Ag Pride 2021

AG ride

2021

A PUBLICATION OF

FCSAMERICA .COM

AGRICULTURE IS A TOUGH BUSINESS. YOUR LENDER SHOULD BE, TOO. WE KNOW ALL ABOUT ECONOMIC CYCLES IN AGRICULTURE. That’s why we deliver financial strength and capacity to help you grow, attractive rates to give you an edge and cash-back dividends that give you something more. All delivered by people who understand your business like no other.

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Learn more by calling the Rapid City office at 605-342-0678. 2510 N Plaza Dr Rapid City, SD

Terms apply. See website for details.

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HERE’S TO

A DAY WELL DONE

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Ag Pride 2021

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Ag Pride 2021

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WE TAKE TRADES ASK ABOUT OUR FINANCING

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© 2021 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its a_ liates. In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. O_ er is valid in select market only, from May 1, 2021, to July 31, 2021. Eligible units are select Can-Am Defender models sold and warranty-registered during the promotional period. The terms and conditions may vary and these o_ ers are subject to termination or change at any time without notice. †Rebate of up to $1,750 on select Can-Am Defender models: Eligible units are all new and unused Can-Am Defender models, excluding all XMR packages and 2020 Defender PRO models. Qualifying buyers of eligible models will receive a $1,000 rebate per vehicle when purchasing two or more Defender models and a rebate of up to $1,750 per vehicle when purchasing six or more Defender models. While quantities last. BRP recommends that all ATV-SSV drivers take a training course. See your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs and SSVs can be hazardous to operate. Never carry passengers on any ATV-SSV not speci_ cally designed by the manufacturer for such use. All adult-model Can-Am ATVs are category G ATVs (general-use models) intended for recreational and/or utility use by an operator age 16 or older. Carefully read the vehicle’s operator’s guide. Follow all instructional and safety material and observe applicable laws and regulations. ATVs and SSVs are for o_ -road use only; never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. For your safety, the operator and passenger(s) must wear a helmet, eye protection and applicable protective clothing.Always remember that riding, alcohol and drugs don’t mix. Never engage in stunt driving.Avoid excessive speed and be particularly careful on di_ cult terrain.Always ride responsibly and safely. See your authorized BRP dealer for details and visit www.can-am.brp.com.

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Ag Pride 2021

E-Z Corral Continuous Fence

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Ag Pride 2021

1501 5TH AVENUE, SUITE 101 BELLE FOURCHE, SD 57717 1 (877) 347-9100 | (605) 723-7013 | www.tsln.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS: (877) 347-9100 Publisher: SABRINA “BREE” POPPE Cell (605) 639-0356 | Office (877) 347-9104 spoppe@tsln-fre.com GM of Sales & Marketing & Fieldman: DENNIS GINKENS Cell (406) 670-9839 | dginkens@tsln-fre.com Editor: CARRIE STADHEIM (605) 622-8935 | cstadheim@tsln-fre.com Digital & Sections Editor: MARIA TIBBETTS (605) 484-4488 | mtibbetts@tsln-fre.com Digital Engagment Editor: LIZ BANMAN MUNSTERTEIGER marketing@tsln-fre.com Graphic Designer: CHRISTA VANDYKE Special Projects & Major Account Coordinator: DIANNA PALMER Northern Black Hills Territory (605) 723-7010 | dpalmer@tsln-fre.com

2021 COVER PHOTO BY LIZ MUNTERTEIGER

Nebraska Account Manager: GAYDAWN ROGERS (970) 301-2190 | grogers@tsln-fre.com Greeley/Fort Collins Account Manager: MARY ROBERTS (970) 301-2192 | mroberts@thefencepost.com Southeastern & Western Colorado: CHRISTINE MCGEE (970) 301-2191 | cmcgee@thefencepost.com

Commercial Account Manager: LEAH BRENCE West River Territory SD/ND/MT/WY (406) 839-1097 | lbrence@tsln-fre.com Commercial Account Manager: TRACY L. HAUK East River SD/ND Territory (406) 951-321 | thauk@tsln-fre.com Cattle Marketing Assistant Account Manager: CARISSA LEE (877) 347-9114 | clee@tsln-fre.com Director of Field Services & Ringman: SCOTT DIRK West of River ND & SD Territory (605) 380-6024 | sdirk@tsln-fre.com Field Service & Ringman: DAN PIROUTEK (605) 544-3316 | dpiroutek@tsln-fre.com Field Service & Ringman: MATT WZNICK MT & WY Territory (406) 489-2414 | mwznick@tsln-fre.com Field Service & Ringman: DREW FELLER CO & NE Territory (402) 841-4215 | dfeller@tsln-fre.com

CLASSIFIEDS: CLASSIFIEDS@TSLN-FRE.COM

10 Sold! Central Livestock BY RUTH NICOLAUS

16 The Story of Stub Monnens BY KAYCEE MONNENS

20 52 It's a Tractor Parade BY SAVANNAH SIMMONS

58 Buffalo Hardware BY SHALEY LENSEGRAV

64 Ag Pride Books BY RACHEL GABEL

20 Wall Art

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

26 JLN Custom Leatherwork & Braiding BY DEANNA NELSON-LICKING

34 From Ballet to Barrels BY RUTH NICOLAUS

70 From Sheridan to Nashville

BY MARIA TIBBETTS

77 Everyday Miracle BY BETSY ELDER

78 Advertiser’s Index

40 Top of the Class

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

46 Homegrown

BY KAYCEE MONNENS

ERRORS: The Tri-State Livestock News & Farmer & Rancher Exchange shall be responsible for errors or omission in connection with an advertisement only to the extent of the space covered by the error. Opinions stated in letters or signed columns do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of Tri-State Livestock News. Ag Pride 2021

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Time to be Ag Proud

BY MARIA TIBBETTS, DIGITAL & SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

g pride. Most of us are proud of what we do. We're proud of the products we produce, the way we produce them, the lifestyle we live and the legacy we pass on. Not everyone gets to stay in production agriculture. But no one gets out without being shaped by it. From work ethic to understanding where food comes from, the benefits of exposure to ranch life are life-long. Unfortunately, a lot of states are being increasingly governed by those who don't understand production agriculture, and create policy that reflects that disconnect. Colorado is one of those states that has prompted ag producers to spend time they don't have, trying to fight this ignorant, agenda-driven legislation, and educating the public about the true stories of agriculture.

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2021

The recent MeatOut declared in Colorado, when the governor asked residents to go meatless on March 20, was one of those calls to action. Governors in surrounding states, cattlemen's organizations, FFA chapters and individual producers and businesses claimed the day as MeatIn, a celebration of meat, meat producers and the economic benefits of both. It was heartening to see communities gather to celebrate agriculture, the industry that creates value in these states, and swells the economies of communities, states and the country. But that's not enough. We need to keep telling the stories of agriculture, daily. Whether we're at our kids' baseball practice, in line at the grocery store or interacting on social media, we need to keep sharing the positive, true stories of what makes us proud to be producers.

MeatIn BY THE NUMBERS

M BY RACHEL GABEL

ore than 35 cities and counties signed proclamations in order to promote the importance of agriculture in Colorado; designating March 20, 2021 as “Cattlemen’s Day,” “MeatIn Day,” or other similar designations.

With more than 75 events, plus countless restaurant and retailer specials, meat was on the menu and tables across the state. At the 75 events alone, more than 25,000 people were offered complimentary barbecue meals, including more than 1,200 food insecure Denver residents.

Governors of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana recognized their protein industries as valuable, some even inviting Coloradans across the border to their tables. News coverage was statewide and news of the event was even reported as far away as Germany.

Over $300,000 was raised for local charities, Beef Sticks for Back Packs, various FFA chapters, and food banks.

Ag Pride 2021

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Cattle give off steam as they enter the Central Livestock Sale Barn in West Fargo during the winter of 2020.

PHOTOS BY KELLY KLEIN

SOLD!

Looking back at 85 years of Central Livestock

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

ednesdays aren’t the same anymore in West Fargo, N.D.

It was sale day at Central Livestock, but after 85 years of selling cattle, hogs and sheep, the sale barn closed its doors for good on November 30 of last year. There was little warning of the closure, said Kelly Klein, manager of the barn and one of its auctioneers.

A horse and rider move cattle through the alleys in the back pens at Central Livestock in West Fargo. The buildings have been torn down and nothing is left but piles of cement.

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2021

“We were doing dang good business, and they called and said in two weeks you have to lock the doors and shut it down,” he recalled. “I begged them, ‘why can’t we stay open till spring?’ We’ll do eighty percent of our volume in the next few months, and we’ll have time to plan our closure. They wouldn’t hear it.”

Kelly Klein had managed Central Livestock for the past three years and auctioneered there for sixteen years. Some of the sale barn’s employees had worked there for thirty years or even more, including order buyer Larry Christiansen, who was there 62 years.

The reason for the closing, Klein surmises, is mostly because of the sale barn’s location. When it was built in 1935, the town of West Fargo wasn’t close. But now the town has grown up around the sale barn, Klein said. “In the last ten years, we’ve been surrounded by buildings and businesses. It boils down to where the property is more valuable than our business was.” Tony Heinze was auctioneer at Central for 53 years, starting as back pen help in 1965. After attending auctioneer school in 1967, he started auctioneering that year. He remembers getting $5 a day as pay when he worked in the alleys, and quipped, “when I finished 53 years later, the pay wasn’t much different.”

