Beautiful Week!

This week was filled with grain hauling, cattle care, birthday party and perfect days with My Forever. We hauled grain off of our on farm storage to town to be marketed. That took up a couple days. Everyday we, of course, have to care for our cattle first thing. While we do have stockpiled grass, some of the others still need fed and the calving cows watched. This is an older picture I had on my phone, but in honor of her having her baby this week, I thought I would share. She was sneaking more treats after we got them in the pen ready to haul home. While the cows aren't supposed to start until the 27th of this month, we are getting one here and there. 

Last week I talked quite a bit about having a few not so great days with My Forever. We just weren't vibing in our communication, agreeing on anything, etc. This week was SO different. Marriages ebb and flow. We definitely saw this in the last two weeks in ours. Yesterday was such a perfect day for us! After we got done with chores, we worked together the rest of the day checking off items on Matt's to do list. Yesterday on IG (follow me @everydaykelsey13) I posted this photo with and said..."There's a fine line between whining enough to make my forever mad and whining enough to get what I want. #whiningsuccess today!" Since he got ice cream out of my whining I don't think it took very much convincing. After he felt like he had a successful day and got a lot done, he suggested we go home early and watch a movie together. Normally, I'm complaining about going home. There's going to be more bad days I'm sure, but it's days like yesterday that really make me know I'm in the right place right now. 

I hope you all have an awesome week. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions of future blog content. I try to keep them short and educational. Enjoy your Sunday! 

Ice Storm Prep/Reflection

This is going to be very brief. Everybody has a million things to do, myself included. This weekend there was a big ice storm predicted. Thank goodness in our part of the world, we didn't get nearly what was anticipated. However, there was still a lot of preparation in the last few days preparing for the worst. Our animals always take top priority, especially in bad weather and especially when there are babies ready to be born. We did have one baby this morning. Henry got her warmed up and into the barn and she is doing great. The forecast is set to be very warm, unseasonably warm, for the upcoming week so they will probably be moved out of the barn to their new pasture pretty quickly.

Some things that we did to prep for the storm...

• Moved our to be calving cows (start date of January 27th) home so we can keep a close eye on them. Just like with humans, sometimes bad storms can start labor in cows. Obviously one so far on our farm. 
• Hooked on our hay busters to make sure that the cattle would be fed. Sometimes when the weather is bad we can't get the pickup to them, but the cattle must be fed so the tractors will make it. (I broke the hay buster this morning when I went to use it, but that's another story. Whoops!)
• Ensured that the other cattle have access to running water and getting fed really good. 
• My Forever got the generators ready to go. (When we're feeding silage, the silos have to have electricity to run. The waterers are also very important. We had the conversation about what we would do if the power went out and getting power to our house was at the bottom of the list. The waterers must be working and we have to be able to get feed for the cattle.) 
• I'm sure a lot of other stuff that I'm forgetting. 

So the first week of the year I talked about goal setting and having the conversation with the important people in your life. Last week we talked about and hopefully took some time to think about getting our priorities straight and what is really important in life. This week I just want to take a little bit of time to talk about bonks.

This is a term I was unfamiliar with until this morning. It was the title (Marriage Bonk) of one of the podcasts I listen to (One Extraordinary Marriage). Apparently it's a cyclist and running term. They are from California so maybe it's just a California thing? I don't really know. It means when you just hit a brick wall and have to take a second to stop, breathe and recover. Then you may or may not continue with your run/ride. They related it to marriage and how sometimes we hit a marriage bonk. Sometimes it amazes me how timely those podcasts are! Today was a rough day for My Forever and I. It started out with bad communication and really didn't get much better. You know what...life happens. While I LOVE being able to work with him everyday and being with him all day, there are days that we just are NOT connecting. And that's okay. That's how our marriage grows...learning from days like today and where we go from here. We will fix it and tomorrow will be a great day. We hit a marriage bonk. We are taking a second to stop, breath and recover. We have decided the "d" word will never be considered in our marriage. We made our vows to each other in front of our family and friends. We will work through our problems and come out stronger. We will ALWAYS continue with our ride of marriage. Everyday will not be perfect. Period. I cannot expect it to be. I do, however, expect us to make it through the not so perfect days.

