5 minute read
Chris Cooper: President’s Thoughts
Chris Cooper KCA President
August was really a busy month for me and all the KCA/KBC staff with NCBA Convention early in August and then the KY State Fair, several committee meetings, stockyard customer appreciation days and then our KCA Board Meeting. I really want to thank the whole KCA/KBC staff and board members for working extra hard in August at all these events to make them a success. A lot of times we attend a function and partake of the festivities but really don’t see all the folks working behind the scenes to make sure everything comes together and the event happens seamlessly. So THANK YOU to all the folks that work tirelessly behind the scenes. The Kentucky State Fair was a huge success with the Commodity Breakfast kicking things off on Thursday August 19th. I had the privilege of serving up fresh BEEF Ribeyes along with our fellow protein, dairy and KY Proud partners serving up their delicious products. Then it was on to the KY AG Council meeting where the members were blessed with a beautiful presentation by our 2021 Miss Kentucky, Ms. Haley Wheeler, singing My Old Kentucky Home. We also congratulated KY Pork Producer’s Executive Director, Ms. Bonnie Jolly, upon her retirement and for her many years of faithful service. It was also announced that Ms. Niki Ellis will be the new KY Pork Producer’s Executive Director. Congratulations Niki and we wish you the best in your career at KPP Association! We will miss you at KCA. We then heard an update on the Fair from KY Ag Commissioner Ryan Quarles and an update on the KY Fair and Expo Center from CEO, Mr. David Beck. I would like to congratulate Mr. Quarles and Mr. Beck for a very successful State Fair! They both do an awesome job in their respective jobs! I just love seeing every body work together! KCA and the KBC were both very well represented at the KY State Fair this year. Our booth was very well located in Ag Land just outside the entrance to 4-H Cloverville and had a lot of traffic come through our booth. The booth looked great and there were samples of beef jerky and steak bites given out as well as a lot of good consumer information about beef. Katelyn Hawkins (congratulations on your recent engagement!) also did several daily beef cooking demonstrations in the South Wing lobby starving and craving everyone for beef. We also had four KCA food stations set up on the fairgrounds where delicious beef ribeye sandwiches and KY Cattlemen’s Ground Beef burgers were prepared and sold to attendees. So BEEF had a huge presence at the KY State Fair and all the efforts rewarded by the classic presentation of “BEEF It’s What’s For Dinner!” Thanks again to all the hard work and dedication of all of our KCA/KBC staff and board members – you all are the BEST! I also had the privilege to attend the Washington County Stockyards Customer Appreciation Day and Internet Auction in August. They had a very successful internet sale and event. I really enjoyed seeing so many of my Washington County area friends and getting acquainted with a lot of new friends. Jim Gibson and the owners of WCSY are doing a great job. We appreciate your hard work and support of the beef industry and returning back to the community. The prime rib and food was awesome! September is shaping up to be a busy month as well with more committee meetings and our full board meeting on September 24th in Lexington at the New Lexington Convention Center. We all are so busy these days but let us be busy with what matters most and make the best of our time while we can because life is short. The Bible says that our life is but a vapor and like the grass of the field, here today and gone tomorrow. So I encourage each one of you to cherish your family and tell them you love them and spend time with them. I know as farm families we tend to get the opportunity to be with our families more than others, but let’s not take that for granted. It is with a heavy heart that I share the tragic news of our Grandson – Austin Wyatt Cooper. Little Wyatt was just a few days from being delivered into this world but God had other plans and called him to Heaven on September 6, 2021. He is the son of our youngest son, Austin and his wife Kelsey. He was 19.5 inches long and weighed 6 pounds and 2 ounces. He was a perfect, precious little boy. God is gracious and has bestowed his everlasting mercy upon our family during this time and we desire that God be glorified during this very hard and difficult time. Thank you all for your prayers, texts and phone calls. I leave you with these very comforting words from God’s Holy Word: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not wither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14: 1-6
STONE GATE FARMS
Optimum trait genetics
Annual Fall Production Sale Monday October 25, 2021
25 yearling Angus bulls 50 commercial cow calf pairs 60 Spring bred commercial heifers