At one time the eighth largest sale barn in the nation, more than 300,000 head ran through the gates at Central per year. Heinze remembers, in the 1970s, when the yards were full of cattle, with no more room to unload, and trucks lined up for two miles, waiting to unload. He remembers one time, starting a sale at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday and finishing the next morning at 7:30 a.m., running nearly 6,500 head through the ring. When the sale barn opened in 1935, six different commission firms bought cattle, hogs and sheep by private treaty. Those firms were McDonald, Central, Farmers Union, Montgomery and Sons, Dakota Livestock, and Sig Ellingson.

Ag Pride 2021

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In 1962, the sale barn went to a live auction, and eventually the business was purchased by Central Livestock, with headquarters in St. Paul, Minn. “It takes a lot of money to operate” a sale barn, Heinze said. “As soon as I say, ‘sold,’ the guy selling cattle gets a check and they’re in the bank that day. Well, their check has to be good. And if they bought cattle for someone else, it takes a while for that check to be sent in.” Heinze estimates a sale barn needs a couple million dollars for a line of credit. “We had $3, $4 million sales. There’s a lot of money turned." The people at Central became like family, Heinze said. “They were good friends. It was a great time in my life.” A bird’s eye (drone) view of the sale barn on a snowy day. In its heyday, it was the eighth largest sale barn in the nation.

Order buyer Larry Christiansen had a longer history at Central than anyone else. The West Fargo native had spent 62 of his 81years working at the sale barn. He started straight out of high school, working for McDonald Livestock, putting hay in the mangers, scraping the alley, “what an eighteen-year-old kid does,” he said. In 1986, he opened his order-buyer company there, buying feeder cattle. “That’s 62 years I’ve been going to the stockyards there.”

A second auction house, the Cow Palace, part of Central Livestock. Kelly Klein, manager of Central, believes it was where butcher cows were sold until the 1990s.

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2021

He remembers when the ring scale was installed in August of 1971, the first sale barn in the state (and one of the first in the nation) to have a ring scale. Prior to that, the way the sale barn is set up, the animals were weighed after the sale. “You’d try to figure out what they weighed in your head. That left something to be desired, sometimes. The ring scale was a real accomplishment.”

TAKE THE The closest sale barns are Devils Lake to the north, Jamestown to the west, Bagley, Minn. to the east, and Aberdeen and Sisseton to the south. Klein went to work for the Napoleon sale barn, and Christiansen is still buying cattle, but driving a lot farther to do it. “There are guys calling me, telling me we’ve bought their cattle in the past in the sale ring, and telling me where they decided to go, if I want to follow. Sometimes a guy can do it, sometimes a guy can’t.” Christiansen has bought cattle at the Jamestown and Bagley sales, but the driving is getting to be a problem. “At my age, it’s getting a little harder to drive two hours to get to the sale and drive two hours to get back home again.” He remembers seeing a picture in the Central Livestock office, of its grand opening in 1935. It was Depression days, when “nobody had anything,” and Central offered a free meal, cooking 30 steers and 7,000 lbs. of meat in the ground and brewing the coffee in a big water tank. “There’s a picture of 300, 400 cars that came out there. I think the cabs were giving free rides from Fargo to the yards. It must have been quite a situation.” He, like Heinze, remembers some long days. “There were times, in the 1980s and ’90s, during some of those bigger runs, you’d be there till 1, 2 or 3 in the morning. You wouldn’t get much sleep before you’d have to go back to work. Put on a clean pair of pants and head back.”

The sale barn had five full-time employees and on sale days, about 22 total. Many of the part-time sale day workers were N.D. State University college students and local ranchers. “You know, we had loyal workers,” Klein said, “a lot that had been around for thirty-plus years.” Heinze pointed out that stockyards in several big cities: St. Paul, Minn., Chicago, Sioux Falls, and Omaha, all faced the same demise. “The cities grew up around the stockyards,” and the stockyards eventually closed. “There’d be somebody who would buy a lot, build a house next to the stockyards, and not want to smell cows.”

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Everything in the sale barn was auctioned off by Kelly Klein Auction Service. The wood was reclaimed, to be sold later, and by January 1, a development corporation took over the property. “Everything’s gone except for a few piles of cement,” Klein said. It hurt when Central closed, Christiansen said. “It was kind of a jab in my heart. “My wife was asking me, when we were driving (to the sale barn) to take a look, how many times have you driven down this road to get there? I would hate to guess how many times I went down that road.

RANCH MANAGEMENT

“It’s an unfortunate thing that they had to sell it, but that’s life and it goes on.”

Ag Pride 2021

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Ag Pride 2021

Come to Lincoln, Nebraska to see the top 1,700 high school athletes, from 43 states, 5 Canadian provinces, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia, compete for world championship rodeo belt buckles in July 2021 – right before many go pro. Plus, enjoy all the great things to see and do while you’re in town and in Nebraska. Cowboy boots are optional. Good times are a given. Visit NHSFRLincoln.org to start planning your trip today!

Pictured: Team Nebraska Steer Wrestler and 2020 NHSFR Finalist Parker Johnston

Ag Pride 2021

WATCH • SHOP • EAT TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS July 18 - 24, 2021

FROM FOUR FEET UP

The story of Stub Monnens "The difference between me and the average person is that I see my world from four feet up. The rest sees it from five feet down.” –Stub Monnens

In his 70s, Stub had coffee daily with his neighbors, the Stenersons. They fondly remember his big hands cradling a coffee cup for warmth as they exchanged news about sheep and weather.

BY KAYCEE MONNENS

rancis "Stub" Monnens was a sheepherder, horseman, and border collie trainer who resided in Ladner, South Dakota for much of his later life. 2019 marked two decades since his passing, but many residents of Buffalo hold fondly to memories of a well-known man. He survived all manner of

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Ag Pride 2021

catastrophes: rattlesnake bites, asthma attacks, runaway teams, and once was drug behind a horse for over a mile near Castle Rock, South Dakota. Most astounding, however, was achieving all that he did while standing just 4'2" tall. Stub was a dwarf, but he never allowed his "disability" to hinder a life fully lived.

ABOVE: Stub Monnens used a saddle with three stirrups to climb aboard. He was self-sufficient with all tasks on the ranch, from hitching teams to building fence. TOP RIGHT: A loyal border collie was never far from Stub's side. Animals seemed to liken him to a child, therefore he was able to easily train teams, saddle horses, and dogs.

Stub made his way through life with his animals. He used a team and wagon to build fence, herded sheep with the use of border collies and a saddle horse, traveled horseback instead of in a pickup while testing REA poles in rough country; and made a living raising chukars and pheasants during “retirement”. Lex Burghduff said, “Animals trusted Stub. I never remember him spooking a horse or getting kicked. His horses were really accustomed to him. And horses usually trust kids, you know. I’m sure

COURTESY PHOTOS

BOTTOM RIGHT: Dwarfism came with many challenges, but Stub overcame them with a goodnatured humor. "Life is short and so am I," was his graduation motto.

the horses associated him with a kid and trusted him.” Perhaps this is why the pups he sold and the small horses he gave away were so suitable for children. “He gave us the best kid horse we ever had,” said Alicia (Clarkson) Burghduff. Stub’s saddle and gear are on display in the Buffalo One Room Schoolhouse & Museum. His chaps are shorter than the average person’s arm. His saddle was custom made for him by Ed Satler in 1946, a postman in Lemmon who made saddles to sell in the Gamble Store. It was built out of a 13 x 13” tree.

Ag Pride 2021

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Stub’s great-niece, Kaycee Monnens, is writing a book about him, using his memoirs and local sources. If you would like to share your memories or photos of Stub you are asked to please contact Kaycee via email–kayceemonnens@ gmail.com–or by call or text at 605-237-9600. For more information, see her website www.kayceemonnens.weebly.com.

The third stirrup, of course, was built so that he could mount and dismount unaided. In fact, few people can remember Stub asking for help in any task. He alone hitched up teams, saddled horses, pounded posts, and drove his 1950 Dodge pickup (and later vehicles) with the aid of homemade pedal extensions. If he was carpentering with sheets of plywood–a handful for any man– he simply used clamps to extend his grip to the edges. If he had to lift buckets over a sheep panel (chestheight for Stub) he worked it up and down by sticking his hands through. While working for Deschamps near Castle Rock in 1961, Stub rode bogs to ensure no ewes were stuck in the tricky Butte County soil, which gave way at times. Finding one, he tied his rope hard to the horn and dismounted. He placed the loop over the ewe’s head to gently pull her out, but he tripped in the process. His horse spooked, pulled back, and Stub stepped into the loop. Jewel drug him all the way back to the gate as fast as she could run. His shirt remained buttoned and protected his hands and face, but the bare flesh of his torso picked up one mile’s worth of greasewood splinters, cactus, and grass burns.

Stub's great-niece, Kaycee Monnens, is pictured with Stub's gear, housed in the Buffalo One Room Schoolhouse & Museum. Readers who knew Stub are invited to contact Kaycee in aid of the book she is writing about him.

