I have spent a good part of today making sure that if people want to see videos of EVERY heifer we have on our sale, that they can do it. (see https://www.facebook.com/theresaboian for a video of every heifer we don't have on our website yet).
One day, Holly Spangler (see her 30 days blog) posted about how her father advised her to look not only at love when choosing your mate but whether or not you could work together. He advised this the first time she brought her now husband John home to meet her parents.
Wow -- what insight! Especially as I reflect on the workload on our farm right before our sale. Working together on a farm is definitely not an easy task, especially when you're married to the person you're working with.
I've been reading book reports from my students yesterday and today. I ask the students in my U of I class to read a book during the semester -- something that I hope they would be able to talk about in a job interview. As ag economics students, naturally many of them read a book on things like leadership in the workplace, communication and organizational strategies in a corporation, how to deal with high conflict people (I may pick that one up tonight on amazon).
These books are full of tidbits of advice when you are in a workplace setting, an office. Strategies like "over communicate", or "provide clarity again and again", or "lead with the lid on" are great when you have a setting that can provide structure around these strategies.
A farm is not one of those places. Neither is a household, a bedroom, a breakfast table, the shower.
It's communication that will allow us to save our marriage during these high conflict times, it's clarity that will help us to know who is managing which piece when there are 50 of them flying around and needing to be done, and it's leadership that will help me to understand where I can best help in this stressful time.
My workplace here at home is full of other needs that aren't going away -- and I'm not sure I'm doing a good job of separating the household/family from the business right now. But in this place, I'm not sure how I can.
Today a family from Alabama picked up a heifer they purchased from us -- they were intrigued by our snow flurries on the farm and VERY cold -- so cold that most stayed in the house while Alan showed heifers to them. And I don't think it's that cold yet.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Day 22 -- Prioritizing my time
I made a mistake today. Instead of making sure I sent off updates to our website right after lunch, I went upstairs and changed laundry.
But as someone who tends to get sidetracked easily, I changed laundry, saw the large pile of clean laundry needing to be folded, the beds needing to be changed, and spent the next hour cleaning up the upstairs.
Instead of sending updates at 1:00 I sent them after 2:00. The updates didn't get completed before the end of the day, and now a bunch of videos we have ready to view won't be seen until Monday. (Unless you go to the playlist on the youtube site: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaWOMpqJcu_7ehtXPDdQ78vbjPQq1ajfh which you can do from here!)
Needless to say, my husband is UPSET. Am I thankful we have these videos to see? Yes! Am I thankful someone is creating them for us? Yes! Am I upset that they aren't able to be viewed the right way, during the weekend before our big open house? Yes!
Sometimes it makes me tired to think about everything that needs to be done around here, and yes, sometimes I prioritize things incorrectly. Unfortunately in our house, that could mean the difference between selling a heifer, and having income.
But as someone who tends to get sidetracked easily, I changed laundry, saw the large pile of clean laundry needing to be folded, the beds needing to be changed, and spent the next hour cleaning up the upstairs.
Instead of sending updates at 1:00 I sent them after 2:00. The updates didn't get completed before the end of the day, and now a bunch of videos we have ready to view won't be seen until Monday. (Unless you go to the playlist on the youtube site: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaWOMpqJcu_7ehtXPDdQ78vbjPQq1ajfh which you can do from here!)
Needless to say, my husband is UPSET. Am I thankful we have these videos to see? Yes! Am I thankful someone is creating them for us? Yes! Am I upset that they aren't able to be viewed the right way, during the weekend before our big open house? Yes!
Sometimes it makes me tired to think about everything that needs to be done around here, and yes, sometimes I prioritize things incorrectly. Unfortunately in our house, that could mean the difference between selling a heifer, and having income.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Day 21 -- Lunch
I make lunch for the guys at the house every day -- including the two days a week I drive to campus. When I'm home I cook a meal that's complete with some side dishes, and sometimes dessert -- usually on the days I'm at work it's stuff like chili in the crock pot.
I'm not a good cook. I didn't cook much growing up, and I certainly don't have any natural abilities in terms of knowing how things taste together. I don't invent my own recipes, etc.
