Dear Daddy,

Dear Daddy,

We miss you a lot.  We wish Nebraska was closer to Ohio.  We know you are working hard finishing a home for us and getting a head start on the EQIP project. Mom told us that we got a few more loads of cattle, that is exciting! We are enjoying the pictures you send. Did you buy a horse?

We can't lie, we have spent most of our time goofing off. We have already seen three movies this summer.  Two of them were outside. We have been swimming a lot.  We have made a lot of new friends and had lunch with some old ones.  We even got invited to go to Bible School this past weekend with some of our new friends.  One night we got to stay overnight at Grammy's.   Grandpa Jim tried to talk us into sleeping in a bed. We don't think he understands the idea of a "camp out", you know when you sleep on the floor in a Tinkerbell sleeping bag.  He did stay up late with us to watch reruns of Duck Dynasty, because he is fun like that.

We have been trying to teach Chip to ride in the wagon, because Jag won't participate in our adventures.  But, they both got sprayed by a skunk, so we don't play with them anymore.

We have been working on our Cloverbud 4-H projects.  We are really good at the cinnamon toast lesson, yesterday we made Jason cinnamon toast in bed.  (He didn't get home to really late from the Kenny Chesney concert)

This week we are staying with Grandma JoEllen. We are also celebrating our country's birthday without you.  Please hurry and get your work done and come back and get us, we are ready to be with you in Nebraska.

Love,
Your girls

Reviewing my parenting ideas and adding 4-H Cloverbuds.

I often reflect on our parenting strategies, reviewing any major life altering mistakes we have made and then looking into the future and visualizing where we need to end up.  Jacie is 8 now and I believe we need to be focusing on life skills.
She is becoming an outstanding reader and I am happy after doing an extra workbook on her own over Christmas Break in the area of math she is doing much better in the math department. I also send thanks to my friend Barb and her introduction of the Stack the States game on the IPAD, Jacie now knows all the 50 states and several facts about each.
However we have some work to do in the area of life skills.  With all of the mandatory testing we cannot expect teachers to teach these skills.  I really don't think politicians will ever consider basic life skills important enough to put on a test.  They think we all eat out, have housekeepers and people who change our oil.  I don't know who they think will do this for them, if no one is trained.  At any rate we are beginning the 4-H Cloverbud program this summer.  Jacie is taking the Road to Cooking Project.  We had an old book, which I believe will be very similar to this years so this weekend we did lesson one in the old book.  The first lesson includes a scavenger hunt for different cooking equipment in your very own kitchen.  It also includes cleaning celery, cutting celery and putting peanut butter in the celery with raisins on top. With the help of only her sister, this became an hour long activity, that was all fun.  Ok there was a little squealing over putting the peanut butter in the celery as it ended up on her fingers and did not look as neat as she had hoped.  

Keep on dreaming, even if it breaks your heart.

Lounging this evening, as Jake and I watch CMT's - the Kenny Chesney story.  It is so inspiring for someone to tell their story with honesty.  He is telling about not reaching his goals in the timetable he wanted. He talks about working hard and the success that didn't come.  I have a friend that was very successful through her 4-H career and many people were jealous of her awards.  As her and I sat one evening at the end of our showing careers talking about this, she said that just because she was featured on the front page of the local paper with her winning projects, doesn't mean she had succeeded at everything she had set out to do.  She said "they didn't picture my one nutted ram with a red ribbon at the county fair, in the paper".  So true!

Jake and I were talking about how much this applies to everyone's life. Musicians, athletes, farmers, ranchers, car salesmen, students, lawyers and teachers.
Then we were talking about this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJzPj-yWDU4

We began our ongoing conversation about our goals and where we are going and what we want to accomplish.  The dream/goals we have for operating a successful feed yard, is similar to Kenny's story.
Kenny laughed as he talked about being booked to sing in a club for $750.00 and when they arrived no one showed up. I told Jake that is like having an empty pen at feed yard.

His story inspires me to dream.  It always feels to me September is like my January 1st.  In January "they" always try to get you to set goals and resolutions, but with teacher blood running through my veins I feel September feels more appropriate.  Does anyone else feel this way?  If so what are you dreaming about?