TRI-STATE LIVESTOCK NEWS

Jewel waited patiently at the gate and Stub released himself from what could have been a noose around his foot. Getting back to the pickup, he realized the battery was dead. He waited a whole day for the feed truck to come, so he doctored his wounds with baking soda and

Ag Pride 2021

unguentine. The feed man came for chores the next day and brought him into town, and the doctor in Newell picked splinters out of him for an hour before giving up and sending him to Belle Fourche. Stub laid in that hospital for five weeks. Stub worked at Belle Fourche Livestock in 1978 after a brief trial period with his working dogs. He so impressed the owners, Dean Strong and Bob Petra, that they hired him four days per week for sheep and cattle sales. Once when he was gathering cattle that were loose in the parking lot, he came off the side of his horse, colliding with a corner post. The concussion resulted in memory loss for weeks and left him with double vision that halted his leatherworking, a favorite pastime, forever. Years later, Mert and Sue Clarkson gave Stub a vehicle to drive. Some concerned neighbors berated them, asking, “Why would you give a blind man a car?” They defended Stub, saying, “He’s not blind. He just can’t see very well.” Dwarfism often comes with health problems, including arthritis and asthma, though most with the condition have a normal life expectancy. When he was a child, Stub’s parents moved back and forth from Firesteel, South Dakota and Madison, Minnesota when the western homestead would not go. When he was 19, Stub settled west of the Missouri to avoid the humidity and persistent asthma attacks he suffered as a teenager. He never said so, but he almost surely had arthritis in his

aging years due to his stature and his lifestyle. Yet, he never quit. He merely began work on something else. When he was unable to herd sheep anymore, Stub worked as an REA pole tester in the Opal, Stoneville, and Marcus areas. In 1987, he began his mission to repopulate Harding County with Chinese Ring-Necked Pheasants. Locals used to say, “You won’t see a pheasant west of Highway 85.” Then Stub raised them by the thousands–the remnants of which still linger in the Ladner area. He told Nation’s Center News in an

interview, “I feel very good about what I could be doing to help preserve a great bird and at the same time help control some of the grasshoppers.” A 70th birthday party was held for Stub in the Bullock Hall with 415 guests. His special friend, Stella, whom he met at a Little People of America conference, popped out of his birthday cake, herself standing just 3’10” tall. Stub passed away five years later in 1999, leaving warm memories of his love of a cup of coffee, conversation, and God’s creatures.

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Originally Hustead Drug Store, Wall Drug Store got its big break when Dorothy Hustead, wife of Ted, had the genius idea of offering free ice water to thirsty travelers. Before her husband had the signs finished on the highway, advertising the free water, cars were already turning off the road and into Wall for their free cup. COURTESY PHOTOS

Wall Art WESTERN ART COLLECTION PART OF THE DRAW FOR SOUTH DAKOTA BUSINESS

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

here’s more to Wall Drug than the free ice water they’ve given to tourists since 1936.

The tourist attraction, located in Wall, S.D., along Interstate 90, is home to an extraordinary collection of original artwork.

Original artwork lines the walls in the dining room of Wall Drug, while a family enjoys cool drinks.

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When Dorothy Hustead came up with the idea to give away free ice water to travelers heading to and from the South Dakota Badlands, it was marketing genius, and it was the saving grace for the drugstore, which, at the time, was called the Hustead Drug Store. She convinced her husband, Ted, that “Hustead” was too hard for people to remember, and “Wall Drug Store” was simpler and easier to say.

Kids sit on the jackalope at Wall Drug in Wall, S.D. The tourist attraction has been in business since 1936, when it began giving away free ice water. For years, Wall Drug has advertised with road signs, including this one for donuts. Coffee is still five cents a cup, and is free to veterans, along with donuts.

Wall Drug, now in its 89th year of existence, is more than a drugstore and a tourist attraction, selling beverages, desserts, and western and South Dakota merchandise. Ted and son Bill purchased the first pieces of art in the 1950s, two oil paintings done by Andrew Standing Soldier, a Native American artist from South Dakota who painted his people as they transitioned to cowboys on the reservation.

People unfamiliar with art may not recognize the artists’ names, but they are well-known artists across the nation and the world. N.C. Wyeth, Harvey Dunn (the most famous painter to come out of South Dakota, Hustead says), Benton Clark, Matt Clark, Harold von Schmidt, Morton Stoops, Will James, Frank McCarthy, and others are all represented in the collection.

More than 300 paintings, all originals, hang in the dining room and throughout the store. Bill appreciated good artwork and purchased more than 95 percent of the paintings, said Rick Hustead, Ted’s grandson, Bill’s son and chairman of the Wall Drug Corporation.

The collection features a western theme and is illustration art. Illustration art was done primarily as pictures for stories in magazines and newspapers, with photos commissioned for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post and other magazines of the day.

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Fresh donuts are always available at Wall Drug, with free donuts for veterans.

Ever since the 1950s, the drugstore has given free coffee and donuts to military veterans, Rick Hustead said. “My dad and my mom’s three brothers were in the service during World War II, and when I came back (to the drugstore) in 1981, the first thing dad had me learn to do was make donuts. He said, ‘We can never run out of donuts, because we advertise on the highway that veterans can get free donuts,’ and we never do (run out). We have eight or nine people who can make donuts.”

In the 1960s, illustration art didn’t have the price tag that artwork does today, and Bill could purchase pieces at a reasonable cost. He bought most of the art work from two places: the Illustration House in New York City, an art shop selling the illustration paintings, and art shows in Cody, Wyo. Bill loved art, but especially western art. He was a pharmacist, “but he was a drugstore cowboy,” Rick said. Bill, who passed away in 1999, went on the Buckaroo Trail Ride in South Dakota for forty years. Bill knew the art would add to the ambience and atmosphere of Wall Drug, and “he was always looking for ways to enhance the visitors’ experience,” Rick said. “He just kept expanding the store, the building, the dining rooms, the emporium, the backyard building that houses the T Rex dinosaur, the South Dakota shop, and the Little Britches arcade. He really had a vision. It was amazing.” Many of the paintings are on display in the dining room, which includes Tiffany-style lamps, black walnut paneling, Italian marble tables and columns with totempole-like sculptures of cowboys and Native Americans. Rick has several favorites among the paintings. One of them is Apprehending the Horse Thieves, done by South Dakota’s Dunn. “It has a lot of action,” he said. He also likes a painting done by a less famous artist, Keith Avery, of his dad, Bill Hustead. “He has chaps on and he’s

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OPPOSITE PAGE: One of Rick Hustead’s favorite pieces of art in Wall Drug is one done by Keith Avery of his dad, Bill. Bill, a pharmacist and the second generation to run the business, was a “drugstore cowboy,” Rick said.

ABOVE LEFT: Apprehending the Horse Thieves by Harvey Dunn is one of many original pieces of art on display at Wall Drug. Several of Dunn’s pieces hang in the store; he is considered one of South Dakota’s most famous artists.

ABOVE RIGHT: Mixed Emotions, done by Gerald Farm, is one of Rick Hustead’s favorite pieces in the Wall Drug collection. A young woman, headed to a revival meeting, catches the eye of a cowboy who is walking into a saloon with his friend.

holding a saddle and a saddle blanket,” Rick said. “It’s dad. It’s not exactly his face, but we know it’s Bill.” Rick also loves the note on the back, written by Bill: ‘this painting belongs to my wife, Marjorie Hustead.’ “It’s the sentiment,” Rick said. Another favorite of Rick’s is Mixed Emotions, done by Gerald Farm. Two cowboys are walking into a saloon, and one of them glances back at an attractive young woman carrying what looks like a Bible. “He’s wondering, maybe I should go to that revival meeting, and meet that young woman,” Rick said, “and his buddy wants him to go into the bar for a beer. The way he is looking at the young lady, I think he’s going to a revival meeting. It’s cute.”

MIDDLE RIGHT: The dining room at Wall Drug was designed by Bill Hustead, with Tiffanystyled lamps, black walnut paneling and Italian marble tables. BOTTOM RIGHT: Wall Drug is home to an original collection of illustration art, more than 300 pieces, and most of it with a western theme. This piece is entitled Cowgirl and was done by Penrhyn Stanslaw.

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Rick also pointed out two drawings done by Gutzon Borglum, the artist who created Mt. Rushmore. The paintings are of his father and mother, and were done when he was 21 years old.

such whimsical paintings as a dark haired little girl, innocent in her yellow dress, seated at a short table, filling the teacup of an old cowboy in chaps, who plays along with her tea party (by Gerald Farm.)

The paintings are flashbacks to western scenes from real life and old western movies. Ax-wielding Native Americans being chased by a mounted cowboy, with a vivid orange sunset (by Frank McCarthy); a blueeyed blond cowgirl with a multi-colored coat astride a horse (by Penrhyn Stanslaw); a hardened cowboy killer with blood-stained snow and a smoking gun (by Louis Glanzman); and

Bill’s goal was to ramp up the attraction value of Wall Drug, Rick said. “He wanted to make Wall Drug into an amazing stop, something that people would enjoy.” The artwork just adds to that ambience. “He wanted customers to enjoy it.

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“It’s a magnificent collection. Bill really had a vision for the drugstore, and that was part of his touch.”

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OPPOSITE PAGE: Tea for Two by Gerald Farm is one of the more than 300 original works of art at Wall Drug. This painting is a study in opposites: youth and the elderly, innocence and experience. ABOVE: An untitled picture, by Jon Scott, is representative of the illustration art collected by Ted and Bill Hustead of Wall Drug. Ted started the collection and Bill continued it, buying paintings in New York City and at art fairs in Cody, Wyo.

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JLN CUSTOM LEATHERWORK AND BRAIDING

Custom rope cans are a great idea for the roper in the family. COURTESY PHOTOS

BY DEANNA NELSON-LICKING

eston, Wyoming craftswoman Justine Nelson has been perfecting her skills for many years. She is largely selftaught, due in part to her homeschool education and the desire to always keep learning. Growing up in a rural community in southern Idaho, Nelson was close to the cowboy culture and horse tack intrigued her. An old set of round braided reins given to her by her father ignited her curiosity as she tried to figure out how it was made. “The desire to build and create has been a part of me from my early childhood,” Nelson said.