They gave some tips to get through these bonks. My favorite being to get some accountability in your life and ASK FOR HELP. So many of us hate to ask for help, hate to impose on other people. I can almost guarantee that you have people in your life that would be more than happy to help you! Just ask. This week I'm going to encourage you as the second full week of 2017 comes to an end, that you look at those goals you established. I hope you are still on track, but if you've fallen off a few I ask that you find those people in your life and put the accountability in. Ask them to help you! Whether that be working out together (you don't have to go to the gym together...set up a FaceTime while you both work out at home!) or coming home earlier in the evening after work, find an accountability partner. Don't let 2017 slip by simply because your goals fell off after the first couple weeks of the new year.

One of my new years goals was to read at least 10 minutes per day. I love listening to my podcasts, but there are so many books that I want to read. I haven't been very successful with this. Another goal was to workout at least 5 times/week. I've been pretty good about this, but do admit to skipping some just because it's late in the evening when we get home. This week I'm going to ask for your accountability and to hold me responsible. I'm going to get up at 6 am (I know some of you are up much earlier, but when it's dark until after 7 and we have chores to do around our house before going over to help with other chores and we need to see the cows, we can't get a very early start, so don't judge me! This will be a huge improvement for me!) anyway so I'm going to get up at 6 and get my workout in and reading time before My Forever gets up. This way I won't feel so negative in the evenings when he wants to work in the shop, but I haven't got a workout in or my reading. Then I can be more relaxed in the evening and be more present with My Forever. Please hold me accountable! I'm going to do this!

Spend some time this week, finding those people in your life that won't take your excuses, but will push you to be a stronger person! Have an amazing week and stay safe! 

Post #2 of 2017!

Post #2 of the New Year. Still on track to complete my goal of a blog a week! 2 for 2. Success!

This week in NE Kansas it was SO cold! Below freezing for highs ALL week basically. With negative wind chills. So what does that mean for the farmer? Lots of focus on keeping our animals safe and taken care of. Cattle can withstand these cold temperatures as long as they have water, shelter and feed. If you don't follow Everyday Kelsey on Facebook and Instagram (everydaykelsey13), you should! On the FB live stream I explained how my dad taught me why cattle eat hay. When I was younger and riding around with him feeding, he explained to me that a cow's stomach is like a wood stove. The hay is the wood and it keeps that cow warm until the next morning. Over the past few years that I have been married we have been actively trying to conserve and stockpile grass going into the winter so that we don't have to feed so much. Cattle can graze through snow as long as it's not really deep and really wet snow. They have a really hard time getting through ice. We feed and supplement the cattle differently depending on the group. Our fall cattle that are really working making milk and growing their growing babies get fed really good quality alfalfa with lots of protein value to it. The cows set to start calving in just a few weeks don't have to have that. They can maintain their body condition with good quality brome (for those that don't have stockpiled grass/cover crops to graze) and protein. Once they have their babies we will make sure they are fed differently, taking into account that they are now working harder making milk and caring for babies, while still staying warm in the cold weather. It's very similar to humans or so I've been told. Mothers need to take care of their bodies and pay careful attention to their nutrition and their growing babies, whether that be while they are inside their mom or after birth.

This week also brought us an exciting wedding weekend. One of my classmates that I've gone to school with since grade school married his college girlfriend. I'm so excited for them to begin their new lives together and start on the journey of marriage.

The Father of the Bride summed it up best I think in his speech to the bride and groom...

Marriage is hard work. Nobody says it is easy. There will be good days and there will be bad days. There will be ups and there will be downs. However, you will always have each other to lean on. And you will always have this perfect day. Weddings are our perfect day, NOT our best day of marriage. When times get tough, remember the perfect day. Remember how you felt, remember how much love you showed. And remember that you promised in front of all your friends and family that you vowed to spend the rest of your life with this person and how happy you were about that decision. 

I LOVE weddings. I love what they remind me of. I love that they take me back to my wedding day. I love that we get to reflect on our marriage. I love how gorgeous they are. I love wedding cake (let's be honest, I love any kind of cake, but wedding cake is the best!) I love that it puts the important things into perspective. 

