Recently I made a trip to North Dakota to catch up with a tour group of Argentine cattle producers who were visiting cattle ranches in the U.S. After a windy day spent on the dry prairie of North Dakota I was greeted that night by two photos in my email inbox that were a reminder […]
Ramblings
Ag Headlines
In early November (before the election) I had the opportunity to speak to the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce’s Ag & Natural Resources Committee. Here is a recap of my talking points. Ag Headlines Presented by Codi Vallery-Mills, editor of The Cattle Business Weekly What’s Making Ag News? Election 2016 Volatile Markets Trade […]
Isn’t that odd?
Do you read the “Best Days To…” in the Farmers Almanac? It is the part of the Almanac where they tell you what day is best to do certain things. It is based on the moon’s phases. Like Feb. 10-11 were good days for livestock breeding. Feb. 17-18 were the best days to castrate animals. […]
Blessed Christmas
A winter storm is blowing in and we are just a few days away from Christmas. The thought of a snowy white Christmas pleases me. The goodies have all been baked, the shopping is all done, the tree has been decorated for weeks. Christmas has been stress free this year and for that I am […]
South Dakota Cattlemen’s Media Award
This week I was honored to receive the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association Media Award. I have worked for just over 10 years in the state’s ag industry reporting on the news and happenings of its producers. To be recognized for my efforts so early on in my career is humbling. Simply humbling. – Codi Vallery-Mills
October – A month of purpose
By Codi Vallery-Mills This month, in two completely different settings, I was asked the question, “What is your purpose?” The first time the question was posed it was from North Dakota State University’s Dr. Gerald Stokka, DVM who was speaking at the South Dakota Women in Ag’s annual fall conference. He asked the room full […]
Keeping Time
The kitchen clock ticked away keeping beat to an ancestral song. It grew fainter and then came back strong, like dramatic music in a suspense movie, the audience waiting for the crescendo. The clock didn’t seem to care that it was midmorning and nothing of importance was happening. It beat on, striking down living moments […]
Something “good” to write about
The past month I have had the privilege to report on a group from Alabama who raised funding this past winter to bring heifers to ranchers in South Dakota who were impacted by Storm Atlas. The Lauderdale Jr. Cattlemen’s Assocation had the goal of bringing heifers to S.D. and for they themselves to travel to […]
Plastic Flowers
By Codi Vallery-Mills Novices stumble in search of their markers, and fuss over what looks right. The well practiced sit down in silent remembrance. A husband steps out of his pickup and surveys the sea of plastic flowers and American flags. He grabs his own offering from the cab seat, a small bundle of fragrant yellow […]
Why the estate tax matters to farmers
As we approach the end of the year lots of political dander is floating through the air on a variety of topics. Included is the estate tax. The Federal Estate Tax is designed to tax a certain amount of the estate left behind by someone who has recently passed. Currently people are able to gift/exempt […]