Thanksgiving: Thank a Farmer

As Thanksgiving approaches, homes across the United States will be filled with family, football, love, and delicious food. Did you know: the average household in America spends over $300 on the ingredients for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner? When I think about my family’s traditions, that number doesn’t come as a shock.

My grandma usually starts prepping the meal WEEKS prior to the special holiday. She makes lists of exactly what she will cook, the places she’ll shop, and the amount of each ingredient she needs to purchase. As a homesick college student, I’m already excited to smell and experience the taste of her homemade rolls, 7-up jello salad, green bean casserole, and of course…the turkey.

Now, those are just some of my favorite dishes that Gram makes. I do realize, not every fam.….actually, my family is probably the only one that makes a 7-Up Jello Salad. Still, there are “staple” dishes for a Thanksgiving meal that we’ve ALL probably eaten in our lives. These are things like turkey, sweet potatoes, rolls, and the infamous green bean casserole.

I was reading up on some “Thanksgiving Statistics” from the USDA Census and some of the numbers blew my mind. So, I thought I would share them with you.

Did you know, the United States produces 2.4 billion pounds of sweet potatoes…just for Thanksgiving dinner?

What's you favorite way to eat sweet potatoes?

Even more shocking – over 856 million pounds of cranberries are produced for the holiday.

Admit it: when you see these commercials, you just want to swim in the bog. Or is that just me?

The United States agricultural industry produces over 650,000 tons of green beans JUST for Thanksgiving dinners. That’s a lot of casseroles, if you ask me.

"I brought the green bean casserole!"

1.06 billion pounds of pumpkin are produced to fulfill our sweet teeth.

And finally,

242 million turkeys are raised, cooked, and placed at the center of our tables.

The average turkey purchased at Thanksgiving weighs 15 pounds.

None of this could happen without the hard work and dedication of our American farmers. As the backbone of our country, they work 365 days a year to produce the food on our plates. While many of us have this special holiday off work and school, a farmer never gets to request a day off.

So, when you sit down at the dinner table and praise the Lord for all that you’ve been blessed with; don’t forget to thank a farmer. 

God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!

Top 10 Reasons to Livestock Judge in College

As I’m finishing up my junior collegiate livestock judging career, I can’t help but reflect on my journey that led me to this point. I have a huge passion for livestock judging, but what if I told you there was a moment a few years back when I almost quit?

To most people who have taken on the challenge of livestock judging, this probably isn’t a shock. The ‘sport’ certainly has its challenges and it takes an endless time commitment to be competitive. People quit every day. I wanted to quit because of that. By my senior year of high school, all of the individuals that I began judging with had quit. I remember being frustrated that there was no way my “team” could be any good…because I didn’t even have a team!

That’s when a very wise person told me, “You’ve always dreamed of livestock judging in college, so don’t quit. Work on being competitive individually and don’t worry about a team score. College is completely different. It’s better. Trust me.” In the end, we all know how my decision ended. I persevered and judged all the way through high school and into college. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life and I encourage ANYONE and EVERYONE to stick with it. People ask me all the time: What’s judging like in college? That’s a very difficult question to answer, so I’ve drafted the Top 10 Reasons to Livestock Judge in College. Here they are:

10. Traveling

Whether it’s 10 minutes down the road to practice, or a plane ticket across the country to compete in a national contest, we’re constantly traveling. I can’t even comprehend the number of towns and states that my boots have stepped in. Each place my team goes is a new adventure. There’s always something waiting for us.

9. The Best Livestock Shows

Along with traveling, livestock judging in college gives the opportunity to experience the best stock shows in the country. Don’t get me wrong, county and state fairs are awesome too…but the American Royal and the North American International Livestock Exposition blow them out of the water! Anyone who has a passion for agriculture should experience these at least once in his or her life.

American Royal, Kansas City, MO

8. Scholarships

Just like athletes get recruited for scholarships, livestock judging works the same way. When you move away from home to go to college, scholarships become your best friend.

cost of living + college tuition + social life = one broke student

Trust me on this one. Plus, it’s always nice to get rewarded for something you’re passionate about.

7. Friends for a lifetime

Because of judging, I now have 5 friends that I truly care about and would do anything for. No doubt, my team had our disagreements and there were times when we didn’t enjoy being around another. But, when you spend every day and weekend practicing and traveling together, you’re bound to connect in some way. My team is constantly smiling and laughing. I’m blessed to have met them.

