Family Agriculture History, Part #1

This is my story about our family's involvement in Agriculture. I have a few questions for you to think of while you read through my posts on our Family's History.

1) Do you keep track of your family's genealogy?
2) Do you know when your family left the farm if they were ever involved in farming?
3) Are there any stories passed down to you about the farm?

Through some very small amounts of research into my family's past, I've come to find this suburbia gal has very close ties to the farm.

I proudly say I was born a Yankee, almost Canadian. Niagara Falls, New York. I always have fun reminding my husband, a fifth generation Texan I am a Yankee. He smiles, 'Nope you aren't, your a Texan.' I always tell folks I got here as soon as possible...my Dad transferred here when I was nine.

My love of Agriculture grew from two sources. The first I think was genetically coded in me. Mom, said my second word was horse. She tells about the first model toy horse I received from her father. I never picked up a doll again. I have memories of my mother holding tight to my hand until I was six or seven to keep me away from a horse who was within my eyesight.

From my earliest memories one of my favorite places to go was my Dad's parents summer home, aka "The Cottage" to the family. See my post: The Cottage. The time spent there was incredible to me. My grandfather had a one acre vegetable garden on the five or six acres of the summer place. There were other scattered beds of flowers and the most wonderful raspberry patch. My grandfather loved gardening. By high school I had no idea how much he really loved farming until I took my first agriculture class and was in FFA. So on Dad's side of the family I only have to go back to my grandparents, both grew up on family farms in Ohio as first generation Americans.

I have had to dig a little deeper on my mother's side of the family. I do know on Mom's Dad's side I have to go back to at least my great great-grandparents to the family farm in the Northeast. My grandfather though was very attached to a rural life as my great-grandfather was a Presbyterian circuit rider minister in North Dakota Territory. He even graduated from high school or probably better put school in North Dakota. My great-grandfather was determined my grandfather would go to college. Eventually my grandfather was Dean of NYU's Business School.

On my mother's mother's side of the family I can trace my great-grandfather to Prince Edward's Island in Canada where he and his brothers arrived from Scotland with his parents. During that time period his family were fishermen. I'm sure they also had a family garden due to the late 1800's. He came south to the US and opened a shipping yard building ships. On my great-grandmother's family can be traced back to John & Priscilla Alden who came over on the Mayflower as well as subsequent family members who arrived in as early immigrants before the Revolution. At that time everyone was involved in producing food to eat.

Horses have always been a part of who I am and are deeply embedded in my soul. Yet I remember my first trip to the Houston Livestock Show at the age of ten. I was in heaven. I wanted to show at Houston. I wanted to have a cow and show. I thought the pigs so neat. I didn't know how to communicate that desire to my parents. At eleven my parents finally gave in and purchased my first horse for me. I've not been without a horse since then. Because of my horses I met Patty, and she introduced me to her FFA project for her sophomore year. I was in eighth grade. She had a dairy heifer. I begged Mom to let me be in FFA my freshman year. The answer was a resounding, "NO!"

Finally, as a Junior, I was just rebellious enough to not listen to my parents. I did tell my parents I'd signed up for the agriculture class. My mother said she was going to the school to take me out. I told her I would quit school. I was in my Ag class and FFA. I was in heaven. I came home at the first of my Senior year and told my parents I wanted to raise a steer. Mom said no, and amazingly my father said yes. I purchased my steer, I paid for the feed, and did the work until Mom said to me she'd feed in the morning. She got attached to my steer. At the end of my senior year, she told me she wished she had made me be in FFA. It made me feel so good.

My agriculture teacher so inspired me, I decided I wanted to be an high school ag teacher. I even went to the same college he did, Sam Houston State Univ. I was so ready to party, and going to the then #2 party school in Texas was so great. I planned on partying my way through and get my MRS. Well that didn't happen! I switched my major to Ag. Economics and ended up with a Master of Science and no husband. I did party, but somehow had really inspiring professors my first semester and made the Dean's List. I'd never done that in high school, made Honor Roll. I was hooked at what I achieved with eighteen hours. I look back and I was stupid to take that many hours. I only had one three hour ag course and a one one hour ag course. I went on to make the Dean's List every semester and scheduled myself to also party.

It wasn't long with that first ag course being the core economics class that I was hooked. I changed my major by the end of my second semester. I even became one of the darlings of the Ag. Dept. I ate, lived and breathed my ag courses. I even got permission to take Animal Nutrition instead of the core Dairy Science class. Something that just wasn't done for students.

