Holiday Happenings!

Ag Building is now looking bright and festive!

Last night Ag Ambassadors met to decorate the tree and brighten up the Ag Building! It was a nice break for the students from studying for finals! The tree is now setup and displayed in the lobby with a variety of ornaments that members decorated with their own personal touch!

It has been a busy fall and the officers have been busy with livestock judging so our posts have been MIA and we apologize but we will try to keep you updated on future events but for now we thought we would spread a little Christmas Cheer!

Happy Holidays! Enjoy your time with family and friends!

 

Meet your Blogger!

Good afternoon followers,

My name is Amy Wolff and I grew up in the small (by small I mean 230 people) community of Beardsley, MN which is right on the border of South Dakota and not too far from North Dakota, or if you are familiar with geography you would refer to it as the little hump on the left side of Minnesota; it is about 10 hours north of El Dorado! I am a freshman here at Butler and I am a member of the Livestock Judging team.

Growing up I lived in town, my dad grew up on a farm and raised cattle and hogs until I was born and then he took a job with the co-op and we moved from North-Central South Dakota to where we reside today, mind you I was only a year old so I don’t remember this! Anyways my dad has been involved with the crops side of things ever since and has worked as a Seed Salesmen and operated his own Ag business but now is back on the sales and marketing side of things, therefore I didn’t grow up on a farm but since I was little I have been around livestock and I have been involved with 4-H for 10 years. I have an older brother who is 23 and is now a salesman for South Dakota Wheat Growers  as he graduated from South Dakota State University last spring. Anyways I won’t try and get off track too far here as I could tell you my life story, but I will keep it to the basics and how I ended up at Butler! I love showing livestock and I have shown cattle, sheep, goats and hogs. I have had a lot of success in the showring, but I know that at the end of the day the banners will fade and the buckles will tarnish but the memories will last forever. I can’t even begin to imagine living my life any other way or not spending countless hours in the barn. Most kids in my high school didn’t understand my passion for livestock but like their football or other passions this is my sport. Well long story short I ended up here in El Dorado after visiting Butler and a few other schools last fall. A few years ago I got into livestock judging and decided that I wanted to consider going to a junior college and judging before going to sr college, and well after a trip to several colleges and a lot of thinking I decided that I was going to pack my bags and move 600+ miles from home to be a part of the Butler Livestock Judging Family! Let me tell you this, it is the best decision I have ever made! I absolutely love it here! Our coach is awesome, I love the Butler campus and faculty, my team is bar none the best and my roommates and I hit it off at the very beginning and I will be sad come this spring as they pack their things up. Well for now I will sign off and sometime I will fill you in on the details of the freshman team, our contests, and life in El Dorado but in the meantime if you want to keep up to date with our livestock judging team check out our new Facebook Page that I help manage, just search: Butler Community College Livestock Judging Team and click like!

Have a great week everyone!

Butler’s List

With the livestock judging team getting back into the swing of things there have been many thoughts to cross my mind, but the most frequent thought to pop into my mind has been how lucky myself and my teammates are to be here! Heading into the fall judging season and getting back into the swing of practice every team thinks they ‘ought’ to have that one thing on their mind; winning. And while I believe that it’s up there at the top of the list, I don’t think we should be so quick to jump to forget the rest our list.

2. TEAMMATES

As a team full of different individuals and personalities from every corner of the country it’s easy to forget our similarities and what it means to be a team, but what I love most about MY team is that despite our differences we always put them aside in order to help out and be there for our teammates. The bonds we’re forming in my book are ones that can’t be replicated just anywhere. Despite the fact that we badger each other and pick at each others nerves, often on purpose; we know that at the end of every day we have a team full of friends there to catch us when we fall.

3. EDUCATION

Our team has the good fortune to not only be afforded money to pursue our educations but here at Butler we’re lucky enough to be able to have people around us who truly wish to see us succeed in all facets of our lives.

