Analyzing from the Airwaves with Trinity Lewis

Today we welcome Trinity Lewis - an Ag Broadcaster! She is doing her part to share her view on agriculture!

Hey everybody and welcome to the Country Café of the Airwaves, well at least that’s how I begin my day! My name is Trinity Lewis and I currently reside right on the border of Western South Dakota and North Eastern Wyoming. I am the fifth of six kids, and our family reaches back as far as we can date as agriculturists, either farming, ranching or extension work of some kind. I was raised on a commercial cattle ranch where we had a large emphasis on sheep production as well, today though my life is slightly different.

When I was a junior in high school I had the opportunity to intern an ag broadcaster in Sturgis, SD. This experience allowed me a platform to discuss some of the real issues facing agriculture at the time. After that I was hooked and throughout the next bit of high school I grabbed a mike every chance I got and loved to share my passion for agriculture with anyone and everyone.

Following high school I had some unique opportunities that further solidified my faith in the greatest industry in America. I was able to travel every inch of my state as a Wyoming State FFA Officer and then I had the opportunity to cover a lot of the US as a collegiate livestock judger. Every operation visited in that time had something unique about it. One cow-calf operation we visited raised cow dogs too. Another unique facility that sticks out in my mind was a cattle operation that had hogs and corn and the thing that made it different was the numerous generations who had lived there. The family running the place then had the same last name as the family who had originally settled there centuries ago. Is there anything more American than that?

Speaking of families and generations, I am now married to a Western Wyoming guy who spends his days as a logger. We started Lewis Log Cutting and Clearing almost a year ago and we are blessed to be able to say it continually grows. Justin’s hard but close work with forestry has opened a whole new part of agriculture for me and I love to research and speak on behalf of keeping our forests sustainable and healthy now as well.

Today I have the opportunity to host a 54 minute daily radio program, “The Country Café of the Airwaves”, that reaches from Canada to Colorado, Bismark to Billings, Midwest Wyoming to Marshall Minnesota. I’ve heard it said that agriculturists do a great job of raising everything except their voice so that is my goal every day when I pull the mike down and click the “on air” button. I have to tell you, this longstanding program was started by a radio great in our region and he has fashioned the program to be a smorgasbord of topics. To keep our listeners tuned in I do the same but make it a daily goal to add a bit of agriculture, stir in some American patriotism and sprinkle some God talk on top of all the rest.

Although radio and speaking are my passions I also have the opportunity to do some freelance writing and blogging as well. You would be welcome to join me online anytime www.analyzingfromtheairwaves.blogspot.com where I do my best to share all of the good ag life brings and the ways that country people are some of our country’s best assets.

Thank you Trinity!!! Be sure follow her blog and check her out on Facebook www.facebook.com/AnalyzingFromTheAirwaves!

As Trinity said - we need all of our farmer and ranchers to raise their voice! You can tell your story next! E-mail us at foafeature@gmail.com to be the next FOA feature!

Guy and Rachel Living in the Sagebrush Sea

Today we bring you from the Sagebrush Sea. Rachel and her family care for a herd of cows out in Southwestern Idaho.

You can find me at The Sagebrush Sea and Facebook.

I was raised on the Quarter Circle U Ranch on the Tongue River in South Eastern Montana, where my father’s family has been raising commercial cattle since the 1880s. My brother and I, split our time between Montana and Northeastern Wyoming, where our mother ran a herd of Registered Red Angus with her family.

When I reached high school I was fed up with cold weather and uncooperative animals, so I turned my attention to academics and polo ponies. When I left home to attend college, I thought I was escaping ranching for good. I graduated four years later; I couldn’t get back to the ranch quickly enough.

A few months later, I met my husband Guy, who was starting colts and cowboying in Wyoming. We’ve spent the last eleven years working for ranches in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Additionally, my brothers’ and I have a herd of our own cattle.

Currently, we are employed in Southwestern Idaho. My husband is the lead-off cowboy on the JS and TM ranches, owned by Simplot Land and Livestock. He is responsible for a cowboy crew of three, 1,800 head of mother cows, and a broodmare band. Our cattle travel nearly 60-miles from the winter range to the summer range and back again. So Guy spends most of the year at various cow camps along the way, while the kids and I visit over school breaks.

A commercial cow-calf operation is unique, because your responsibilities change from season-to-season. In the spring, we are calving heifers, feeding, and fencing, until the grass catches up with us. As the grass greens and the weather warms in the Summer, we finish up branding calves, watch our water closely, and ride often to prevent the cattle from damaging sensitive, riparian areas. As fall rolls in, the cattle reverse course and we begin weaning and shipping the calves. This is my favorite time of year. Not only is there a lot of horseback work to be done, I swear you can see those momma cows kick up their heels and celebrate as their calves are loaded on the truck. Winter is typically a slow time of year, with fewer responsibilities. If the weather isn't bad, we feed some hay and keep the water free of ice. Then the cycle begins again.

