Ag Pride 2020

AG

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A PUBLICATION OF

2020

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Ag Pride 2020

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Ag Pride 2020

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

7

For agriculture, hard times mean helping out

BY MARIA TIBBETTS, DIGITAL & SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

They’re giving their time, money, attention and optimism to people who may not be able to hold themselves up right now.

The entire world is in uncharted waters right now. We’ve never had so much access to information—and misinformation—and still felt so uninformed. We’ve never been so cut off socially, but connected digitally. I daresay our minds and hearts were never meant to cope with the circumstances of today.

From brightening the day for senior citizens, to donating hamburger to food pantries, to coming up with innovative ways to make sure people can still get fresh food, agriculture steps up.

Everyone deals with uncertainty differently. Some react in faith, some in fear.

As agriculture faces unprecedented uncertainty, with disruptions in both the supply and demand of the food chain, on top of already shaky markets, it’s easy to be overwhelmed, hopeless and frustrated.

But we’re humbled to be able to—once again—report that in the midst of this uncertainty and fear, agriculture is helping out.

While ranchers and agribusiness people face the very real idea that this time, the problems in the cattle market may mean they’re not in business for another calving season, they’re looking for ways to make life better for others.

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TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2020

Hard times are nothing new for farmers and ranchers. We’re used to finding new ways to make old things work, to stretching things just a little farther than they’re meant to stretch.

And we’ll keep doing it. We’ll keep tightening our own belts while we offer a hand up to our neighbors. We’ll keep speaking those words of hope and encouragement, and doing those deeds of thoughtfulness, even while we watch the factors that dictate our livelihoods continue to worsen, and calculate our own situations with red ink.

And we’ll get through it. The world may look different on the other side, but, God willing, we’ll still be standing there, holding that hand out and offering those words of encouragement, ready to keep feeding a hungry world—body, mind and soul.

PHOTO BY MEGHAN RESSLER, RESSLER RANCH

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Ag Pride 2020

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9

Nik, Kris and Matt Pierson deliver the second round of hamburger to local food banks.

More than

JUST A BURGER

PRODUCERS PARTNERSHIP GIVES RANCHERS A WAY TO SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES

BY HANNAH GILL

M

att Pierson had been struggling to come up with a way to help people who had been affected by the COVID-19 “stay at home” orders when he realized the solution was standing in his pens.

Pierson, of Livingston, Montana was driving the tractor on April 9, 2020, thinking about how the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected his

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TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2020

When he is not working with local youth as a soccer coach or president of the local soccer club, Pierson works full time on the family's cow calf operation.

community, wishing there was something he could do to help his neighbors who had lost their jobs and were struggling to feed their families. He is a varsity girls soccer coach, and was seeing first-hand how the pandemic and “stay at home” orders were negatively impacting his players and community.

In less than a week, Pierson had organized the first delivery of 1,000 pounds of hamburger to local food banks and collected over $10,000 in donations and through a COVID-19 grant, all being used for the processing of the hamburger for the Producers Partnership, the co-op he formed.

“Realizing that we raise beef for a living, I came to the quick realization that I’m an idiot,” Pierson says. “I already did all the work, I just needed to figure out how to get it to them, so I started calling some neighbors.”

Before the pandemic, The Livingston Food Resource Center, Loaves and Fishes, and the Big Timber Community Food Bank were putting out around 600 pounds of animal protein each month. After the “shelter in place” order, the food banks were scrambling to distribute more than 700 pounds per week.

Ag Pride 2020

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Delivering packaged hamburger to local food banks.

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TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2020

“There are a lot of people in our community who are struggling, a lot not working or getting paychecks,” Pierson says.

To get the attention of as many people as possible, Pierson put out a letter through the local feed store’s mailing list: I am helping coordinate an effort from local families, that we will be calling the Producers Partnership, to provide hamburger during the Shelter in Place time. I feel strongly that this will be the time for area producers to make a difference. As of right now we have three cows going to Matt's Meat and three cows to Pioneer Meats in the next few days. This will be enough hamburger to gain our area food banks about 3-4 weeks. I am calling out to everyone to try and triple that number so we can help our families.

Even if you do not have a cow/bull or animal to offer, feel free to help by paying for the processing or portion of. On average a 1200-pound animal will produce about 375 pounds of hamburger at a cost of roughly $660.

The volume of responses overwhelmed Pierson, who shakes off credit, saying he is just helping organize the co-op and get things from point A to point B, and knowing people on both ends, from the producers to the processors, helped get the ball rolling even faster.

“These area ranchers, Felton Angus, Sundling Livestock, Lane Ranches, Highland Livestock, WW

Mac Ranch, Alan Redfield, O’Hair Ranch and Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, they are people who donate a lot of things in a lot of ways,” Pierson says. “Pioneer Meats in Big Timber, they’ve done all of our work for us forever. Matt’s Old Fashioned Butcher Shop in Livingston, I coached his kids in soccer and have known them forever. It was really, honestly easy to pull together that quickly. Everybody wanted to help.”

Using hamburger was a strategic tactic. Not only are old cows in a surplus this time of year, turning everything into hamburger instead of worrying about various cuts of beef not only sped up the process and eliminated hanging time for the carcass, but helped the food banks by relieving stress of who would get what cut of meat.

“We took our cows in Thursday and delivered the first 900 pounds by Friday,” Pierson says. “We were able to accelerate everything and get this out there as quickly as we could.”

One week later, Pierson, his wife and son delivered the next load of packaged hamburger to the food banks with more momentum on the horizon as more people are eager to jump in and help where they can.

“Talking to them, you could see there was a need there to try to help them stretch their dollar,” Pierson says of the food banks. “It was really the only way I could see for us to help.”

Ag Pride 2020

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Platte Livestock Market HELPS COMMUNITY DURING TRYING TIMES

T

BY MACKENZIE JOHNSTON

he spread of Covid-19 has caused profound hardships on our rural communities.

Platte Livestock Market owners, Mary and Marshall Ringling and Scott and Chantelle Kirsch recently got together and decided it was time to help their community. Both families have growing kids to feed and realize the importance of

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Ag Pride 2020

nutritious meals. With that in mind, they decided to sell ground beef at cost from the purchase of cull cows at the livestock market. “Scott and I were talking about the toll COVID-19 has taken on our local communities and ag producers. We have never been big believers of handouts, so we decided selling ground beef at cost would be

The owners of Platte Livestock came up with a way to help their customers and community by cutting out the middleman and buying cull cows for hamburger.

a way to help people out without just giving them something,� said Chantelle. From there, Chantelle took the idea to Mary and Scott who were entirely on board.

On the evening of Friday, April 17, they got together in the parking lot of Platte Livestock and sold packages of hamburger at $3.50/lb. They had a limit of 20 lbs. per person to avoid hoarding. This

limit was also set in place to be sure that everyone would have an opportunity to purchase this local, nutritious beef.

Before going forward with this plan, Mary and Chantelle contacted the local grocery store to be sure to not step on anyone’s toes. The grocery store was incredibly understanding and expressed interest in finding some way in the future to cut out the Ag Pride 2020

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

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The Kirsch family. Back row, left to right: Jesse (soon to be wife, Jonica, not pictured), Monica, Jake (holding baby Finnlee), Leah, Caleb, Beau, Seth, and Nolan. Front row: Kiner, Scott, Chantelle, and Winsor.

middleman and buy directly from the livestock market and slaughter at the local locker. This route would deliver a higher quality product to consumers, allow for lower beef prices, and still leave some room for the grocery store to make a small margin.

“It’s not really a good deal for the grocery stores, not really a good deal for the farmers, not really a good deal for the lockers either. After the pandemic passes, we hope to work something out in order to work together and supply our community with beef. Possibly do something direct from the livestock market to the locker, then to the grocery store and cut out the middle guy. Not only help consumers out, help everyone out,” said Mary.