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Bundles of scrap leather, vinyl lace and parachute cord gave her materials to play with and the addition of Bruce Grant’s book How to Make Cowboy Horse Gear, gave her direction. “In that book was the secret to round braids and I set about practicing braids and knots,” she said. When the family moved to Wyoming in 2000, a rancher showed her some halters braided from baling twine. With that material being cheap and easy to obtain, Nelson was able to figure out the braiding techniques and the gift of an old saddle to rebuild was the start of her business. Nelson worked for a number of years at various jobs, making money to invest in her new business. Tools and materials are very expensive so her shop grew slowly. But even though not working full time at the craft, she learned how

BUILDING COWBOY GEAR FOR WORK OR SHOW

that is functional and beautiful

Justine Nelson is committed to perfecting her crafts, and the gear she makes is a testament to that commitment.

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Justine Nelson is able to use her talent tooling leather to make poppers on rawhide reins she has braided.

to cut and bevel her own strings of kangaroo hide. “I didn’t come from a family of craftsmen, so I learned mostly from books, articles and a lot of trial and error.” Around this time she began to learn how to tool leather and how to build and finish leather goods. Nelson has attended workshops frequently, usually at the Rocky Mountain Leather Show in Sheridan, Wyoming, attending annually since she was 17. In 2006 she decided to go full time, obtained a business license and set to work. In the first years her focus was on leather tooling. Over time she made a few saddles but most of her custom products were smaller items. “While I have attended many workshops and

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lectures on working and tooling leather, I had almost no experience working one-on-one with a more experienced leather craftsman, so my progress has been slow,” Nelson said. Braiding had always interested her, so after attending a rawhide workshop in Elko, Nevada in 2015, she decided to invest more time in perfecting her rawhide techniques. “I had struggled with rawhide, finding the correct moisture content and finding a decent hide to work. It was at this class that working with rawhide finally clicked for me. Being able to feel a correctly tempered hide and to see how to correctly use the tools associated with cutting and beveling, made all the difference.”

Comfortable, using saddles built on custom trees, that are built to withstand the stress of cowboying.

Later that summer Nelson embarked on process of making her own rawhide by tackling five full cowhides at once. “I learned many important lessons, one being not to do that many at once again by myself.”

Nelson owns a few of her own horses and occasionally dayworks on neighboring ranches, which allows her to use her own gear and have live models for photographing and fitting pieces.

Later that year she was able to attend a rawhide gathering in Texas and expanded her knowledge and was introduced to the worldwide community of rawhide braiders. In 2016 Nelson was awarded the Mom’s scholarship from the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) which enabled her to spend a few days braiding with Nate Wald. Being able to work personally with a master braider enabled her to refine her methods and increase her skills and knowledge.

When a cow dies or a calf is born dead it can seem like a compete loss to a rancher, but for neighbors of Nelson, their tragedy can be recycled into a beautiful, functional piece of cowboy gear. Nelson has been known to skin-out heifers lost to calving difficulties, old cows and stillborn calves and she is thankful when a neighbor thinks to call her. During the summer she will schedule a number of days to make rawhide out of multiple fresh hides, obtained from a beef producer who butchers Corriente cattle on a regular schedule. “I

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usually roundup friends to come work hides. Working hides is hard, physical work that is more fun when you get people to help.” When preparing a number of hides she usually scalds them but if she only is doing one she will use lime, dry scraping or a fresh water method. She usually prepares ten to twelve hides over the summer so she has plenty of rawhide to braid with during the winter months. “My business is about a 50/50 split between rawhide and leather, my leather tends to be more custom orders, but I keep more rawhide gear in stock. I enjoy the challenge of both and I don’t want to get bored. I’ve found devoting blocks of time to individual projects, like building five sets of reins or a half dozen bosals at a time allows me to understand what works and what doesn’t,” she said. Nelson braided a set of rawhide reins in 2017 which placed third, and in 2019 she won ribbons in both rawhide braiding and in the stamped saddle class at

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the World Leather Debut in Sheridan, Wyoming. “I like to see advancement in my work, functionally trumps the art side, but no reason functional can’t be beautiful and refined.” The TCAA annually awards a fellowship to a craftsperson who has demonstrated commitment and passion in the pursuit of excellence in one of the four disciplines represented by the TCAA (saddlemaking, bit and spur making, silversmithing and rawhide braiding). The fellowship carries a value of up to $12,000, covering travel and tuition for individual mentoring with masters of that discipline over the course of one year. In 2020, on her second application, Nelson was awarded the TCAA Fellowship and has spent time in Texas, Montana and Oklahoma working with master rawhide braiders. “I was struggling a little with my transitions, from eight strands to sixteen strands smoothly and splitting back out smoothly, Nate Wald from Montana has really helped me with that. Leland Hensley from Texas helped me in perfecting my

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LEFT: Book cover: Nelson draws her own leather tooling patterns so she is able to incorporate any custom details a customer desires

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foundations and Jay Adcock assisted with functional gear and cores. It has been an amazing opportunity to work with all of them and has been very valuable to have tried all their methods and to sift them to see what works well with my mind.” Nelson is very grateful and honored to have had the wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the best braiders in the country. “In previous eras many in the trades were closed off to sharing knowledge. They were afraid to teach anyone for fear of a student becoming better than they were. The TCAA is committed to elevating and educating cowboy craftsmen, they aren’t afraid to teach you, there are no secrets with them. When you ask how something is done, they willingly share the answer. They are all encouraging and glad to see everyone succeed and improve the craft.”

A rawhide bosal.

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From Ballet to Barrels

Wyoming cowgirt is dancer, barrel racer Barrel racer Maggie Poloncic won the first and third rounds at the 2020 Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals. The Gillette, Wyo. cowgirl also is a ballet dancer. PHOTO BY JACKIE JENSEN.

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

aggie Poloncic fell in love with ballet about the same time she fell in love with horses.

The professional barrel racer has a unique background in dance. At the age of six, the Gillette, Wyo. cowgirl began dance classes, learning ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical, and contemporary. At about the same age, she was introduced to horses. Her babysitter had horses, and she expressed an interest. Her parents, John and Melissa, told their daughter if she was still interested when she was 10, they’d get her a horse. And they did. She didn’t compete in rodeo as a kid, but she danced competitively, through elementary, junior high and high school, and college at Colorado State University. After six years in Colorado, the 32-year-old moved back to Gillette and now teaches competitive ballet in her home town.

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Barrel racer and ballet dancer Maggie Poloncic performs in the Swan Lake ballet. PHOTO COURTESY JEANNE HOWE

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As an instructor, she is required to take yearly exams to certify her skills. Poloncic (pronounced Pul ON sick, which is Yugoslavian), also trains barrel horses. She got her WPRA permit while in college, running barrels at a few rodeos close to home. By the end of 2018 and into 2019, she began com-

She has started training her own horses, too. Puff, whose registered name is Aint Seen Me Yet, was purchased as a yearling in 2014. It was the first horse Poloncic bought to train, in the hopes of futuritying her. The mare wasn’t ready for futurities, so Poloncic held her out and is running her now. She won the first and third rounds of the Montana PRCA Circuit Finals on Puff in January, and would have won the second round and the average except for a tipped barrel. “She was my first from the ground up,” Poloncic said.

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Her love of training began as a high schooler. She rode finished horses, but like anyone who has purchased a horse trained by someone else, there are potholes in switching from one owner to the new owner. “There’s a transition, for animal and human,” Poloncic said. “I was always trying to fill in holes and that’s where my aptitude for training started.” Poloncic loves training horses, almost more than she loves running barrels. “It’s my calling,” she said. For a while, running barrels wasn’t as rewarding. “It was challenging for me to make mistakes at speed (during a run). I wanted everything to be perfect all the time. It was tough for me to let the horse work and see where we ended up.” She trained outside horses for a year, but it didn’t satisfy her. She missed seeing how the horse continued to improve. “I struggled with not being able to see all the progression in the long-term for the animal,” she said. “Having that horse for sixty or ninety

Barrel racer and ballet dancer Maggie Poloncic uses skills from ballet to be a better barrel racer. PHOTO COURTESY JEANNE HOWE

days isn’t enough to see long-term progress.” Now all the horses on the place are owned and trained by her. She’s currently working with a 3-year-old and a 5-yearold, hoping to futurity them. Puff is on the place, as are two geldings, a 7-year-old Prime Talent and a 15-yearold sorrel, “not bred exceptionally but with great talent,” she said. Ballet and barrel racing present similarities, Poloncic says, especially when it comes to training horses and teaching. Horses can’t talk, so communicating with them requires different avenues. Children can talk, but can’t always express their thoughts succinctly. Training horses and kids involves problem solving and planning, she said, two things she loves. “I love it because I’m a planner. I have a paper planner and I love writing down ideas, seeing them, and making a plan. It’s a challenge to keep everything headed in the right direction and then adjusting if it isn’t.”

