The Brand Magazine May 2017 Edition

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Brand The

The Brand s May 2017

Contact Us Chance Ujazdowski

Volume 1 - Issue 5

Editing Manager 920-740-7536 thebrandlivestock@gmail.com

The

Brand

Shea Esser

Sales Manager 608-778-2913 shea.esser@gmail.com

IN THIS ISSUE

6

Featured Spotlights Building A Business: The Branded Barn

10

Livestock Living - Let It Grow

Scott Doyle

Advertising Sales 715-347-4541

scottd@bigironequipment.com

Find us on Facebook @thebrandlivestock

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www.thebrandlivestock.com

An Iowa entrepreneur shares her experience in developing a small business from the ground up.

An avid gardener shares a few simple tips for growing a productive garden.

Additional Contents Contact Us 14 Index of Advertisers Cultivate Your Mind 14 Schedule of Events News & Results 14 Writing for The Brand The Other Side of the Fence About the Cover Cows patiently await green pasture at Sigel Sunset Ranch s Cadott, Wisconsin Photo by Madeline Bode Subscription and Publishing Information

The Brand is published bimonthly from September through May.

Issues are dated January, March, May, September and November of each year.

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Cultivate Your Mind Breeding Season Basics

by Shea Esser

The 2017 breeding season has arrived for many of the cattlemen and cattlewomen in our area. As the demand for quality genetics increases, so does the demand for artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (ET). It seems that there are more options than ever, whether you’re considering synchronization protocols, the number of AI sires available, or flushing options. No matter your program or breeding philosophy, there are a few simple things you can do to maximize your conception rates, and thereby improve your bottom line.

Build Open Relationships with Reproductive Professionals

Your veterinarian, embryologist, and AI technician are highly trained professionals. They can provide you with crucial information regarding animals’ reproductive health. Visit with them about the synchronization protocols that will work best in your operation. Set a schedule with your technicians and veterinarians that works well for all involved parties. Understand that their time is valuable, and have your animals and facilities ready when they arrive – and pay your bills on time. For many of us, breeding season is a cooperative effort, and these are people you want on your team.

Heat Check, Heat Check, Heat Check

Over the years, this one tool has helped to boost the conception rate in my family’s herd immensely. Know the signs of heat, and watch for them regularly. Even if you aren’t breeding yet, mark your females’ heats on a calendar or notepad so you know when to expect the next heat. Just like baking cookies, timing is everything.

Implement a Mineral and Nutrition Program

By supplementing your stock with a fertility-aiding vitamin and mineral program before you begin breeding, you will increase conception rates. We start ours about a month before calving, then switch back to summer pasture mineral at the end of breeding season. Increasing the energy level in your feeds prior to breeding will also help to bolster your animals’ reproductive systems.

Utilize Low Stress Handling

Work your cattle in a calm manner. Have your facilities in proper working order, and set up to simplify the flow of cattle into and out of them. The quieter and easier you are with your breeding females, the less stress they will experience, leading to an increased chance of conception. Great Grandpa always told me: “Treat your stock right, and they will treat you right.”

Maintain Adequate Body Condition

This is a year-round project. Cows and heifers that are in optimal condition at the time of calving will almost all be cycling within 80 days and have a highly increased chance of settling on the first service. For more information about Body Condition Scoring, refer to the Cultivate Your Mind column in our November 2016 issue.

Above all, continue your learning process and try new practices to give you and your program better results. I wish you all a very successful breeding season and green pastures all summer long.

We’ll see you in September! s

A Recipe for Recips A hard-learned lesson inspired this column. For those of you who include embryo transfer in your breeding season or are considering adding it to your operation, pay attention to my expensive discovery: Don’t buy just any old cows to make into recipient females. In the long run (and sometimes the short run), a good recip will make you more money and save you from a lot of headaches – even if she costs more at the beginning.

So, how do you select a good recip? Here are a few points to consider.

Recips are cows too. While a recipient cow’s genetics are not as important as a donor’s, she still has to be a productive female.

