Small School Big Opportunities

I’m sure some of you have heard me say that I thought I grew up in a small town until I met My Cowboy.  He came from a town of 600 people I had more then that in my high school. Cowboy had 14 people he graduated with, I had nearly 180. 

When we chose to return back to My Cowboy’s small town, I have to admit I had my concerns about the school experience for our children.  My perception was that in small schools you don’t have as many opportunities for a well rounded education.  I soon learned there are plenty of  opportunities, they’re just different.  Turns out, small schools are better then I could have ever imagined. 

In a small town school the first day jitters are not the same.  After all, by about 4th grade, everyone knows you and you know them- really well.  At least that’s what Miss O told me.  She didn’t need to worrying about who will be in your class those things are not a surprise. So, it’s not a big deal to have a new outfit the first day of school. 

In a small school you certainly already know your teacher, there isn’t a concern about which teacher you will get. One teacher per grade or class. We’re extremely fortunate to have amazing teachers in our school who care and go the extra mile to help the kids. I know that not all teachers are created equal and that’s not as easy to pass over in a small school. 

In a small school we may not have a full time art teacher. But our community knows the importance of creativity and we have an amazing arts council. In the coming weeks our school has an artist in residence that will work with our youth to help paint a mural downtown.  I will share that progress in a blog soon. 

In a small town the Senior boys drive their semi and stock trucks to the first day of school.  Yes, the lot has enough space for truck parking. I’m so proud of those boys and their clever showing of agriculture pride. 

In a small town school when your team makes it to the playoffs, the entire town attends the event not just the sport families! The team pride is felt throughout the community and everyone is included. 

I will be honest and say there are times I think my kids would enjoy some of the things a big school has to offer.  But then I think of the benefits we've experienced and those are important to making them who they are. So, yes it’s different then what our friends who go to big schools experience but different isn’t bad it’s just different. 

Not All Protein Created Equal

We’re not a normal family for many reasons, but one that I often have to remind myself is that we eat beef at almost every meal. I have a freezer full of meat that we raise ourselves.  It is the same beef that we raise for thousand’s of families to serve at their tables. But, I have to always stop and think that not every family eats beef like my family does. 

I strive like most moms to make sure my kids get a balanced diet. I am always thinking, did they eat enough fruit and vegetables today; how about milk, did they get enough calcium today; am I instilling these important eating habits that they will carry with them throughout their life? But one thing I don’t worry about is their protein intake because I know that feeding them beef means I am getting a big bang for my buck. Beef is packed with the good stuff that their bodies need.

Tumbleweed captured in fence on our farm

Not all protein is created equal.  Sure, I’ve found myself packing peanut butter sandwiches in lunches, thinking well that’s good enough for protein. But is it? When I look at this list, sure it is. All of these foods have 25 grams of protein. But, it’s not realistic for me to get my kids to eat 1 ¾ cups of black beans. I also have to admit that I’ve never even served Quinoa in my house. After all it’s related to the tumbleweed and where we come from that’s not food.

In a world that is concerned with kids and obesity this chart also explains the calories involved with getting 25 grams of protein. That is where not all proteins are created equal. The dietary guidelines have proposed to cut lean red meat out of our diets. Looking at this comparison of foods and calories, it takes twice the calories to get the same 25 grams of protein from beans and grains compared to lean beef.  

So what can you do? Take the time to comment on the proposed guidelines. This link takes you to the comment section, you can read what others have commented and the full proposal. Remember that you can make difference.  Comment period closes May 8th. 

Midnight Ride to the E.R.

I knew that Cowboy wasn't waking me up at 4:30 am to visit about my day.  This time of year I don't get to see Cowboy much, he's night calving so when he's in the house during the day- he sleeps.

Nope at 4:30 am the conversation will start like this: "Can You Come Help Me?"  Which can mean one of two things:
1) I need help outside with a cow calving
2) I'm bleeding

Unfortunately for me it was #2 last night.