Back to my paternal grandfather. Grandma & Grandpa moved to Texas the summer between high school and college. My grandfather learned I would be an Agriculture Major. I don't think I ever saw my grandfather that happy. He had always wanted my Dad go to Ohio State or Michigan State and major in ag. He would then buy a farm. My Dad majored in Chemical Engineering. So his dream came true in me, just not the farm. We became so close. He passed away at the end of my first semester as a Sophomore at SHSU. I know he is delighted I have returned to develop the family farm.

I also wish my maternal grandfather had lived long enough to see is only grand-daughter in the economics end of agriculture. He too, would have been thrilled beyond belief!

That's my story....next is my husband's family history of farming.

Kim

Spring Planting

This morning I found Larry doing what he loves more then anything else in the world, tinkering with some piece of new equipment. Well not new, he purchased a host of equipment to use with his 1949 Ford 8N Tractor. It's not a Parade Ready 60 year old tractor. It is though nice looking, has had the transmission rebuilt, the motor cleaned, and now runs like a top. Even I love driving it with the rack on the back for me to haul protein tubs, grain and hay. I can't wait to be turned loose to mow with it. The equipment Larry bought was to garden with. He fenced in a one acre plot near one of the stock tanks to use as for a food plot to attract deer or for a garden. The first garden is going in. It is black land near the tank and will take a good five or six years to amend the soil to get it where we want it to be. We've spent most of our marriage gardening in raised beds. He sent me off to the feed store for seed. They had just one variety of sweet corn and I just had to have Silver Queen so off I went to Walmart. I was disappointed not to find any Roma Tomatoes for me to make Tomato Sauce (rather a Vegetable Sauce) that I love to freeze and use throughout the year. My family is so spoiled they grump when we run out.

The soil so needs amending. I've been begging him to get the blade from our Angleton home up here, pull the manure and hay out of the pens. From there I load it into the mule and carry it up to the garden to compost beside it. I love building a compost pile. During the winter Larry plants a mix of browse for the deer. Then turn it under in the early early spring to be used as a green manure crop. Then I'll come in a month later with rabbit manure from the rabbit barn and the compost and he'll turn it under. I think in another four or five years our one acre garden will be a joy to work in the soil.

It's all part of the wonderful cycle of living on a ranch. The seasons, spring is always a time to find renewal.

May each of you find your true blessings this Easter!

Kim

Barn Raising

My entry this week into 52 Sketches...52 Weeks Sketch Challenge. I'm always reminding you to visit Julie's site. Truly the work there is incredible!

Barns, I love barns! They smell wonderful to me, especially one where horses live. I love big barns, small barns.....oh did I say I love barns!!!

I've always wanted a barn this big! Filled to the brim with horses. Whoops, we are a cattle ranch and this barn doesn't have stalls it has pens. And it is not for our production cattle. It is for our show cattle. By the time a bull or heifer reaches three years of age they are relegated to the pasture for their lives as production cattle. Some of the show cattle still love their scratches on their terms, some don't. The only thing the barn and stock pens are used for are to care for cows or bulls who need to be looked at from the medical standpoint to include but not limited to a cold or injury. It's also where they are worked through the chutes to receive their vaccines, palpation for pregnancy, and genetic testing if required or needed. This is done twice a year. Any calves are weaned during this time. Weights on the calves are taken at birth, at six months and again at a year for statistical evaluations to determine if their growth pattern is meeting the genetic standards we set for both breeds. If not they are sold at six months or at a year as non registered cattle. We also decide if the bull calves will remain bulls at six months or are steered and grown out for our customers who buy beef right off the farm.

So where do the horses live. Cold rainy nights (winter only) they are in a pen in the barn. Otherwise like the cattle they love being out doing what they do best, being Arabian horses.

Genetic testing you say! No, it's not some bio-engineering thing. We pull blood for DNA typing of parentage to be able to register our fullblood Lowline Angus. The Registry must determine the Fullbloods are from the parents they say they are from. Some of the other genetic testing is for production traits of meat. We collect hair samples from the cattle and they are sent off to determine if they have any of the genetic markers for tenderness, marbling and feed efficiency. These tests along with their performance tests based on weights help determine whether this animal is able to be registered or not. That's the short cut simplified version. And then we still aren't always right in keeping an animal in the herd. We will be culling four cows three of them first calf heifers based on their performance with their first calves. Two couldn't give milk to their calves and keep their weight up. One never got pregnant. The fourth has developed some leg problems with her third calf and as good a cow as she is structurally she also can't keep her weight up with or without a calf. If they pass all those criteria then they either stay here to be used as breeding animals or are sold as breeding animals to other individuals for the same thing we do. Breed cattle for beef or are used to provide beef producers improved genetics within their herds.