Reproductive soundness, mothering ability, and milk production are absolute necessities. You should also evaluate them for things like structural soundness, calving ease, and feed conversion.

Disposition is critical. Poor disposition leads to lower conception rates. Also, because disposition is partially impacted by environment, a cow with temperament issues often pass that trait on to her calf – even when the calf is not biologically her own.

Consider Body Condition Scores. Cows that are in good shape and are maintaining or gaining weight are the most likely to settle with embryos. An easier-keeping cow is also more likely to provide her calf with greater performance, without sacrificing her own condition.

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Choose young cows. Provided they have a good calving history, cows that are 3 to 8 years old tend to make the best recips. They have already calved at least once, their milk production is higher (when compared to heifers and older cows), and they can handle a wider range of birth weights. With proper management, they’ll stay in your herd longer and provide you with more calves than their older counterparts.

Crossbreds work. Thanks to heterosis, a crossbred female is typically more fertile than a purebred. While it typically isn’t necessary to have registered recips, it is helpful to know their breed makeup.

Buy from reputable producers. Choose recips from a program that has a rigid vaccination protocol, provides proper nutrition, and keeps accurate records. Females from these herds will generally transition easier into your own.

Recip cows play a large role in many herds. When selecting these females, invest wisely in reputable stock or choose some from your own program that haven’t produced the quality you expect, but still make good mothers. Set expectations for your recips – for conception, calf performance, disposition, and more – and hold them to those standards. Take as much of the guess work out of the ET process as possible, and you’ll be much happier with your results. s

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Friday, June 2nd

Youth Fitting Contest - 7 pm

Saturday, June 3rd

Show Begins - 8 am

Heifers (Open Show) Peewee Showmanship Steers (Junior Show) Showmanship

Outagamie County Fairgrounds Seymour, Wisconsin

Scholarships | Premiums | Prizes Silent Auction | Raff les

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June 2 & 3 Entries accepted until time of check-in.

Forms and information available on our website.

Visit valleybeefshow.com for more details 5

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How has The Branded Barn changed your home life?

What started as a learning experience with my daughter quickly morphed into a growing side business. This allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom and still generate income. Each family member has been involved in some capacity, which has been a neat way to share our livestock passion together. As the business grows, so do the responsibilities associated with it. Now, I have the success of the business to focus on, in addition to the happiness of my family and our farm.

As the business grows, how do you develop and/or find new items to sell?

Building A Business

by Casey Allison Kim Flynn owns and operates The Branded Barn. We asked her to share her experiences in building a small business from the ground up, in hopes of aiding other livestock enthusiasts with like-minded ambitions.

What started as a small FFA project on a quiet farm near Nevada, Iowa has grown into a successful business for farm wife, beef advocate, and entrepreneur Kim Flynn. Kim, her husband Todd, and four kids – Amanda, Casey, Jamie and Chance – operate a row crop farm and maintain a small herd of commercial and Simmental influenced cows. She is also the co-founder of The Branded Barn, an enterprise that specializes in creating and selling livestock-themed gifts and awards. Kim joined us for a brief Q&A session, where she provided her insight and expertise as a small business owner in the livestock industry.

What inspired the creation of The Branded Barn?

The Branded Barn started as an FFA project for my daughter, Casey. She was developing ideas for her FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) and wanted a project that would generate revenue and allow her to utilize her passion for showing cattle. She chose a vinyl design to print on glass tumblers and coffee mugs, then sold the finished product to friends, family, and other cattle producers. Through this process, I was able to help Casey learn about developing and designing products, calculating breakeven costs, managing inventory, and developing a website.

As Casey neared her high school graduation, the lingering issue was what to do with the remaining inventory. Aside from discovering that sales were not her passion in life, Casey questioned if she would have the time to devote to developing the enterprise while away at college. So, I agreed to purchase the remaining inventory. By this time, I had already added to the business by creating a plastic steer chocolate mold tray.