Ballet also makes her a better barrel racer, she believes. “My dance career taught me how to be aware of every single part of my body at every given moment,” Poloncic said. “I knew what my knees, my toes, my fingers, everything was doing.” The word for body awareness is proprioception, the perception of the position and movement of the body. Proprioception is integral when it comes to riding, she believes. “Being on the back of a horse, proprioception is important, because we lose concentration of what our hands are doing if we’re focusing on our feet. We might give different cues to the animal,” she said. “I grew up in that, and I know how to put my body where it needs to be. It’s definitely made barrel racing more easy for me. Not that barrel racing is easy, but it’s made it easier.” Poloncic teaches about twelve hours a week and spends additional time preparing lessons. She works on her own dance skills as well, to be able to stay certified. Her life is fulfilling. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

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What Ranchers Read From cattle producers dealing with the lupine of the mountains, to the wheat farmers wondering how to make it through another drought, the Fence Post and its sister publications have been helping ag producers celebrate the good times and survive the bad ones for decades. Our publications have been with our readers through the record cattle prices of 2015, the Farm Crisis of the 1980s, back to when the biggest combine advertised had a 14-foot head. We deliver the stories, ads and information our readers need to make a living, and a life. We’re here for you to learn about the latest technology, the most current research, the black swans, the bulls and bears, cattle health and human interest. We’re here to reach buyers for your cattle genetics, machinery, seed, ag services and equipment. You’ve trusted us with your business for 40 years. Let’s keep each other in business for 40 more.

Sabrina “Bree” Poppe Publisher Tri-State Livestock News, The Fence Post Farmer & Rancher Exchange

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From left to right, Sheridan Wilson, Faith Storer, Kaden Wykert, Tait Vasa, Alex Worthing, Payton Gorwill, Jordan Peterson and Gracie Wenzel, the 2021 Arthur County (Neb.) High School senior class, pose for a photo. No one in the class holds a GPA lower than a 3.9.

BY RUTH NICOLAUS

here are no slackers in the senior class at Arthur Co. (Neb.) High School.

Among the eight students that make up the class of 2021, less than two-tenths of a decimal separates the GPAs, with the top students above a 4.0 GPA. Payton Gorwill, Jordan Peterson, Faith Storer, Gracie Wenzel, Sheridan Wilson, Alex Worthing, Kaden Wykert, and Tait Vasa will graduate May 15, after illustrious high school careers.

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Six of the eight began school together as elementary students; Wykert joined in eighth grade and Worthing joined his sophomore year. They’ve always been competitive, but not in a bad way, they say. If someone could do something, his or her classmate wanted to go farther. “If someone could jump five feet, the next person was going to jump six,” Sheridan Wilson said. “And it’s all friendly, but it’s pushed us to a higher level that a lot of other classes don’t see. I think other classes say, ‘oh, someone else is smarter than me.’ Our class says, ‘that person

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Jordan Peterson makes a pole bending run at a high school rodeo. She will attend Nebraska College of Technical Ag in Curtis this fall. PHOTO BY JAYNE PETERSON.

Sheridan Wilson attempts a shot during a basketball game. Basketball was among her extracurricular activities, which also included volleyball, track, FFA, quiz bowl, speech, band, and range club.

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is smart, but let’s see what I can do.’” Wykert had a summary of his classmates: “to say we’re competitive might be an understatement.” With a small class size and small school population (Arthur County Schools has 120 kids, grades K-12 and is the only school in the county, which is the fifth least-densely populated county in the U.S.), everybody has to participate in nearly every extracurricular event for there to be a team. That point wasn’t lost on the Class

of ’21. Kaden Wykert noted, “We do all the activities, because we have to. With such a small class, if a couple of people decide not to go out for quiz bowl, then the kids really into quiz bowl won’t have that chance. So we have to do everything.” Wenzel, who participated in quiz bowl for two years, agreed. “For instance, I’m not super into oneact (play) or super into quiz bowl, but I went out for them to support my peers, in what they love, so they in turn could support me in what I love. “What we run into in small schools is we don’t have enough kids on the team, so we have to be able to work with each other.”

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Participating in an extracurricular activity that one doesn’t necessarily enjoy sometimes develops skills useful to the student. For Wenzel, it was speech. “I really didn’t like public speaking at all my freshman year. So I told myself, one of these years you need to go out for one-acts or speech. Just having that practice has really helped me.” Out of the eight students, seven are ranch raised. All of them agreed that growing up on a ranch taught them determination and how to work hard. “We were raised to work hard,” Payton Gorwill said. “You want to be good, and you want to achieve so much. Having to do what we do, it instills a lot of drive in you.” Wilson concurred. “The things you’re taught on the ranch apply to other aspects

of your life: hard work, a work ethic, being responsible for your actions and for others translates to grades and working hard to do your best.” Alex Worthing, who joined Arthur School two years ago, is the only non-ranch raised kid among them; he lives in Keith County and opted into the Arthur school district because his dad knew the area and knew that small schools are “special,” Worthing said. In his opinion, the high GPAs and strong extracurricular activities he and his classmates have demonstrated are from their work ethic. The kids in his class “have that mentality to work hard and not give up when they’re down in the dumps. This senior year, for a lot of us, has been pretty stressful but I commend all my classmates on how well they’ve done.” Even though he’s not a ranch kid, Worthing has held his own: he has a 4.06 GPA. College classes are weighted heavier, causing some GPAs to be above 4.0. Their similar backgrounds knit them together, too. Several students have night calving duty but it isn’t an excuse if they are tired or don’t have homework done, Wilson said. “We understand what each other is going through at home, so you can’t use ‘I was up all night night-calving as an excuse when everybody else was doing it, too.”

The students also talked about parents who had high expectations of their kids. “Honestly, I think it’s the way our parents raised us,” Jordan Peterson said. “Our parents raised us to be good kids, to work hard and do your best at every single thing you do.” Wykert affirmed what Peterson said. “I think a lot of it comes down to good parents, parents who want a lot for us, who push us to do well.” Wenzel said seeing her parents “go the extra mile, and them dragging me

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along sometimes, has opened my eyes to everything that is possible.” They are a close-knit bunch. They spend six or seven hours a day with each other at school, and their extracurricular activities require them to be together before and after school, for other activities. “We get really close because we spend a lot of time together,” Wykert said. “We’re here for early morning practices and we’re here late. Whether we like it or not, we get pretty close.” And because they’re close, they help each other, “I’m not kidding you,” Peterson said. “We’re such a big family that if one of us goes down, the rest of us help him out and get him out of that hole. We pick each other up.” Gorwill said, too, that they help each other out. “None of us wants anybody to fail. We all strive to be fantastic.” They have big plans. Ranging from cattle to planets, they have in mind what they might do after higher education. Gorwill will attend Chadron (Neb.) State College on an academic scholarship, study elementary education, and rodeo collegiately. Peterson plans to go to the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis and major in animal and farm husbandry, and be involved in livestock production. Storer has been accepted to Bryan College of Health Sciences in Lincoln, Neb.; with her acceptance, she is automatically admitted to nursing school, after her two years of general education classes. She hopes to be a traveling ER nurse. Wenzel will attend Peru (Neb.) State College on academic and basketball scholarships; her goal, after college, is to own a series of feedlots in five states and educate the public on the importance and quality of beef production. Wilson will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and major in grassland studies. Her plan is to open her own private consulting firm to develop grazing plans for clients. She is a three-time FFA range judging state champion. Worthing has been accepted to Purdue (Ind.) University, where he will study planetary sciences, which

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includes astrobiology, engineering, astrophysics, physics, orbital mechanics and the planets. He will join the Air Force ROTC program at Purdue and wants to be employed in the space industry some day. He has a private pilot’s license. Wykert will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and double major in pre-veterinary and animal sciences. He hopes to go on to earn a doctor of veterinary medicine degree. Vasa will attend the University of Nebraska-Omaha on a Chancellor’s Scholarship; he will study computer science and wants to develop video games. The senior class loves their school and the opportunities it’s given them. “My favorite thing about it is how close we are,” Wilson said. “I feel I could have a conversation with every student and every teacher and I would be heard, I would be noticed, and they would care about what I have to say.” Arthur is ideal, Storer said. “It’s the perfect place. I love it here.” “The teachers here are great,” Vasa said. “I feel like small schools are blessed to have a small community like this to support it. I’m sure there are other good schools, but this one here is particularly special. “I’ll never forget it.” The students’ parents and activities are listed below. Payton Gorwill, daughter of Shane and Jamie Gorwill. Volleyball, basketball, FFA, rodeo, National Honor Society. Jordan Peterson, daughter of Rich and Jayne Peterson. Volleyball, basketball, rodeo, FFA, choir, National Honor Society. Faith Storer, daughter of Jared and Angie Storer. Volleyball, basketball, track, rodeo, student body president of the Nebraska State High School Rodeo Association, FFA, National Honor Society.

Gracie Wenzel, daughter of Travis and Kimberly Wenzel. Volleyball, basketball, track, speech, FFA, band, student council, quiz bowl, one-act play, National Honor Society. Sheridan Wilson, daughter of Mark and Sandra Wilson. Volleyball, basketball, track, FFA, quiz bowl, speech, band; range club; National Honor Society. Alex Worthing, son of John and Staci Worthing. Football, basketball, track, FFA, student council,

band, choir, one-act play, speech, National Honor Society. Kaden Wykert, son of Kolby and Carrie Wykert. Football, basketball, track, FFA, quiz bowl, range club, National Honor Society. Tait Vasa, son of Steve and Lisa Vasa. Football, basketball, track, choir, one-act play, quiz bowl, student council, National Honor Society.

