Backhoes & Bottles with a side of Fancy

I never thought I would appreciate waking up in my own house on a Saturday as much as I do these days.  Life is busy this time of year and really every time of year.

But I cherish Saturdays at home more and more.  Sometimes so much that I get yelled at by my farmer husband.  

"Have you gone outside today?"

"No," I reply.

"Well maybe you should go blow the stink off of you."

Eh....not in this weather!  

The farmer was gone all last week, and I was so excited to have him home.  

However, he's a farmer and like many farmers he can't sit still and was outside most of the day.

Plus, he had to clear the driveway since it has piled up this week.  Don't worry, this country girl maneuvered her way up and down it all week with no troubles!  I'm just grateful we have equipment on the farm to get it done efficiently!

After catching up on some chores at the farm and a trip to town, he came home to make a warm bottle for a calf that has had trouble nursing from it's momma.  He also brought his cow-manure-smelling boots home that can't go outside because it's to cold.  My kitchen stinks like a barnyard!

But before he could leave the house with that warm bottle, I needed coffee.

In this fancy in the country house, we use a french press for our coffee. 

Saturdays at home include laundry, catching up on emails and volunteer work and a great dinner.

So I didn't get the stink off of me but I did make one of our favorite salads!

I replicated this recipe from a restaurant in Indianapolis.  My recipe isn't as fancy as theirs and doesn't have ingredients that I can't spell in it.

I call it the Potato, Apple & Celery Dish.

Ingredients include:

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

3 purple potatoes

3 celery ribs, diced

2 green apples, diced

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Pepper

Walnuts, to your liking

Goat Cheese, to your liking

Apple Cider Vinaigrette, to your liking

Slice and quarter the potatoes and roast them in the oven or saute them in a pan with olive oil and a pinch of salt (I prefer this method so I can monitor).  When they are done and firm, don't let them get mushy, then let them sit for a bit to cool.

Slice the celery and apples.  When the potatoes have cooled, add the celery and apple pieces, a bit of pepper, the handful of walnuts (or whatever you like) and the dressing to your liking.  We don't like too much.  Then top with chunks of goat cheese! 

If you are like me, make extra because it's a great leftover cold dish.  

I made triple the amount this time for the farmer because I didn't blow the stink off of me that day.  

He appreciates it but still shakes his head at me.  

He got over it and we enjoyed a second french press and prepped the next bottle for the calf.  

The country chores in this fancy life include everything from a backhoe to a bottle, and I wouldn't have it any other way...stink and all!

Unspoken Lesson from the Farmer: Contemplate & Be Grateful

"Contemplate the good things in your life and be grateful for them." 

~Rebecca Pidgeon

I saw those words recently and it reminded me to slow down a bit.

Somehow, even in the winter time when it's too cold to be out a lot, I still need to be reminded.

Just like I need to remember to "be still" at times too.

I have been home, on my family farm, for the past few days and

 have sat still some and contemplated a little, but probably not enough.

Yesterday, at the farm office, I saw this drawing of my great-grandfather, Pap.

He was a teacher, a godly man, someone who enjoyed writing poetry and loved his family.

Above all, I remember him as a man that sat still and contemplated about the good in his life.

The crazy thing about this drawing from Pap's former student is that 

it resembles my dad too.

Dad sat and contemplated things too, but didn't really over think things.  

That's what he told me I did, "Katie, you think too much."  

He just lived his life, contemplated every so often about the good and the blessings 

in his life and then was grateful.  

Here he is with his good friend Kim, another farmer who likes to be still and contemplate too.

So here is another reminder, and unspoken lesson from the farmer:

Contemplate and be grateful.  

This week, and hopefully every week in the future, I plan to do just that--be still, 

don't think to much, contemplate and be grateful.

I hope you are blessed enough to do the same. 

Candy from the Hunt

I have been searching for quail recipes and dreaming of another bird hunt lately.  

So I decided to share some more photos about our hunt a couple of weeks ago as I try wind down from a busy week.

If  you ever come across an interesting recipe for these quail, let me know!

These birds are from our first day of hunting in Arkansas.

Memories were made, for sure.

Here we are after our second hunt that weekend.

We were a little more successful on day two......

So after you hunt and kill the birds, you have to clean them.  

I'm not quite there yet.  And we had Gerald.  

He had a wonderful, dry sense of humor and instinct for hunting the quail.

By the end of the weekend, he had learned how to push my buttons.

Here he is cleaning the birds--removing the feathers and saving as much meat as he could.  

Then he would put them into the water to soak before freezing it.