Cowboy had went out to night check around 3:30 am and was helping a new mom 'with the finer points of motherhood' as he put it. Somehow in the process of holding the calf up close to her for it to nurse she showed him.  He got kicked in the head and tore his lip open.

Now a conversation I've had many times in my tenure with Cowboy is the "Should I go to the Emergency Room?" Which usually means if we are having that conversation the answer is YES! But second and third opinions are always welcomed.

Cowboy had woke me up for that opinion.  Now something you need to know about me is that I don't like blood.  Up until I met Cowboy I had only been to the emergency room once in my life- and it was to take some people who wreaked a pickup down the road from the ranch.  In the first two years I was dating Cowboy I went to the emergency room 3 times! Once right before we got married (that's another post).

Although I don't like blood I can usually hold myself together until we make it to the Emergency Room. Each time I have taken him in the staff and Doctor always ask me if I'm ok before tending to him! I must be a sight because he is the one usually bleeding.

It only took one glance with sleep still in my eyes at the cut for me to know an Emergency Room visit was his next stop.  We're so fortunate in our little community on the prairie to have an amazing hospital with staff that stitched him right up! He was in and out in a little over an hour.

He was home and dressed to go back outside to try again with the new mother before 6 am.  No rest for the tired or hurt when baby calves need to eat.

Let's hope that's our only visit to the E.R. this calving season. But, I fear we are just getting started...

Where I Come From We Rode In Trucks

It’s no secret that I have a crush on Luke Bryan but I also relate with this song. Pickup’s have been an important role in my life. 

I learned to drive on an old Blue Chevy ranch pickup. My dad felt it was absolute must that all ranch girls learn to drive ‘stick’ before leaning automatic. I had to put my foot under the clutch peddle to lift it off the floor and shift with two hands all at the same time.  Oh, and the shifter knob had long been replaced with a cue ball so I really had concentrate to remember what gear I was in. 

Certainly I think my dad did have an alternative motive for teaching me to drive the ranch pickup. There were plenty of times he would make me drive the 1 ton dully with glass packs and sometimes a trailer to high school to run errands for him after school. There was nothing more embarrassing to a girl hiding from her cowgirl legacy then driving that thing to school. Letting off the gas and hearing that BROOOM, BROOOM, BROOOM noise always made me just cringe. 

When I got to college, my sorority sister drove a little pregnant roller skate manual car, I was the only other sister who knew how to drive it and at times when she had too much at the bar and I didn’t, I would drive us home. I was amazed at how much fun it could be to drive a manual...this was not the ranch pickup!   I impressed by many a boy at college with my driving abilities. 

I have to tell you that when I met my Cowboy it was probably his cool pickup that may have sealed the deal with us. I had never dated a boy who drove a pickup and although he didn’t let me drive it, I was still impressed. 

The pickup tradition continues with my children. This spring during breading season the kids spent many an hours entertaining themselves in the back of the truck. This particular day the girls with their cousins were pretending they were in a pirate ship sailing the 7 seas...

Young Mr. Hadrick has the farmer drive already down. He is allowed to move the pickup around the yard from time to time. Look at the casual arm out the window and one hand on the wheel. Must be a dominate gene in the male farmer, this can’t be taught, its natural ability. 

Sometimes we clean our pickups up and take them to town. It’s a common occurrence to see a ranch pickup pulling a float in the 4th of July parade.

We also use the pickup for our office on any given day and sometimes I feel we live in it. Here I’m using it as a prep station for breeding cattle this spring. We are out on the prairire, It may be crude but it gets the work done. 

To this day some of my favorite memories as a child is in that old blue Chevy pickup and there is always a smile on my face when I’m driving my Cowboys 1 ton Dodge pickup and I hear that turbo windup...

Fall on the Farm

I took a moment to regroup this weekend and it occurred to me this weekend that fall has arrived.  Although the 90+ degree temps are odd for fall, the trees in the creek below my house have changed and that is certainly a big indicator.