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David Uhrig, featured on the pilot episode of Homegrown, believes that the consumer must know the facts behind the origin of their food and fiber. The film crew accompanied him during vaccinations and daily tasks on the ranch near Hermosa.  COURTESY PHOTOS

HOMEGROWN

Showcases many facets of agriculture BY KAYCEE MONNENS

t seems Hollywood has trouble accurately portraying agriculture. A local production company, though, is putting the real faces of agriculture on television.

In October of 2020, ConnectCenter1 of Rapid City, South Dakota began airing Homegrown, a new series which focuses on the stories and faces behind production agriculture. Their episodes showcase all stages and facets of production ag, from the logging industry, to raising poultry, to recipes for butternut squash. And they are just getting started. ConnectCenter1, a facet of NewsCenter1, seeks to connect the public with the pillars of Black Hills and South Dakota society. They feature stories about military, education, healthcare, worship, agriculture, and more. Ethan Anderson, director of content and innovation, says its aim is to communicate various viewpoints of the community

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to provide deeper insight into what makes the region an amazing place to live and visit. Homegrown has seen much success in its budding months. David Uhrig of Hermosa was featured in the pilot episode, which filmed three generations of his family during a day’s work on their cattle operation. Uhrig is the manager of the Mount Rushmore Angus Ranch, but also runs commercial and registered Angus cows with his wife, Rachael, and her parents, Scott and Veronica Edoff. The ConnectCenter1 film crew tagged along during gathering, sorting, trucking, vaccinating, and putting out mineral that day. Most notable about the filming process was that the producers seemed to understand

Cam Fagerhaug operates the fivegeneration 3C Christensen Ranch near Wessington, South Dakota alongside her husband, Tyler, her parents, and their up-and-coming ranchers. Fagerhaug was featured on Homegrown Table Talk Episode

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the unpredictability of ranch life. They let the story tell itself, with few prompts and little direction. Uhrig laughs, “I don’t think they planned on staying all day.” But the result of a long day filming on the ranch was a heartfelt first episode that set the tone for many to come.

TOP: Home raised and Homegrown. ConnectCenter1 seeks to tell the stories of local producers to showcase the importance of South Dakota agriculture. Pictured: David Uhrig and his future ranchers. BELOW: Homegrown features the people behind all aspects of production agriculture, from pasture to plate. NewsCenter1 is locally owned in Rapid City and showcases viewpoints across the region.

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The efforts of ConnectCenter1 and Homegrown could not be more timely, considering the recent Initiative 16 in Colorado and now Initiative Petition 13 Oregon, which would criminalize vital practices in animal agriculture and global food production, such as artifical insemination and even animal slaughter. Suffice it to say, these initiatives are the products of the poorly-informed. Uhrig, a member of the South Dakota Stock Growers Association, says, “Until people understand life and death and production practices–I don’t think people are going to understand it until we are starving as a nation, or willing to learn as a nation,” he says. “People need to know where their food and their fiber comes from. […] From the beginning standpoint of beef production–it’s all family farms and ranches. It’s not like the federal government owns the cattle.

These are real families paying for their costs: college, food bills, etc. All that’s on the backs of cows,” Uhrig says. Fortunately, Homegrown seeks to establish that urban-rural connection more concretely through their educational series, according to Anderson. “It was created to showcase the people who work out on the land and provide business and services to all of us that use it daily,” he says. Cam Fagerhaug of Wessington was featured on Homegrown Table Talk Episode 5: Women in Agriculture. Fagerhaug operates the 3C Christensen Ranch with her husband, Tyler, and her parents. She appreciates efforts of ConnectCenter1 in striving for an accurate depiction of agriculture. “They let us watch it beforehand. They asked for photos and things to run. Admittedly, [Anna Whetham] said she doesn’t know everything about ranching, but she sure wanted to portray our lifestyle correctly. I

was very impressed with that,” Fagerhaug said. Whetham, who conducted the roundtable during the episode, is one of the driving forces behind Homegrown. Whetham also hosts Homegrown Eats, a cooking show which uses South Dakota-produced foods for its recipes. Fagerhaug says, “Those are really things that we need to get the word out to consumers. Honestly, they probably don’t really care what we do as ranchers, but want to know what we’re doing to benefit them. Properly introducing beef and all of its advantages in terms of nutrition is really what we need to do, so I appreciate that she does that.” “It was refreshing to have a mainstream news source want to seek us out. I hope they keep doing that and keep getting bigger,” Fagerhaug says. That is exactly the intention. Anderson says, “We have a long list and a lot of exciting things to come down the road. There’s a lot of stuff we haven’t touched on that we

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ConnectCenter1's Homegrown seeks to establish the urbanrural connection more concretely through their educational series, which features all aspects of production agriculture and the families behind it.

intend to do. It’s a long commitment for us… Without the people in the ag community, the people across the area that let us follow along with them in their day, we wouldn’t be able to make the show in the first place.” Perhaps NewsCenter1’s own background is the reason it so frequently produces important, local stories. “We a rare breed across broadcast,” Anderson says. “NewsCenter1 is locally owned here in Rapid City.” Fagerhaug says, ““It is a small world, the ag world,” she says. “It’s hard to get our voices heard.” In a time when big voices dominate, it may be time to listen to the “little voices” with homegrown values. Many would not raise their children any other way. Uhrig says, “Production ag is near and dear to my heart, along with the core values for raising

a family. It’s not a glamorous life by any stretch, but it is a fulfilling one.” Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden, was interviewed in the pilot episode, remembering the ideals he learned in his upbringing: “As I get older I reflect on our values and systems in society. I think that’s what’s kind of lost: that sense of personal responsibility. There’s no place moreso than in agriculture where you bear the burden of the decisions you make. I think as a young man that’s one of the most valuable lessons we learned growing up on a ranch.” With an abundance of agriculture in South Dakota, the possibilities are endless for the future of Homegrown. Anderson says, “We’re just going to keep telling unique and interesting and educational stories as we go. It’s been very humbling being a part of it all."

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Make way, FFA! BY SAVANNA SIMMONS

FA leaders and ag teachers are embracing “drive your tractor to school day” as a way to exemplify pride for agriculture. While this isn’t a new practice, for some, it’s the first time they’ve participated. Ten Sleep, Wyoming The Ten Sleep FFA Chapter hosted its inaugural drive your tractor to school day, as well as ride your horse to school day, and Ten Sleep Ag Advisor Adrienne Forshee said it was a hit.

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National FFA Week was in February, and she had intentions of hosting the event then. However several members of FFA also competed in basketball finals at the state level in February, so she pushed the event back to March, allowing all who cared to participate to do so. Forshee woke up to snowy conditions March 26, and she was sure that the horse riders who had volunteered to join their entourage would back out, understandably so. She was overjoyed to see the six riders in their winter gear, ready to head in to school. “It was a true, western, Ten Sleep spirit,” Forshee said. “I was impressed they were all bundled up and ready to ride.”

LEFT TO RIGHT: Kruze Forshee Adrienne Forshee Walker Cooper Kinley Anderson Erik Harstad COURTESY PHOTOS

It's a tractor parade! The cavalcade consisted of riders from age ten on up to Grandad. Rich Carter, a long time rancher from the Ten Sleep area, rode with his granddaughter, and a few parents rode with their children.

The horses were all trailered home due to the blizzard conditions, but Ten Sleep principal Levi Collins was ready to care for the horses if they were going to stay, as planned.

“It was fun that their parents got involved as well,” Forshee said. “Safety had to be the first priority, and they had never done it before.”

“Our principal was a really good sport,” Forshee said. “He was going to feed and water horses all day. He played it up, asking what kind of grain to get.”

The riders followed five tractors and one lawn mower down part of Main Street, up to the school, where they took a lap around the parking lot in front of the entire elementary before parking their tractors for the day.

Ten Sleep had been void of an FFA program for about 45 years until Forshee started at Ten Sleep School as the ag advisor in 2004. She took a break in 2010 to have and raise her daughter, who participated in drive your tractor to school day horseback this March. Forshee returned to Ten Sleep in her original position this past 2020-2021 school year.

“It was like a parade; we just needed candy,” Forshee said. “It was fun for the kids to get to show off what they do. They got to be stars of the show for a little bit. The community loved it.”

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When she brought FFA back to the school in 2004, she searched through past yearbooks and newspaper articles and found a few people who had been in the Ten Sleep FFA Chapter in in the late 1970s and early '80s. Those gentlemen inducted her new members. Now, she feels once again like a first-year teacher, she said, but she is excited to bring energy back to the FFA program. “I always have some really strong leadership students, and I enjoy watching them go far,” Forshee said. “The town kids love FFA, but most of the kids are ranchers. It’s been fun to watch it grow and come back and bring it to a different level than it was.” Forshee is planning on hosting drive-yourtractor-to-school day again next year, and her students are already planning an even longer route down the whole length of Main street.

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Burley, Idaho The FFA chapter in Burley, Idaho, participated in drive your tractor to school week in conjunction with FFA week this year. This is old hat for the Burley High School, though the group of participants is a little smaller than years past, said Alisha Samples. Her daughter was one of about a dozen who drove a tractor to school this year, but when Samples’ older sons participated, about 25 students would drive. “We used to be a pretty ag-based area,” she said. “Like everywhere else, big farm families are dying out, so it’s kind of prestigious for those driving the ginormous tractors. They get to show their heritage and their lifestyle.” Samples’ daughter Rylee is the third-generation in their farm family. As an eighth-grader, Rylee was given special permission to drive a large CASE IH to school accompanied by her friend Kymbrie, a freshman who lives in the city but has a great interest in agriculture.