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TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2020

Due to COVID-19, there have been shortages of beef across the nation because of logistical issues and packing plant closures. According to Mary Ringling, ground beef at the local grocery store has increased to $5.30 per pound. This price is sure to increase with the probability of more plant shutdowns leading to even more protein shortages.

Throughout this endeavor the feedback has been extremely positive, and the co-owners plan to continue to sell this local ground beef. “I hope we can do this for quite some time. We’d like to work out the kinks to create a good system to further help people out,” says Chantelle. “There is enough stress in our everyday lives because of the pandemic, we just hope we can do our part and relieve some of that stress.”

Ringling family, left to right: Tess, Samantha, Marshall, Mary and Heidi Ringling.

The two families came together owning Platte Livestock when Scott and Marshall both bought partial shares in 1999. From 1999 to 2004 there was a third partner in the business. Then in January of 2004, the third partner sold out and the Ringlings and Kirschs have been co-owners ever since.

Office (605) 859-2568 Mark Buchholz (605) 685-5975 Kent Buchholz (605) 441-4842 www.kennedyimplement.com Ag Pride 2020

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TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2020

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Texas Roadhouse restaurants have made adaptations to serve customers while maintaining safe distances and proper sanitization.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS ROADHOUSE

SAFETY AT

"Steak"

W

BY SAVANNA SIMMONS

hile innumerable businesses have been forced to close during the COVID-19 quarantine, restaurants have been allowed to remain open, but with restrictions enforced.

Many restaurants have adapted to serving with minimal contact, however, this doesn’t mean business in this climate is automatically booming.

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TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2020

Several customers have attended a sit-down dinner at The Branding Iron Steakhouse in Belle Fourche, but no quarantine regulations have been broken.

Patrons have been delivered meals in their stock or living quarters trailers, where they dined-in.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BRANDING IRON STEAKHOUSE

THE BRANDING IRON STEAKHOUSE, BELLE FOURCHE, SOUTH DAKOTA

have found a way to get the same experience while keeping safe distances.

The Branding Iron Steakhouse in Belle Fourche has adapted to the quarantine demands, however, owner Toni Moncur said they are doing less than 50 percent of the business they were prior. They’ll keep pushing on, she said, and find ways to creatively serve the customers.

“Some people pulled in and had us deliver to their living quarters horse trailer one week, and the next, it was a stock trailer. They just had a table set in there and ate out there,” Moncur said. “They could still dine-in, still be able to sit down and enjoy a meal.”

“We’ve had a lot of take-out orders,” Moncur said.

“They’re staying home and not going out to eat and pushing the envelope.”

Her employees have naturally weeded themselves out to a manageable number given the minimized work load. Many were college students attending Black Hills State University who have returned home due to termination of on-campus classes, saving Moncur from having to make any cuts.

Several customers who have missed the fine dining experience received at The Branding Iron Steakhouse

TEXAS ROADHOUSE

In addition to smaller adaptations, such as transitioning entirely to to-go orders, restaurants within the Texas Roadhouse chain have enacted larger temporary changes. Following their own company desire to support and better their towns, Texas Roadhouse has supported workers on the frontline helping those affected by the virus where possible through provided home-cooked meals, supporting employees through “Roadie bonuses” and refraining from having to make Ag Pride 2020

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

21

cuts, said Travis Doster, vice-president of communication with Texas Roadhouse. The CEO Kent Taylor made the decision to forego his salary and bonus and was followed by several other executives within the company, Doster said.

“We have had a lot of demand for purchasing our readyto-grill steaks,” Doster said. “We already have a meat cutter in every location, so that has been phenomenal.”

“We’ve delivered food to frontline employees and nurses at the hospitals, fire stations, and police stations,” Doster said. “In this case, we can’t find a cure; we can’t help those victims, but we can feed those who are trying to do that.”

Governors across the states have allowed for the selling of raw meat through restaurants to be permitted to help alleviate protein shortages in grocery stores. Some Texas Roadhouse locations are also setting up a farmer’s market of sorts, selling produce alongside steaks, as well as offering family value packs, a home-cooked meal that serves four to six.

Prior to the pandemic, less than 10 percent of Texas Roadhouse’s orders were to-go. Now, 100 percent is to-go, which has posed a small challenge in terms of to-go supplies. The company is adjusting, and they have had very few issue sourcing food, meaning that one item in particular has been a real draw for guests.

Extra measures have been set up to ensure the chance of exposure is minimized. To start, Roadhouse employees work in shifts with the same employees. If one employee presents with COVID-19 symptoms, all staff from that shift would be vetted or quarantined. The expected practices are also in place, such as face masks, glasses, gloves,

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Promotion may be modified or discontinued without notice at any time in Polaris’ sole discretion. WARNING: Polaris® off road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. ©2020 Polaris, Inc.

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advantage of the staple offerings, such as flour, eggs, gravy, beef, bacon, and bread, and The Outpost has expanded to take-out orders and delivery, a service not offered prior to the quarantine. Online ordering or calling in are also options.

and six feet between people, but employees have found ways to insert joy into the regulations.

“Our employees have put smiley faces on masks, or they’re doing cool designs. In this time, seeing employees that are happy and have a lot of energy makes people feel good,” Doster said. “One store wrote hearts on the floor, so everyone would stand in their heart, six feet apart. We rolled out a program called ‘legendary service, six feet apart’.”

“We’re offering free delivery right now so that people aren’t scared to come out, and we have thermal bags we use for delivery,” Smith said. “We’ve all taken ServSafe courses, and we wear gloves and masks when in contact with other people less than six feet away.”

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“We just ordered a few extra things for groceries, stuff that we noticed the grocery store has been out of and hard to get,” said manager Shadow Smith. “We’ve just been trying to offer it here.”

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Food Service LOCAL VENDORS INNOVATE TO SURVIVE At Redhead Creamery they take pride in knowing that each cheese is aged appropriately for the best possible flavor, texture and appearance.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF REDHEAD CREAMERY

Redhead Creamery founder, Alise Sjostrom, shares a love of cheese with her husband, Lucas.

BY TAMARA CHOAT

I

t’s true that crisis can drive innovation – just think of the space team of Apollo 13, miraculously reconfiguring oxygen tanks. As Covid-19 has swept the globe disrupting systems from health care to education to food supply, small business owners have had to either innovate – or watch their company struggle for air.

Distilleries and skin care companies have become hand sanitizer manufacturers. Specialty boutiques are hosting pop-up sales events online. Restaurants have shifted to curb-side pickup.

In the rural, central Minnesota town of Brooten, Alise Sjostrom and her family own and operate Redhead Creamery. Two months ago they were a thriving dairy and destination artisan cheese shop, built on a dream Sjostrom had since

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Redhead Creamery owner Alise Sjostrom's mom, Linda, is an integral part of operations on the family-owned dairy and cheese facility.

childhood to return to her family farm and make cheese. In 2013 she crafted her first batch of farmstead cheese and in 2014 opened the processing facility, complete with an underground pipeline that carries milk still warm off the cow to curdling vats. The tasting room offers “ridiculously good” cheese trays, craft beer and tours, and serves as an idyllic event center.

“We are kind of a shop in the middle of nowhere,” says Sjostrom. “We’ve found it’s the journey that brings people out here.” Their customers come from the Twin Cities and other urban areas to participate in the culinary and agritourism experience. Redhead

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Creamery marketed their wares – aged cheddars, whiskey washed munster, creamy brie and fresh curds – primarily to restaurants through a distributor.

“Well, that was what we normally did,” says Sjostrom. In mid-March as the virus spread, everything changed drastically.

