Hello everyone! I hope everyone is doing well!
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind here at the Sandhills Cattle Association. Between the Fall Feeder Calf Preview, the EP&C Contest Banquet, and getting Maddie married off, we have had plenty of things to keep us busy here in the office. Now that those are over, we can focus on getting our next event lined up and ready for you, which happens to be the beginning of the 2023 EP&C Contest. The shipping date for that is November 9th. This year’s contest will be held in Wisner at the Fellers Feedlot. Fellers are thrilled to host the contest this year and cannot wait to receive the cattle. We are excited to have Zoetis as a sponsor this year and looking forward to seeing the cattle our members bring in. We expect this year’s contest to be bigger and better than last! Please call us at the office if you are interested in entering your cattle in this contest. We would love to get you signed up.
Last month, the Fall Feeder Calf Preview went very well. Although you needed a raincoat from time to time, we enjoyed the change in weather. We started the day off at the Anderson Ranch, where we learned how Travis prepares his steers for the Adams Feedlot near Broken Bow. After that, we toured the Wobig ranch, where Shane and Austin explained their unique F1 red baldie cows and calves. And right before lunch, we enjoyed listening to Brock explain how at the Spearhead & Circle M Ranch, they are just trying to make Carol's late husband proud. We had the pleasure of visiting the Bowring Ranch just north of Merriman for our lunch. During our feast, we listened to a helpful and informative presentation on drought effects on your cattle by Dana Ramm and her partner. After lunch, we headed to the JF Ranch, where we learned that if you throw your hat just right, it will land in South Dakota. And last, we enjoyed our time at the Primal Plains Ranch, where we learned about Fairhead’s USDA-certified natural cattle they sell to customers. Overall, it was a fantastic day full of great people and quality cattle.
My heart broke into pieces last Sunday as I watched smoke rise higher and higher into the air as the Boove Fire near Halsey continued to spread north. You see, my home is not too far from the path of that fire, and I could see more than plenty from my front porch. When the sun set Sunday evening, the glow from the fire looked like it was just over the hill. I was home alone; my husband was out helping with the fire, and I was worried sick the whole time. When AJ finally returned home Monday morning and saw the look on his face, I knew it was terrible. I am thankful he made it home safe, but I pray for all those ranchers that lost what little grass they had. And I want to thank all the fire departments and volunteers that helped put the fire out. I have not been inside the forest to see the damage firsthand, but I know that the 4-H buildings were destroyed along with some trails. Fire departments were called in from all around central Nebraska, as well as departments from South Dakota and Colorado. There are several fundraisers for the victims going around, so if you are interested in donating, please call us at the office, and we will gladly point you in the right direction.
As always, do not forget to check our social media and websites for daily updates on what’s happening in the Sandhills Cattle Association. I hope everyone has a beautiful rest of October, and don’t forget to contact us if you’re in need of something or want to list cattle or hay.
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