Originally, I used the mold to custom make steer-shaped candies for weddings, graduations, birthdays, and other celebrations, but I quickly transitioned to selling the mold trays rather than physically making the chocolates myself. After that, the business and the number of products I carried grew quickly.

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I know my target audience is made up of individuals and families that raise and often show livestock. The challenge is finding products that are unique, as the livestock gift market has become more saturated by other entrepreneurs breaking into the marketplace. As with any other business, determining what is missing from that market and what people are interested in buying is a driving force behind new product development.

Small business owners who sell livestock gifts, like myself, become somewhat of a family as we get to know one another at shows and other events. We try not to step on each other’s toes by offering competing products in the same market.

What are some of the most challenging aspects of adding additional items to your product lineup?

Product development and determining fair prices for the items I sell are two of the biggest challenges when expanding my product line. These two things go hand-in-hand, as I spend considerable time and effort researching companies, seeking out manufacturers, and developing new products. The amount of time I invest is considered when setting each item’s purchase price.

Additionally, I have to weigh the risk vs. reward when considering a new product, because there is no guarantee that an item will sell. I typically buy in large quantities, so if something doesn’t sell successfully, the money invested in inventory is not recuperated quickly and can become costly. Determining if the products I offer are valuable and pleasing to customers is often more challenging than you might expect.

Also, in the livestock business, we sometimes take for granted the understanding and awareness of quality in an animal’s phenotype. When working with designers that have no experience in this area, they typically have no concept of proper animal conformation or why it is important to our industry or my products. For example, if I want a show lamb cookie cutter manufactured, I expect it to look like a modern club lamb rather than like the fluffy, cute sheep that people outside the industry envision. Explaining champion-caliber livestock phenotype to someone who doesn’t understand the industry jargon is a very difficult task!

Where do you source your products?

Using my skills and available resources, I put my creativity to work by handcrafting much of my merchandise. I am also a strong believer in supporting other small business owners and artisans. It is a great feeling to support others: By re-selling their handcrafted products, The Branded Barn helps add life to other growing entrepreneurial enterprises.

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What marketing outlets have you found to be the most effective in capturing your target audience?

I market The Branded Barn products through Facebook, on my website (www.thebrandedbarn.com), and by attending shows. Being a vendor at livestock events generates the most exposure and allows my customers to touch and handle the product, so I would say this is the most effective marketing outlet. Social media is also a great resource and one that is extremely affordable – but it is an area I need to focus more effort on to maximize the opportunity. As society continues to evolve to even more digital sales, I will have to adapt my marketing approach and spend more time on social media.

Over the years, I have learned that knowing your audience is vital to successful marketing. For example, I once took my products to a flea market, because the booth fee was low. My sales there were awful! This setting simply didn’t have enough potential buyers. While the investment cost was low, so was the opportunity for success.

How do you choose which events you attend?

As livestock exhibitors and vendors, we often think that setting up shop at the biggest and best shows is ideal. In theory, this makes sense because it will provide an opportunity to get in front of more people. Now that I have had an opportunity to travel to major shows like NAILE and National Western, I have learned that the quantity of attendees is less important than the quality of the customers I encounter. In my experience, customers at smaller shows are more likely to participate in the competitive events, which increases the likelihood that they will be interested in what I have to offer. On the flip side, a suburban family of five visiting the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is less likely to buy from The Branded Barn, because they don’t have a strong connection to or appreciation of my items or the industry.

What tips would you offer to new entrepreneurs as they prepare to attend shows as a vendor?

The location of your booth is critical success. You want to be in an area of frequent traffic, especially traffic that has an interest in your products. Also, I recommend streamlining the setup and teardown processes to save on time and labor. I waited too long to take advantage of mobile shelving, a small investment that has saved me hours of labor.

The Branded Barn’s first and most popular t-shirt is modeled by a group of happy customers.

What is the most difficult aspect of managing your business?