4. EXPERIENCE

They say that the best education you can give a student is to let them experience it first hand and here we are; given countless opportunities to experience life at its fullest in many different parts of the country. Being a part of the livestock judging team, for many of us, livestock are our passion and we have been awarded opportunity one after another to experience many a show, fair, and workout that not every program nationwide can say the same about. Personally I’ve seen more parts of the country in the past year than I had really thought about in the last 5 years of my geographically lacking life. This experience not only opens doors for us, but our eyes to lessons we hadn’t even stumbled upon yet.

5. COACHES

Despite others’ outlook from the outside we’ve had and have the great fortune to have at our disposable the minds and support of 4 great men who all care about the integrity of our program. As our sophomores said goodbye to Chris  and Brad we have been handed Marcus and Coop. I find myself lucky to know I have so much support and look forward to the year with our coaches knowing that not only will they prepare us for contest day, but skills we will take forward to the rest of our lives. And just like Chris and Brad we will leave here with support that far surpasses the length of contest season.

And here we are full circle, back to the one thing on every teams mind.

1. WINNING

At the end of the day we hope that our teams’ skills and natural talent paired with our stellar preparation from our coaches adds up to a point leading victory, however I think one thing that sets Butler apart is that our team: as long as we remember all of the components of our list; will always walk away winners. So that years from now as our glories fade and our plaques gather dust we’ll still hold true that after each time we were the true winners, the team who left with it all.

Full Swing

Well it is finally that time of year again….Butler classes are in full swing for the Fall 2013 semester. Most of the classes this week were filled with syllabi and meet and greet activities to get to know everyone. Of course that usually means that for at least a minute all eyes and ears are on you! Yay just the things I love, the spotlight all to myself! I included each time that I was a proud member of the Livestock Judging team and that I came all the way from Indiana. Most of my classes had other teammates in it, however I have one that doesn’t. English Comp 102 I am all by myself and as I explained myself I got many blank stares when I said I was on a scholarship to attend this great school in El Dorado, KS (I’m still not exactly sure how I ended up here!). It was at that very moment that I realized the judging program is over looked by many students. They have no idea that they attend class with some of the most gifted and talented kids on campus. To them though we are nothing because we don’t have a ball to play with. After feeling kinda down about this, my spirit was lifted after we were dismissed and everyone piled into the halls. Most of the students pulled out their cell phones and answered texts, or checked Instagram, but one individual stood out to me. A guy was walking in front of me and was telling a friend about how some kids in his class go to these contests and judge 4 animals in a pen and then give their opinions on the animals in a room. Now certainly, judging is a little more difficult than what he made it out to be, but I was so excited that he took interest in what ‘the livestock’ kids had to say in class! Hopefully one day interest will spark in other students and the judging program will get as much hype as the football and soccer teams! 

 

 

Above is a picture of the 2013-2014 Butler Livestock Judging Team. (Missing from the picture is Corson Kerbs, Chance Deppe, and Austin Deppe.) Coach Marcus Arnold is on the left and assistant coach Aaron Cooper is in the back right. 

 

If you see these fine individuals around campus, make sure you wish them luck in their competitions and say congratulations for being part of something absolutely amazing :))

Throw Back Thursday!

If you’ve gotten into any of the social media sites, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any of the other countless sites out there; you are probably familiar with the common acronym T.B.T or Throw Back Thursday. Today, while scrolling through everyone’s old photos I came across a not so old photo of mine and it got me thinking of where I’ve been, where I am, and where I am headed.

