Fighting Parkinson's with Gate Strategies

My Dad is a fighter of Parkinson's Disease.  If you are not familiar with Parkinson's Disease, it can best be explained as death of vital nerve cells in the brain called neurons.  These nerve cells dying cause tremors in my Dad's hands and also cause him to walk leaning forward and with a bit of a shuffle.  Parkinson's has also slowed my Dad down a lot.  This has caused some changes on our farm, including leaving all the combining and planting that my Dad use to do, to my brother.  However I believe this has been a great transition for him.  Jason has had the opportunity to learn and still has Dad there to answer questions.

There are a lot of things that Parkinson's has left my Dad unable to do.  There are a list of things that Dad has spent more of his time doing because these things have been removed from his daily chore list.  One of the things my Dad has really enjoyed working on is designing cattle handling facilities for friends and neighbors.  He also has a patent on hog pens that you can see at the Ross County Fair in Ohio. My Dad makes frequent trips to Kentucky with a plan to purchase gates and sell them to friends and neighbors.  Dad finds much enjoyment in designing, ordering, purchasing and delivering gates. 

For the Love of Beef was on hiatus.

I got two calls the other day wondering if I was still alive and why I haven't updated for the love of beef. I really appreciate my readers.

We are all alive and well here.  We haven't even been ill.  But, as you all know sometimes life takes over and you are just along for the ride. Therefore For The Love of Beef was on hiatus.

While the girls were finishing school we were packing for a trip to Nebraska.  We checked on the house, the feedyard and stayed with our dear friends the Gydesen Family. We had a great trip . . . learned a lot . . . here are a few highlights.

Jake spent ALL of his time working at the feedyard, which included the addition of our newest Beef Quality Assurance update with the addition of a used Silencer chute.

We checked on the progress of our new home.  Can you believe it will not be completed on time?  I am always optimistic at the wrong times.

However the  view has changed a little bit from the last time we showed it to you. I hope and pray the rain keeps coming.

We stopped by the post office to check on our new address that seems very illogical.  The postmaster asked if I wanted to be moved to the neighboring town which would get our mailbox two miles closer to our home (yes you read that correctly two miles closer).  Yes please! Although I didn't realize you could just change the town in your address.  They are still working on this process - we will see!

We went to church on Sunday and were able to see some of our church family and of course Sister Mary Ann - I missed her.  We also were able to hold a short conversation about sports with another couple after church.  Jake and I never watch sports and therefore when people talk about sports we just smile and nod.  However the Gydesen Family watch a lot of sports and so we were able to talk about the Nebraska Baseball team for at least two minutes.

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.  

The sun will come out tomorrow.

Today really didn't go as I had planned.  My favorite jeans that are irreplaceable, ripped out.  I started a new project that will literally take me 10 times longer than I had first planned. 

However the sun has set and . . . 

tomorrow the sun will most likely rise for second part of my now ten day project.

Fire up the rumor mill . . .

the Wolfingers are moving back to Central Nebraska.

but, we've been down this road before.

We understand it is hard to find logic in what Jake and I do.  In fact it is hard to for us to describe it. We are rewriting the handbook for getting a start in Agriculture.  My family has been on the same farmstead for over 200 years. Jake is the third generation on his farm.  We have been searching for the answers to finding a home and making a start in Agriculture for almost 10 years.  Our families don't have that guide book.  Jake and I have decided to rewrite the family handbook for getting started as  cattlemen. Of course if you have the handbook, please send it our way.

Rule #1 - You may not get your start in your parents back yard.
     "If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be." 
                                                                                                   - Maya Angelou
Rule #2 - Your future may not look like you planned.
     "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for                     us." - Joseph Campbell

Rule #3 - There will be challenges and set backs.
       I promise to blog some of these challenges.  I have received two phone calls in the last week from former students wondering what is happening in my world.  That may not be entirely true, I think they really called with their own dilimas and they were looking for advice. They read my blog and think because I only share the highlights, that they are not normal for having "challenges".  I don't share many challenges or set backs because they are depressing, sad and sometimes embarrassing.  However, because of a couple conversations I feel that maybe these depressing, sad and sometimes embarrassing moments are learning experiences and the reality that no one has a perfect life is inspirational at some level to "keep on truckin".