Last week I asked you to sit down with your spouse, family, significant other or yourself and ask those questions. This week I ask you to spend some time in thought and think about the important things in your life. What makes you happy? What is the most important thing to you? What are you grateful for? Write these things down on a piece of paper and put it somewhere you see it everyday. Know what you are working so hard for. All the green stuff in the world won't make us happy, if we don't have our priorities in line. 

May you continue to work on those goals that you set for yourself just 8 days ago. Mondays are an awesome day to start back on track, but today is even better! Have a blessed week and be sure to jump on social media, especially Facebook so you can be a part of my live called Agriculture 365! 

Happy 2017!

HELLO!! It's been so long since I've been into my blog, I had forgotten how to do it! Wowza!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We wish you nothing but the best! May you have a happy, healthy and blessed 2017.

For those of my blog only followers (probably few and far between since it has been so long! Sorry!) I have started a daily Facebook Live video called Agriculture 365. You can find it by going to www.facebook.com/everydaykelsey. This is where I have been sharing a lot of our lives and what is happening on our farm.

One of my goals in 2017 (notice I didn't say resolution) is to create more written content for those that have lacking internet speeds. I'm so guilty of this myself. It's painful trying to watch others' live videos when our internet is SO slow! In the country, sometimes there isn't much of an option. I wish there was! It's so expensive and so slow. Anyway, rant over. That being said, I am going to try to start doing this again and linking the videos and blogs together.

When My Forever gets home, hopefully soon!, we're going to have a serious road mapping conversation. We don't want 2017 to slip away and wake up January 1, 2018, and wonder where 2017 went to. I'm such a huge podcast listener and am really starting to understand that goals need to be WRITTEN ON PAPER like with a pen and actual paper in our own handwriting! One of my favorite motivation/life in general podcasts is the Charlene Show. She covers so much. Our conversation tonight is going to follow the outline she talks about in her show Overcome Overwhelm airing on September 23, 2014. It has such good information. (If you would like to learn more about how to listen to podcasts, please message me!! I'd love to get you as hooked as I am on them!)

But for those of you that want the simplified version and aren't going to take the time to listen (seriously you should though! Don't tell me you don't have time. My favorite christmas present was a bluetooth waterproof speaker I can listen to while showering! I know you shower most everyday, use the opportunity to grow your mind! or driving to work...there is time somewhere!) here is the big idea...

1. What does our perfect life look like?
2. What does success look like to us?
3. What does our perfect day look like?
4. What does your dream environment look like? What makes us feel peaceful?
5. What to get rid of because it/they cause you unhappiness?
6. What emotions do we want to feel on a daily basis?
7. What gives us a sense of purpose?
8. What relationships do we want to strengthen?

Answer those questions and you are well on your way to creating a 2017 road map that will take you where you want to go, rather than letting others delegate your path. In the show, Charlene goes on to explain how to create a blueprint and how to remove/delegate things in your life so you can make those answers to the questions happen!

That's all for now! Lots left to do tonight, but I really wish you all the best and may you have an epic year! Hopefully, I'll post another next Sunday!!

GMO's...What are they and are they safe?

Dang farmers! That’s the sentiment I say whenever I get stuck behind a slow moving piece of equipment or there is mud on the highway. While I say this in sarcasm, knowing I’ve done both of those things on multiple occasions myself, millions of Americans don’t say it with the sarcasm. Many Americans really believe it. With less than 2% of Americans involved in production agriculture, that means 98% of our country is going to have questions regarding their food. One of the biggest questions right now is…

1. What are GMO's? 

When asked this question a large majority of the American population can't answer what the letters stand for. They just know that they are BAD and you shouldn't consume them if you care about your family. One image that comes to mind are syringes sticking into foods, filling them with chemicals that are toxic to your body. In reality, this is NOWHERE near the case!

But first of all before we get too far, why should you believe me? I’m a farmer. We have cow/calf pairs, row crops (corn, soybeans, wheat), cover crops (triticale, turnips), and we put up our own hay (triticale, brome, native, sudex/sudan). We don’t have kids yet, but I feed everything I eat to my nieces and nephews and feel very confident that I’m feeding them and producing a safe food supply.