The creek below our house

Other indicators that fall has arrived at the Hadrick House:

Corn Harvest has started. For this cowgirl, it's still a challenge to embrace the cropping side of the operation. To let you in on a little secret; seeing brown cornstalks in the field does not evoke happiness or excitement for me.  I know, can I really call myself a farmer?   This cowgirl, did offer to drive grain cart if needed- I'm not sure they will get that desperate. My Cowboy took a picture the other night. I had to text him to send this to me.  We don't see each other much this time of year...

Me with the weaned calves in the background

Weaning is done! I love to work cattle and to see calves adjusted well is a good feeling.  This morning I heard the tractor running outside of my office window. My Cowboy was busy doing chores. Although I have to say I hate how having chores everyday ties us down I do love seeing the calves grow.

We've also ultrasound the first group of cows. My Cowboy does all the ultrasounding for the farm. Using this technology helps us to determine what cows are pregnant and which ones are open (not pregnant).  In years like these where grass is short because of the drought.  We are able to sell those animals and stretch our feed resources a little further.

I'm excited to report that Morgan (T's heifer from last year) is pregnant! So, we will have another calf expected from her in the spring.

Young Mr. Hadrick has started football. He loves it! We went to his first game last night and he played some and he did really well for only a bit of football knowledge. He has practice twice a week and it's an indicator of what I have to look forward to as my children's schedule takes over mine.  Keep in mind that in our very rural community, there are not a lot of choices for youth activities. So I've been able to put off running the mom taxi like many of my friends in populated areas do all the time.

Fall is my favorite time of year and I'm excited it is here. I'm not excited about the snow flying yet- but I'm mentally preparing.

August Was For Australia

August was the month that My Cowboy and I were visited by our Australian friends. As we've traveled in Australia the past year we have always said to people if you get to the states we would love to host you.  Who knew they would actually take us up on it! Let's face it South Dakota is not on the beaten path. Just by pure coincidence, the ones wanting to come see us, all wanted to come in August.

We should have known some crazy Aussies would make the journey.  The one thing we learned while traveling in Australia is that many of the Aussie's have seen more of the states then most Americans.

David with my dad

David Maconochie is a great friend we met on our last trip down under.  David and his family run Hopkins River Beef in Victoria.  David had won the Young Feedlot producer award and was given a trip to America to tour feedlots. It just so happened he picked the exact time I was planning a feedlot tour for my job so he was able to influence lots of South Dakotan's with his Aussie views.  David's blog, Aussie Beef Boy details his trip to America and his views of the beef industry.

David and I spent a memorable trip driving across Kansas and he even made it up to South Dakota to do a little R&R in the before moving on. There are so many memorable things about David's trip that we continue to laugh and can't wait to see him again.

While out on the road David and I were able to meet up with two very special friends.  Angus Street & Elly Daley. Angus and Elly served as our tour guides while in Australia and we love them. They were both mixing business with pleasure on their US trip and were unable to get up to South Dakota to spend time at the Hadrick place but were able to meet up for supper in Denver one night. You may notice that My Cowboy was not in the picture.  He was home working while I was out having fun.

Angus, Me, Elly, and David

August finished out with our last visit from Ray & Leah Vella. Ray is a Nuffield scholar and is spent 6 weeks in North America learning more about land and farm management. Ray has a great blog about his travels and life in Australia.

We had visited Ray & Leah at their place in Queensland on our last trip. We were able to spend a short day with them and their wonderful family at their house.  These crabs are from the ocean that their land touches. They were amazing! Leah and I hit it off right away.  I really admire her for the rural life she leads and homeschooling her oldest child while balancing the two younger children.  Leah has to homeschool her son because of how far they live from town.

Vella's had been on the road for almost a month when they arrived in South Dakota. We were so excited that they were able to spend a few days with us.  I paraded Leah through the schools for show and tell and Ray helped install a new fence at the feedlot. It was great to catch up with them and look forward to the time when we can get back to their place and spend some time.

Me, Leah, Ray, My Cowboy

So, to all our Aussie friends that have not been here- the spare room is ready! Fall is coming on- so you might want to wait until spring it's a much better experience when it's not cold. Can't wait to see you!