I am pleased that my children are a part of this lifestyle. I enjoy the interaction with animals; achieving a moment of perfect feel with your horse or witnessing the arrival of a new life into the world during calving. We ranchers measure time by the change of seasons and make a habit of watching the sky. Whether my kids continue to ranch is not important to me, but I want them to develop an appreciation for the lifestyle and its’ unique connection to the natural world.

Thank you Rachel for the feature!!! You can follow this cowboy family at The Sagebrush Sea and on Facebook!

How are you involved in agriculture? We need your story today! E-mail us at foafeature@gmail.com and learn how to become our next FOA!

A Ranch Mom - Kay & Cliff

Please welcome Kay and Cliff as they share with us what it's like to live and work on cattle in Wyoming! 

Howdy folks! I'm Kay, from A Ranch Mom. I live with my husband and our 4 kids on a ranch in SE Wyoming. The ranch is located along Horse Creek. We run Black Angus cow/calf pairs. We are about 25 miles from the nearest town, so I've learned how to keep milk in the fridge! But we enjoy living out here, away from the city. We are too busy to get bored! My husband (Cliff) and I both grew up primarily in the Midwest. We had been married 5 years when we loaded up our horse trailer with a few household items and one horse, and moved to Pueblo, CO, where we learned to do care on yearling cattle. We moved to WY 6 years ago, and really enjoy life here.

I home school our children - they love to finish early and go play outside! They spend a lot of time playing down by the creek or riding their bikes. They are also great helpers with the chores, and they enjoy riding with their dad when he moves cattle. We believe that ranch life is a great way to raise kids - they learn hard work, responsibility, neighborliness, and so much more.

We usually calve out heifers in late winter. We keep them in corrals close to the calving barn, so they can be taken inside during the brutal winter storms we get here. The heifers get checked every 2 hours around the clock. That takes a lot of time, as you might imagine! Sometimes they have some trouble, and then Cliff has to pull the calf. After the heifers are done calving, the main herd of mama cows start calving in early spring. We just leave them in the fields, but keep them close to the ranch headquarters. They get fed hay and 'cake', which is cow feed in the form of large, pressed pellets. They generally have easy births, and take care of their babies, unlike the first-time heifers, who sometimes don't know what to do with their babies.

After calving is spring branding. This is my favorite part of ranch life! There is a lot of ranches around here, and whenever we have a branding, there's plenty of neighbors to help out. Even so, it takes 3 days of branding to get them all done. Then we go help the neighbors when it's their turn to brand. I don't help a lot with the branding - I'm too busy cooking for the cowboys and taking photos. Summer is haying time...or at least it was until the drought hit last year. Summers here are quite lovely - temps don't top 90 too often, and there's usually a breeze. I enjoy gardening, and working in the yard in the summer. In the fall we gather the cattle, process them, and sell the calves.

Cliff and I own a small leather business, CK Custom Leather, which we do on the side. Cliff makes custom saddles, tack, and chaps. I weave traditional mohair cinchas. We do have a Facebook page for our business.

Most people don't realize how committed you need to be when you live and work on a ranch. The cows don't stop eating, drinking or getting sick on weekends. They never heard of holidays, either! You have to enjoy this lifestyle to put in the time and energy that it takes. But watching a new baby calf begin to breathe after a rough start, or watching the sunrise through the trees, or roping a steer - makes it
all worthwhile.

Thanks so much for the great feature Kay! Be sure to follow along with Kay and her ranch life over on her blog - A Ranch Mom. You can also check out the page for their custom leather shop - CK Custom Leather. 

Remember - if you or someone you know would like to help spread awareness about agriculture and the real people behind the cows and combines (and everything else as well!), please contact us today to learn how! YOU could be the next Face of Agriculture! 

Josie - Wyoming Cowgirl

Today we welcome a young lady from Wyoming. Meet Josie! She enjoys living and working on the ranch!

Hi everyone! I am Josie, also known as the Hillbilly Goddess of my blog, “Wild & Wooly”. I am 16 years young & live on a ranch out in the boonies of northeast Wyoming. I have a huge passion for agriculture, horses, and rodeo. We raise purebred commercial Black Angus cattle as well as American Quarter Horses, with Hancock/Driftwood bloodlines. My job on the ranch is to do anything that needs done, to the best of my ability. Whether that’s, cleaning corrals, making brownies, changing tires, or playing fetch, I’m able.

Me, getting on colt – Photo credit: Kate Tracy

Most of the year you can likely find me horseback; either, breaking and training colts, checking water, moving cows, or at a barrel race. Whatever the case may be, I love riding! I currently have 3 horses that I’m working with – a 5 year old brown gelding, Ranch Style Beans; a 2 year old dun gelding, Giddy Up Go Reno; and a blue roan yearling, Rock N Roll Roni. You can say I stay busy. I love the progress I see day-to-day when breaking a colt. It’s one of the most frustrating and patience-trying things I have ever done, but it is also one of the most rewarding and fulfilling. I hope to continue to break, train, and compete for as long as I live.