So why in the world do I spend time doing this? Trust me, on occasion I wonder that myself. But lunch on the farm is usually the only down time allowed. It's the only break in the day, and selfishly, I want to hear what's happened and be a part of what these guys are doing for us. And I hope they consider that it's a bit of a benefit for coming here -- isn't the way to a man's heart through his stomach?
The problem is in the guessing -- I guess every day who's going to be here, but I never know who may show up delivering cattle, coming to look at our sale offering (which you can see videos on our blog as of today (www.pvfangus.com)), or just stopping by to visit.
The good news is, there are usually few leftovers in our house. The bad news is, my freezer gets emptied pretty often.
I'm not a good cook. I didn't cook much growing up, and I certainly don't have any natural abilities in terms of knowing how things taste together. I don't invent my own recipes, etc.
So why in the world do I spend time doing this? Trust me, on occasion I wonder that myself. But lunch on the farm is usually the only down time allowed. It's the only break in the day, and selfishly, I want to hear what's happened and be a part of what these guys are doing for us. And I hope they consider that it's a bit of a benefit for coming here -- isn't the way to a man's heart through his stomach?
The problem is in the guessing -- I guess every day who's going to be here, but I never know who may show up delivering cattle, coming to look at our sale offering (which you can see videos on our blog as of today (www.pvfangus.com)), or just stopping by to visit.
The good news is, there are usually few leftovers in our house. The bad news is, my freezer gets emptied pretty often.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Day 20 -- Decisions that have made a difference
After spending time with our cattle family and working with both our crew and customers that want to make the cattle business theirs someday, I got a little reflective.
Alan made some decisions in college and beyond that I think made the difference in who he (and I guess, me and the farm) are today:
-deciding to spend time on livestock judging teams. I think if I counted them all, he spent four full college semesters of his life traveling with a team on weekends, after classes, and during the spring break, winter break period learning how to evaluate cattle, sheep and pigs. Not an easy decision for a frat boy, who, because of this involvement, made it to very few social events. However, that dedication, and decision to spend his time that way allowed him to be selected as a junior show judge at a national show this weekend.
-spending time with breeders who could help him learn the business. Alan spent his college career working for people who were leaders in the industry -- one of them is someone who now buys cattle from us! By working for these breeders, going to national shows, meeting people, and being a part of the scene, he learned what he needed to do to become successful in the Angus business as a breeder. I'm thankful that these people gave him this opportunity when he was younger -- and I hope we are returning the favor to a few who want to do the same thing someday.
-taking on leadership positions in the breed. I watch the members of the National Junior Angus Board, a group of youth in a leadership board for junior activities for the Angus breed, and I hope they realize what an awesome opportunity that they have been presented. Alan ran for this board, and was elected to this board, with little experience, no name recognition, and little idea of what it would do for him. I think now he would say without question that his involvement, and exposure to the people in the breed while a member of the board, not to mention the friendships he made with his peers who were on the board with him (and now are breeders themselves), is a large part of why he was able to start and carry Prairie View Farms to the place it is today -- a nationally recognized breeder of show cattle stock and genetics that breeders are interested in.
So I'm happy then to offer opportunities to younger cattlemen and women who want to also learn the business, and become breeders themselves. And I want to help those in leadership positions in the breed see what opportunities they are getting to experience while they are on boards, serving as presidents, or just participating. Without sounding like one of those older people who were always lecturing me when I was a kid. My reaction was usually: yeah yeah yeah, this is an experience of a lifetime, whatever. It's a lot of work right now. . .
I don't want to be that person. . .
Alan made some decisions in college and beyond that I think made the difference in who he (and I guess, me and the farm) are today:
-deciding to spend time on livestock judging teams. I think if I counted them all, he spent four full college semesters of his life traveling with a team on weekends, after classes, and during the spring break, winter break period learning how to evaluate cattle, sheep and pigs. Not an easy decision for a frat boy, who, because of this involvement, made it to very few social events. However, that dedication, and decision to spend his time that way allowed him to be selected as a junior show judge at a national show this weekend.
-spending time with breeders who could help him learn the business. Alan spent his college career working for people who were leaders in the industry -- one of them is someone who now buys cattle from us! By working for these breeders, going to national shows, meeting people, and being a part of the scene, he learned what he needed to do to become successful in the Angus business as a breeder. I'm thankful that these people gave him this opportunity when he was younger -- and I hope we are returning the favor to a few who want to do the same thing someday.