2013 NACTA Sweepstakes Winners

This picture from back in April represents a lot for me. Present is most of the 2012-2013 Livestock Judging Team, 26 amazing individuals I grew to love and respect; our coach, Chris Mullinix; a man who has given me skills to take forward as I move on and whose given us all the chance of a lifetime, Elissa Mullinix, Chris’ wife, who started as just my  teacher, but as for most of us so far away became like a mom; and Marcus Arnold although our first contest with Marcus it gave us a glimpse of the year to come! Although the year came with some challenges, the long distance spread between Washington and Kansas, the realities of meeting a team full of new people on top of beginning new classes, living with roommates rather than family, and the ever so fun Chemistry classes; it was everything I gained and learned from these challenges that made the year absolutely perfect. I’m still not sure I’m ready to say goodbye to all the fun times and the people we will surely miss. Yet, as we say goodbye to a year spent with the Sophomores, we ourselves will take their place and soon we shall meet a handful of new judgers eager to join our family. Even harder it seems is saying not a “farewell”, but merely a “see you later,” to Chris and Elissa our Kansas parents. Chris who has coached at Butler for 16 years gets to start a new adventure at K-State where just like here, where we won’t forget him, neither shall he forget about us. He’ll still be there when we need him, just a phone call away. And with our “farewells” come our “hellos” we’re as excited as ever to start the year off right with our new coaches in tow and stenos in hand, we hope for a great year and to fill the shoes of those who did it before us. We’re grateful for the memories we have and the ones yet to come!

2013 Sophomore Judging Team

Fluffy Cows

Most people in the agricultural field have known about it for years…however it is still the newest sensation. FLUFFY COWS! Yes it has even hit the news and social media and has spread like wild fire. However to me these cattle aren’t just to look at, it is really a lifestyle. One that takes a lot of determination and commitment out of individual lives all over. 

Today while I was at work, I was rinsing the cattle and I thought to myself ‘Why am I doing this?’ It then dawned on me for that the past eleven years of my life, I have spent countless hours in a barn trying to grow hair and get that ‘Fluffy Cow’ look. The work goes so much deeper though. I was willing to spend hours brushing because I loved the game. I love the work it takes to feel accomplished. I like the way people will look at my livestock as they are presented in the show ring. I also like the people I have met and came to know.

Through this ‘Fluffy Cow’ frenzy I have made countless friends and met people with in different parts of the industry. No doubt about it, these show cattle look top notch in a pasture, but it is also the producers who don’t have hairy livestock that really need the spot light. 

Day in and day out, cattle producers spend remarkable time making decisions for the consumer (A.K.A.  YOU!). Sure they aren’t in a barn trying to grow hair, but they are trying to produce other things; such as weight, muscle, and more cattle. The choices aren’t just decided right on the spot….they all take management practices and decisions for the best of everyone. 

Sure Fluffy Cows are neat to look at, but so is a regular cow standing in a pasture that looks ‘bald’ compared to these other critters. In the end, every kind of cattle is used for the same thing. Hairy or not, they all produce meat and the females produce more calves for more consumption around the world. With that I have two pictures to share that show both a fluffy cow and also some ‘bald’ non show cattle. Both pictures are of cattle I work with everyday :))

 

 

This is just one of the ‘Fluffy Cows’ I get the pleasure to work with everyday.We call him Heinz. This picture was taken back in the winter, and now he is even hairier!! (If you can only imagine)

 

 

Here is part of my herd that I run at the house. Sure they aren’t as neat to look at as Heinz, but they still are practical cattle that deserve some recognition in the media spotlight.

 

 

With all this said, next time you see cattle in the pasture make sure you think of the producer behind it. If you happen to be at a show and see one of these amazing “Fluffy Cows” make sure you tell the exhibitor they did a nice job….trust me when I say that it took A LOT of work to get that way!

 

Instagram AGvocate

Like many people I use various types of social media including Facebook and Instagram.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Instagram, it is a way to connect with people all around the world who also have Instagram accounts by the use of posting pictures and art that people can comment on.   Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with a girl from back home in Virginia who is a member of my 4-H club. She too has an Instagram account with over 1600 followers and she posts multiple pictures a day. She shows her own sheep and dairy goats and owns a variety of other animals. She uses her Instagram account to be an advocate for agriculture and I think that it is great; however we have different views on many hot topics in agriculture such as GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and the use of implants in beef.