Redhead Creamery was doing a limited amount of direct sales to customers – but suddenly it became their means of survival. They launched paid advertising, mapped out a delivery route and started packing up coolers in the back of pickup beds. “Now we are literally delivering cheese to our customers’ doors or

For Alise Sjostrom, here with her husband Lucas and their daughers, making cheese is a family affair.

meeting them somewhere where we can safely transfer their order,” says Sjostrom. Their primary routes include to the Twin Cities as well as Sioux Falls, S.D., with stops along the way.

“It was something we quickly decided to try out of necessity; we needed to get our bills paid and have cash flow.”

The idea exploded – in a good way. Sjostrom says they have been overwhelmed with sales and while the national quarantine has meant boredom for a lot of people, “we are feeling a little overwhelmed, and we could really use a nap.”

She said the support from as far as three states around them has been amazing. “No one wants to go into stores right now, and they also want to support small, local businesses,” she says. “We’re encouraged by all the people who want us to keep rolling.”

Sjostrom says even though the short-term is so successful they laughingly wish they were making butter and bottling milk as well, they don’t have a clear idea of what long-term will look like. She says large-scale, continued delivery would have to include designated employees and specialized delivery trucks.

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“It will be interesting to see if people’s buying habits change or not once we get through this,” she says. “I don’t know what that will look like.”

As Redhead Creamery started packing ice chests with cheese, several states away in Bozeman, Mont., Jamie Van Dyke and her business partners of Produce Depot, a wholesale, locally-raised fruit and vegetable distribution business, also knew they had to start packing – one way or another.

Two months before COVID-19 hit, the partners had finalized an expansion of their business from the Big Sky and Bozeman area, where they worked strictly on a wholesale basis, to Billings. “The timing couldn’t have been worse – we had just signed a lease on this huge warehouse,” says Van Dyke. But when the Big Sky resorts that comprised the majority of their business closed completely they started thinking outside the bag and shifted from a wholesale to a retail mindset almost overnight.

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Fruits and vegetables come in bulk to Produce Depot's warehouses in Bozeman and Billings, and are bagged for individual customer deliveries. PHOTO COURTESY OF PRODUCE DEPOT.

“Our initial idea was to do a ‘community supported agriculture’ type offering out of our wholesale locations, where people come in and fill their own bags with produce for a flat $30 fee,” says Van Dyke. They quickly realized they were not dialed in on the costs and profit margins of people filling their own bags.

However, that was soon a moot point when Montana’s shelter-in-place edict was issued.

“The first time we did residential deliveries, we were like: ‘What are we doing? This is way too much work and we’re losing money!’” says Van Dyke. The team reevaluated inputs and organizational structure, adding a website to take orders and payment – eliminating 500-600 daily emails and 15-hour work days. “It’s working great now and it’s making money, but it took a lot to survive to get to this stage.”

So they shifted to a pick-up option – customers would order a $30 bag and Produce Depot controlled the contents – which they offered out of their warehouses in both Bozeman and Billings. “That went well, so we decided to add a delivery route,” says Van Dyke. “It took off like crazy.”

They try and buy local as much as possible, and are open to ideas of local products that match their model. Van Dyke says for her and her partners, there was no choice but to innovate.

They started by delivering 20 bags a day and have now capped orders at 250 in each location, with about 170 of those deliveries. “We have demand for way more, but we have maxed out on our staff and capacity for the time being,” she says.

Even though Produce Depot shifted gears on the go, it wasn’t an overnight success.

“We had all put everything we have into this venture, and if it didn’t work we were screwed. We had no other option. We put our heads together said ‘We have to figure this out,’” but it has been a rough couple of weeks.”

Van Dyke says the fact that all three of them grew up in Montana – she was raised on a registered Angus ranch near Bozeman – provided a similar foundation of hard work ethic for their team, which got them through the late nights and long days. And there are some silver linings.

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“I think this pandemic is going to make the local food movement stronger. If there’s anything positive I’ve seen it’s local people coming together and supporting local businesses,” Van Dyke

says. “I wouldn’t call the virus a blessing because what is going on in the world right now is not a blessing, but it did make our business stronger and I think it will make us all stronger.”

Produce Depot rapidly changed their business model to adapt to the COVID19 crisis, and started a doorstep delivery service of locally-raised produce.

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Kristi Schrock is used to sewing for a special purpose, like rodeo queen clothes for her daughter, Katie, or special event outfits, but now she's using her sewing skills to make masks to protect health care providers from COVID-19.

COURTESY PHOTOS.

Repurposing for a purpose Turning leftovers into lifesavers, businesses sew masks for healthcare professionals

I

BY HANNAH GILL

n the midst of “stay at home” orders and “social distancing,” members of agricultural communities are taking stock of their immediate resources and finding ways to be helpful to others, be it healthcare workers or veterinary practices low on protective gear or school districts who are struggling to make sure each child can participate in online learning.

WyoTech, an automotive and diesel industry technical school in Laramie, Wyoming and the Buckarette Collection, a high-end fashion boutique owned by a mother and two daughters from Corvallis, Oregon, each saw a need for hand-sewn face masks and got to work, one constructing masks out of fabric from old school uniforms, the other using a small collection of fabric scraps left over from handmade western fashion garments.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and mandatory closures, WyoTech had to make a hard decision, sending their students home and suspending the remainder of the term until May 11.

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“We are a proud, hands-on training institution, so going to an online model would have been a disservice to our students and the employers that hire our graduates,” says Jadeen Mathis, director of communications for WyoTech. While the school hasn’t been operating, its instructors are still hard at work, especially after learning about the shortage of personal protective equipment that healthcare workers were facing.

“We got wind that people were making face masks,” says Mathis. “We actually had some masks on hand that we were able to donate to our local hospital in Laramie, but we didn’t have much to donate.”

So, instead of calling that the best they could do, the school’s trim and upholstery instructor, Charles McDonald, better known as “Mac,” decided to make more masks to donate.

“Mac’s expertise in the trim and upholstery field is above and beyond,” says Mathis. “He’s owned his own shop, he’s been on numerous TV shows, and when he saw what people were doing, he was like, ‘Well, I can do that.’”

After a recent rebranding, the school was left with a large supply of old uniforms. Using elastic that was on hand already, McDonald started sewing prototypes. In the first four days, he had sewn over 100 masks to donate to local healthcare, with no end in sight yet.

“He’s a one man show because we are a ghost town at WyoTech right now. Once he gets everything cut and measured, he can really crank them out pretty good,” says Mathis. “We also plan to make enough for our students. When COVID-19 is winding down, we want to make sure our students are being safe and we are protecting our students and instructors.”

Each mask is branded with the WyoTech logo, some being embroidered in the school’s own embroidery shop, others were sourced outside of the school as a way to support a local embroidery business during this difficult time.

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In addition to the masks, the school offered both its IT services and laptops to the local school district’s online learning program, after hearing about students in Albany County with no internet or computer, as well as a section of the campus’s dormitory for healthcare workers

the hospital system was starting to show up.”

or individuals who contract COVID-19 and can’t quarantine at home without exposing others.

“It hasn’t really blown up here in Laramie, but should it blow up, it may be easier to stay or quarantine in our dorms where there are full housing facilities so they are not exposing anyone else,” says Mathis.

Over 1,000 miles away in Oregon, farm wife and business owner Kristi Schrock has been sewing like crazy, that is when she hasn’t been helping her husband on their small farming operation, or with their road construction business, or their aerial application business.

Kristi Schrock prefers to keep others in the limelight, and to play a supporting role behind the scenes. It’s a role she continues to play as she makes masks for healthcare workers out of fabric left over from her custom clothing creations.

If that isn’t enough to keep her busy, Schrock and her two daughters, Katie and Nicole, purchased a small boutique a few years ago after seeing a need for high-quality western wear for taller girls, and have been working to launch it as well.

“Both of my daughters were past Miss Rodeo Oregon,” says Schrock, “and one thing we realized when they did that, was that finding clothes for taller girls for that type of stage as a state title holder was challenging in the least.