Rule #4 - Learn as much as you can, seek ways to find skills.  I promise these skills will continue to save you money and make you money.  Jake has learned a lot of skills he carries around with him.  The reason we were able to buy and restart the feedyard was because Jake can, do basic electric, carpentry, pluming, welding, mechanic work, and he knows how to feed cattle.  Those combined with the fact that he is a life long learner.

Rule #5 - There are no mistakes - only opportunities to learn and move on.

Rule #6 - Taking calculated risks to build wealth is not a negative thing.  I am well aware I am not a financial advisor. However, America is being painted as a place that is telling young people to pay off all debt and live only on the cash you have. I may eat my words, but I do know, that no one is building business, by paying off debt and not investing into their business. Be smart.

I am aware there have been several rumors and interesting stories about the Wolfinger Family and our adventures.  Some of them true stories, some elaborated truths, some falsifications of hopelessness.

I have decided to share the ins and outs of the move to Nebraska, the move back to Ohio and and the move back across the Mississippi River, right here on fortheloveofbeef. Please feel free to put the rumors to rest, ask your own questions, and share your opinions.

Big Question #1 Why did you move to Nebraska?
For a bunch of reasons and depending on the day you ask, that will depend on the answer you get? The main reasons urbanization, our family farms not big enough to support our family, to build a future for our girls. Rumors that may be partially true are we like adventure and we are partially crazy.

Big Question #2 Who's idea was it to move to Nebraska?
We were asked this question for the first time on video.  I was taken back, because the truth is it was Jake's dream.  I didn't want that to be taken as I wanted nothing to do with it.  I like the idea and jumped on board (first with one foot).  When Jake first mentioned the idea Jacie was one and I was loving my job at Logan High School.  I went that summer looking for a farm in southern Iowa and Northern Missouri, anyway.  It proved to be a fabulous family vacation. I was nursing Jacie, so we stopped every four or so hours to feed and change Jacie.  We usually stopped at equipment dealerships, Jake walked around looking at equipment and I fed Jacie.  It worked out wonderfully as the midwest is not short on equipment dealerships.  These summer trips really turned up nothing.  We did find a few farms (that we couldn't afford).  The one we were absolutely in love with flooded the following spring when the Mississippi went over it's banks.  Oooops, thank God we were saved from that potential disaster.

Update from 4+ Feeders

While Jake, my brother Jason and his Dad Robert were at the feed yard last week, they worked on several tasks.  They also apparently went out to eat a lot. You will be delighted that tonight's blog is more like a picture book. ENJOY!

A beautiful sight, during a drought in Nebraska.

In the process of putting in electric to a couple extra water tanks. They found a tree.  Jake of course thinks they are like swamp loggers,  when they find trees under the water and they are worth a lot of money. I am sure when trees are buried under a feed yard for 50  years they are suddenly worth thousands.

Smile for the camera.

There was of course a trip or two to Tub's Pub .  They go all out with their Christmas decorations. 

Jake, Jason and Robert stay with Vern and Jody Luft when they go to the yard.

Expansion at the yard has included a few calves on stocks.

Another part of 4+ Feeders 2012 expansion was leasing another yard. 

We heart beef cattle.

A truck pulling out after dropping a load of calves.

Jason and Robert saddling horses.

TR getting Robert reading to ride.

I love calves lined up at the bunk.

Postcard Perfect

My brother comes to the feed yard to play cowboy about three times a year. Nice chaps and spurs Cowboy Poorman.

Feeling very blessed that our partner/nutritionist Jeremy Martin has stock piled enough feed to get us through drought of 2012. 

Feed your Dreams and Starve your Fears

Jake and I had never been to New York City.  When the USFRA invited us to attend the Food Dialogues in the Big Apple, we did.  This is part of my challenge of feeding my dreams and starving my fears.  I don't necessarily like traveling to bigger cities.  It makes me nervous.

However I do like to travel to:

1. See how other people live

2. Try some new foods (mostly beef)

3. Spread the word of production agriculture

4. have time to spend with Jake

5. to feel the sense of relief and satisfaction upon returning home

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

It was crowded and I always felt like I was in someone's way.