Keep on dreaming, even if it breaks your heart!

Perry County Fair - Carcass Results and Sale

The carcass results were announced and the Limousin steer I had loved to hate all summer was gaining some of my respect back as it barely made it into the Choice Quality Grade, grading Low Choice.  That's great I'll take it.  The carcass weighed 780 pounds, with .32 inches of back fat and an above average ribeye area of 13.2 inches.  This would arguably be the best eating steer at the fair that year.  It would also be labeled as the 1996 Perry County Fair Grand Champion Carcass Steer.

Sale day came and I knew we would be getting a few extra dollars, now that this steer had landed in the Champion spot.  Since all of our livestock sales money would go into one account and divided between the 6 of us equally.  I turned toward the auctioneer who was most likely Ron Kreis, Doug Leith, or Todd Woodruff as he read the Carcass data.  I turned back around to face the people who had sat there for my entire Perry County Sale years and beyond.  The NFO sat down front to the left, Jeff McGee clear back in the back standing, Libbie Wyer buying for McDonalds in the back row of the bleachers. Politicians and local business owners packed that hot coliseum to support the local youth. The auction started. Oh how I love the sound of a good auctioneer.

To my right just out barely in the barn was Tim Cotterman of TC Market.  He had bought numerous animals through the sale at the Perry County Fair.  I assume because he was a 4-H member and sold through this very sale ring.  Maybe because he has a locally famous grocery store owner with a tremendous meat case and wanted to advertise. It may have been because along with this busy and rewarding summer Tim had employed me and I was working my first summer job in the grocery store he owned. The auctioneer was taking bids from Tim and soon the auction was over and Tim had bought the Grand Champion Carcass steer.  

Auctioneers often give a speech at livestock auctions that says that kids may forget how much they got from their animal, but they aren't soon to forget the buyer.  Isn't that the truth?

  

Thanks Tim for purchasing so many of our animals at the Perry County Fair and also for my first summer job!

Perry County Fair - Market Lambs

I never actually showed lambs, but it seemed like all my friends did.  In 1996 it was the last year of 4-H for one of my best friends from high school. Jackie Stoltz had won everything you could have won with a sheep at the Perry County Fair except Guys and Gals Lead and I don't think she ever entered that.  You would have to ask her why she never wanted to model wool and lead a sheep.

I was crowned Fair Queen and she had won Grand Champion Sheep for the last time.  It was going to be a history making picture (for us anyway). We let these other people be in our picture since they paid her so much for her Grand Champion Market Lamb.

 

Perry County - Market Steer Show

I have always said there are two things no one ever asked me if I wanted to do.
1. If I wanted to go to church.
2. If I wanted to show cattle.

It was always assumed that I would do both.  So every Sunday you would find our entire family in the second to last row at the Somerset United Methodist Church.  Every July you would find our entire family in the beef barn at the Perry County Fair.  I might add the Sunday of the fair was one of four Sundays we would not be in Church.

Showing cattle started with my Dad and Uncle John when they began in 4-H.

This is my Dad, Jim Poorman showing at the Perry County Fair in 1967.

Twenty years later in 1987 in mid July I showed my first market steer and breeding heifer at the Perry County Fair.

Thank you Dad for my start in the beef industry.

Perry County Fair - Queen Contest

Growing up and watching a queen be crowned every year of the Perry County Fair, became a tradition and then a goal.  In 1996 I interviewed to be the next Perry County Fair Queen.  I thought the competition was particularly tough that year.  The two other girls making the top three were from the rival high school and we had competed for years in 4-H and FFA.  There really was no way to tell who would come out on top.

 
Although they announced weeks in advance who would be in the top three, you had to wait until opening night of the fair to see who would be crowned.  The day of the interviews I was driving the square baler all afternoon. I spent most of the day thinking about what the judges would ask and what would be an appropriate answer and then what might be the best answer.

The night finally came for the Queen to be announced.  I was feeling lucky to have been named the 1996 Perry County Fair Queen. Brad Dennis's name was announced as the King and that would be a neat piece of history made.  Brad and I were both members of a very small 4-H Club called the Cow Kids.

Janet Koehler donated our trophies as she had done for many other Queens and Kings.