6. Coaches

I’ll be honest, most of the time we’re laughing about our coach. He’s quite the character…to say the least. #6 on my list is coaches because they are incredible. Not only are they livestock-enthusiasts, but also they’re just genuine people who care about the future of students. My coach’s door is always open to vent, ask for advice, or get assistance with anything I’m struggling in.

5. Learn to Evaluate

If you think you’re the best livestock evaluator since sliced bread, college will prove you wrong. I’ve learned more about the livestock industry in junior college than I have over my entire life! If you really want to learn something about cattle, sheep, goats, or swine, this is the place to be.

4. Become a Communicator

Reasons. We’ve all been at that age or skill level when we’ve despised giving a set of oral reasons. Being accurate, using a format, applying correct/fresh terminology, and wrapping it all up into a perfect presentation is hard. Now multiply that by 8 because that’s how many sets of reasons are in a collegiate national contest. Do you remember that old saying, “practice makes perfect?” It definitely applies here. We’ve given hundreds of sets of reasons and now, they’re probably the easiest part of the contest. The communication skills that are gained in livestock judging are undeniable. You’ll use them for the rest of your life.

3. World’s Best Livestock

Remember #9 (The Best Livestock Shows)? Well, once you’ve learned how to evaluate and communicate, you can appreciate the quality of livestock there. Just this past weekend, one of my teammates and I were walking through the cattle barn at the NAILE and we were blown away by this Angus Bull we saw. About an hour later, he won Grand Champion Angus Bull in the show. By traveling to producer’s barns to practice and to contests alone, I’ve seen some of the best livestock in the country. That’s pretty cool.

2. Life Gave Me Lemons…

This one’s probably the most important to me. As I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve come to admire the places that God has brought me to. I know that every opportunity I’ve had was because of Him. God is constantly working in our lives to bring us to the perfect place, so listen to Him! He won’t disappoint and He won’t turn away. Don’t pass up the opportunity that’s right in front of you. I had the opportunity to livestock judge in college, so I did. No, my team and I weren’t ‘National Champions’ Still, I don’t regret it one bit.

1. …And more lemons are being harvested.

So, we were given lemons and we made lemonade. Now what? Drink it and make more! I’ve seen my junior college career as a gateway for the rest of my life. Between the places I’ve gone and the people I’ve met, my doors are huge. The skills I’ve developed will be used forever. Think of livestock judging as your turn in a game of chess. Where will you go next?

Whether you’re just starting out or if you consider yourself a veteran in the livestock judging sport, don’t give up. Don’t quit. I’ve been in your shoes and I’ve experienced the challenges in development to be competitive. Have faith and believe in yourself.

First Day of School - Featuring National Coffee Day

My "First Day of School Pic" - for you Gram and Momma!

Well, another year has passed and the first day of school has come and gone. Once again, I can’t believe summer is already over! It seems like the summer season ends faster each year.

Growing up as an ag kid, the first day of school meant so many different things to me. No, it wasn’t as exciting as it was for Nemo.

Still, I always saw it as a way to make the most of my education. Tending to fields and taking care of livestock taught me to always try my best. Here is an incomplete list of what school means to an ag kid.

Been there, done that

From driving (through the hay fields) to doing simple addition (by measuring grain and hay), I always had more experience than the other ‘city kids’ in my classes. I was taught valuable life skills at an early age, so school seemed to come easy to me.

 

Early (or should I say “earlier”) Mornings

Believe it or not, there are some kids who don’t sleep in. Ag kids. School starting just means that we have to wake up even earlier to get our chores done before class. Whether it’s feeding livestock, irrigating, rinsing our cattle, or milking the cows, it still has to get done.  Every now and then, I would get lucky and my Papa would let me keep my head on the pillow for just a bit longer. But, for the most part, it was alarms every morning!

Late(r) Nights

On the opposite end, it also meant my head hit the pillow later at night. Like I said, we still have to do our chores. But, when school starts…so does homework. I got home from school, went to the barn, worked with my livestock, fed and watered the animals, came inside, had dinner with the family, annnnnnddddddd thennnnnn got to do my homework. Farmers and ranchers don’t get a day off.