The barn is still unfinished. A shed off the right side in the lower picture is a shed over a portion of the working pens and the squeeze chute was built last fall. The inside of the barn has temporary pens. Plans in the near future is to build to shed's off the side, from where the tin is on the sides. Then the permanent pens will be finished. A wash rack and blow drying rack will be put in near the lab to be able to clean the show cattle every day and blow died. They get a soap bath once a week and a shower the other six days. The lab serves as a storage area for all of the different supplies we need to take care of the cattle, from medicine, wormer, to a calf puller, show sticks, rakes, electronic reader for the scale, etc. It is also a place where we can get our certified AI tech and embryologist shelter to work with their equipment. Both the back and front remain open to allow for air flow. It helps to keep the show cattle comfortable and healthy with the air movement. It is after all Texas and our winters are mild and summers hot. We rarely have a freeze last more then 24 hours. Cattle like cold weather or at least they are most comfortable in 50-65 degrees. I sometimes laugh at their funny looks when they start to run, jump and play and I won't join them.

The only thing I wish is I could bring one of those great big Amish barns down here. This barn won't hold a candle to the beauty of the big barns in the northeast!

Kim

OLW: Word Up #49; NO

I so love this Scrapbook (Paper Crafting) site for the inspiration of using a single word as the focus. The current Word Up is "NO." Ronda gave such a poignant description of how this word has affected her life. I can say the same word has made such a difference in my life, too. A true must read! OLW: Word Up #49; NO. I so love working from sketches and I loved the sketch for Pencil Lines #129 this week. So be sure to check this sketch out and their awesome DT works of art! I also want to thank Kat, an online scrapping friend who just recently paid tribute to her parents. You can see her as a follower of my blog. Her post are much better written then this one. Your inspiration led to this layout, too!

For me NO does include the courage to say Yes to things we need to do.

I'm a parent. At times it hurt to say "No" to my children. At a time when we couldn't afford some of the things James and Lynn wanted, and deserved to have saying 'no' to them truly hurt me! I always believed in telling them why I said 'no.' I hated it when I asked why to my parents, I would get a response, 'Because I said so!' Both Lynn and James came back to me as young adults telling me they were glad they were told 'no.' They've learned that sometimes one just has to tell themselves 'no' to things.

I love my parents very much. The picture is one of the few taken without my brothers in the picture along with our parents. Actually it was taken in March of 1974 at Disney World. No Epcot, or the other parks existed back then. Just Disney World. I love this picture as my Dad passed away in 2005 and he was really having fun with us on this day. In so many ways I found out at my Dad's Memorial Service just what my Dad meant to my brothers in a way I'd never known. His good friends also let me know how wonderful a friend my father was. How supportive and how fair he was in all of his dealings with others at work or at play. My mother is still there for us, as she was when we were growing up. A SAHM who guided us and loved us. She still does the same today. What little time she had from house work, to being a soccer Mom for three kids all with different activities she gave of herself a volunteer paramedic to Clear Lake Emergency Medical Corp. She also gave of her time as a Girl Scout Leader, a Cub Scout Leader, Treasurer for ten years to Arabian Riders & Breeders Society, and 4-H Leader. At the age of 74 she is still Volunteering and in 2007 was named Volunteer Employee of the Year for Taylor Lake Village (the city in which she lives). She serves as TLV's Animal Control Officer. She is absolutely wonderful to the animals she has to pick up, finding the owners or if the animal was dumped she gets the animal enrolled in Second Chance Pets. Oh and I forgot she volunteers for them and is a foster home to at least one or two pets at all times. She was a great wife to my father, is a great mother to my brothers and I and wonderful friend.