The unfortunate part of being the Queen is the wardrobe.  The usual cattle washing attire does not cut it for the week of the fair as the Queen.  However whatever you wear all week, you still have to care for your animals and look nice for appearances and photos.  This is quite the challenge.  There is also no local mall, therefore when the queen is crowned you had to have clothes in your closet. In the late 90's that meant colored Wranglers for me.

There are movies that make a mockery of the County Fair Queen title and country songs that mention it.  However for a girl who loved the county fair, it was a dream.  After all becoming the Fair Queen in 1996 meant behind the scenes passes, free fair food, pictures with the Champions, a front seat pass to the sale, tractor pull, demolition derby (this would be a first for me).  It would also mean a long tired week of appearances at every event and the usual busy week with your own projects.

The following year was my final year in 4-H. My brother Jason and cousin Jodi were running for fair King and Queen.  It was exciting to be a part of the special evening together.

Me, Jason (who got me into this) and Jodi

Brad and I made our way to the stage to give up our titles to the next lucky people.

The 1997 Fair Queen would be Carly Snider and the Fair King would be Brandon Snider. Unfortunately neither Jason or Jodi were announced as the winners.  However Jodi was the 1999 Fair Queen and Jason I think may have escaped a title he may not have wanted.

Perry County Fair - Beef Carcass Contest

The Perry County Fair starts this week.  This was the most important event of the entire summer in our youth.  We spent the summer preparing for it and the week long event was full of competition, arguing, water fights food, showing, winning and losing, friends and family.

The Limousin beef breed is known for not being able to easily make the Choice Quality Grade.  The Limousin breed is also know to not be the most docile breed.  In fact someone who will remain nameless said "giving your kids a halter of a Limousine is similar to giving them a loaded hand gun".  With all of those things shared in the summer of 1997 my final year in 4-H, my cousin Jodi and I showed up with two Limousin steers to the carcass show.

Although I didn't know it at the time, but after spending a year on The Ohio State University Livestock Judging Team, this would have to be a judging nightmare.  The judge Terry Blythe in this case had to not only decide which steers would be slaughtered and judged for carcass merit, but they also had to be placed live.  At this time the live placing weighed into the final calculation for Grand Champion Carcass.  In my eleventh and final year of 4-H and headed to The Ohio State University in September, I was not calculating to see if I could be the Champion.  However I was hoping to push another animal through the generous Perry County Fair Livestock Sale to help pay for books.



My carcass steer had been a nightmare to work with all summer and was living up to every stereotype set for the Limousin breed and poor behavior.  Jodi and I had worked equally with our steers and her steer was calm most of the time.  I was hoping no one would get hurt by mine. I also secretly dreamed I could personally lead it on the trailer after the carcass contest.  I had been beat up by him long enough.

I wonder today what would have been going through the judges mind.  Hand fed steers usually grade better than cattle fed in the pen, because you have more control over individual diet.  Limousin cattle usually have remarkable yield grade and should have an above average ribeye area.  Basically if these steers would grade, things would be great.  The question for the judge, is he willing to take the chance.  Jodi and I both made the cut, thankfully. I was elated, this one decision would guarantee my second animal in the sale. They were loaded on the trailer and like us, you will have to wait until later in the week to see the outcome. 

Small Town - Independence Day

If you celebrated Independence Day in a small town - what a blessing it is. We celebrated Friday night having a great cookout with fellow agriculturalists and a great fireworks display let off by the daring farm "boys" at a local farmer's shop in the middle of a corn field. The girls were introduced to sparklers and patriotic tattoos.

On Saturday we went to the Somerset Parade and it was fantastic.  This parade is a celebration of Independence Day. It also is a showcase of the veterans, local High School Band, local politicians, churches, 4-H clubs, and fellow Americans. At one point during the parade in front of the United Methodist Church where I was baptized a tractor pulling a float noticed they had a flat tire and pulled off to unhook their float.  A couple floats back was a 4-H group that said "hey, just hook on and we'll pull you". How small town American is that?

We then all headed to the park for lunch. After lunch we went to my cousin Jamie's house for some AC, a water slide, and some of us a nap.

Later we went back to the park for the kiddie tractor pull and fireworks.