My dad and I at chute – Photo Credit: Kate Tracy

I am homeschooled, and love it! I went to public school my 3rd grade through the start of my freshman year of high school. Now, a junior, I clearly see that homeschooling is a tremendous blessing pretty much every way I look at it. It has given me such a great opportunity to pursue my talents and interests! Math comes easiest to me, so it would have to be my favorite subject. I also enjoy accounting and business math, which I know will benefit me for the rest of my life. Homeschooling has also given me a greater opportunity to not only be of help on our ranch (and my grandparents’ ranch, who live about 20 minutes away), but to learn many things that the public school system may not ever discuss.

Our dog Gem herding a cow - Photo Credit: Josie 

My other found loves include photography and working out; neither I did before starting homeschooling. Photography is something I know I will be able to enjoy for the rest of my life. There is so much to learn, but I am getting a lot better and expanding my knowledge every time I take pictures of a different subject. I am thankful to live in such a place that I am able to take pictures of a wide variety of material.

I like to describe myself as an endorphin junkie. I love to work out. It’s a high! I enjoy Beachbody’s P90X andTurboFire. Insanity is next on the list to try. Staying fit, and as healthy as I can, helps me every single day. I sleep so much better and actually have more energy when I work out, compared to when I don’t. I motivate myself by remembering that I can’t ever expect my horses to perform at their top game if I don’t ask just as much effort from myself!

In my spare time I enjoy make jewelry, especially necklaces, and bandanas, with all sorts of fun junk on them! You can never have too many accessories. (: “Hey and that’s a fact Jack!” I am a lover of turquoise, sterling silver, good leather, REAL cowboy boots, silk scarves, and denim.

My favorite time of year on the ranch is spring. Wyoming springs can be quite bipolar, but seeing babies hit the ground and green grass start to come up just warms my heart, even if it is cold. It also signals branding, which ensures that school is almost over and summer is on its way. I get so excited! Most girls kick off their summer by taking a trip to some beach, I, on the other hand, would rather get bruised up and smell like burnt hair. I enjoy branding because all of the family comes to help and we are outside actually doing something; making real memories!

Mares and babies – Photo Credit: Tami Tracy

Ranch ladies are known for many things but their food would be close to the top of the list. I am very blessed to be able to learn from my mama, whom I consider to be the best cook ever. I wanted to share a recipe that I have made ever since I was a wee little squirt. These are, My Cookies. You should be honored to be receiving the great secret of “Speed Balls”.

1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
½ Cup Instant Dry Milk
3 Tablespoons Water
Graham Cracker Crumbs

The directions are pretty self-explanatory…
Mix all ingredients.
Refrigerate till firm.
Roll into balls – hence the name, Speed BALLS.
Roll balls in graham cracker crumbs.
Refrigerate.
Then eat those babies! With milk. You will definitely want milk.

Boom. You have just mastered Speed Balls. You are welcome.

Speedballs - Photo credit: Josie

I could not be more proud of where I come from. Every morning, when I step outside, I know this is what I’m good at, this is what I enjoy, and this is what’s preparing me for my future. It’s teaching me how to suck-it-up, work a little harder, sweat a little more, and to embrace the journey. I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for having a divine plan and purpose over my life. I trust in, rely on, and am confident in Him.

Be sure to drop by my blog and say hellooo(:

Thank you Josie for this feature!!! Keep up the great work! Be sure to check out her blog "Wild and Wooly."

Do you live on a ranch or farm? Are you passionate about agriculture - then we need your story! Contact us today!!!

Jessica Hedges - A Cowboy Poet

Today we're sharing the story of Sam & Jess Hedges, a cowboy-ing couple from the Great Basin! 

We're Sam & Jessica Hedges, from the beautiful, vast and wild area of the Great Basin known as SE Oregon, south of Burns, OR to be specific. 

We both grew up on ranches. Sam in Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. Jess in California and Nevada. Since getting married, we have ventured into Washington and Oregon. We both had a short stint in Elko, Nevada where we met while we were going to college, but quickly figured out that our lives were about cowboying and that's how we wanted to raise our someday family. 

We are both driven by the history, the tradition, the horsemanship, the sense of family that surrounds ranching. Its hard work, but it is honest and heartfelt.

Our favorite thing about living on a ranch is the freedom. 

"There is nothing like the feeling that you get down deep in side when you trot out in the morning and you're hired on to ride."~ Waddie Mitchell

Right now, Sam buckaroos for Tree Top Ranches, a cattle operation in SE Oregon and several other states. His day consists of anything that needs to be done, but mostly cowboying and duties directly related to keeping cow/calf pairs fed, watered, and otherwise cared for.

Jess use to ride on a daily basis when the couple lived in cow camp, but has recently hung up her spurs to be a full time mom to their 7 month old son, Quirt.

Outside of the normal day to day, Sam makes knives and braids rawhide. Jess is a nationally acclaimed cowboy poet and has started her own accessories line, The Buckarette Collection. 