Jake and I's first hot pastrami sandwich. It was delicious. 

Times Square - Wow!

This picture does not do the plate of meat we were served for dinner justice.  This smoked beef brisket we had, may have been the single best piece of meat I have ever eaten. I had thirds.  We ate family style with the finalists, Danny Boome and a video crew.  The girl across from me who was on the video crew, was a vegetarian.  I was never so glad to share a table with a vegetarian.  I think that is how I got thirds of the beef brisket. 

A view from our hotel room.  The cabs beep their horns a lot.  It almost seems like it is code for something.  In rural areas there are only two kinds of beeps the two short beeps (beep beep) which is hello.  Then there is one long beep, usually followed by the wave of one finger which means the other driver is disgusted by your driving ability. In NYC there is just a lot of short beeps.

Jake and I ate breakfast with a few of our closest friends (just kidding we really didn't know any of these people).  We were discussing the similarities of feed yards and NYC.  The bunk space in this cafe was clearly less than 12" per person. Clearly their was not enough room for all of these people to eat here. In the other direction was the street.  I told Jake I saw more people in 30 seconds outside this window than I usually see all day when I am at home.

Stay tuned to my next adventure of Feed your Dreams and Starve your Fears.

 

Daddy is home . . .

I have been a single mom for over a week.  I couldn't be more happy that Jake is home. I missed him and the girls missed him.  Jake has been working at our feed yard in Nebraska for the last week. He has captured these pictures.

a Nebraska sunset

Rex Ranch calves happily being fed and cared for at 4+ Feeders

Jake's traveling partners my brother Jason and his Dad Robert (cowboys)

a view of  4+ Feeders and beyond

Stay tuned for updates from 4+ Feeders.

The Road to BQA Certification

If there is one thing I have learned through being an agvocate, it is that in order to be sustainable we must be socially pleasing.  Why I don't think everyone is angry with the farmers and ranchers producing their food, there are enough people upset to make me squirm in my seat.

My mind is constantly swirling with this question; how do we do it better?

How do we hire the best employees and get them to want to stay?

How do we improve our pen space?

How do we improve our bunks and water tanks?

How do we keep death loss down and sickness to a minimum?

How do we dispose of our manure in an environmentally beneficial way?

How do we do all of this on financially conservative budget?

The first thing I am going to do is start with this free tool of wading through the BQA certification program. . . 

Beef Quality Assurance is a national program that provides guidelines for beef cattle production. The program raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry.

Producers have embraced BQA because it is the right thing to do; but they have also gained through increased profitability. As an educating program, BQA helps producers identify management processes that can be improved.

We are trained and we are certified in many areas already. We are doing a lot of things right.  BUT, we are not perfect and we have some growing to do.  I am going to spend the rest of 2012 figuring out what we are doing right and what we can check of the list.  I think that will be a feel good activity for the holidays.  I am then going to analyze our list of things to improve, which I am sure will be painful to point out our flaws. Hopefully we will then spend 2013 fixing them and move into BQA certification.  

I am going to start and share with you our journey (it will be a long one, I am sure).  It will be a little longer than I thought last week.  Mostly because I had plans of winning the Power Ball (like many of you, I am sure).  If I had won I would have bought a new Silencer chute for 4+ Feeders for Christmas. 

Since that didn't happen I guess we will live in the reality of making our chute and working facility better.  If you do not own or care for any cattle, you can take the journey here on for the love of beef.  If you do have your own cattle (no matter how many) you should check out this BQA website and start your own journey.  This is going to be a fabulous New Year's Resolution. 

   

Black Friday Shopping Crew

I enjoy shopping with my Black Friday Shopping Crew.  This year it was my sister Jenny, my cousins Jamie, Jodi and Julie, my aunt Carol and me.  We did something we haven't done before and ran two legs. We went out Thursday night, came home went to bed for a few hours and went back out on our usual trip at 5:30 AM.  As we went shopping we found ourselves waiting and visiting thus giving us time to design these rules for Black Friday Shopping.