That’s kind of why a boutique was of interest to us, to kind of fill that hole.”

Schrock, who has been sewing since she was a child, saw the need and made most of the clothes that her daughters wore while they were title holders, and despite having no professional training as a seamstress, her creations caught the eyes of other rodeo queens in similar predicaments.

When Schrock first saw a need for face masks, it was a no-brainer decision. She had a whole sewing room of leftover fabric that was used to line custom blazers, jackets, and purses.

“When I first started making them, the virus was taking over and things were really building in New York,” says Schrock. “The threat of how it was going to overpower

It was right after a number of positive cases were announced at a local Oregon veterans’ home that Schrock says was her “wakeup call” to what could happen. A friend who worked at the local hospital tagged her in a post on social media about handmade masks, and said that it was expected that healthcare workers were going to be needing them soon.

“I worked with her to see what the health departments needed, because I guess kind of like with the Buckarette Collection, I didn’t want to just do something to say I was doing it, but didn’t actually fit the need,” says Schrock.

After her first template got the okay from local health officials, she got to sewing. When shortages of PPE masks became more prevalent and masks with pockets for filters were in short supply, Schrock got in touch with local health officials again, and after getting another pattern approved, she got back to sewing.

“There is a physical therapy office that donated everything they had for masks and gloves to the local hospital, then they didn’t have protection anymore, so I sent a bunch of masks to them,” says Schrock. “Same with the veterinary offices, they donated what they had to the medical professions for their needs and then they didn’t have anything, so pretty much anyone that asks, I’m sending them for free.”

Schrock refuses to take all the credit, noting that there are many, many more men and women in her area who are sewing just as many, if not more masks that she has been able to produce and distribute. In fact, Schrock turned the situation around and says it has actually been helping her as well.

“It’s been great because I’ve been cleaning out my sewing room,” says Schrock.

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Bright, colorful patterns mark the masks made by Equibrand.

W

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

hen one of Equibrand’s employees came to Ken Bray with an idea to make masks in Classic Equine’s production line, he was all for it.

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So the machines normally used to make Equibrand’s variety of equine products were converted to produce PPE masks.

Equibrand, the parent company for Classic Equine, Martin Saddlery, Rattler Rope, Classic Rope and Cashel Co., manufactures in multiple locations in northern Texas. Granbury, Texas,

Contributing to the cause Western industries support COVID-19 relief efforts

home to its distribution and production facility, became the site for the making of PPE masks along with saddle pads, equine therapeutics, protective boots, cinches and more.

It all started with Elena Mata, one of Equibrand’s employees. When the pandemic hit in early March, she found a mask pattern online and began sewing them at home in the evenings and weekends.

Equibrand’s Classic Equine is deemed an essential business, as it produces veterinary and animal health products, so the operations were excluded from closure during the COVID-19 mitigation period.

And when Mata approached Cooper Flinn, production manager for Classic Equine, he took the idea to Bray, Equibrand’s CEO.

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It took a bit of adjustment and modification at the Granbury location, Flinn said. The machines used for most equine products are too big to make small PPE masks.

But the company has smaller machines, used for sewing labels, fly masks and other equine products that were convertible and well suited for the operation. Some employees brought their personal machines from home to help with the process.

The crew was capable of handling the job. “We have a lot of experience in sewing and cutting,” Flinn said.

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Equibrand also had the startup materials on hand. They used high grade cotton and when they ran out of their own product, they bought raw materials locally, “as much as we could, trying to help everybody in the community,” Bray said.

The masks are being donated to the sheriff’s departments, fire departments, first responders, nursing homes and medical clinics in Hood, Hunt and Erath Counties, Texas, where Equibrand employees live.

The masks have an insert where an N95 filter can be slipped in.

“They are re-usable and washable,” Bray said. They’re not the grade used in ICUs and hospitals, but they can be used by those dealing with the public. “It’s a quality product,” he said. “Our people take a lot of pride in them.

They’re very well made.”

Production started in late March, and it didn’t take much time to get up to speed, Flinn said. “We can move pretty fast on new stuff. We have a pretty experienced team. We have the skill set, to mass produce.”

Each of Equibrand’s 258 employees is being paid through the shutdown. The Granbury location, where the masks are being made, is open, as is the fiber and rope production facility in Stephenville, Texas. The Greenville, Texas location, where saddles and leather products are made, is shut down, but everyone is still on the payroll.

Even though overall demand has decreased due to the virus, Bray chooses to pay his people because they’re part of his team. “Our people are everything,” he said. In 2015, the rope production facility burned to the ground, and “we kept employees on the payroll throughout its rebuilding. You can’t replace good people.”

The Stephenville (Texas) Medical and Surgical Clinic was grateful for the Equibrand masks they received.

Jenna Sanchez, practice administrator, said getting enough masks “continues to be our number one concern. So far, we’ve been OK with gowns, face shields, surgeon caps and shoe covers, but N95s and masks have been a day by day concern.” She also pointed out that prices for masks have increased, which puts a strain on their budget.

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“We’ve really been able to use the reusable fabric masks for most of our staff.

It makes the surgical masks and N95s last longer, to conserve our supply.”

Another western industry is making masks.

A box fills with masks made by Hooey Brands.

The Texas based company has shifted production from apparel and caps to masks for healthcare workers.

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Hooey has transformed American Made Cap Company’s production line, located in Crowell, Texas, from cap manufacturing to mask production.

“Like everyone else, we’ve been searching for a way to contribute,” said Joey Austin, Hooey Brands founder and president. Masks

Ag Pride 2020

are made from repurposed Hooey t-shirts, with parts from caps used for straps and seams.

Masks made by Hooey will be donated to healthcare systems and first responders. They will be available to the general public for purchase online. Medical facilities can request donated masks by emailing facemasks@getyourhooey.com. Profits from masks sold to the public will be used to make and donate more masks.

Production at Hooey began on April 6, and, a week later, over 500 masks had been made.

Hooey’s masks also have a pocket where an N95 filter can

be inserted. Medical professionals are using the Hooey masks, which are re-usable and washable, over their N95 masks, to extend their life.

Hooey is keeping their workers employed making the masks, and being able to contribute to the nation’s crisis is good, said Austin. “Converting the factory to produce cloth masks is our way to help our employees help the country. In these unprecedented times, we’re best served when we’re creative and stay positive.”

was a critical need, but the magnitude of the need is unimaginably massive.

“The outpouring of support from the equine community and the daily requests for masks has been heartfelt and very, very humbling. We will donate about $25,000 worth of masks over the next few weeks, but that number won’t scratch the surface in getting first responders and health care workers supplied with all they need to

For Equibrand’s Flinn and Bray, it is a point of pride to make the masks.

stay safe and do their jobs.”

Flinn mentions a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: “Those with the privilege to know have the responsibility to act,” he said. “We have the skills, and we could help. We wanted to do what we could.”

crises like COVID-19.

Bray had the same sentiments as Austin: making masks was something they could do to help. “It’s been overwhelming, to be honest,” he said. “We knew there

tougher. They’re more of the people who get things

Bray says the western culture responds differently to

“There’s something about people that throw hay over a fence. They’re just a little bit more caring, a little bit done. That’s pretty much the mentality, nature and culture of the western industry.”

CONTACT YOUR AREA DEALER

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Ear Savers

I

BY HANNAH GILL

n January of this year, Maddix Small got sick and spent three days in the hospital in Wichita, Kansas. The fourteen-year-old from Neodesha, Kansas had two secondary infections from a virus, and when he was discharged from the hospital, he was told that if he got sick at all before his appointment at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, he would need to be on medication because they weren’t sure if the infection could come back or not. That wasn’t a big deal, at least, it wasn’t until COVID-19.