A typical day for us is non-existent. You can walk out the door that day with a plan and have it all change. Sam can be on a horse, welding, putting out mineral, or any other number of things in a day. Jess can be on the road performing, running errands in town, training a dog or horse, or creating an original Buckarette Collection piece.

Jess gets to deal with a lot misconceptions and misunderstanding about cowboy life through her experiences as a cowboy poet. 

I (Jess) was talking to a group of grade schoolers in Durango, CO and you could hear them gasp as I explained that we only went town once a month. Walmart was 5 hours and was a once every couple of months trip.

Although we are no longer in cow camp, we had in the past lived 4 hours from town and had no cell service, no tv, there were times of the year that you couldn't get in or out. The idea that people are happy without technology and do this all for the sake of producing the nation's beef is unheard of. The remoteness and the lifestyle it takes to have a cheeseburger available when you hit the McDonald's drive thru is one of the biggest misconceptions.

You can learn more about Jess Hedges and her story by visiting her poetry website, her poetry Facebook page, and her Facebook page for the Buckarette Collection. She also has a personal Twitter account, and a Buckarette Collection twitter, as well as an Instagram. 

If you or someone you know is interested in sharing your story or agricultural experience, please contact us today! We are always looking for more features - YOU could be the next Face of Agriculture! 

191 Livestock Company

Today we have a post from Robert Brown and Francine Acord-Brown. Together they raise cattle and performance horses in western Colorado!

191 Livestock Company and 191 Performance Horses. One can tell from the name of the companies, Robert & Francine already wears many hats and has many faces in both the cattle industry and horse world. Robert also has more than a full-time job as a drilling consultant in the oil and natural gas industry.

191 Livestock Company is the Registered Black Angus program (specializing in breeding seed stock genetics that are PAP tested for fitness to thrive in the high altitudes in the Rocky Mountains along the Continental Divide). Francine grew up cattle ranching in the high country (winter ground elevation is 8,200 +/-) and she spent all too many years understanding first hand brisket disease, diagnosing it and realizing death loss because of it.

Luckily, Francine’s father is a well respected and progressive commercial cattleman, and Dr. Timothy Holt became an annual winter visitor to test the new bulls he purchased after they had time to acclimate to the high elevation above Yampa, CO before PAP testing became a standard practice by the Seedstock producers. The “PAP test” stands for Pulmonary Arterial Pressure. 191 Livestock PAP score goals are from mid-30’s to low 40’s. Most of our customers are well informed and know what scores work for their altitude. In our market, customers look at PAP score first, then the bull. Their livelihood depends on it. Our goal is to not only have low PAP scores, calving ease AND high $B’s on every single heifer and bull we produce. If we have cattle with a high PAP score, someone in lower elevations can take them and they can still produce the kind of cattle they can feed out and collect the carcass premiums for themselves. The breeding decisions we’ll be making in the next two months will affect the consumers’ plate in 2018. 191 Livestock Company does not take this responsibility lightly.

191 is one of the few breeders that PAP test both heifers and bulls calves. “We AI our cattle, most of the AI sires offered do not have PAP scores”. Certain genetic lines tend to PAP test better, but 191 feels that if we know our heifers, their dam scores and grand dam scores, we can make a more educated guess which sires should cross with our females. But environmental factors also play into it such as a calf born in the cold wherein frostbite gets their ears, calves born backwards and respiratory infections early in their lives all attribute to higher PAP scores which is undesirable, but not genetic. “We can only control and predict so much”. Worst case, if they don’t have a desirable PAP score for the high altitude, they can thrive at a lower altitude and become excellent lifelong producers for those not challenged by high altitude.

191 Performance Horses is the other side of 191. 191 also reining and cow bred horses to compete in Reined Cow Horse/Reining/Versatility Ranch Horse events. The goal of the 191 horse program is to breed, raise, and do the basic training on the babies. Francine has started showing the horses that fit the non-pro program, where in 2012 she has become successful in the show ring. Currently, two trainers assist them and the program is just starting. 191 Performance horses has only been showing horses a total of four years and refocused two years ago on the working cow horse/versatility show pens and have had remarkable success with both the open and non-pro horses.

Many people ask where the “191” comes from. That is “our” Colorado brand. The Acord family has many brands and Francine had her own brand (Stairstep F) prior to meeting and marrying Robert. Both families come from generations and generations of farming and ranching families.

Robert and Francine are late bloomers in Ag coming full circle back to our roots. Robert has had a life long career in the gas and oil business travelling worldwide and offshore to stay in the industry. Francine was a single parent from the time her youngest daughter was 2. Her youngest is now 26 and together, they have 7 grandchildren, who are all fortunate to have their young lives touched by horses and agriculture in varying degrees.