-taking on leadership positions in the breed. I watch the members of the National Junior Angus Board, a group of youth in a leadership board for junior activities for the Angus breed, and I hope they realize what an awesome opportunity that they have been presented. Alan ran for this board, and was elected to this board, with little experience, no name recognition, and little idea of what it would do for him. I think now he would say without question that his involvement, and exposure to the people in the breed while a member of the board, not to mention the friendships he made with his peers who were on the board with him (and now are breeders themselves), is a large part of why he was able to start and carry Prairie View Farms to the place it is today -- a nationally recognized breeder of show cattle stock and genetics that breeders are interested in.
So I'm happy then to offer opportunities to younger cattlemen and women who want to also learn the business, and become breeders themselves. And I want to help those in leadership positions in the breed see what opportunities they are getting to experience while they are on boards, serving as presidents, or just participating. Without sounding like one of those older people who were always lecturing me when I was a kid. My reaction was usually: yeah yeah yeah, this is an experience of a lifetime, whatever. It's a lot of work right now. . .
I don't want to be that person. . .
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Day 19. Another day another show
Today is the open show, meaning that the breeders show off their genetics through the calves they show. Alan's showing some of our best heifers, marketing just as the other breeders are. As a breeder, this show is great exposure in front of some of the most influential people in our breed. We want to do well here so PVF looks better. And gets some name recognition.
I think the coolest thing about the exposure we get at NAILE is the fact that the association's annual meeting is held here. People involved in other parts of our breed take some time to watch our part of the industry and I think lends credence to this sector of the livestock industry. Not so next year. The association decided to move this meeting to the week before in another part of the Midwest. I will be interested to see how the importance of this open show changes as a result of them moving away from a show.
For now. We are doing well today. Happy to show off our show string. And enjoying being at this show.
I think the coolest thing about the exposure we get at NAILE is the fact that the association's annual meeting is held here. People involved in other parts of our breed take some time to watch our part of the industry and I think lends credence to this sector of the livestock industry. Not so next year. The association decided to move this meeting to the week before in another part of the Midwest. I will be interested to see how the importance of this open show changes as a result of them moving away from a show.
For now. We are doing well today. Happy to show off our show string. And enjoying being at this show.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Day 17. We won
We are fitting for the supreme champion heifer. This is so exciting! We had an awesome day. Alan won the angus show. We showed 11 heifers today, no small feat. Now Alan is judging the chaiana show while our brother in law gets the heifer ready.
It is very exciting and rewarding to win the show but in my opinion it's exciting in general to see our heifers that we've watched and cared for and prepared even participate in the show.
It is very exciting and rewarding to win the show but in my opinion it's exciting in general to see our heifers that we've watched and cared for and prepared even participate in the show.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Day 15. Interruptions
We made it to Louisville. Arrived at 10 pm. After a day of interruptions.
Interruptions are something that on a farm are an everyday part of life. On the days I'm home I like it when I respond to an I nterruption. It allows me an opportunity to listen to a friend or help at school or ride out in the field or the pasture.
Today interruptions made it practically impossible for me to walk out the door. I ran and ran to get done all the random things before you leave for a few days. Interruptions caused me to get the oil changed in a car so clayton had something to drive down here tomorrow. Interruptions found a repairman who just showed up unannounced 1 hour before I had to leave. Interruptions caused me to copy a bunch of stuff that I was supposed to leave at work and had to stop at the post office and mail it back.
We are here!! We made it. Despite interruptions.
Interruptions are something that on a farm are an everyday part of life. On the days I'm home I like it when I respond to an I nterruption. It allows me an opportunity to listen to a friend or help at school or ride out in the field or the pasture.
Today interruptions made it practically impossible for me to walk out the door. I ran and ran to get done all the random things before you leave for a few days. Interruptions caused me to get the oil changed in a car so clayton had something to drive down here tomorrow. Interruptions found a repairman who just showed up unannounced 1 hour before I had to leave. Interruptions caused me to copy a bunch of stuff that I was supposed to leave at work and had to stop at the post office and mail it back.
We are here!! We made it. Despite interruptions.
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