Trying to be a marketer, a laborer, a bookkeeper, a webmaster, and more – all at the same time – is extremely challenging. Once you achieve some success, follow the old rule: “Do what you do best and hire the rest.” As an example, I hire out graphic design and website work, because it would be time consuming for me. Time seems to be of even greater value when you are selfemployed. Further, remember that you will be more efficient if you have the right tools in your toolbox. A high-speed internet connection is a must for me. I also recently purchased a new laser, which will add a new dimension to the products I can offer. I plan, however, to hire someone to operate it while I focus on the aspects of my business I am more effective and efficient at handling.

How has business affected your family and life on the farm?

The business has grown to a point where my role on the farm had to change. I am able to spend less time helping my husband with row crop operation. When the kids are showing at the same event where I am a vendor, it can be a tricky balancing act between handling the business and seeing my kids in the show ring. That said, each member of my family has become involved in The Branded Barn, as we often need more hands to make the business go and grow. By setting clear parameters and paying for their services (rather than profit-sharing), I have created an environment that allows my family to work together with minimal conflict.

What do you enjoy most about The Branded Barn?

Getting to use my creativity to craft new products and expand the business is fantastic. I also really appreciate the camaraderie with customers and appreciate when they find value in the products that I offer.

What words of advice can you share with other livestock entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses?

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Kim trains on her latest equipment purchase, a laser.

The laser can be used on wood, plastic, metal, and more.

She expects this tool to create new opportunities in her sale line and plans to soon include laserengraved products.

Start small with your ideas. It can be overwhelming to get too big too fast. Before jumping in with both feet, make sure there is an interest or demand for your product or service. No matter how great you think your commodity is, you will need customers who agree with that belief. I followed this concept in the early development stages of The Branded Barn, and I still do it today as a way to gauge if a product is worthy of selling. Make an effort to set both long-term and short-term goals. While it’s certainly great to have an idea of where you’d like to be five or ten years from now, there is also a lot of value in committing to objectives and plans for the nearer future. s For more information on The Branded Barn, visit their website at www.thebrandedbarn.com.

Photographs contributed by Kim Flynn and Casey Allison

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News & Results

WLBA Recognizes Honorees The Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Association (WLBA) held its annual meeting on March 18 at the UW-Arlington Research Station. As part of the meeting, a number of awards were presented by WLBA Board members.

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Jim & Kim Hawthorne of Thornberry Angus, Westby, are the 2017 WLBA Beef Honorees.

Pictured here with WLBA President Andy Mindemann (L).

Steve, Michelle and Jillian Bingen of Bingen Family Farm, West Bend, are the 2017 WLBA Sheep Honorees.

Pictured here with WLBA President Andy Mindemann (L) and Board member Heidi Thorson (R).

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Darren & Laura Lynd of Triple L Show Pigs, Janesville, are the 2017 WLBA Swine Honorees.

Case IH, represented by Nate Weinkauf (L), is the 2017 Friend of the WLBA.

Pictured here with WLBA President Andy Mindemann (L).

Pictured here with WLBA President Andy Mindemann (R).

WLBA Selects Master Stockman Winners Winners of the 2017 Case IH Master Stockman Award were chosen as part of the Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Association annual meeting. This year’s winners and recipients of $1000 scholarships are: Hannah Taylor, Sarah Schultz and Shelby Veum. Runners-up and recipients of $250 scholarships are Jack Henderson and Paige Gaffney. The awards will be presented at the 2017 Wisconsin State Fair in August.

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Nate Weinkauf of Case IH (L) poses with Master Stockman Award winners Taylor, Schultz, Veum and runner-up Henderson.

Not pictured: Paige Gaffney.

Youth Receive Pig Project Scholarships Winners of the 2017 Wisconsin Pork Association (WPA) youth pig scholarships were announced in March. The WPA Youth Committee created the program to encourage youth to become involved in the Wisconsin pork industry and to assist them in developing pork production projects for 4-H or FFA.