My parents were parents first. They saw loving us meant raising us to be contributing members to society. We were taught "no" didn't mean yes. There were a host of things they would say no to as I have with my two children. At times like me I knew it hurt them terribly. But, I also know in my heart it was out of their undying and unconditional love for us. They were always fair in their dealings with us. I came to realize as the only girl, what held for me wasn't necessarily what held for my brothers. It wouldn't be until I was in college as a first semester freshman that I really understood why I was kept track of closer then my brothers. I even one night remember chastising James for leaving the movies in Lake Jackson and not waiting on his sister as they met there in separate vehicles. 'Don't you ever leave a young lady, never mind your sister and not make sure she gets home, ok!' I know I said some more things I could not repeat here to drive it home to my 20 year old son. I ended it with, 'You won't understand until you have a daughter of your own. Don't dare do it again!' Then when Lynn walked in the door, she got Mom's wrath, too! 'Don't you dare let a young man leave you to your own devices after dark, he is to escort you home even if it is in separate vehicles, do you understand!' Another dumbfounded look from my 21 year old. And on went the story....like with James. I am profoundly grateful for the things my parents said "no" to, I'm much more grateful when I look back at all of the now wonderful "no's" my parents said to me.

For seven years I worked for TDCJ as a Livestock Supervisor. Part of what my responsibilities were was to oversee inmates in the performance of their job assignments. And yes I worked in a male penitentiary. I once had a new employee ask me, "What's the best piece of advice you can give me?" My answer, "NO!" I added nothing more and received a look of, 'How could you!' Trust me it was a little more expressive then that! I then explained.

"I told you that way to make you understand saying "NO" is the one word you should say that makes it seem like it's the only word you can utter from your mouth. Say it and say it often! Do not get into the crap these inmates will try.

If your a female running around alone on 17,000 acres with anywhere from 1-50 inmates, you need to say that word and say it often. I even laughed one day when an inmate who worked for me for those seven years, told me I could say 'NO' more often then any boss on the farm. Boss is the terminology the inmates use for employee.

When I get done with the layout I'll put it up on this post. In the meantime think about what you want to say "NO" to, it can be a very positive word! Well the LO went up on the 10th, and I can think of another 10-15 no's I could describe that were really very positive ones.

Thank you OLW, Pencil Lines and Kat for the great inspiration you give to the followers of your blog!

Kim

In Support of Animal Abuse? Not Me!!!

Can My Pet Be a Vegan Like Me?

Pet Owners and Veterinarians Divided Over Vegan Diets for Pets

By Ki Mae Heussner and John Berman
April 8, 2009

In a country bred on burgers and bacon, it's hard enough for vegans to defend their meat-free diets. Imagine the scrutiny they face when they decide that their pets should go veg-only, too.

Should animals be denied meat, fish, dairy and poultry?

For the longest time, Ari Moore, 28, and her partner, wrestled with the idea of adopting cats. Committed vegans, the couple wasn't sure they could adequately square their ethical beliefs with a cat's nutritional needs.

But after research and conversations with other vegan cat owners, about four years ago, the pair decided to make the leap and adopted two homeless cats in Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood. Read More

I was so horrified by what I saw on Television I literally broke down in tears. It is the most egregious form of Animal Abuse I've ever seen and justified on National Television News. How could ABC do this? There was even a vet who agreed with a vegan diet provided certain provisions were done to protect the animals health. How could this vet do this? He is going against his oath! As an Agriculture Economics major I was also very interested in livestock and my pets. I took both courses, a total of six hours of Animal Nutrition. The very same courses the Vet Students at Texas A&M are required to take to become Vets. This was in 1986. Vet students are still required the same courses. It is just beyond me any Vet would even agree with changing a diet on our household pets.

The comment next to mine on the article from a vet was so sad. She treated a ferret who's vegetarian owner didn't understand her ferret was a carnivore. She stated the ferret was literally orange from the cantaloupe he was forced to eat.

I encourage you to read the entire article as it explains some of the problems associated with forcing a vegetarian diet onto our pets.

The greatest single argument I have is I can choose what diet I wish to eat. I choose a balanced diet including meat. I support the right of choice of vegans to choose the diet they wish to eat. A pet doesn't have that right of choice, we make it for them. This is wrong and abusive if you force them onto a diet that is not what nature intended for them to have. It's the most bigoted, abusive idea I've seen anyone espouse.

I've spent a great deal of time studying raw meat diets for dogs. These diets include plant foods for the dogs, too. I think it is a great way to feed your dogs.

I also would like you to read this post on Advocates for Agriculture. It is the true hidden agenda of HSUS: The Goals of HSUS. If you live in Ohio your the next state to go under the guns of HSUS in 2010.

Finally, I do not support other citizens of my country telling me and attacking me on the bases of my right to choose to be happy. Remember I have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I give this right to you. Return the favor.