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. Okay you say, you aren’t helping your case…that sounds SCARY! But it’s not. Let’s talk about some foods that are GMO’s. Without the changes that scientists have done over the years, watermelons, bananas, corn and many many more products wouldn’t look the same at all. GMOs simply mean that plant growers are copying a desired trait and using it in another plant to create the favored affect. This has been occurring for YEARS!

When one’s disposable income increases, there is a shift from, “am I going to be able to feed my family” to “what is in the food that we're eating”. We have more money to concentrate on what we’re feeding our families. Hence, the desire to know more about GMO’s and has eventually led to a Senate committee approving a bill to preempt individual states labeling laws. All these individual state laws will do is increase food prices because the companies would have certain rules in certain states to keep track of.

2. Are they safe to eat?

So let’s talk about the safety of GMO’s. That’s what we really care about right? There have been thousands of studies conducted and do you know how many have found that it is safe to eat GMO foods...ALL of them! There have been ZERO illnesses linked to eating GMO’s, human or animal. But who says this? Well, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for one, The World Health Organization, and the American Medical Association to name another. There’s been lots of rumors that GMO’s cause cancer. Is this the case…no. There has been no research proven that cancer is caused by consuming GMO products.

So the next time you are slowed down by the slow moving equipment or there is mud, know that that farmer is doing their best to produce a food supply that they are confident feeding to their families and knowing they are feeding their children this should solidify the fact that it’s safe to feed your families.

I would be happy to facilitate any questions you may have! Looking forward to hearing back from you.

  

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Hope you rang the New Year just the way that you wanted to, however that was. I apologize it's been so long since I've had a post. I thought it would be easiest to catch up with photos. I got a new phone and still figuring it out, but working on it. Would love to hear what you're favorite apps are and what you can't live without and why!

Fitness has become an important part of my life recently. I love these DVD's that I can workout for 30 minutes a day right in my own living room. This is my new program that I just started at the beginning of the New Year. Really excited about it. I would love to chat with you anytime about how this has so positively impacted my life. 

I don't have a lot of time to cook. So much stuff going on. I LOVE crockpot meals. Roasts are so easy and delicious and healthy! 

My trusty co-pilot every morning while feeding cattle. 

Just a quick (and dark) photo of the recently weaned calves eating at their feedbunk. 

Our niece, Autumn, and I at the K-State Women's Basketball. They had a princess night that us ladies got to go to! So much fun! 

We are so blessed to have such beautiful sunsets in Kansas. 

New phone, more selfies! This is my oldest sister, Kristen. 

And my Mom. 

Christmas Day at my parents. 

My parents and sisters and our husbands and my niece and nephew. 

My oldest sister's family.

My middle sister, Kayla and her husband Garett. 

Another selfie on Christmas Day. 

On the way to Christmas. Have to take our 4 legged kid.

Christmas Eve at Matt's grandma's. 

Our version of a traffic jam. 

Hanging out waiting for the medicine to arrive so we can work calves. 

Bringing cattle down the road to work. 

My Forever got to be a "trucker" when we sold some cull cows. 

One of the cows I feed, chowing down. 

Beautiful crisp morning to start feeding. 

My Christmas lights! So festive!

Silo with the silage truck. 

More cows!

Lots of photos. My goal is to be more regular with blogging in this new year. Hope all is well with you and you are enjoying the new start!

Vet Feed Directive

Another week of pictures. I got a few hours off today. I love when I get time off and can get a lot done around our house. There's a lot that gets behind during the week. 

The first couple are of us waiting to preg check cows. It's expensive to keep and feed cattle. If they are not bred, we cull them from the herd. 

There are a lot of changes that occur in the agriculture industry. A group that I'm involved with and very passionate about is the Jackson Heights FFA Alumni, hosted an informational meeting about new rules regarding feeding medicated feed. Our Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Chad Bontrager, a Holton native, talked about the opportunities and challenges faces agriculture. 

Then Dr. Tim Parks spoke about the new rules with the Vet Feed Directive. A rule that will make producers have a prescription to feed any antibiotics in the feed. 

The rest are photos with me and livestock around our farm. 

Still lots to do tonight. Hope you all are having a great day. Enjoy your week!