Cachelynn Forshee on Stretch with Principal Collins ready to feed and water her horse for the day. Also Ag. Advisor Adrienne Forshee

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Eighth-grader Rylee Samples was granted special permission to drive to school with her friend Kymbrie for drive your tractor to school day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALISHA SAMPLES

“Kymbrie thought it was pretty cool, and this year, she wants to work on the farm and get confident so she can be her own pilot next year,” Samples said. “I think Rylee appreciates the farm more seeing how interested her friend

Rylee is the youngest of three kids and an integral part of the families operation. The Samples farm row crops, sugar beets, dry beans, grain, corn, and hay on their 1,000-acre spread. They also show pigs in 4-H.

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Since 1980, The Fence Post has been revered as a trusted source for ag news and information. We don’t cover a certain city, county or geography. Rather we celebrate the farming and ranching culture, our western way of life, and the great folks within it. Our unique content spans from livestock production and grain farming to ag legislation and water policies, to stories about the region’s ranchers, farmers, and events in our ag community. You’ll also find regular comics, columnists, obituaries and the auction and event calendars in every issue. So, grab a cup of coffee and settle in to enjoy this week’s issue. And thanks for reading us! FARM, RANCH & HOME REALTY

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“To receive national recognition [as the Young Retailer of the Year] up against towns and stores that have more square footage than our Main Street does is really cool,” said Sam Olson, owner of Buffalo Hardware.

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Community minded:

Owner Sam Olson credits Buffalo Hardware’s success as a business to his employees.

BUFFALO HARDWARE BY SHALEY LENSEGRAV

ften the climate of a town can be determined by what’s happening on Main Street. In Buffalo, South Dakota, population 350, business owner Sam Olson is working to boost commercial activity in the community where he was raised to encourage growth and vitality for future generations. Olson is the owner of Buffalo Hardware and three other businesses in the small town tucked away in the northwest corner of South Dakota.

His success with Buffalo Hardware gained national attention when Olson was named the 2020 Young Retailer of the Year through the North American Hardware and Paint Association for businesses recording over $2 million in annual sales. “To receive national recognition up against towns and stores that have more square footage than our Main Street does is really cool,” Olson said. To receive the award, retailers must be nominated and then complete paperwork detailing their business accomplishments, training, and community involvement. A board then determines the recipients.

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Although the award named Olson as the Retailer of the Year, he credits his employees and store manager, Shaine O’Dell, for their contributions to the store’s success. “It is a store accomplishment, not a person’s accomplishment,” Olson said. This humble team-oriented mindset is a part of what has led to Olson’s success as a business owner.

Olson credits his philosophy on employees to the example set by his parents Tim and Laura through their business, Olson Construction—also located in Buffalo, SD. “No matter what happens, our job is to look out for people first and we’ll figure the rest out later,” he said. O’Dell said Olson’s business culture “is family.” O’Dell began working for Olson Construction in 2009. He has been employed by or connected to the family ever since and has served as the manager of the hardware store for over five years. “They’ve always made time for me,” he said. Olson said that O’Dell has been instrumental in elevating the hardware store and focusing on building relationships with customers.

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While Buffalo Hardware has been a staple on Buffalo’s Main Street for years, it has been under Olson’s ownership for only seven years. While in his senior year of college at Black Hills State University, Olson’s parents called him and asked if he would be interested in coming back to Buffalo to purchase and take over Buffalo Hardware. The previous owner was ready to retire after operating the Main Street business for 47 years. Together with his parents, Olson purchased the business in 2014. “I don’t know what made me say yes, but here I am,” Olson said.

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“It has been a lot of fun to come back and be a part of Main Street Buffalo,” Buffalo native, Sam Olson said about purchasing Buffalo Hardware.

Olson explained that when he took the business over, Buffalo Hardware was a nice store with “a little bit of everything.” Under Olson’s leadership, the store has since expanded in land, buildings, and products such as continuous fence, fiberglass water tanks, and other outdoor agricultural products. Since Buffalo is surrounded by mainly cow/calf operations, Buffalo Hardware strives to provide “all of the essentials for everyday ranching,” Olson said. When the pandemic started, Buffalo Hardware began a delivery service to help their customers get the

supplies that they needed. The timing was perfect for many Harding County ranchers, as the delivery service began in the middle of calving season. The store continues to deliver regularly to neighboring Bison, S.D. and Bowman, N.D.. They also make project-based deliveries to the Black Hills. Although Buffalo Hardware supplies all of the community’s lumber and building needs, they do not offer building services, but rather have a list of independent builders that customers can get quotes from and hire for their projects.

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“It has been a lot of fun to come back and be a part of Main Street Buffalo,” Olson said. His success with the hardware store and his dedication to keep Buffalo thriving provided him with the opportunity to purchase additional businesses in the community. In 2016, Olson purchased Buffalo Ranch Supply; then in 2017-18 he purchased Lyons Propane (now Olson Propane) and Henderson Oil (now Olson Fuel). Olson explained that, in all of his business purchases, the previous owners either wanted to retire or were willing to sell their business in effort to keep ownership local. “We didn’t want to let businesses move out of Buffalo,” Olson said. “We wanted to keep Buffalo going

and vibrant in the things we have for years to come.” Olson’s commitment to his community is evident outside of his businesses as well. He is the current vice president of the Economic Development Cooperation, the president of Olson Livestock—a foundation that provides calves to 10 first grade students as a way to help young ranchers get started—and up until a few months ago, he was the president of the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce. Many of Olson’s employees also hold positions on town boards, on volunteer fire departments, the Stockgrowers Association, and the Alumni Association. As a team, Olson’s businesses and employees donate time, services, or products to many community events. They are, or have been, involved with local 4-H clubs, the county fair, the rodeo club, benefits for community members, and community Christmas activities.

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“We’re all about local,” Olson said. “They support us, and we feel it’s only right that we support them.” Not only does Buffalo Hardware partner with community organizations, they also enhance Buffalo’s activity calendar by providing three to four project-based classes throughout the year. O’Dell, said that one of the first things that they added to the hardware store was a green house. Shortly after, they hosted a class on how to build a garden table. Other projects have included corn hole boards, benches, tables, and most recently a class on how to use epoxy—a product that the store is now stocking. Olson explained that the hardest part of any project is “making sure that you have the support so that you can ask questions.” The hardware store’s classes provide attendees with that support and Olson said the classes “end up being a lot of fun.”

Later this summer, Buffalo Hardware hopes to offer a class to help participants prepare for their Labor Day soap box derby. In the future, Olson would like to increase the business’s delivery service and continue to focus on strengthening relationships and providing quality services to his community. “We know 95 percent of our customers by name, and if we’re going to be here for years and years to come, we have to do right by the customer,” Olson said. “We have to find out what we can do in their best interest.” Additionally, Olson hopes to grow the store’s current greenhouse into a stand-alone garden center, and add more products to the store’s inventory. He would also like to build a new store to house all of the business’s products. “The future is bright,” he said. “We’re looking at what we can do and what will be the best to help the people around us.”

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BY RACHEL GABEL

Ag Pride Books

heyenne Claxton grew up in Van Austyne, Texas, with her dad teaching agriculture and her mom teaching kindergarten reading. After a successful high school and

college rodeo career, she also taught school. Writing is something she said was always something she felt drawn to. When she married Rex Claxton in 2014, a West Texas A&M graduate who is also the son of an agriculture teacher, they began backgrounding and preconditioning yearlings. They now live in Chatanooga, Oklahoma, and continue to expand their cattle operation. The couple have a four-year old son, Randon, and her desire to stay home with him and to help on the cattle operation led her to teach online and write her first children’s book.

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Her first book, Ranching with Randon, shows how learning is possible no matter where you are and takes readers through a typical day on the ranch, learning new things all the way. “I hope people see that when you’re working and doing what you really enjoy, you never really work a day in your life,” she said. “There’s always things to do but we’re grateful that we get to work as a family. That’s something a lot of people aren’t able to experience.” Fellow Texas ranch wife and mom Jordan Finney illustrated the book. It is published by Lifebridge. Savanna Simmons, an agriculture journalist and photographer, is writing her third children’s book

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from a ranch in eastern Wyoming. The mother of two ranch-loving boys, Simmons began writing when she discovered that, though there are a surplus of books about horses and little girls, there weren't many about boys, horses, and ranching. To fill that gap, Simmons wrote a chapter book titled Brim and the Big Cat Blunder about a young cowboy and his adventures, including the day he finds himself in a tricky predicament. Illustrated by South Dakota’s Jessica Casteel, Simmons recommends this tale for grades 2 through 6. Simmons anticipates a sequel will be released in the next year. Simmons wrote and illustrated a picture book titled Did you spot my spots? This book is a fun story about an Appaloosa horse who has lost his spots in the wind and learns some important lessons about overcoming obstacles, being a good friend, and accepting help. The book, she said, features two of the family’s favorite horses, making the book more special.

