Sami Nordmann showing “Boog,” the overall reserve grand champion at the South Dakota State Fair Open Show and reserve grand champion in the State Fair show. Boog has raised a national champion and a number of county fair champions. Sami and Denver show off their championship banners.
“When our son, Denver, was born; and then a year-and-amonth later our daughter Sami was born, I said ‘They will win the FFA livestock judging at the FFA state convention.’ And 17 years later, they did.” Sami (or “Brains” as Todd calls her) is a showman who can “stick it” when the chips are down. One year at the State Fair, she got beat with a great lamb the family thought was going to win it all. Todd said, “At the very next class, one of the biggest sheep producers in the country had two lambs in the same class and they asked Brains to show the other one. That lamb should have never won the class, but Sami basically outshowed everybody and beat the other good sheep. That was one of my proudest moments.” Towards the end of their children’s FFA show careers, the kids didn’t want Todd to train the livestock anymore because he has too much of a temper. “Denver is a livestock whisperer; he is so good with handling animals,” Todd said. “Denver can get anything to move or walk or roll over.” Denver captured the state’s FFA Star Award in swine proficiency one year. SOME PEOPLE GO TO THE LAKE … Coral said when the kids were younger, the family was at a show nearly every weekend of the summer. “Going to livestock shows was our vacation. We never took vacations otherwise,” she said. A trip to see the Denver Broncos for their honeymoon and another football trip to the Mile High City with the whole family a couple of years ago is the extent of their non-livestock-related travel. Todd said, “Some people go to the lake, some people go to a cabin, some people have a boat – we went showing pigs and
When it’s your livelihood that counts … count on me. Mark Kasten, Agent 180 N Main Ave 180 N Main Ave. Parker, SD 57053 Parker, SD 57053 Bus: 605-297-4747 Bus: 605-297-4747 mark@markkasten.com 368 N Main St. Freeman, SD 57029 Bus: 605-925-7353 mark@markkasten.com
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May 2022 | www.agemedia.pub | The Farming Families Magazine
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