(continued on page 9)

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Thanks in part to sponsorships from Wisconsin pork producers, the WPA awarded twenty $50 scholarships. Recipients are: Luke Fischer, Alma Center Austin Michels, Chippewa Falls Tyler Giddings, Hatley Carter Newton, Markesan Noah Hines, Beldenville Haylee Rusch, Seymour Samuel Hines, Beldenville Nathan Seitz, Krakow Zachery Hines, Beldenville Rachel Serocki, Greenwood Brooke Kaczmarowski, Pulaski Thomas Sorg, Darien Sabrina Leisgang, Seymour Cayley Vande Berg, Rosendale Brooke Magnus, Neillsville Emma Vorpagel, Hartland Zachary Magnus, Neillsville Luke Zutz, Valders Josh McCullough, Monroe Madelin Zutz, Valders The 2017 Youth Pig Scholarships were made possible in part by the following sponsors: Magolski Farms, Krebs Farms, Tom Knauer Family, Doherty Family Farm, Graff Show Pigs, Wehrle Farms, Waite Farms & Show Pigs, Morgan Pittz, Jake’s Pig Palace, Clothier Genetics, Wisconsin Pork Association.

For more information on the Youth Pig Project, contact the WPA or visit www.wppa.org.

Major Junior Sheep Shows Coming to Madison The Alliant Energy Center in Madison will host two major junior sheep events this summer.

The 2017 All-American Junior Sheep Show will be held from June 30 to July 2. The All-American is the largest junior breeding sheep show in the nation and will include more than twenty breeds this year. Early entries close May 25. For more information, including a full schedule of events and registration information, visit the event website at www.allamericanjuniorshow.com.

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WLBA Summer Dates Announced The Wisconsin Livestock Breeders Assocation has released its schedule of events for the summer events. The association will host two shows and its annual Livestock Show Camp.

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June 3

June 10-11

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Entry Deadline - WLBA Spring Preview Show Registration Deadline - WLBA/Purina Animal Nutrition Livestock Show Camp WLBA Spring Preview Show Jefferson Fair Park - Jefferson, WI 19th Annual WLBA/Purina Animal Nutrition Livestock Show Camp - WI State Fair Park Entry Deadline - WLBA Summer Spectacular Show WLBA Summer Spectacular Show Central WI State Fairgrounds - Marshfield, WI

For more information on the WLBA events, or to become a member or sponsor, visit www.wisconsinlivestockbreeders.com.

World Beef Expo Announces Scholarships World Beef Expo will award two $1250 scholarships at its 2017 event. The scholarships are sponsored by the Gregg & Angela May and Dave & Marcia DeLong families, and will be awarded to young adults - high school seniors through age 21 - with a background in beef production. For more information, including an application form, visit www.worldbeefexpo.com. s 9 4/30/17 10:04 PM

Livestock Living Let It Grow

by LuAnne Ujazdowski As rural Americans, we have been doing things for a long time that are suddenly popular again. When I find time to follow the news, read an article, or watch a TV program, it seems that everyone there is talking about gardening as if it is a new trend.

Straw bale gardening, biodynamic gardening, hydroponics, pole beans and cucumbers climbing fancy trellis panels, weed-blocking fabric, and all the fancy new garden tools are hot topics these days.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I think many of us have been doing a great job of gardening for a very long time! Some of my fondest memories are of being a little girl eating peas off the vine in my family’s perfectly weed-free garden. Ever since, having a garden of my own has always felt natural.

I must admit, however, that ideal weed-free garden my family tended was not what I got as a new gardener myself (several decades ago). There were many years that I had to find the produce among the weeds. Sometimes, there is even a surprise crop – a rogue tomato plant or stray crooked-neck squash vine, even a very large pumpkin last year – growing amidst the weeds and other plants. As the years have passed, I have had many cleaner, more successful gardens. Although, there were always challenges after a week on the road for a Junior National!

Plan Your Plants To get the most out of my garden, I spend some time during the winter to plan what I would like to grow. Because I am a school counselor in addition to co-operator of our fifty-plus Simmental cow/calf herd, the summer months are typically a bit calmer than the rest of the year: I spend fewer days at school, calving season has ended, and the cows are on pasture. For this reason, I choose a lot of vegetable varieties that mature in a short amount of time for produce that can be picked and preserved – or enjoyed – in the summer. That said, I like to have fresh goods for as long as possible, so I also choose some that are later maturing.

