County Fair - Making Memories and Making a Difference

July 19, 2016 by Real Farmwife On The County Line in Livestock

The local county fair is always a highlight of summer for our family. Nestled in the outskirts of a small prairie town, folks meet up to support the local youth's efforts in 4-H, sit back for three nights of rodeo entertainment, brave the carnival rides, take in the mud drags, and enjoy the best of concession stand specials. The kids explore the fairgrounds with their old friends and make new friends along the way.

Behind all of this fun is a lot of work - mostly volunteer work. By the end of the fair, eyes are heavy after days of early mornings, late nights, and weather that can range from cold and rainy to blistering heat. But this work is fun.

Earth Day on a Nebraska Farm

April 21, 2016 by Real Farmwife On The County Line in Grain

April 22nd is Earth Day. Having lived on a farm nearly all of my life, I feel a strong connection to nature on a daily basis. Whether it’s the spectacular sunrises and sunsets of the Great Plains, the landscapes that change with the seasons, acres of healthy growing crops, cattle grazing in the pasture or the red-tailed hawks flying overhead – there’s always something beautiful to be discovered.

Winter Work on the Farm

January 05, 2016 by Real Farmwife On The County Line in Grain, Livestock

Are farmers busy in the winter? Yes. We may be outside of the growing season, but there’s plenty of winter work, especially on a grain farm with livestock. Here’s what the season looks like on my farm:

Time of the Season: Winter Wheat in Early Spring

April 17, 2015 by Taylor Thompson in Grain

After a few seemingly endless months of winter on the Great Plains, the sight of green on the landscape is a beacon of hope that warmer days are just around the corner.

Although a few cool season weeds in my yard almost sneak past my attention undetected, it’s tough to ignore an entire field of winter wheat greening up. It seems to take at least another month for the rest of the countryside to come back to life.

Sold! Front Seat to a Bull Sale

April 13, 2015 by Taylor Thompson in Livestock

Our neighbors hosted their annual bull sale in March. Selecting the right bull for the herd lays the groundwork for raising good cattle. Good genetics in the bull translate into good traits in the next generation of calves.

How Farmers Buy Seed

March 18, 2015 by Taylor Thompson in Grain

One of the first signs of spring is the arrival of a garden catalog in the mailbox. Fantasizing about picking crisp green cucumbers on a warm summer evening is the perfect antidote to a cold, windy day.

Mr. Corn Farmer often reminds me that he’s a bigger and better gardener than I am. It’s true, but selecting seed for our farm is no fantasy. It’s serious stuff.

Nights at the Cow Palace

February 24, 2015 by Taylor Thompson in Livestock

At 12:15 a.m., I know that my husband will wake up to check heifers who are about to calve. Sometimes he lets me sleep; sometimes he takes me along.

I know he’ll get his coveralls and boots on faster than me. I know that the pickup truck will be cold until we get down the road a mile and a half to the calving barn, “The Cow Palace,” and the calving pasture. By the time the truck is warmed up, it’s time to get out. A windy twenty degrees at night is bone chilling.

Time of the Season: Calving

February 17, 2015 by Taylor Thompson in Livestock

Is there anything better than watching baby calves kick up their heels in the sunshine? For us, that’s one of the favorite things we see on the farmscape.

There’s no doubt that baby farm animals are just plain cute, but we know that from a herd health standpoint that calves who race around with tails straight up in the air are feeling good. It’s always fun to watch the antics and energy of little ones, but also reassuring that all is well. We breathe a sigh of relief, for we know that treating sick calves can be an uphill battle.

Predicament at the Pump

February 07, 2015 by Taylor Thompson in Grain

When I fuel up my vehicle, I use an ethanol blend without any second thoughts. But what if I wasn’t a farmer?

There are two main schools of thought right now on ethanol. While ethanol industry promotes it, the petroleum industry promotes fear of it.

A reduction in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and some members of Congress. The RFS is legislation that sets targets for blending ethanol with gasoline. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a reduction of 1.4 billion gallons.