It was spectacular watching fireworks in a town that has so much history and to celebrate Independence Day with neighbors, friends and family.

Thanks for the great weekend!

Summer Fun - Goat Show

We just arrived home from a wonderful evening watching my good friend Tracy Dendinger judge the Harrison County Goat Show.  She is an Agriculture Education teacher and Sheep breeder and does an excellent job judging and coaching young 4-H and FFA members.  Watching her judge in a very interactive way is more like watching a clinic than a show. I was able to sit with Jacie and Jaelin and we learned a lot about goats.  Jaelin;s first question was of course when are the cattle coming out.  I had to explain that this wasn't a steer show.  We clearly need to introduce more species to her.  Jacie had a lot of questions including what happens to the goats after they are shown.

The girls enjoyed a Lemon Shake-Up from the caged bleacher area.  Jake and I really enjoyed this seating option. They thought being fed through the cage was like bottle feeding calves.

They then decided they wanted front row seats to finish their Shake-Up and enjoy the lemons.

Watching Tracy's passion for education in the show ring is inspiring. 

The girls took at least 100 pictures of Tracy judging.  Most of the pictures do not include her head.  However I will share this picture taken by Jacie.

Thanks Tracy for inviting us to watch.  It was a wonderful family experience and the girls learned a lot.

4-H - summer fun, that helped make us who we are today.

I don't have a single childhood summer memory that doesn't involve 4-H.  My cousin Jamie and I were talking and as we were trying to gather some Poorman Farm History, she came up with this and sent it to me to share with you.  - Thanks Jamie

4-H FABLE

There once was a boy who won ribbons, mostly blue

Came home from the fair with a big trophy too.

With a voice glad and proud He said to his Dad,

"Tis the very best year that I've had."

Said his very wise Dad, "Son, I'd like to hear,

Why you think that this was such a very fine year."

Why, Dad you well know all the prizes I've won;

How I've come out on top in most things I've done.

"Just look at the ribbons that hang on my wall.

And think of the money I've made since last fall.

From premium checks and a big auction price,

You can't help but think cash and ribbons are nice."

But the man said, "My son you're not thinking right,

Blue ribbons, 'tis true are better than white;

But ribbons will fade and trophies grow old,

Money's soon spent and fame soon grows cold.

The important things, Son,

Are not ribbons or pins,

And sometimes it's really the loser who wins;

Now here are the things most important, it's true,

Your 4-H experience has accomplished for you.

You've seen how a business meeting is run.

This knowledge will help you in years to come.

You've conquered the fear of addressing a crowd,

You've learned how to stand up and talk nice and loud.

Patience you've learned in your projects too,

As well as your skills that will always help you.

You've learned the fine feeling it gives you to lend

A helping hand to a stranger or friend.

You've learned to cooperate with majority rule

To give in with grace and not be a fool

Who must always have his very own way,

Be it in club work, in school or at play.

You've learned how to lose without making a beef',

You know the judge judges to his best belief.

You've learned how to win without boasting too loud,

A kid can lose friends if he's overly proud.

These are the things most important to you.

You'll remember and use them all your life through.

They'll help you become a mighty fine man,

They'll do more for you than a prize ever can."

                                                                -Anonymous-

Summer on the Poorman Ranch was competitive, there was a lot of bickering, fighting and usually a week before the fair their were tears falling on Grandma's kitchen table and our dad's saying we just won't get steers next year. However even with all, that a lot of good came from it.

 We thank the Perry County 4-H program and John Ulmer our 4-H Extension Agent helped us get our start and because of our start in 4-H we now we do this: 

Front Row Jodi, Jason, Julie; Back Row Janice, Jenny, Jamie

Jenny – Graduated from Wilmington College – Bachelor Degree in Agriculture Business, Works testing milk at dairies in Ohio, Indiana, breeder and owner of dairy cows, mother of two sons that enjoy working with dairy cows.