Yesterday, I decided that after days of seeing pictures about her personal opinions and what I saw to be misconceptions about agriculture, I would stand up for what I believe in and try to be an AGvocate.  She posted a picture of a steer that was standing between two trees and left a comment with the picture talking about how her family had gotten a few steers and said “Apparently they are of show quality. Oh if only my county 4-H didn’t allow steroids & hormones in the cattle, I would show them.” One of her followers commented afterwards, asking why farmers use steroids and hormones in cattle so she replied by saying “It’s to make them grow larger, faster and at times have more marbling (the white bits in a steak) it’s really not good and I think that if people get disqualified in the Olympics for them then people at 4-H shows should as well. We don’t use any hormones or steroids on our animals and that’s why I won’t show them.”

Here is the picture:

After her comment I decided I needed to try to set the situation straight so I left a comment stating “Cattle that have been implanted that are used for meat consumption offer far less hormones when compared to many other types of food such as cabbage where estrogen is thousands of times more ppm than a regular serving of beef. I challenge you to do more research about this subject. Eating beef that hasn’t been implanted is a choice and I respect that but in order to meet the growing needs of the world’s population while doing it in the most efficient way, we will have to involve the use of implants, as well as many other technologies.”

There were over 25 comments to follow my comment all continuing to get deeper into the subject and by the end of the day, while I knew I had probably not changed the mind of the girl from back home, I was proud of myself. Not only did I, by the end of the conversation, have three other people from accross the country who agreed with my comments, back up my argument; but I had been able to exchange information in a polite manner and felt I was able to get my point across. This was an advocating experience like no other for me as it was with someone on a one on one basis. It was not in a classroom, it was not on an airplane, but it was on Instagram: a social networking site for mobile phone users that over 1600 of her followers could read. I was glad that I finally stepped up to the plate and gave the true facts about the situation and I deeply encourage everyone else out there who might be self-conscious or nervous to do the same thing because at the end of the day it is an extremely rewarding feeling!

Share the Love, Even If Only For a Day!

April 10, aka yesterday. Anyone know what makes this day so stinking special?…. If you don’t, shame on you (especially if you have siblings!!) but no worries, that is why I am here. April 10 is known nationally as National Siblings Day. That’s right. For all of you that had no idea you had a day where you were nationally recognized, guess what?!? You have to wait a whole 364 more days to have it again. Those of us who are lucky enough (some days are questionable!) to have siblings would not be the same person we are today without ’em. Think about it…wether you want to admit it or not, there is SOMETHING that you can tell your sibling(s) thank you for.

As I was avoiding studying for a test by scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed yesterday, I began to notice how many people were recognizing their siblings and posting pictures of them together! Of course I joined in on the fun as well. Here is the picture I posted…

The caption: “Happy National Siblings Day! Y’all are the best… Well most of the time anyway!”

While it may seem silly that it takes a “special day” to show siblings love, it really got me to thinking… “Hmmmm… I wonder where I would be today if Flinton, Ethan, and Hannah weren’t there with me..?” While there is no possible way to answer this question, I think back to the time, especially the summers that we have spent together and how even on the days when we didn’t always see eye to eye, we still were able to accomplish tasks around the farm. Want to see a little “day in the life of…?” Of course you do. The American Angus Association, I am Angus did a story on our family! That’s right, we were on TV! Check it out for yourself: McCabe I am Angus

With there being four of us with about a 10 year age range, we each have different areas where we succeed and areas where as much as I don’t want to say this, Hannah might be better than the rest of us. (Just kidding, we love Hannah. But seriously…) Growing up on a family farm makes everyone pull together just a little more especially through the hard times and cold winters. While my dad taught us almost everything we learned growing up (from castrating and feeding pigs to assisting heifers calving and everything in-between) each one of us found the areas that we liked the most. It just so happens to be that it was a little different for each of us.

Flinton has started to become the brains behind McCabe Genetics (feel free to check our website out!). Of course dad is still the man in charge and tells Flinton when his ideas could be better. While Flinton is gone for a couple weeks at a time visiting customers someone has to be at home to help my dad! This is where the cool brother comes in… But first a couple of pictures of Flinton “in action.”