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Maddix’s appointment at Children’s

“They know he has an immunode-

Mercy was supposed to be on March 23,

ficiency, they don’t think its leukemia

the same day of the “stay at home” or-

based on early bloodwork, but they don’t

der in Kansas and all appointments were

know what it is or how to handle it,” says

canceled, so until the Smalls get some

his mother, Nicole. “To say he’s leaving

answers, Maddix doesn’t leave the house

the farm or ranch now? No, we’re being

much, except to help feed and do chores.

super protective of him.”

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The initial idea behind the 3D printer that Maddix received as a Christmas gift was that, maybe one day, he would be able to print parts for machinery on the family’s cow/calf, corn, wheat and soybean operation.

“We thought it would be something good for him to learn,” says Nicole.

Maddix had a cheap one a few years ago, but it didn’t last long. The most recent 3D printer, a Dremel, cost around 600 dollars, had good reviews and the customer service has been very helpful when it comes to printing files.

“There’s definitely a learning curve when it comes to 3D printing,” says Nicole. “It’s not like a printer you just plug into your computer.”

To pass the time, Maddix has taken to using his 3D printer to print ear savers, little tabs with hooks that provide relief for healthcare workers who are wearing PPE, personal protective equipment, for extended periods of time. Healthcare workers like the ones who not too long ago, worked to save his own life.

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Designing patterns can be complicated. There is 3D software that developers can use to create files to print and there are also 3D scanners that scan a 3D object and create the file to print an identical object. Unfortunately, the scanners are way more expensive than the printers themselves, so when a plastic part on the planter broke recently, the Smalls resorted to superglue until they could get a replacement from town.

“We tried a scanner app on the phone, which would probably work if it was a solid piece, but it had

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a hollow part and we couldn’t get it to scan right,” says Nicole.

“My husband was like, ‘I wonder what this is going to cost me,’ and you know, that scanner might look pretty cheap after you have to drive to town, or if you have to wait a day or two for a part to get here.”

Many patterns though, are available online, which is where Maddix found the pattern for the ear savers after Nicole saw a Facebook post about a Boy Scout that was printing ear savers.

He asked around to see if there was a need for ear savers, and received a positive response. Since then, Maddix has spent over 30 hours printing the ear savers that he in turn has been donating directly to healthcare workers.

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“The large ones take about 30 minutes each to print, the smaller ones take 12 minutes,” says Maddix.

The filament that creates the printed object, which is made from corn or sugar cane, costs about 25 cents for the large ear savers and 10 cents for the smaller ones. After word got around, Maddix was approached

by Kansas Corn, who offered him a grant to help pay for the filament, as well as to cover the shipping costs he was incurring.

“This is a way for him sto stay busy and help those who kept him alive. We started with our local doctor’s office, the hospital he was transferred out of, the pharmacy, and then it just kind of grew from there,” says Nicole.

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In it for the duration

Businesses support ag producers through COVID-19 crisis

T

BY MEGAN SILVEIRA

he production of food has been deemed “essential” in the world affected by COVID-19. While we think of ranchers, farmers and fruit and vegetable growers when we think of food production, the industries that support those businesses are just as essential.

“Everyone in the world is touched by the agriculture industry,” said Jana Shankle, owner of D&M Ag Supply in Rapid City, South Dakota. “People benefit from strong agriculture everywhere in the country even if they’ve never planted a seed or touched a cow.”

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Recognizing the industry as vital to the health of the country, Shankle and her family decided to keep their business doors open during the national pandemic.

With her husband, Paul, and two children, Mia and Jack, Shankle said D&M Ag Supply is working to do their part in supporting the agriculture community.

Shankle describes the family-owned business as an “A-Z feed store” as they offer hay and manufactured or mixed feeds to every rural and domesticated animal – from alpacas to zebras. Shakle said agriculture is an essential business, and to keep putting food on the table, individuals involved in the industry require the feed her family’s store offers.

“We continue doing what we do, so they can do what they need to do,” she said.

But feed is not the only thing ingredient used in the recipe for success in the agriculture industry. Trailers and equipment are vital to many farmers and ranchers, a fact Steve Burnett of Scott Murdock Trailer Sales in Loveland, Colorado, knows better than anyone.

“The agriculture and construction industries have not stopped,” Burnett said as to why his business has stayed open during the pandemic. “We’re constantly taking care of those guys.”

Murdock Trailer Sales sells trailers of all kinds and offers customers a full-service shop for repair work. As work has not stopped for the workers in the agriculture and construction industries, Burnett said the company chose to keep their doors open as well.

“As far as agriculture goes, the food supply is such a critical thing,” he said. “It’s got to continue, and we’ve got to make sure we’re doing our part to keep that sector of the market active.”

In addition to helping customers by staying open, Burnett said he takes pride in knowing continued business is assisting his employees. He said he wants his employees taken care of and safe, and his team has been more than eager to complete necessary tasks during this unique situation.

“In no way have we required anyone to come to work, but our employees have all wanted to make sure that they’ve come and done their part,” he added.

Safety is a priority for both D&M Ag Supply and Murdock Trailer Sales. Shankle and Burnett report

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they have altered operations of their respective business to ensure the continued health and safety of both their customers and their employees.

Shankle said her business is taking phone orders and offering curbside service and delivery options. She said payments can be made over the phone, eliminating the need for any employee-customer contact at all.

Burnett said Murdock Trailer Sales has always offered pickup and delivery with equipment, but his team is working overtime to promote these services to their

50

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2020

customers in light of the pandemic and social distancing recommendations. The work environment has shifted slightly as Burnett said staff work to keep services outside and eliminate close quarters.

Both companies have required the use of proper safety gear and enforced social distancing whenever possible.

Despite the drastic changes COVID-19 brought to the American population, Burnett and Shankle share a positive outlook for the future of the country.

Burnett suggests all people emphasize the importance of teamwork and safety. He said this is a battle we cannot win individually – the country needs to come together to combat the problem. With the resilience of the average American, Burnett said he knows we can overcome these trying times.

Looking toward the future, Shankle said things can be uncertain, but she and her team at D&M are working to continually serve their community in any way

that they can. By providing consistent service, she said she hopes they can fulfill the needs of agriculturists.

“It’s important that we do what we can to keep this industry strong,” she said.

At the end of the day, Shankle said this pandemic has proven to her once again that people involved in the agriculture industry are the cream of the crop. Even as things remain uncertain, she said agriculturists continue to take of each other and their consumers. The innovation and ambition the members of the agriculture industry are demonstrating during this time is a nod to the American spirit, Shankle said.

“Americans are strong and determined,” she said.

“It’s going to take some grit and hard work for us to pull through this, but you don’t have to look very far within the agriculture industry to find those qualities.”

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51

Badlands Distillery in Kadoka, South Dakota is now manufacturing hand sanitizer.

52

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Ag Pride 2020

Badlands Distillery partners Mark Eschenbacher and Jim Herber (Jim in the hat) packaging bottles of hand sanitizer.

FROM SPIRITS TO SANITIZIER

T

BY DEANNA NELSON-LICKING

he panic buying and hoard- are unable to keep up with the high ing in March 2020 due to the demand. In response to the shortage the federal COVID-19 outbreak, has led government has temporarily waived regulations to to a shortage of many clean- allow distilled spirits plants (DSPs) the ability to proing, disinfecting and sanitizing prod- duce hand sanitizer. The distilleries have to follow the ucts. Even hospitals and doctors’ offic- Food and Drug Administration’s formula of at least es have run short and the manufactures sixty percent denatured alcohol and having no dyes, Ag Pride 2020

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53

fragrances or lotions added. Rising up to help fill the need, small distilleries across the nation have stepped up to the challenge of changing their production from hard spirits to hand sanitizers.

