and now have Ranch Chic Corral.  We have grown our herd, and we have 4 beautiful hardworking ranch children, and the oldest off at college.  

BUT this still makes my heart smile every time I read it!  All our kids love the ranch and all of them a different aspect of it...we always make jokes that maybe some day after they have gone to college and done their thing that they may return.  Along with that we also joke and label each as "the worker", "the records person", "tell everyone what to do", "let's try something new"...yes we know what each of them would be (and anyone around my kids do too:).  But in all honesty they all have great traits and together they would make a great team...

So here is a little reading for you today from our now almost 15 year old when she was 9...

http://beefmagazine.com/blog/reader-submitted-stories-online-poll-art-print-winner


This was our daughter last year while branding!  Sporting the "giving shots" pose quite well!!


This was her when she was 9 years old, when this poem was written.

Have a great day!
Kristen Ham

www.ranchchiccorral.com

Educating for my 5 year old Rancher

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend the SD Women in Ag Conference.   What a great experience.  I was surrounded by amazing women all wanting to learn and increase their knowledge and education of the community that we all share. 

As I reflect on everything I learned personally, and just got done sharing with my handsome, hard working husband I felt compelled to write about it, because if I left with one main focus for any of us in the agriculture world it is:

WE NEED TO EDUCATE!  

We need to spread the word about how our daily operations function, how food is brought to tables across America, how consumers in America affect the legacy of our heritage, how no matter how much we are frustrated with politics, that we are the voice, the voice for the future of agriculture.  

At one point in the conference I teared up thinking about my 5 year old.  My 5 year old who could probably run a ranch on his own. The 5 year old that brings his "herd" which are cow/calf pairs with bulls to different pastures throughout our house (the kitchen table is winter pasture, his bedroom floor is summer pasture, our room is the sale barn). My 5 year old that hauls hay in his tractor each day to them, who "rides" his horses or four wheelers through them to make sure they are all healthy.  My 5 year old who puts his brand on all his livestock with a permanent marker to make sure no one invades his herd he has worked hard to build....and I wonder. Will he have an opportunity to pursue this passion if he chooses so when he gets older or will our industry be so far gone he won't be able to?  It made me sad, because in the exact moment how thought of how blessed my family is to be a part of the agriculture community and I want my children to be able to have that same opportunity if they want to.  But what if they can't?  

As I listened I thought to myself about how I can do my little part in helping educate America and I realized I should share more from my blog about our life...so I am committed, committed to using the blog as a platform to educate about the beef industry, our cow/calf operation and how it functions on a daily basis, struggles affecting the agriculture industry and of course funnies and humors about our lifestyle (as we have many..we are quite an entertaining family). 

Okay so I get frustrated when I see or hear people say the "grass-fed" beef is better...do people really understand the very limited difference between a grass fed cow and a cow that may have been grass fed but finished on feed?  Do they understand how less economical it is to have all grass fed beef?  Personally people will say, well it is more lean...well let me tell you..I am almost 40 and I have NEVER eaten beef from a store but I know the beef that I cook once, twice, or 3 times a day for my family has to have water added to it as it is lean and guess what...it isn't all grass fed.  

I always feel like we are "organic" because we raise it, feed it, harvest it, and it goes to our table to feed our hardworking, healthy family and it is great tasting!

Here is a great article from the Beef Magazine that discusses much of what I shared.  Thank you for reading and joining me on this journey.

http://beefmagazine.com/blog/grass-fed-beef-really-healthier

Ranch Chic Corral

***www.ranchchiccorral.com
Don't Forget to Check out the website with
my Tees and Signs embracing the ranching lifestyle!

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