This year, I have selected:

Early White Vienna Kohlrabi 55 days to maturity Golden & Dark Green Zucchini 55 days Boston Pickling & Straight Eight Cucumbers 58 days Detroit Dark Red Beets 59 days Blue Lake Stringless Pole Beans 60 days Buttercrunch Lettuce 65 days Kentucky Blue Pole Beans 65 days Onion Sets 65-75 days Oregon Sugar Pod Peas 68 days Butter and Sugar Bicolor Sweet Corn 85 days Danvers Half Long Carrots 75 days Red Acre Cabbage 77 days Acorn Table Queen Squash 80 days Crimson Sweet Watermelon 80 days Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe 80-90 days

Early White Vienna Kohlrabi

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Golden Zucchini

Planting a patch of wildflowers in or near your garden will attract bees and encourage pollination.

Since I have an outdoor green thumb but an indoor brown thumb, I purchase my tomato and pepper plants from a local greenhouse. Pepper plants typically mature in 70-75 days, excepting a few varieties (Orange Habaneros need 95 days, for example). I choose some tomato varieties that mature early for canning or drying, such as Better Boy Hybrids and Jet Stars. I plant other tomatoes, like Beefsteaks and Big Boys, for enjoying into the fall. Of course, I also plant yellow pear and grape tomatoes for in-garden snacking.

By knowing the maturation schedule of your plants, you can seed your garden to best suit your schedule. If you like to have fresh beans, peas and other produce to enjoy all summer, stagger your planting times. Make sure to plant all your seeds according to the depth and spacing directions printed on their packaging. I also plant a few easy-keeping flowers – marigolds or petunias – in my garden to attract bees. A row of wildflowers is another low maintenance option.

Share Your Surplus My garden is also a treat for some of the animals. When yields are faster than I can keep up with, or when I have edible garden waste, I share. The egg-laying chickens love to eat sugar beets, spinach, lettuce, and cabbage. The cows appreciate any sweet corn husks we offer them. Our feeder pigs also enjoy an occasional fresh produce treat, too – but remember, only as a treat. Pigs have little control when it comes to food and should be fed a balanced diet to keep them healthy.

As a rule, never throw garden produce or weeds over a fence to animals without knowing their effects. I know of more than one tragedy from throwing edibles over the fence. If in doubt, compost your weeds and waste on the end of a garden row or elsewhere.

Control Your Pests Sometimes, a growing garden attracts animals of a different variety. Deer and bunnies like to visit my garden to nibble on greens. An occasional sandhill crane will come to snap off entire cucumber plants. If your garden pests are of the two- or fourlegged variety, there are some simple remedies. Blood meal is effective for the perimeter of the garden. However, it will need to be reapplied after each rain or heavy dew. For a longer lasting solution, a bar of Irish Spring deodorizing soap – the same soap that is excellent for ridding farm smells – works well as a repellant.

Cut the soap bar into six pieces.

Place each slice inside a nylon sock of piece of cheesecloth.

Staple to wood posts around the garden.

Lasts 6-8 weeks.

Oregon Sugar Pod Peas

Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe

The Brand

4/30/17 10:04 PM

Brand The

Of course, weeds are a much more common nuisance. My best weed control has been to get them before they grow using a preemergent herbicide. Annual weeds like crabgrass, pigweed, lambs quarters, and wild mustard sprout from seed as soon as the soil warms in the spring. Perennial weeds – such as dandelions, sorrel, and thistle – can also sprout from seed. Short-circuit their seed germination by spreading the aforementioned herbicide early and throughout the growing season after tilling your garden. There are a variety of products and natural controls available.

Garden weeds, however, are hard to stay ahead of. Sometimes, a post-emergent herbicide is necessary. There are commercial products available, but for just a few cents, you can make your own. This mixture will kill good plants too, so use carefully.