Badlands Distillery in Kadoka, South Dakota has switched gears from making bourbon to producing hand sanitizer. “After hearing some national news about the different shortages caused by the virus, we asked around at our local businesses how their supply of sanitizer had been and were surprised to hear they

too were having trouble getting the product,” said Sandra Eschenbacher, Marketing and Sales Manager for Badlands Distillery. “I couldn’t imagine hospitals and nursing homes and other frontline people rationing sanitizer or having no supply at all. In the week preceding, we received multiple updates from the TTB (Treasury Tax Bureau, governing distilleries) and distillery groups through emails who were encouraging distilleries to help out. We felt we had the facility and capability and decided to go full steam ahead knowing that we would have to iron out the snags, we were sure to hit, along the way,” They weren’t prepared for the response to the announcement they were making hand sanitizer.

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Ag Pride 2020

“After we got a few days into the project, we realized just how severe the need was state wide, as hundreds of calls and emails poured in.

We were lucky to have a big quantity of 1.75ml bottles on hand normally used for liquor production that we decided to get started with. We did hit a few delays in trucking shipment of glycerin, a few challenges with regulations, FDA, additional licensing, labeling, etc. but overall we worked through it. Quickly we realized we would need much more product to fulfill the orders. Ringneck Energy stepped in to help provide sales of product to meet the demands of manufacturing sanitizer,” Eschenbacher said.

Badlands Distillery never imagined the turn this would take in their business. They ran their first still run on Jan. 1, 2016 and released their first two-year aged bourbon

Casey Miller of Lazy RW Distillery in Moorefield, Nebraska holds a bottle of their hand sanitizer.

last May. They currently self-distribute throughout South Dakota to many liquor stores and several bars and are always adding to their list. Along with barrels of traditional bourbon they have rye whiskey and brandy aging in barrels that will be released at some date in the future, as it takes time to mature.

“The corn used in our bourbon mash is grown on the ranch. We are grateful for all our businesses that continue to support us in carrying our spirits and the

patrons who enjoy them. And mostly we depend on everyone’s patience as we work to get the sanitizer out to the public,” Eschenbacher said.

Lazy RW Distillery in Moorefield, Nebraska, was founded in August of 2015, by father and son team Bill and Todd Roe. What started out as a fascination with old journals from a great uncle, who operated a still on the Niobrara River in prohibition days, has now become a fully licensed whiskey distillery. “Dad and I started

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55

this hobby in his shop, and then since the government wouldn’t let us operate that close to a home we moved to the old school in Moorefield,” Todd Roe said. “I was a structural engineer for nine years before going full time in this business. There are four of us working here and we have a huge following

The Lazy RW Distillery still, they might be small but no matter the job they are committed to quality.

now in Nebraska and South Dakota. We use Nebraska corn but since we are selling in South Dakota now, we just purchased corn from there.

We are a small distillery with huge standards of quality. We look forward to providing a high-end product for many years to come.”

After the government changed the rules allowing distilleries to manufacture sanitizer, the Roes were on board with changing their products.

With most hand sanitizer being very drying to the skin, Lazy RW sanitizer uses xanthan gum, which leaves hands soft and non-irritated.

“The biggest thing we had to do was bottling and using smaller bottles than we use for our whiskey. We ended up using bottles we had on hand for another project.

We try to be fair and keep the costs down. We are covering our costs, but it has been tight. Just making the conscious decision that we aren’t going to be making much money but we are going to stay afloat and everyone still has a job,” Roe said.

“The reason we decided to keep the cost down was for small businesses,” he said.

“And trust me for a guy who has used maybe two squirts of hand sanitizer in my life, it has been a big adjustment to be making it now.”

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For the sanitizer they are using the corn sugar made in Brady, Nebraska by Casey Miller that would be used ordinarily to produce whiskey.

The sugar is transported to Moorefield for the distilling process. So far they have produced over four hundred gallons with 80 percent going to small businesses, nursing homes, Nebraska State Patrol, local sheriff offices and first responders.

Todd and Bill Roe with members of Nebraska law enforcement, Lazy RW Distillery is committed to providing affordable sanitizer to small businesses and public servants.

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FROM VEHICLES TO VENTILATORS

Face masks are being produced at the General Motors manufacturing plant in Warren, Mich. Between 50,000 and 100,000 masks are produced a day.

Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors.

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Ford is producing an all-new PAPR design to protect health professionals on the front lines fighting COVID-19.

Ford, GM gear up to manufacture medical equipment to combat COVID-19

P

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

roduction at Ford and General Motors plants across the nation has shifted from cars and trucks to medical equipment, to combat COVID-19.

While automotive sales have tanked since the pandemic hit the U.S. in mid-March, Ford and GM are still up and running.

But they’re not making cars and trucks.

They’re manufacturing ventilators, medical face shields, PAPRs (powered air-purifying respirators), re-usable hospital gowns, and face masks.

For Ford, the “a-ha” moment came when president and CEO Jim Hackett was talking to White House staff about the impact of the pandemic on the auto industry.

As they discussed the shortage of ventilators, he blurted out, “Maybe Ford should help make ventilators.”

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Ford is partnering with GE Healthcare and Airon, a Florida-based company that makes pneumatic life support products. GM has teamed up with Ventec, located in Washington State, a company that has developed a portable personal ventilator.

The transition from autos to ventilators took a bit of doing. Assembly lines with robotic welding machines and power drills morphed into work benches with hand tools.

And workers needed training, too. “You’ve got to bring 1,200 people up to speed on processes they’ve not ever done before,” Gerald Johnson, GM’s global manufacturing chief, told the Wall Street Journal.

The automakers had to secure inventory as well. No single contractor makes all ventilator pieces; they are made by different subcontractors, so aligning inventory for each piece required some time and effort.

At GM’s idled plant in Kokomo, Ind., a facility that made electronic components for engine controls and air bags, hundreds of workers set up to make the Ventic Life Systems V+Pro critical care ventilator.

GM has partnered with Ventec Life Systems to mass produce ventilators.

Ventilators weren’t designed for highvolume production, so it took a bit to get the assembly lines going for the big auto makers to produce the device.

In Ypsilanti, Mich., Ford workers are assembling their parts of the ventilator in a building that used to see production of oil pumps and hybrid-car batteries, and in Flat Rock, Mich., workers are assembling PAPRs. Medical device assembly requires oversight by the FDA, who ensures quality. Ventilators are made to sustain life; they cannot be poor quality. “There’s a tracking system you have to meet (when ventilators are assembled), and you have to take the time to do a documentation for a ventilator,” Pamela Fry, vice-president of Airon Corp., told Forbes magazine. Assembling a ventilator requires precision. “There’s been a lot of talk about building ventilators overnight,” Chris Brooks, Chief Strategy Officer for Ventec, told Forbes magazine, “but a ventilator is much more than moving air in and out. If you’re giving the patient too much air and you’re overinflating the lungs, it can cause harm or death. And if you’re underinflating the lungs, you can cause harm or death.”

The automakers brought their own unique skill set to manufacturing. Hackett, Ford’s CEO, pointed out that

they are exceptional at gathering inventory and manufacturing in a short time frame. “How do you get disparate pieces to be assembled and moved out? Automotive has perfected doing this, so you’re not sitting on billions of dollars of inventory.”

Henry Ford designed the assembly line 107 years ago, and that is a help to making ventilators and other devices more quickly. Ventilators weren’t designed for high-volume production, and ventilator companies have limited supply chains because the machines are produced in small numbers.

Hackett explained what Ford is capable of. “With our supply chain, we build an F150 every 52 seconds. This is a machine with a price of $70,000 to $100,000 per copy, so it’s more complex than a ventilator.”

Ventec’s Brooks understood what GM had to offer his company, in terms of manufacturing ventilators. “It was immediately understood that they could bring a lot to the table, as far as helping us with the supply chain, and bringing new suppliers to source more quickly. GM understands mass production.” Production of ventilators has Ag Pride 2020

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July. The face masks will be certified for medical use.