Robert and Francine married in 2009 and within a month of being married, they purchased the first 12 head of Black Angus cattle, and bought several more within a few months. Within a year, they sold all the commercial cattle and purchased an entire herd of Registered Black Angus cattle. They not only bought cattle, they purchased a program, with the intent to not only continue, but to improve the overall program. The previous owners wanted to retire and put their 14 years of expertise into building a program. “It would have taken us at least that to put together a program, so we bought them out instead”.

Neither Robert, nor Francine had ever “owned” their own cattle before. “When we purchased the registered cattle, we picked our very own heifers, named them and halter broke them. Francine took them to a Chef’s trade show to show off “real cattle” at the Vail Marriot for people to actually see and touch real cattle. The live display was a hit, and a challenge that frankly, they were unsure if she could pull it off. Francine had 6 days to halter break, clip, bathe and break to lead and load. We put up four 12 x 12 panels, but nothing solid to tie the panels or the cattle to. She pulled it off and it really hit home not only how good our genetics were, but also their dispositions. It was like your kindergarten kids making you proud. The organizers were impressed and 191 with more notice the second go around, had another great display for 2011.

The Browns built their ranch from scratch, from the calving barns, to livestock pens. Francine has never been happier in the cattle business. Growing up on a large cattle ranch in Yampa, CO, the ranch was “work” and never any time to enjoy life. “Now, we can work cows in less than two hours, weigh them and know everything about each heifer and bulls genetics, and can look up information and genetics like the horse industry.” Francine does all the AI’ing, freeze branding and together they make the day to day decisions. Robert still has a more than full time job. Francine’s job with the cows allows her the freedom to pursue her lifelong dreams in the horse industry also. There is nothing like “loving life” every single day, and getting to do what you always wanted to do!

There is no typical day on our ranch. Since we are in the registered business with both our cattle and horses, we do everything at least 30-60 days earlier than the rest of the ranchers in the area. We calve in January, foal in February. We wean the end of August, while most ranchers are still gathering into October. It’s so nice to have small numbers, super quality in both the cattle and horses and still enjoy life. We both love to boat on Lake Powell and spend time with our families (three sets of parents and grandkids). We have three 6 year olds, two 4 year olds and a 2.5 year old and baby. They are all close in age and like most of the same things, although the closest family is 2.5 hours away, the other two families in Wyoming are 5 hours drive in two separate directions.

The Brown’s are enjoying life together and love the life they’ve built as a couple in recent years. If nothing else, we are proof that dreams do come true, both relationship-wise and feel blessed they have made the life together they enjoy with the cattle and horses. We want our grandchildren and the next generation to know where their food comes from and how to be self sufficient and to never give up on finding that balance in life. Drought years bring realization that sometimes we all need to buckle down, make tough decisions and press on. Tough times never last, but tough people do.

191 Livestock Company/191 Performance Horses
Rulison, Colorado (Western Colorado)
Robert Brown & Francine Acord-Brown

Thank you Robert and Francine for a great feature!!! Please visit their websites www.191cow.com and www.191horse.com and Facebook pages 191 Livestock Company and 191 Performance Horses to keep up with whats going on at the ranch!

Are you proud of your farm or ranch? Tell us about it! You could be the next feature! Please contact us today!

Tricia Miller - Wyoming Ranch Wife and Entrepreneur

Today we welcome Tricia Miller of Wyoming! Tricia and her family live on a ranch raising Black Angus cattle. She enjoy's working on the ranch but has also has some special endeavors of her own.

My name is Tricia Miller. My family and I live on my husband’s family’s ranch in eastern Wyoming. We reside in Niobrara County, the least populated county in the least populated state in the nation and also an agriculture-based community with a small-town atmosphere, where everyone knows everyone and friends and neighbors are still happy and willing to help each other out, whether it’s working cattle or fighting fire.

Milking "Jewel" the cow

My husband and I were both raised on ranches and wouldn’t trade the country life for the world. We’ve continued the tradition by raising our kids to appreciate the land and animals and the lifestyle that promotes responsibility and hard work ethics. The sport of rodeo is another part of the Miller heritage, and our older son, Colton (19), rides saddle broncs for Central Wyoming college, and our younger son, Blake (7), enjoys participating in local junior rodeos in the summer.

The Miller Ranch, established in 1951 by my father-in-law’s (Patrick) parents, is located outside of Lance Creek, Wyoming, and supports a Black Angus cow-calf operation, with Patrick and his two sons, Justen (my husband) and Jason, as the main operators, plus a full-time hired hand. To help support the cattle income, Jason continues a thriving career in rodeo (2007 Steer Wrestling World Champion), and although Justen was an accomplished saddle bronc rider for many years, he chose to leave rodeo to help his dad with the family’s booming business, Miller Enterprises, Inc., an oil field roustabout company.