1 gallon white vinegar 2 cups soaking/pickling salt 1/4 cup blue Dawn dish soap Mix together. Put mixture into a sprayer. Saturate weeds.

Savor Your Success Gardening is beneficial for the body, mind, and soul. So plan your garden, plant what works for you, and enjoy the benefits of a beautiful and bountiful harvest season. I will be back in the fall with quick and simple ideas to preserve your produce. Until then, enjoy what nature and your hard work have to offer! s

Meanwhile, here’s an easy recipe that will help you enjoy your summer bounty – using little more than your own homegrown vegetables and a heat source.

Ingredients

4 medium tomatoes 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 medium eggplant 1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley

4 small summer squash 2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 red onion salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

My garden awaits the 2017 planting season. When we meet again, it will be full and happy!

• • • • • • • • • •

Light the grill Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray Cut vegetables into thin (1/4 inch) slices Layer half the eggplant, tomato, and summer squash on foil Scatter half the garlic, herbs, and onion over the top Add salt, pepper, and one tablespoon olive oil Repeat previous four steps using the remaining ingredients Wrap foil into packet so there are no leaks Place on grill for 10 minutes Flip and continue to grill for another 10 minutes Substitute any mixture of vegetables you desire Makes 8 servings

Editor’s Note: To maintain a balance of advertising and editorial content, we have elected to omit one spotlight article for the May 2017 issue.

In its place, we have lengthened and featured the Livestock Living column. The Junior Spotlight will return in September 2017. Thank you for reading!

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The Other Side of the Fence Cold Filtered Thinking Caps

by Garret Carnahan

Some of my best ideas in life have been a product of combining cold beer and good friends. Or maybe that’s just the way it seems at the time? Either way, whenever we follow through on those notions, we end up with great stories to tell the next time we get together for a few cold ones - and many, many times after. The stories grow each time we tell them, but that’s what makes them special. It’s like reminiscing on your high school football glory days. Did I ever tell you that I was an All Conference nose tackle?

I even heard through the grapevine that Ted Thompson sent scouts to watch me during senior year. But that’s neither here nor there. Instead, let me tell you about one of my brightest ideas.

It starts with a motivating factor. We all have those pain-inthe-tail fence rows and tree lines that seem to grow up overnight, even though it has probably been several years since they were cut back. That’s never a fun job, but it needs to be done. Besides, if I put a little work into that project, I can build a good-sized brush pile, light a huge fire, and have my buddies over for some Blue Yummies. See? Motivation!

The first time I did this was definitely the most memorable.

After getting the most noticeably offensive branches cut back, my brush pile still wasn’t quite big enough. So I kept the chainsaw running, found every dead branch in sight, and added anything that would burn to the pile. When it was finally big enough, I let it dry for a couple months to make sure it would really ignite.

Finally, the brush pile and I were ready for the fun part.

I planned a night to light the fire and called all my friends. As soon as dusk hit on the big day, we loaded the coolers into the backs of our trucks, rolled out to the pasture, and set that pile ablaze. The fire was large! Cars on the highway stopped to watch

the flames. Thankfully, nobody called in any false alarms or rang up the local basement savers to fight the blaze. (They’ve yet to lose a foundation, by the way!) Soon enough, the flames calmed down, and the only remains were a few burning sticks and a lot of hot coals. We started thinking: Wouldn’t it be brilliant for us to run through what was left of the fire? Three of us, including me, decided it was now or never – and into the smoke we went!

Somehow, I got tripped up and ended up doing the worm through some hot coals. I’ve never jumped as fast as I did to get out of that spot. While the guys immediately laughed at my misfortune, the girls beat me to the other side to make sure I was okay. Actually, I think they mostly wanted to tell me what a dumb idea it was. I ended up with a few blisters on my wrists and stomach, but my face – the moneymaker – was left untouched.

When my mother heard of this incident, she hollered at me, saying she thought I was more responsible than that. I told her that, in my defense, I thought I was more athletic. I guess we were both wrong! Anyways, we had a great time and our cold-filtered idea turned into a memorable story. At the end of the day, you’re going to have that in a small farming community! s

Garret Carnahan is a professional baby-maker, has more pasture than his cows can handle, and owns multiple pig-catching trophies.

