Helping hands. Thank goodness for those who are willing to help others. It’s summer time in cattle country and that means a host of activities are happening on and off the ranch for cattlemen and women. Kids are working with their livestock show projects. Everyone is trying to squeeze out a hay crop, cattle producers […]
What I do
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 […]
To the Weekend Warriors
Rain showers are drizzling down my office window. The countryside is turning green. Brandings and turnout dates are filling up the family calendar. Spring is here. My family has freeze branded replacement heifers, is wrapping up calving and is just starting to put tractors in the fields. I reflected back recently on the time my […]
Science in agriculture
DNA. It’s what makes us who we are. Strands of genomic mysteries that tell us whether our hair will be red, or our eyes blue, are kept within DNA. Our Kimber girl seems to have a double shot of “rock hound” in her DNA passed on to her through her grandmothers Jeanette and Rhonda. Visitors […]
No regrets, just grace
We are a few days off of 2017 and I for one am glad to see the backside of 2016. I will be quite frank in telling you this year has been a struggle for me. There were a few shining moments in 2016, but for the most part it was one of those years […]
November: That Happened
Are there words to sum up November? I want to praise and cuss the Lord in the same sentence. I keep coming back to the phrase “That happened.” The internet defines the saying as “a sarcastic expression used in online discussions to call out overly exaggerated claims or tall tales that are often passed around […]
Husker the Mule returns for second children’s book
Husker the Mule returns for second children’s book Book signing on Nov. 25 in Belle Fourche A fun and kind red mule is making his second appearance in book no. 2 of the children’s series Husker the Mule by author Codi Vallery-Mills of Sturgis, S.D. Husker the Mule: Does His Chores is to be released […]
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 […]
Who’s Feeding the World? Not us.
An interesting article came out from the Environmental Working Group came out in October. Please refrain from throwing this column in the garbage right now just because I mentioned EWG, and hear me out. While EWG has ruffled my feathers more than a few times on ag issues, I found this article to be insightful. […]
Who will the farm go to?
There was a fair bit of windshield time for me this June as I looped through the state. I attended Faulkton’s Women’s Ag Day, the SD Governor’s Ag Summit and planning sessions with the South Dakota Women in Ag group in which I am a part of. Intermingled with those events, there has been windshield time […]