Ford is also providing manufacturing expertise to Thermo Fisher Scientific, a company in Massachusetts that makes scientific instruments and consumables for the healthcare and laboratory industry, allowing them to quickly expand production of COVID-19 collection kits to test for the virus.

Operators and assemblers assemble medical face shields. Ford, along with other automotive giants, is using its proficiency at assembly and production to ramp up the manufacture of medical devices.

been a small-scale process, but not with GM and Ford helping out. “We immediately started thinking outside the box: how can we ramp up production?”

Ford is doing more than making ventilators. In mid-April, they began producing face shields at their Plymouth, Mich. factory, PAPRs, face masks and re-usable gowns for health care workers.

The gowns, made of silicone-coated nylon, can be washed and reused up to fifty times. The material for the gowns is supplied by one of Ford’s airbag suppliers, with 1.3 million of them cut and sewn by early

Ford experts in manufacturing, purchasing and supply chain have been working with 3M manufacturers to help increase production of other medical supplies needed for the pandemic.

Ford and GM are not profiting from sales of the medical devices. Both companies hope to have their costs covered. “We’re not looking for a contract,” Hackett said. “We have a verbal agreement that will be transparent and ethical about the cost, and we really don’t want to profit from this. It’s just not the time for profit. We’ve just put our head down, and we’re building.”

The auto makers are ensuring their own workers are safe from the virus. They are

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stationed at least six feet apart and will wear medical grade face masks.

The Bale Feeder on the left went through the Niobrara Sandhills flood in Even with the risk of infection, more 2019. than 500 volunteered to work at It has since been pulled out and put back into use. No Damage! These www.rancherslivestockequipment.com how all our equipment is built. Heavy Duty and built to Ford’s Dearborn, Mich. location.Bale Feeders show It isn’t the first time U.S. automakers have volunteered to help in the face of national emergencies.

During World War II, GM built tanks and ammunition while Ford made B-24 Liberator bombs. In the 1940s, Ford developed an “iron lung” for polio patients.

withstand anything happens to them.

The Bale Feeder on the left wentthat through the Niobrara Sandhills flood in 2019. It has since been pulled out and put back into use. No Damage! These Bale Feeders show how all our equipment is built. Heavy Duty and built to withstand anything that happens to them.

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The companies are putting “the pedal to the metal” in getting devices built. More than 100,000 face shields per week, starting in mid-April, were produced by Ford. Alongside Airon, Ford plans on producing 50,000 ventilators by July 4, and GM, with Ventec’s help, has a goal of producing 10,000 ventilator units a month. GM also has a contract to deliver 30,000 ventilators for the national stockpile by the end of August. Ford is making 100,000 medical gowns a week, and as of mid-April, had already made more than three million face shields.

The automotive giants were happy to join up to help those fighting COVID-19.

“We knew that to play our part helping combat coronavirus, we had to go like hell and join forces with experts like 3M to expand production of urgently needed medical equipment and supplies,” said Jim Baumbick, vice president of Ford Enterprise Product Line Management.

“We’ve unleashed our world-class manufacturing, purchasing and design talent to get a scrappy start making personal protection equipment and help increase the availability and production of ventilators.”

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Prepared to Serve: University of Mary Fulfills Calling through COVID-19 Crisis

C

BY RUTH WIECHMANN

OVID-19 has brought major changes to our families and communities. Markets are unstable. Basic supplies like toilet paper are not in stock at our stores. Sports events, from the NBA to grade school, have been cancelled.

Worship services, weddings, funerals, birthday parties, jobs and education have all been affected by the drive for social distancing to slow the spread of the virus.

One thing that has not changed through all the uncertainty and upheaval is the mission of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, a mission focused on prayer, community and service.

Benedictine Sisters who came to Dakota Territory in 1878 saw the need for quality healthcare in the remote, rural community and surrounding area; for over a century they have served a large area in these still-remote and largely agricultural communities in the Dakotas.

In Bismarck, they founded the first hospital in Dakota Territory in 1885, treating such patients as Chief Sitting Bull, Teddy Roosevelt and Medora de Mores. St. Alexius Hospital was built at its present site in 1911 and a nursing school was founded in 1914 that eventually became part of Mary College, now the University of Mary. The sisters continue to play an integral part in serving the healthcare needs of the people in and around Bismarck through three hospitals, a nursing home and numerous clinics, and through the School of Health Sciences at the University of Mary.

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While most people were still relegating COVID-19 to a hyped-up news story, University of Mary leadership was already keeping it on their radar.

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“We have a campus in Rome,” said Jerome Richter, Executive Vice President of the University and a member of the President’s Council. “When COVID-19 moved into Italy we were very concerned for our students, faculty and staff members there.”

They monitored the situation closely in late January through February, watching the disease spread through northern Italy and then move south. As COVID-19 began to pose a threat, Richter met with University of Mary president Monsignor James Shea to discuss what should be done.

“We always make decisions based on principles,” Richter said. “This was no different. ‘Our students are adults,’ Msgr. Shea said. ‘They have parents to help counsel them.

They also have a right to their education.’ The guiding principle through COVID-19

would be to communicate all vital information to the students while giving them the freedom to take personal responsibility to make decisions.”

They reached out to the students overseas, letting them know how they saw the situation. “’If you want to leave, we’ll make it possible for you to continue your education,’ we told them,” Richter said. “We encouraged them that they had the ability to make the right decision.

Five or six of them came home, the rest stayed.

As the situation deteriorated and it became obvious that it was not reasonable for the rest of them to stay in Italy, we made the offer to transfer them to our campus at Arizona State University in Tempe. They desired community, and we felt that this would still give them a unique experience while helping them to fulfil their courses.”

The situation rapidly changed, however, and before the students’ fourteen day quarantine was over, COVID-19 was making its presence felt in the United States and they had to stay home.

Richter said that the same situation replayed itself on the Bismarck campus. “’You’re adults,’ we told our students. ‘You have the freedom to decide whether to go home and transfer to online courses or to stay here.’ We were clear about what would change

for them if they chose online coursework, particularly for our athletes.

Msgr. Shea was very caring and sent the students a letter every three or four days; we communicated as best we could to keep them informed as things changed.

“As the situation spiraled out of control and we saw the NBA, the NCAA and March Madness cancelled along with all college athletics, we knew our athletes’ lives would stop. Probably the saddest, to me, as a former wrestling coach, was our three wrestlers who made the national tournament. They were there and had practiced and were ready to go when it was cancelled an hour before it was supposed to start.

Jerome Richter, Executive Vice

President of the University

“When we got to the point that Governor Burgum was requesting that public gathering places like gyms and restaurants be shut down and schools across the state were closing, we also made the switch from face to face classes to online classes; our faculty did an amazing job of making this transition in one week!

“Msgr. Shea then met with the students who were still on campus in small groups, so that social distance could be maintained. We knew that there were some who could not feasibly go home, but we also knew that campus life would not be what they were used to going forward.

We assured them that they were welcome here

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but also made it clear what things would look like, and again left the decision up to them. Most of the remaining students went home at this point, but we still have about eighty students here because they had nowhere else to go.”

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“Since we were already FEMA prepared, General Anderson reached out to the North Dakota Department of Health to let them know that if they needed us for anything we were here and ready to serve in whatever capacity we could.”

Meanwhile, the state was also working on an emergency plan, counting hospital beds and inventorying staff and supplies available, and coming up with a strategy to make sure that everyone who needs healthcare during the COVID-19 crisis will have access to it. Part of this plan included organizing a database of volunteers able to assist with medical care and setting up minimum care facilities, or ‘Tier 3 Hospitals’ in locations across the state to be prepared for the unlikely event that hospital capacity would be overwhelmed.

The opportunity for collaboration presented itself quickly. A couple of days after General Anderson reached out to the Department of Health they called Richter, asking to do a walk through of the Field House at the University of Mary to survey it as a potential site for a Tier 3 Hospital.