RACHEL CUTRER

AMANDA RADKE

Her third book, Rather be Ropin’ which was just officially released, is written in honor of a young cowboy who lost his life in an accident when he was 11, 2016. This book features watercolor illustrations by Montana ranch mom Kailey Klein. The story centers around Logan, who is having the best day cowboying when he wins the top hand buckle at a rodeo. When he realizes his big win is actually a dream, he then learns what it takes to achieve his dreams. A portion of the sales of Rather be Ropin’ will be donated to a scholarship fund in honor of Logan Van Eaton. Amanda Radke writes from her family operation in Mitchell, South Dakota. Her first children’s book, Levi and the Lost Calf was released in 2011. “At that time, it seemed like every Disney movie that came out personified the animal and the farmer or rancher or animal owner was the secondary character and the bad guy,” she said. “I was frustrated by that and wanted

to twist the narrative a little bit and make the farmer the main character or the hero in the story.” Radke said she has since released four books and anticipates the release of two more by the end of the year, confirming that there are ample stories to tell in a way that is accurate to agriculture. Radke and her illustrator, Michelle Weber, formed a publishing company called Ag Storytellers when organizations, including the Georgia Beef Board, the South Dakota Soil Coalition, and the Georgia Peanut Farmers began reaching out to secure the author’s help in telling their story. The goal of Ag Storytellers is to work with a handful of clients annually to help them through the process of content creation. For Radke, the bottom line for her is to write books to help raise the next generation of empowered and informed consumers. Other titles she has released to that end include Can-Do Cowkids, A Home Run for Peanuts, and The Soil Quilt. Ag Pride 2021

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Rachel Williams Cutrer wrote the first of her Sarah the Showman series of picture books when her daughter was small. She continued to add titles and as her daughter grew and improved in her own reading, Cutrer added chapter books. She said she began writing the stock show-themed series after seeing how few books were dedicated to that, compared to horse shows. As the picture books grew in popularity, she responded to reader feedback, including more young male characters. Cutrer said she has books that feature the Fort Worth Stock Show and another that features North American International in Louisville, Kentucky, but the majority center around jackpot shows. Cutrer’s books deal with themes inspired by her daughters’ and her own experiences. With three to five books in various stages of development, Cutrer has a forthcoming book

inspired by the winter storm that impacted her home state of Texas, as well as one about a stock show crush. Cutrer and her husband Brandon spent about a decade working on her grandfather’s storied V8 Brahman operation before striking out on their own. The couple and their daughters, Mollie, 10, and Annie, 6, are building BRC Brahman, a herd of about 350 cows on the east coast of Texas. Kindergarten Rancher, the first book from Rachel Gabel, an ag journalist and assistant editor of The Fence Post Magazine, was borne out of a desire to find accurate ag-themed books that were still fun to read. Gabel teamed up with Shannon Clark, a Wyoming ranch-raised artist to illustrate the book, featuring illustrations of various breeds of herd sires and drawings of ranch scenes. Kindergarten Rancher

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follows Sissy, a little girl who would rather stay home and ranch than go to school. Luckily, her dad is able to show her how many school lessons are used on the ranch. Gabel’s second book, Still Good: The Faces of Family Agriculture, was written specifically to be the 2021 Colorado Foundation for Agriculture literacy project book. Read in classrooms by Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg, Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, Dr. Samantha Cunningham, Lora Bledsoe, DVM, Colorado Cattlemen's Association president and rancher Janie VanWinkle, and Marc and Jill Arnusch, whose farm is featured in the book, Still Good has helped bring agriculture into classrooms across the state. In the book, a young boy finds his grandpa’s photo album of agriculture operations in the 1950s and gathers his own modern

photos to show Grandpa that while agriculture has certainly changed, it is still good. The book features ag operations from around the state including Livestock Exchange, Inc., the Denver Union Stock Yards, Marc Arnusch Farms, Chapin Family Dairies, Theos Swallow Fork Ranch, and Knapp’s Farm Market. The Fence Post Magazine’s Liz Banman Munsterteiger illustrated the book using original watercolors and historical photos. Gabel’s third book, also illustrated by Munsterteiger, will be the 2022 Agriculture in the Classroom book. It highlights the state’s famous Palisade peaches and will be released in the fall of 2022. Most of these books are available from major booksellers, or direct from the authors.

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From Sheridan to Nashville: Ranch kid finds success in country music

W BY MARIA TIBBETTS

hen Ian Munsick was about 8 years old, he took the stage with his dad and two older brothers at the Best Western in Sheridan, Wyoming. They

were hired to play the restaurant and bar that evening. "It wasn't nighttime because I don't think any of us three boys were allowed in there after 8," Munsick said. "It wasn't for very much money, but I remember somebody put a $10 or $20 bill in my guitar case. My dad was

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like, 'That's yours. You get to keep that.' When you're that age, $20 is like a million dollars. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I get to make money doing what I love.' That's when I knew I was hooked." That night onstage at the Sheridan Best Western started a career for a ranch kid from Wyoming that has since landed Munsick in Nashville. In 2017 he released an independent project, and his song "Horses are Faster" "kind of grew legs on its own." At this point the song has more than 13 million plays on Spotify

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alone. That organic growth caught the attention of Warner Music Nashville and in 2020 he signed a contract and made a full-length album, which will be released on country music radio, as well as on-demand streaming services.

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"'Horses are Faster' was actually the first song that I produced that I thought people would like," Ian said. "I wrote and recorded it all on my own. It was kind of a case of beginner's luck. It inspired me to learn more about the craft of engineering and producing my own music, which led to a lot more time in front of the computer, diving into the technology end of music. That definitely changed the way I recorded music and my overall sound as an artist." That sound has changed since he left the ranch when he was about 18. "I'm almost 28 years old now. Even if I'd stayed on the ranch, those are extremely transformative years, not only musically, but in anyone's life. My music definitely changed as I grew up." He calls his current sound "a strong handshake between those two worlds," Wyoming and Nashville. "I'm always looking ahead in terms of what's going to be next, in terms of pop music. Lyrically, I always go back to my roots of country music, and storytelling and the positive outlook on life. The

hardworking, hard-loving community that is country music. It's a good blend of modern and traditional." He lists the Beatles as the number one influence on his music. "I go back to my Beatles records and find new inspiration in their writing and production and their influence on the world." He also lists western music icon Ian Tyson, Guy Clark's writing and Bruno Mars's energy, Ricky Skaggs from the Bluegrass world. "I love all kinds of different music. At the end of the day I'll always go back home to country music." The foundation of his music--and his character – is still the ranch. "The ranch taught me a lot of lessons that are priceless. How to work hard and keep your head down and get the job done, no matter what happens. Hard work, how to stay humble. How to respect not only other people, but the earth and planet. Those three lessons I still carry with me in Nashville."

Ian says his dad, Dave, would have loved to pursue music full-time. "He's really talented, but he knew there comes a point where you've got to put your wife and kids before you. If you're going to be able to make your dream work, then great, but being able to put your loved ones before you is another just great, great lesson that growing up on the ranch taught me." While Dave never made the big time on his own, he gets to watch all three of his boys make music. Tris, the oldest, has a band called Tris Munsick and the Innocents, and he plays more traditional music. They play mostly around the Rocky Mountain area. Sam, the middle son, "he's a rancher, through and through. A cowboy through and through," Ian says. "He kinda lives his life in isolation. He's a great, great writer, has an amazing voice as well. He's putting together a new record, which I'm really excited about. He hasn't really put out music but he has some amazing tunes in his catalog. I think he's going to do really good things for the country and western world."

"I love all kinds of different music. At the end of the day I'll always go back home to country music."

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And Dave still gets on stage when he goes to his son's performances. He usually plays fiddle for "Horses are Faster." Ian says, "That's kind of the go-to because he actually fiddled on the record. I feel like a lot of people don't know that. But that's usually the song that people know me by as of now. Every time he hops on the stage for the encore and we do that, there's a wow factor that goes into it. It's a special thing. He played on the record; it throws me back to the ranch days and playing with him. That's a really cool thing that we're able to do." Music is still at the center of family gatherings. The boys and their dad do a Christmas concert in Sheridan every year for the last 15 years. They still are invited to cowboy poetry gatherings, like in Elko, Nevada. "There are always opportunities (to

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play together). We still get to play with each other, but obviously not as much as we used to," Ian said. The Munsicks boys' mom, Trudy, loves to hear her family play, and has always been the manager. "She keeps us in line," Ian says. "She's really organized. She just loves to listen to us and keep us on track, keep us on a schedule. That's her job. Without her we would all definitely not be where we are today." The boys all took music lessons from kindergarten on, starting with piano. Ian plays piano, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo and guitar. "Guitar was the one we took after we took piano as young kids. Guitar was the instrument we were always trying to get to because that was the one we always saw our country and country western and cowboy heroes play. Seeing him (Dave) play was even more of an inspiration for us to play."

Ian says the interest in music came naturally to all three boys, and was encouraged by both parents. "To improve, you always have to be practicing. It was just a natural thing because we were always around it, because Dad would be playing at home." And that's still how it is. "We always have a jam session when we're home. I was home a couple weeks ago. We had all the new generation of Munsicks there, and my generation and my parents and some uncles, playing music, listening to each other, running around. That definitely still goes down anytime we're in the room together."

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Everyday Miracle

BY BETSY ELDER

These were taken in a field north of Sutherland, Nebraska. The cattle belong to Tim and Billie Fear. I was driving along the country roads looking for Sandhill cranes. We have a lot in this area. I noticed the cow acting funny and watched her for a while, then realized she was about to give birth! I pulled over on the side of the road and got my camera out! I’ve never witnessed this before, even after living in Keith County for 42 years! It was an amazing thing to watch..what a miracle!

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WINDBREAK SHADE KIT

SPECIFICATION:

• 24’ long x 6’9” off the ground to the shade position • Average weight 1020 Ibs • Frame is constructed out of 2’x3’ x11ga & 2’x3’x3’ 15” Rect Tube • Legs are 13’ long made of 3” Scb40 well pipe and weigh over 100 Ibs each

Now selliNg wellpipe aNd sucker rod