Kim

Barn Raising

I'm a product of a urban (suburbia) up bringing. I remember how crowded it seemed when we lived up north in Niagara Falls and Wilmington. Houses seemed crammed together. In the Clear Lake area from the age of 9 through high school there were wide open areas. Lots of room for kids to investigate. If you went to the other side of Clear Lake into Galveston County the space was even larger. Somehow, I didn't always feel like I was living in a suburb of Houston. As a teenager my friends and I rode our horses where there is now houses, chemical plants, and shopping centers. We loved to ride to Galveston Bay, tie the horses and go swimming. By the time I was in Clear Creek High FFA I loved being down at the school farm. My closest friends were in school at Clear Creek, they always told me I wasn't stuck up like most of the Clear Lake High students. My friends were right. I went to Clear Lake, but if you want to take an Ag course you were at both high schools in our district. There were still gravel roads in the League City area.

I go home now and it is like being in a real city. I am always thankful I don't have to stay. I love the open spaces of where Lynn and James grew up in Angleton. The feel was like League City 30 years ago. Once again, though, I'm watching the urban sprawl move south towards Angleton, just as I watched it grow south towards the Clear Lake area and then engulf it. I'm so happy our business has allowed Larry and I to "return to the farm."

As a child I loved the drive from Wilmington, Delaware, to Geneva,Ohio to see my grandparents. It meant we drove through Amish Country in Pennsylvania. I loved the big barns. I wanted so badly to climb to the top floor. I've always loved the smell of a barn. Especially, if horses resided there. I've often thought about the age of those barns. The barn raising being a social affair for the community.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Our own barn raising and still a year later it is not quite complete. Our barn is 40'x80'. That's big to me. Now we are using the barn, it's small. There have been a host of considerations for a cattle barn vs. one to house horses. I think one of the most interesting things we had to consider was taking into account our hoof trimmer and his chute to trim one of the cows who has never been halter broke. Terry was amazed as I asked if what we were planning would work to get cattle in his chute. He had never been asked a question like that. I want everything set up right so we can care for the cattle in a fashion that is in their best interest of their health and welfare.

I'm excited about the wings which will go on the long side of the barn. It will provide more protection from the north wind in the winter for an animal who may be in the barn because they need attention to a health issue. The wings will allow me to have the show cattle out of the sun during the day so their coats will be healthier. It does mean fans will have to be mounted to during the summer. Consideration must be made for a tractor to be able to get into the pens to scrap the floor to remove manure. We also need the wings because we plan on having a yearly field day at the ranch. A chance to give back to the local agriculture community involved in beef cattle production especially the youth.

I hope you have learned a little more about my story and my love of my cattle, horses, and the rural life. I get to wake every morning to watch the heifers in the front pasture, in the distance the show cattle and horses sharing a pasture eating side by side on a round bale of hay when it's needed. And beyond them the bulls. Eating in the early morning sun. In the afternoon the bulls are lounging in the shade. I love the spring.

The scrapbook layout of the pictures I took of the barn was entered into 52 Sketches...52 Weeks for Week #14 Sketch. I guess making my own nuts(hex nuts) as an embellishment worked because I've found a lot of comments on the LO. To those who visit my blog because of the community at 52 Sketches...52 Weeks, I am very thankful to you for your wonderful support and love. To Julie, thank you for the wonderful work you do to make your site a wonderful community of supportive women.

Kim

Casing a Blog - Creating a Layout

Challenge for Mothers and Daughters last week was to create a LO by Casing the Design Team Member's Blogs. Great idea!

After my casing I chose Laurie's Blog, {Lovin My Life}. I love her simple straight forward approach to scrapbooking so she has very elegant layouts. Thank you Laurie!

I picked her layout for 3/19 of this year. I loved the beautiful papers and butterflies! I chose a picture of the first blooms from a newly planted Miniature Rose, Renny. This is an incredible little rose. The photo of my layout I took just doesn't do the photo justice or the rose. It's a much deeper pink, but not a bling type pink. Thank you Laurie for the inspiration.

I really got very frustrated with taking a picture. The pattern paper I used to form the frame is a very pale pink pattern paper. It matches the pink on on the brown/pink pattern paper on top. I tried all sorts of card stock underneath this 7x7 layout to bring the pink out. I so dislike my point and shoot camera. Two things are on our list of must haves: a 12x12 Epson Scanner and a Cannon Rebel. Then a new point and shoot camera!

Kim

Keep scrapin'
Kim