As for myself, while I help out with ranching duties as needed, I also have other furry and feathery endeavors I pursue, such as rabbits, chickens, ducks, pigs, and a Brown Swiss milk cow. We have a couple of pet rabbits for Blake, a trio of meat rabbits, and one English Angora rabbit (Scooter), which produces a lovely fiber for spinning, another hobby I’ve recently taken up. We typically have around 80 chickens of varying breeds, such as Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red, Buff Orpington, Leghorns, and a few others. We buy them as chicks and raise them. I sell eggs to locals who enjoy farm fresh eggs, delivering in town every Tuesday afternoon. And just for fun, we have some White Crested and Khaki Campbell ducks around the yard, as well as a pair of Muscovy ducks, but we also use their eggs for baking as well. They’re quite entertaining to watch and fun to feed! We raised three pigs this summer, which was a first for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed them and would love to do that again.

Gathering eggs

Every morning when I return from taking Blake to the school bus, “Jewel” the milk cow is waiting for me to come milk her. She is quite possibly the sweetest cow you’ll ever meet and you won’t find better tasting milk and cream anywhere! She is giving about 4-1/2 gallons per day currently, but was up to 6 gallons a day for a while earlier this summer. I use the milk and cream to make wonderful butter and soft cheeses, such as cheese curds, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, and others, and hard cheeses, such as cheddar. I also use it to make delicious sour cream, kefir, and buttermilk to drink.

Making mozzarella cheese!

A few years ago, after a conversation with my husband about the things our great grandparents knew how to do/make that we don’t anymore and have to depend on the grocery store for, I decided to learn to make soap. Little did I know what my curiosity would lead to! I found that making soap was really fun and so satisfying to make something with your hands for your family that was better than what we could get in the grocery store! After giving it to friends and family with lots of positive feedback and encouragement to sell it to the public, I also started Miller Soap Co. a few years ago, a handmade soap hobby that blossomed into a successful business that has enabled me to work out of our home. I have a business page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/millersoapco) for online customers, have soap in a few stores around eastern Wyoming, and also attend craft shows.

Photo courtesy to the Lusk Herald

The country life is definitely not the easy life. The animals and land require a lot of tending, and it doesn’t matter what the weather is, and in Wyoming, that can be anywhere from -30 degrees in the winter to 100+ degrees in the summertime, most of the time with wind. The hours can be long and the critters don’t always cooperate to make the job easy. It’s a long drive to town for groceries and kids’ school and 4-H activities, and the gas prices put limits on trips to town. But overall, there is something special about living hand-in-hand with nature on the wide-open spaces and having the freedom that comes with a little control over your own schedule. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it’s an extremely satisfying experience. It may not be the life for everyone, but it is most definitely for our family!

Thank you Tricia for a great feature!!! We wish you much success in your soap making business!! Be sure to check out their Facebook page to check all of her homemade products!!

YOU could be the next Faces of Agriculture feature! Contact us at foafeature@gmail.com to learn more! We are telling the story of agriculture one face at a time!

Liz Lauck

Meet Liz Lauck of Wyoming. Liz works with Wyoming farmers and ranchers on a daily basis. She is one of the faces behind the great website RealRanchers.com! Her husband Tyler is busy on the farm and together they are today's Face of Agriculture Feature!

Growing up on our small horse operations in Wyoming and Colorado, my parents, Steve and Amy LeSatz, modeled a strong work ethic and taught my brother, Ben, and I the cattle and horse industries. My upbringing instilled a passion centered in agriculture and my Christian faith.

I attended the University of Wyoming to earn a B.S. in Agricultural Communications. While in college, I stayed connected to agriculture through my service as Wyoming State FFA Treasurer and my internships with the Platte County Extension Service, the Wyoming State Fair, the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and the National Western Stock Show.

My home is now in Wheatland, Wyo. with my husband, Tyler, who farms wheat, malt barley, pinto beans, sugar beets and corn. He is teaching me the ropes of farm life and I’m learning about the amazing technology and updated practices that are carrying agriculture into the future. Tyler is the true “Face of Agriculture.”

I graduated from UW in 2009 and was recruited as an intern for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. They were embarking on a new project in partnership with Encana Oil and Gas called Community Dialogues for Rural Wyoming (CDRW). Through CDRW we visited five rural Wyoming communities to conduct “listening sessions” about sustaining agriculture and rural communities. After analyzing the feedback, we discovered one common thread in all the discussions. Every community wanted to share their core values with the public, disseminate truthful and positive agriculture messages to correct misperceptions and educate consumers and policy makers about agriculture and rural issues.

My coworker and mentor, Kosha Olsen, and I looked at each other and said, “We need a blog.” We were inspired by Ree Drummond (a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman) who through creative content, beautiful photography and a unique personality is able to share stories from her rural Oklahoma ranch to literally tens of thousands of people each day, many of which have never so much as stepped foot in a cow pasture. So I went back into the communities and pitched the idea. After my presentation on the power of blogs and social media, they agreed to try it out and www.realranchers.com was born.

We launched RealRanchers.com in June 2010. Folks from each community sent their stories for me to post. We paired the blog with Twitter and Facebook accounts and later added a YouTube channel. We’ve had stories about monitoring rangeland, pulling calves out of snow banks, high altitude gardening, 4-H projects and many, many more. Over the past two years, the blog has had thousands of hits and our Facebook page has grown to more than 1,400 regular followers from 19 countries. We continue a steady growth to achieve our goal of sharing “what really happens in the meadows, mountains and Main Streets of Wyoming.”