Having to Clean Boots

Lucky for my boots, starting school meant they got a nice cleaning. Nothing’s worse than walking into a classroom and having manure glued to the bottom of your shoes. I’ll let your imagination do the work on this one.

Friends!

I always loved starting school because it meant I finally got to spend time with my friends! For most students, this resembled summertime. But for me, I was always so busy working on the farm, I never got to just "hang out" all day. School was a time for me to spend this time together.

Probably what my friends secretly thought of me

Missing School

Ironically, starting school for an ag kid means missing school. Sounds confusing – but let me explain. Ag kids are some of the most involved students in the community. Starting school meant traveling to livestock shows, FFA competitions, and whatever else came up. Just today, I’ve informed my teachers about numerous days I’ll be missing class for my livestock judging team.

Also ironically, my first day of school happened to be National Coffee Day! Surprisingly, I only drank 3 cups today. But, they were much needed. Without farmers, we wouldn’t have this delicious drink in our lives. Below are some fun facts about coffee. I hope you’re enjoying your education as much as I am. Don’t forget to THANK A FARMER!

Awards for a Lifetime

I started showing livestock competitively when I was about eight years old. Back then, I LOVED Reserve Champion ribbons. Having shiny, pink, silky ribbons cover my wall was all that I wanted. People had to constantly remind me that “the purple ones are better” and that I should strive for the ‘champion’ title rather than ‘reserve.’ Of course, as I grew older, I quickly grasped this concept. Purple became my favorite color.

As my years progressed, my walls became covered in signs, pictures, and of course, these ribbons. Eventually, I started running out of space and the boring, plain ribbons got moved to boxes, while the bigger, more creative ones got displayed in my room.

My life revolved around the next livestock show. My heart ached to have the judge shake my hand and smiles covered my face each time I was handed a rosette, banner, big check, or belt buckle.

I know what you’re probably thinking: “Oh poor little Emily. So successful, so perfect, so spoiled.” Trust me, I’ve heard them all. The problem is, everyone’s fighting his or her own battle. Mine was success. Until a few months ago, I believed that I had to win everything. I thought I had to make a name for myself – for people to love me and to be proud of me.

Thankfully, I’ve learned that’s not the case. Ephesians 2:8 reads, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” …not from yourselves… It’s always been a hard concept for me to grasp. Throughout the year, God really taught me that my identity doesn’t consist of what I’ve won. My identity is that He loves me and that people love me. I don’t have to earn love.

Still, showing livestock helped shaped me into who I am today. But I felt like I needed to let go of my old identity of selfish pride. I ended up getting rid of my big banners, checks, and signs. They’re currently being stored in my old room in Eagle Point, OR. My collection of belt buckles is piled up in a crate sitting on my dresser. For the longest time, I didn’t know what to do with my rosettes. They’re full of memories, lessons, and passions through my childhood.

Then, Pinterest hit me. I got a $0.99 poster board, drew and cut out a heart, and then proceeded to tape the rosettes onto it. I folded the parts that say ‘champion’ behind each emblem. All, except for one. The one in the middle I kept out. Not because it says “Grand Champion,” but because it’s the only gold one that also says “Jackson County Fair.”

My Pinterest Creation

The Jackson County Fair is what my life revolved around. I bought, fed out, trained, and showed each and every lamb, hog, goat, heifer, or steer…just for this fair. Most of all, it’s at this fair where I learned the most. Yes, I learned in the show ring everywhere I went. But most of what I learned, and cherish today, was taught outside of the show ring. I learned about feeding and training animals. I learned about each specie’s industry. I learned that 4-H is about community and service – being part of something bigger than myself. I made friends and had mentors that I still admire today.

Yes, banners are pretty, big checks are cool, and buckles are flashy. But in reality, the banners will end up in the garage, the money gets spent, and you can only wear one buckle at a time. What matters today are the memories you make, the lessons you learn, and how you love one another.

Don’t be disappointed if you end up last in your market class or don’t get chosen to receive the “Grand Champion Master Showman” rotating trophy. My name’s engraved on there multiple times and I can tell you that today, on June 26, 2014…it doesn’t matter.

So, as you head to your county fair this summer – what’s your goal? How do you want to remember this part of your life? What will you cherish? What matters forever?