You should not be Black Friday Shopping  . . .
 - if you can't wait in line for an hour without smoking.
 - if you are not sober.
 - if you are not current on all of your bills.
 - if your Christmas Shopping is already done.
(people waiting in hour long lines talking about their Christmas shopping already done, What?)
 - if you can't find a babysitter.
(people shopping with their children, telling them they can't have any of it until Christmas, What?)
 - if you shop with logic.
(trying to find the line for electronic items, the clerk says "that starts in produce".  What?)
- if you have trouble finding your car in a parking lot on a normal day.

Advice for Christmas Shopping

Since several of my friends are already posting on Facebook the countdown until Black Friday, I am sharing this story.  Abby Stanger even self reported that she has presents wrapped. I heard this story this summer, and it is roll on the floor funny.  I feel like I can now share it with you, because I am not the first to mention Christmas.

A woman asked her husband what he wanted for Christmas before leaving to do some Christmas shopping. He said he would like a muffler bearing puller for Christmas.  She set off for Sears, where the kind man working there told her he checked the computer, but they didn't have one. He did offer the advice that she should check Auto Zone.  She went to Auto Zone and they told her that she should probably check at Advanced Auto Parts.  The man at Advanced Auto Parts smiled as she asked if they carried a muffler bearing puller.  He then told her someone was pulling her leg. Enjoy your Christmas shopping this year.


 

The research - Being a Daddy's Girl

Jake and I  are raising two girls.  Since we brought them home from the hospital, I have told Jake how important the relationship between fathers and daughters is.  He has worked really hard to develop this bond. Although with both of them in school full time for the first time this year, I think his role is only becoming more important. This book may be in his stocking at Christmas. Strong-Fathers-Strong-Daughters I couldn't be happier raising these girls with Jake.

Jake will color, change Barbie clothes and set up a fantastic farm set complete with Polly Pockets.

Jake often takes the girls to work with him.  He planted beans all day with Jacie when I was at State FFA Convention with students.

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!

Friday Fix

Today's Friday Fix is: how to answer the questions of young minds?  As we were moving cows last evening the girls were buckled into the one seat next to me in the buggy.  I am aware we were breaking at least 3 of the 70 safety stickers found on the ATV.  As a mother I felt we were all safe.

The girls not knowing I was listening were talking to each other about many things.  I was pretending not to listen and only answer questions directly asked to me.  I have no idea where they come up with some of this stuff and if I do know where it comes from, I have no idea how to answer them with the limited knowledge they have about agriculture and science.  You have to have a BS in Agriculture to understand some of these things.  I find God is a good answer to some of the questions.

1. Like much of the US we were experiencing drought like conditions in our pastures.  However in the last several weeks, spring has arrived for the second time, making the grass grow green and fast.  This prompted this question from Jaelin.  Where does grass come from?  I am thinking where do you go with this, do you explain the growth of a plant, the life cycle of grass, photosynthesis.  I know she (who will start kindergarten next week) will have no idea what I am talking about.  The answer is God gave us rain, that he didn't give to many people in other parts of the country and that helped the grass grow.  The answer is God.

2. Jacie leans over to Jaelin and says see that is a bull.  Prompting this question, How do you know that's a bull?  Jacie says, because you see that, well that, well you know Jaelin.  They didn't ask and I am not answering that one.  I can't even play the God card.

3. It was an hour or two into moving these cows who were moving along really well when Jaelin asks Jacie, How do cows get married? What? Where does she get this stuff?

4. Jacie wants to learn to drive the buggy, mostly because my brother Jason watched the girls last weekend and he taught her to drive his golf cart.  She then asks, Who taught you to drive, Mom?  I told her Uncle Jason taught me to drive.  She said really because you are a better driver than him. Hilarious!

So what questions do the young minds in your lives ask and how do you answer?

The answer to the last Friday Fix:

The remains from the previous bridge found in central Nebraska was built at ground level.  At times the locals say it was impassable do to high water.  The new bridge was engineered well above the water.

Jake's Photos

Jake just got back from traveling the west.  He sent me a few pictures along the way of things HE found interesting. I hope you enjoy them.