His friends say he’s kind of a Big Deal, but he’s really just a regular guy. Don’t take him too seriously, or you might get offended.

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The Ujazdowski Family

LuAnne l (920) 740-2749 Chance l (920) 740-7536 Valerie l (920) 740-9554 N2362 Ledge Hill Road

Hortonville, Wisconsin

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Located in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, Capatske Cattle Company has been raising high quality cattle for over 20 years.

Cattle from our operation have won at every level and throughout the United States.

We want to share our genetics with you!

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Advertiser Index

Bad Water Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Badger State Hoof Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Beck’s Pine Hills Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Bennett Shorthorns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC Big Iron Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Bright Lights Show Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Capatske Cattle Company New Sire Options . . 13 Duch Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Esser Lowlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Geiser Insurance Service, LLC . . . . . . . . . . 8 Irish Acres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Profiles Show Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Sigel Sunset Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Top Sires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 16-IBC TRICOR Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Valley Beef Premier Show . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Wishing Well Simmentals . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 12 WS Ag Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

IFC :: Inside Front Cover IBC :: Inside Back Cover BC :: Back Cover

Schedule of Events

May

UWRF Block & Bridle Prospect Weekend Central Wisconsin Spring Fling

May 5-7 May 12-13

June / July

Valley Beef Premier Show June 2-3 WLBA Spring Preview Show June 3 Bennett Shorthorns Pasture of Dreams Sale June 3-4 WLBA/Purina Animal Nutrition Livestock Show Camp June 10-11 Wisconsin Shorthorn Association State Show June 17-18 National Junior Suffolk Show June 29 - July 2 All-American Junior Sheep Show June 30 - July 2 Wisconsin Farm Tech Days July 11-13

August / September

Wisconsin State Fair Upper Peninsula State Fair WLBA Summer Spectacular Duch Cattle Company - Bid Board Steer & Heifer Sale

August 3-13 August 14-20 August 19 September 16

Pierce County Fairgrounds - Ellsworth, WI Waushara County Fairgrounds - Wautoma, WI Outagamie County Fairgrounds - Seymour, WI Jefferson Fair Park - Jefferson, WI on the farm - Durand, IL Wisconsin State Fair Park - West Allis, WI Lodi Ag Fairgrounds - Lodi, WI Alliant Energy Center - Madison, WI Alliant Energy Center - Madison, WI Ebert Enterprises - Algoma, WI Wisconsin State Fair Park - West Allis, WI Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds - Escanaba, MI Central Wisconsin State Fairgrounds - Marshfield, WI on the farm - New London, WI

A Forum

Writing for The Brand

Everyone has something to learn about our industry. There are always questions to be asked, ideas to be gathered, and decisions to be made. Often, our best resources are other producers.

The Brand would like to hear and share those discussions.

This Issue’s Question

How do you involve the next generation of livestock industry enthusiasts in your operation?

We would also like suggestions for future forum questions. Let us know what’s on your mind!

Send your answers to thebrandlivestock@gmail.com with the subject ‘Writing for The Brand’.

Or fill out the discussion form at www.thebrandlivestock.com Please respond by August 4th.

Limit responses to 400 words.

Editor’s Note: Due to a low number of responses to the March 2017 Writing for The Brand question, we have omitted the full column from this issue.

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Pasture

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close at JUne 3rD & 4Th bids 6:00 p.m. on June 4

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2016 Arizona Nationals • Champion Shorthorn Heifer Chas McPheeters • Placed by Brad Ewing 2017 Illinois Beef Expo • Ashlyn Hickey Placed by Devin Olson & Brad Ewing

Charlie, TriCia, DalTon, and logan BenneTT

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2016 Badger Kickoff • Champion Shorthorn Steer Nicole Bakken Please call ahead for viewing calves prior to the sale.

Look for calf pictures and videos in mid May at bennettshorthorns.com

4/30/17 10:05 PM