Jamie – Graduated from Muskingum University – Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business; 4-H Club Advisor of 50-60 kids; Serves on Perry County 4-H Advisory Committee and is in the process of organizing  a Dairy Feeder Clinic for 4-H Members; oldest son raises and shows steers; youngest son is bottle feeding a calf and hoping to show the calf at the fair

Janice –  Bachelor Degree from OSU in Agriculture, Masters in Education -  Agriculture Education Teacher/FFA Advisor for 11 years, married a farmer and we own a Feed Yard in Nebraska and 100 cows in Ohio. Our two girls will soon be joining the 4-H program.

Jason – Attended OSU ATI; President of Perry County Cattleman’s Association; 7^th Generation to operate Poorman Farms.

Jodi – Graduated from OSU; Is a Nurse Practitioner at Cincinnati Children’s; Her husband farms with his father and is active with the Cattleman’s Association.

Julie – Grew up loving the Perry County Fair; Is now a 4-H Club Advisor and has served on the Perry County Senior Fairboard for several years.

Please share your 4-H story and pictures.

Victory for Family Farming and Ranching

This is great news for the farming and ranching communities.  Actually it is great news for America, but only a few know how wonderful it truly is.  

The Labor Department's statement:“The Obama Administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations. The Obama Administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations. As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations. The decision to withdraw this rule – including provisions to define the ‘parental exemption’ – was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms. To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama Administration. Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders – such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H – to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices.”

This is OUR victory! 

My side note: someone should tell the Obama Administration the FFA changed their name.

Even with the breaking news, I do want to go on with the post I had planned for this evening.  This post is a thank you to the people who gave us our start through the 4-H and FFA programs.

I received a message yesterday from a reader that gave me this link. I can't ignore a reader, so I was moved to write on this topic. I wrote about this a while ago  http://fortheloveofbeef.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-view-on-child-labor.html.

This topic has blown up Facebook and most rural people like Jake and I believe that this would have changed the direction of our entire life.  Jake and I have an abundant amount of people to thank for the success we have had in the agriculture world.  I will use this blog to thank the 4-H and FFA programs to credit them for our start to what has been a successful agriculture venture so far.

Jake got his start with beef cattle at the age of nine in the Blue Ribbon Showmen 4-H clun in Fairfield County where his advisor was Kris Doyle.

I got my start with the Cow Kids 4-H club in Perry County where my advisors were Janie Dennis, Mary Lou Bontrager, my dad and my Uncle John.  We had a wonderful 4-H extension agent John Ulmer. Most of my childhood memories derive from 4-H and the activities that we were able to be a part of because of the volunteers and hard work of great people. 

Dad and Uncle John in their younger years.

yeah, those are colored Wranglers!

If we were not allowed to care for cattle in 4-H, Jake and I never would have found our passion for the beef industry. I have no idea what we would be doing. I think I may have been an elementary teacher and Jake may have went into construction.  I do know we would be paying less taxes.

With the passage of this new law, showing cattle could have come to an end.

By the time Jake was 15 and entering high school he had already developed a cow herd of 10 cows.  This credit would be given to his father and grandpa that helped him purchase cows and allowed him to run them on the family farm in exchange for labor on the farm.  This money would later help Jake pay for a Beef Production Degree from The Ohio State University at ATI.  I find it ironic how the government wants to find a way to find more funds for students to come to college, yet they want to take away the right for farm kids to earn money to go to college.

Jake and I both went on to earn our American Degrees through the FFA.  Jake continued to develop his beef cow herd and raise forages.  He was part of the Lancaster FFA where his advisor was Chuck Miller. 

I ended up raising market hogs, corn, wheat, hay and pumpkins through FFA, where my advisors were Phil Wagner and Mike Skinner at the Sheridan FFA Chapter.  I also had the opportunity to become a state FFA officer where I was given guidance and direction by Mr. who later became Dr. Gratz.    

I believe today that one of the best things I learned about in the FFA was record keeping and creating a budget.  Upon marring Jake and all of his dreams, ideas and goals, I soon found myself saying a lot – "I want to see that on paper".  There have been several ideas forgotten and lost because of not working out on paper.     

If you would like to share your story with pictures of how you got your start in Agriculture and publically thank the people that helped you get there send them to me at janicewolfinger@aol.com and I will post them. I am still hoping this will not become some history book of “how things use to be”.

Jake's Dad Robert with his livestock projects.

*Thanks JoEllen for the pictures.