Looks like a pretty tough job, don’t ya think??? Don’t worry. I have a couple pictures to save the lad. He really does occasionally work believe it or not.

Now back to the cool brother, Ethan. Ethan is more behind the scenes when it comes to daily work. He can do anything if you ask him nice enough. This includes changing brake pads when he pretends he sometimes can’t even air a tire at home. Bless his heart. He loves to travel with a couple families and go to cattle shows to help them “fit” their cattle. Don’t know what that means, check this out!: Fitting Show Cattle. Want to see him in action? (I couldn’t find any pictures of him sitting around by the way!)

Except for one time, but I have to give him credit. He did some creative thinking to be able to operate the hydraulic chute without ever having to move.

Like I said, bless his heart.

My sister Hannah is the shortest sibling we have. Even though she pretends to be helpless from time to time (but come on, who doesn’t right?) but she is the hardest working girl I know. She does things that no one ever thinks about doing around the farm but need to be done to make everything run properly. On sale day at our farm, she operates the computer system that tells who bought which lot. She is the best sister anyone could ask for!

 

It takes every person in a family to make what they do a success and ours is not any different. Even though sometimes the road gets a little rocky and you may not always like your siblings, I bet your parents have the same thoughts as my dad. He has said time and time again, “I am the happiest when all my kids are getting along.” Dad doesn’t always have the same image of his kids getting along as we do. Not sure what I mean? Check out these two links. Don’t have time? Seriously, take a peak at them! They will make your day so much better with a laugh!!

Flinton and Hannah (Do keep in mind, she was willing to let him do this and laughing!!)

Ethan and Flinton

Here is a couple of pictures to show my families National Siblings Day love!

Even Ethan gets scared sometimes! Good thing Hannah is there to keep him safe.

Ranching Awesome

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=MRXyqHMK4Tg&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMRXyqHMK4Tg%26feature%3Dyoutu.be

A little goofy, but shares some good information in a fun natured way! (:

God’s gift

It’s been a while since I have been on here so I thought I would blog before I went home. Tomorrow I am flying home, to lay to rest one of the greatest guys I know. Justin (Skinny) Hinen is one of the biggest livestock advocate that I know. He showed at a very young age and loves show steers and pigs. His brother Jeremy and sister Jennifer also showed and that is how I met the Hinen family. Justin though, I am really close too. You see he was the kind of kid that was always about getting work done… while still having the most fun doing it. For instance at the state fair this past year Jennifer exhibited in the grand champion drive with her steer Coz. I was hanging around when it was time to get Coz ready so naturally I helped. Now usually things are pretty intense when the big show at the Pepsi Coliseum is about to take place, but with Skinny around it didn’t matter. He would rush around, but would always stop and point out the crazy kid beside us, or the weird lady walking by that was wearing sandals into the beef barn. With him time was endless and there was no care in the world other than to have fun.

Whenever we were getting ready to head to a show Justin would always give orders of things to do and he said he would be back in 10 minutes. If you spend at least one day around him, you already know that 10 minutes means an hour. He always had people to see and places to be. As I sit here and think about him tears flood my eyes knowing I lost a really good friend.

I used to get frustrated because he was always late, but now I know I would spend all day waiting for him if it meant he would come back to us here on earth. The lord above has received a beautiful angel, and I am so thankful he is where he needs to be. I know that God has the best show steer waiting for him to work on and even a pig or too that he can show off.

Because of Skinny, I am confident and know that I have no one to impress but myself. I know what it takes to win, and I know how a smile can fix any bad day. The last memory I have of him is one that I will keep to myself, but I am so thankful we left on a good note. My plan was to go home next Thursday for spring break and go see him Friday morning, however now I will see him this Sunday with his friends and family all gathering around, crying for the great young man that we lost.

Justin I know you’re there and I can feel you wrapped around me. This baby heifer was out of your favorite cow at my place and was born only 3 hours after you passed. In your honor I named her Justin. Although I never told you, please know that I love you ❤