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As all of this was happening, they were also putting together an Emergency Response Team with the help of General David Anderson and set up one residence hall for quarantine purposes and another for the use of medical personnel that would need to come on campus should COVID-19 infect anyone there.

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Things moved fast. The call came at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. University of Mary staff members including General Anderson and athletic director Dale Lennon met with members of the United States Army Corps of Engineers at one o’clock for the walk-through and by four o’clock they were already laying plywood on the floor of the Field House. By Friday afternoon it was completely set up with 200 beds; the Corps of Engineers and the National Guard provided most of the muscle that made it happen.

University of Mary School of Health Science faculty and staff are ready and willing to help should the need arise.

“All of us here are only one or two generations removed from the farm,” Richter said. “When someone is in need, you don’t think about helping, you help.

When there’s work to be done, you do it. Msgr. Shea is an incredible person and has modeled the depth of the agricultural ‘can do’ spirit through this. He grew up on a dairy and grain farm near Hazelton, and four out of the five of us on the president’s council all came from dairy farms. My mom raised 14 of us and milked cows every day, and I think Msgr. Shea has worked even harder than she did through this situation.

“At this point we pray and wait and see what happens,” Richter said. “Our prayer while we wait is that we will never have to use this facility, that the Lord intervenes and stops this virus. We don’t want to have to use this hospital, but if that time comes we are ready to serve.”

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Jim Wakefield rides up to the window at the Evergreen Assisted Living Residence in O’Neill, Neb., as resident Rosanne Cullen and med aide Deb Barrelman (standing) watch. The horse, Chester, was the first head horse ridden by Riley’s older brother, Brady, who died in a vehicle accident in 2015.

PHOTOS COURTESY NANCY SCHMITZ:

Knights in Shining Armor

T

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

wo “knights in shining armor” “rescued” the residents of the Evergreen Assisted Living Residence in O’Neill, Neb. from the gloom of quarantine.

On April 8, Riley Wakefield and his dad, Jim, entertained the 50 residents through their windows, on horseback, with Riley’s trick roping, and with Strawberry, the family goat.

Riley, who is a senior at Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva, Okla., is home in O’Neill, due to the virus, and is busy with

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classes. But when his dad suggested “visiting” the assisted living residence, he was game.

So they loaded up Chester, Riley’s horse, and the goat, and headed to town.

“I put on my cowboy clothes and my chaps and did my rope tricks in front of their windows,” he said.

An accomplished tie-down roper and steer wrestler, Riley knows a few rope tricks: the butterfly and the ocean wave being among them, so he entertained, even standing on horseback spinning a rope while Chester munched green grass.

“Dad led the goat up to the window, so they could get a better view,” Riley said.

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Riley Wakefield waves to a resident as he rides past a window at the Evergreen Assisted Living Residence in O’Neill, Neb. Wakefield and his dad, Jim, entertained residents in quarantine.

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The residents enjoyed it, said Nancy Schmitz, assistant activities director at Evergreen. Residents are quarantined to their rooms, and Riley and his dad spent nearly two hours, walking around the building and interacting through the glass barrier.

“Residents were thrilled,” she said. “They absolutely loved it.”

It’s not easy for residents when they can’t receive visits from family, she said. The facility has been on lockdown since March 10, and quarantine to rooms started on April 1. Residents FaceTime with family members, and if a resident doesn’t have access to a device, staff arranges for them to FaceTime with family.

At the Highland Park Care Center in Alliance, Neb., residents were treated to instrumental music from a guitarist, violin and more on April 7. The group from the Berean Church strolled outside in the beautiful weather, and with residents’ windows open, they enjoyed the music. The local Dairy Queen also

donated Blizzards to some of the residents, leaving them with “empty cups and full tummies,” according to the Care Center’s Facebook page.

In Buffalo, S.D. at Peaceful Prairie Estates, residents aren’t quarantined to their rooms or the building but staff is taking extra precautions.

Owner Jesika Garrett Floyd makes sure residents get plenty of social interaction and exercise. If it’s nice out, they walk outdoors. There’s little concern about coming into contact with a big crowd in Buffalo, so social distancing is easily practiced. They also spend more time bowling with the Wii. Her residents are less worried about the virus than she or her staff are.

“Most of the people I care for, their faith is bigger than this virus,” she said. “They teach us more about life than the media will, and they’re more worried about us than we are” about them.

Riley spends his mornings doing homework and student-teaching, via distance learning, with a class of fifth grade students in Alva, Okla. In the afternoons, he rides four outside horses. He will graduate with a degree in elementary education this spring, then will attend Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, to work on a master’s degree in counseling. He will rodeo collegiately at Tarleton.

The Wakefields have promised to return to Evergreen Assisted Living with Chester and Strawberry when the quarantine is over, so residents can pet the horse and the goat. Chester has a special place in the Wakefield family; the horse was the first rope horse for Brady, Jim and Susan’s

older son, who died in a traffic accident in 2015.

Wakefield knows the value of being there for the seniors at Evergreen Assisted Living.

“It’s hard enough for me and my family to keep up our morale. It seems like you’re doing the exact same thing every day. Thinking about the emotions they are going through, it’s crazy. I’m sure it wears on them.

“It was cool to do that for them.”

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Riley Wakefield trick ropes on horseback for the enjoyment of those in quarantine at an assisted living residence in O’Neill.

Strawberry the goat is led around, much to the amusement of assisted living residents quarantined to their rooms.

PHOTOS COURTESY NANCY SCHMITZ

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When ag kids are "stuck at home"

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Advertiser’s Index AGRIMAX LLC ................................................................................... 30

MATHIS IMPLEMENT .....................................................................46

ALLTECH SOUTH DAKOTA ........................................................80

MEYERINK FARM SERVICE ..........................................................54

ANIPRO - WALL ............................................................................... 57

NEBRASKA LAND BROKERS ...................................................... 42

ASSMAN IMPLEMENT ...................................................................68

NUTRALIX ........................................................................................... 74

BEJOT FEED LOTS ........................................................................... 72

ORWIG'S TUBS, INC. .........................................................................3

BUFFALO BRAND SEED ............................................................... 75

PHARMCO-PLATTE ........................................................................ 23

BUTTE CO EQUIPMENT ......................................................18 & 81

RANCHERS LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT ...................................63

C&S TRUCK SALES & SERVICE ................................................. 50

REAL TUFF INC .................................................................................56

CAMMACK RANCH SUPPLY ..........................................................5

RICE'S RAPID MOTORSPORTS - Honda....................................1

CIRCLE S SEEDS .................................................................................6

RICE'S RAPID MOTORSPORTS - Can Am.............................. 22

DAYS OF 76 .........................................................................................19

ROSEBUD CONCRETE ..................................................................66

Dinklage Enterpriscs ....................................................................... 60

ROWSE RAKES INC ........................................................................43

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SD BEEF INDUSTRY COUNCIL .................. Inside Back Cover

FARM CREDIT SERVICES..............................Inside Front Cover

SEED EXCHANGE Sokota Seed................................................. 77

Farmer & Rancher Exchange...............................................36 & 37

STATELINE TRUCKING LLC .........................................................69

FMG FEED & SEED .......................................................................... 73

TCU RANCH MANAGEMENT ..................................................... 40

FRONTIER MOTORS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP ...................... 47

The Fence Post.........................................................................36 & 37

GROSSENBURG IMPLEMENT ....................................................62

Tri-State Livestock News......................................................36 & 37

HEARTLAND TANKS & SUPPLY ................................................63

WARNE CHEMICAL & EQUIPMENT ........................................ 50

HUTCHISON WESTERN ..................................................................2

WD MANUFACTURING ................................................................. 74

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KENNEDY IMPLEMENT ........................................................17 & 34

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For more info call: 605-842-1533 or visit: www.winnersd.org

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