Encana has continued to be a supportive partner and with their ongoing funding, we’ve traveled across the state to meet with “RealRanchers” and take photos and videos for blog content. Those posts are still in the works and will be published over the coming months.

During my travels I participated in a tour of the Jonah Field, a very large oil and gas field near Pinedale, Wyo. The resemblances between energy workers and agriculturists were striking. They are all so proud of the work they do to provide vital resources to the world. This inspired me to start a new section of the blog, called RealEnergy. RealEnergy does the same thing as RealRanchers; tells the real stories of Wyoming’s rural citizens. There is so much misinformation about both industries and, in Wyoming, both industries are greatly intertwined. So keep checking back as www.realranchers.com evolves!

I’ve been a WSGA staff member for more than three years now and am now the Communication and Publications Director. In addition to RealRanchers.com, I also publish our quarterly CowCountry magazine and our monthly No Bull Sheet newsletter. I coordinate media relations, help plan events, serve on boards and promote the livestock industry any other way we can. I am proud that all my work is in service to an organization that has represented Wyoming livestock producers since 1872 (we’re 140 years old this year!).

Thanks to Liz for this great feature and sharing the background of the RealRanchers.com website. I encourage everyone to visit this page for stories and info on our great farmers and ranchers in Wyoming! Be sure to like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter!

Are you passionate about agriculture? Do you feel the need to share you story with others? Perfect! We need to hear from you! Contact us today about being a feature FOA! Be sure to visit our Facebook page for updates about FOA and past features!

Jessy McLavey

Meet Jessy; she works at a guest ranch in Wyoming. She believes that agri-tourism can help create advocates for agriculture and bring awareness to issues facing ranchers.

Though she has previously lived in New Hampshire and Colorado, Jessy McLavey currently calls the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming her home. Working as the office manager (reservations, concierge, general guest service, etc.) at an upscale working cattle/horseback riding guest ranch, she deals in a unique aspect of the agriculture community.

Jessy has been working in the guest ranch/Western hospitality industry for three seasons (guest seasons usually run from spring-late fall) and has come to recognize the important role she and her coworkers hold. While the job is to first and foremost show the guests the time of their life and help them escape the “real world” and stress of their everyday lives, there is also the opportunity to have them recognize that this is beautiful country and that small-scale ranching and farming are real, traditional and disappearing American livelihoods that need to be preserved.

It takes a lifetime to run a farm or a ranch, but only one week for a person from “the city” to become an advocate for agriculture!

For most guests, this trip is the highlight of their year and they feel a strong bond to the cattle they move with the wranglers and the horses they ride each time (they feel like they are truly a part of the ranching community, and for that one week they are). They become deliberate followers of low-stress techniques, ask questions and then return to their homes and jobs with stories of their time in Wyoming. They tell their friends and family about the unforgettable time they had, and their friends in turn want to be a part of this special place and community.

It’s really an amazing thing.

The unfortunate thing is that some ranchers don’t embrace the visiting guests with as much warmth as they should. Some (not all) of them use the word “dude” with negative connotations and find tourism a nuisance. Jessy wishes that these folks in the ranching community would recognize the value in having people from outside the area see their lifestyle, embrace it, feel as though they’re a part of it and then return to the city and promote the conservancy of the agricultural industry.

Jessy loves the passion the guests develop for the land and is able to see her Wyoming home with fresh eyes each week. Her favorite part of working on a guest ranch is meeting new, diverse people every week who all share a passion for horses and a huge enthusiasm for the American West.

When she’s not at work, Jessy enjoys riding in the Big Horn Mountains, keeping up with her blogging, reading and braiding custom gear. She consciously tries to improve her horsemanship with each passing day and her hopes for the future include running yearlings on her own small ranch in Colorado.

You can follow Jessy on her blog WestEastern, on Facebook, and on Twitter! Thanks Jessy for a great feature and introducing us to a different aspect of agriculture!

Are you involved in Agriculture? You could be the next feature! Contact us!

Heather Hamilton

We are pleased to feature Heather Hamilton a Wyoming Rancher and passionate agvocate for agriculture! 

I am a rancher from Eastern Wyoming who is also a journalist and photographer. I grew up on a cattle and sheep operation, and enjoy living and working on the operation today with my parents and siblings. I feel very blessed to have cohesively blended my personal interests into a career and lifestyle I love! 

I am originally from the Black Hills in Northeastern Wyoming, where my family has ranched since the 1930’s, but grew up in northern Niobrara County in Eastern Wyoming, located about 35 miles into Wyoming from where the South Dakota/Nebraska line meets the state. This area is semi-arid, and grows short, hard grasses that are very nutrient dense. Total annual precipitation is less than 12 inches, and it takes between 30 and 50 acres to run a cow for a year here.

My family operates a cow/calf and yearling operation. My dad and brother also have a hay and livestock hauling business, and my mom has a mobile record and document destruction business. I work on the ranch daily, and as a freelance writer for multiple regional, national and international ag publications, plus I’m a photographer. I am the only family member who can complete my second job from home most of the time. Consequently, I end up doing a lot of the daily ranch tasks, which I love!

My family also believes strongly in being involved and actively serving your community, and I currently serve on the Wyoming Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee (YF&R) and involved in the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA). Through both organizations I have lobbied for agriculture in both Wyoming and Washington D.C., and through the YF&R Committee am able to go into elementary school classrooms to educate youth about agriculture face to face. I feel one of the biggest threats facing agriculture today is a heavy handed over empowered federal government with no practical understanding of agriculture, or numerous other critically important industries and jobs, in our country.

Ranching is in my blood. My earliest memories involve working cattle and haying with my family. I bought my first cow at 8 years old from my grandfather, and fell in love with raising cattle. I’m the sixth generation of my family to choose ranching as my primary profession, after going to college and trying my hand at an 8-5 job. I love the lifestyle, and the worst day ranching beats the best day at a desk for me. I believe that God chose agriculture for me, and I’m very grateful for his thoughtfulness.

Our typical day on the ranch varies by season. In the winter my typical day revolves around feeding and checking water for our cattle. Then I fill out the remainder of my day with writing projects or other odd jobs around the ranch. My father and brother are gone a lot hauling hay in the winter months, so my mom and I coordinate our schedules to make sure the livestock are cared for every day.

In March we start calving and say goodbye to having a set schedule of any kind except for making sure to check heifers every four hours. Each family member takes a night shift, and I spend a lot of time each day tagging calves, sorting pairs out of the calving lot, writing ear tags, and other calving related jobs.

In late spring we are busy branding, sorting and shipping to summer pasture. Furthermore, we also haul a lot of other people’s livestock this time of year. Then we have to get the bulls turned out on June 15.

From there we dive into summer projects, which typically involve a lot of fencing and fixing water. This year we are planning to rebuild our calving lot, rebuild a couple line fences, clean the corral and haul some gravel to various water tanks, to give you some examples of “the list.” I also have three weddings to photograph. The writing slows down, but doesn't stop during the summer months, and I work that in too.

In the fall our cattle get a lot of attention again. We ship everything home, wean and get our calves on feed, preg check all the cows and get everything situated for winter. After weaning I will spend a lot of each day feeding calves and making sure they don’t get sick. If anyone does get sick, I am usually the head doctorer, and have a set-up that works well with just one person. It also works great when I have a family member to help me : )

My favorite thing about living on a ranch is the all-encompassing set of experiences it allows me to live. It’s that I get to spend my day doing something I love with my family; working hard and seeing the fruits of our labor. I love the feeling of being physically drained after a hard day’s work, but having had so much fun doing the tasks that it didn’t feel like work at all. Furthermore, I love animals. Caring for animals in ways most people don’t realize or understand, let alone experience, is something I get to enjoy daily, and I don’t take that lightly. 

I wish people outside of agriculture would understand what it really means when we say, “the cattle come first.” That would eliminate so many issues we face in agriculture today by consumers who are multiple generations removed from the farm or ranch, and who simply do not understand our means or methods.

Also, it’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle. We don’t do it for money, or for something to fill our days. It goes much deeper than that.

I am driven by the entire scope of what I get to do, which is difficult to put into words. There’s the fact that it’s constantly changing, that I have a job that is satisfying and rewarding and challenging, that it’s easy to see the wonders of God when you make your living off his land, that my co-workers are my family, and that we have worked together to create everything we have today. I also get to see the results of over 100 years of my forefathers working toward what my immediate and extended family has today, and that is incredibly inspiring. I can trace my ranching heritage back numerous decades, across multiple states, and through various breeds of cattle. It’s a history of honest, hardworking, faith-based people who I am honored to call my family. 

I am also very driven by the lack of understanding by the general public in regard to agriculture, and want to show them how wonderful and important our industry is in an accurate manner. I work to do my part in this through my blog, lobbying and speaking endeavors. In my opinion, most people want to know the truth, but when all they read online or in the paper, or hear on TV, is negative, pretty soon they believe that’s how it is. I have the ability to show the real story, and a lot of great people support and back my efforts to make it happen. That’s also why I think this Faces of Agriculture blog is such a great idea; it shows people who we really are and what we’re really all about. A big thank you to Elizabeth for including me in the Faces of Agriculture blog, I really appreciate it!

Thanks Heather for the great feature! You can read more about Heather's ranch life, views on agricultural issues and photography on her blog, Double H Photography and on Facebook.

Do you have a passion for agriculture? We need to hear from folks who love their way of life! Share your story on Faces of Agriculture!! If you would like to be a featured farmer leave a comment below - or check out our contact page. To learn more about the Faces of Agriculture Project click here.