Gerald says quail are "the candy of all the birds".

I asked him why, and he replied, "that's just what they say.  They just are."

"I believe you, Gerald."

And he went about his ways, ignoring me and cleaning the birds.
Doesn't this just look like a chicken breast?

While Gerald went on with his work, I got distracted and looked around the shed.

I stumbled across this old bag of corn.

It always seems to come comes back to corn and soybeans for me, no matter where I am.

Always a farm girl.  

Always fancy and country.

And classic me, I took 5 magazines I needed to catch-up on.  As Gerald finished cleaning the birds and I enjoyed the quiet of the country, I opened one of my favorite magazines Garden & Gun.

And lucky me, I found this fried quail recipe in the magazine which I was really excited about because we now had 20 quail, or pieces of candy, to eat.  

On Super Bowl Sunday instead of buffalo chicken wings, we had fried quail with homemade hot sauce and homemade ranch dressing.  Big step for me to fry and make homemade dressings.  

Next step, clean the birds like Gerald and continue to enjoy the candy from the hunt 

and the memories made along the way.

Love for the Land

This article of mine was first featured in the Farm Indiana publication printed in our local newspaper.  

Enjoy and make sure you appreciate and love something or someone all  year long, not just on the one day this weekend set aside for "love".

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Love for the Land

Some of us were born with dirt in our blood.  It runs thick through our veins as we live and work on the land that we are so in love with.  It’s hard to explain to people that the smell of dirt and the view of the wide open spaces of farm fields is so beautiful and perfect.  

Farmers have a love affair with their land.  And as we celebrate this month and its made-up holiday, let’s discuss the everyday love affair the farmer has with his land. 

When I was younger I used to just watch my dad as he would drive us from our home on the farm to town.  Even though I trusted him, I always thought we would wreck someday because all he would do was look at his fields.  He was checking the land where he worked alongside his brothers, planted his crops, fixed his tractors, made a living for his family and even lost his wedding ring.  One of the loves of his life, the land, was just as important as going to my basketball games and showing up to see me off to prom.  And as a farm girl, I understood that his love for the land came with making sacrifices and that was okay.  I understand that now as a farmer’s wife too because it’s part of the dedication that comes with this farm life.

My dad, sister and I used to love watching old westerns and the gun fights.  But when it came time for the funerals, dad would turn to us and say, “when it’s my time, don’t use the precious land to bury my body.  Cremate me and give me back to the land.”  And we did just that. 

He loved us so much that he had the forethought to tell us and teach us that land is precious.  He used to say, “You can’t make more land.  What’s there and available is all there is so we have to take care of it.”

I think most of us forget about the blood, sweat and tears that go into one’s love for land.  Think about the many wars, family feuds, and lives lost searching for that small piece of land of their own.  And we cannot forget about the farmers that came before us and the ones today that work hard and care for the land to pass along to the next generation. I am hoping there are many generations to come with dirt in their blood that will continue to cherish and work the land. 

As Scarlett’s father in Gone with the Wind once said, “Why, land is the only thing worth workin', worth fighting' for, worth dying for, because it’s the only thing that lasts."  And he was right, it is the only thing that really lasts and is always beneath our feet.

As you celebrate this month of love, remember that for farmers it’s not all about love for their significant others or families.  This month and every month is about the love for their land. 

The Beauty of the Hunt

The farmer and I took a mini "Glick Trip" this past weekend to Arkansas.  

I have never been to Arkansas, but I now have an itch to go back.  

One for the hunting, two for the new friends and three for the best pork steak we devoured at Strawberry's in Holcomb, AR.

We rolled in to Rector, Arkansas after 11:00 p.m. on Thursday and met our new friend and hunting guide Stephen who owns and runs Liberty Hills Outfitters.  Rector is home to not quite 2,000 people and most recently the boys basketball champs of the homecoming game Saturday night.  On top of that, Stephen's kids were crowned King & Queen during homecoming.  Small town America, it's wonderful.  

Stephen complimented my gravel road truck driving, showed us around the cabin and told us to make ourselves at home.  It was good to crash in this private, friendly cabin and hideaway at the end of the gravel road.

The next morning, we were up and out the door for the first day of quail hunting on the land.

 I got the first bird of the day!

Then the boys stuffed it into the back of my vest.  

I think Brett purposely bought the vest for me so I could carry all the birds.  

He has no pockets in his vest......

Don't worry, one of them was still alive and was fluttering around back there for awhile.  Yep....

Lady (foreground) and George were our dogs for the weekend.  

Watching the dogs hunt is quite the experience and part of the beauty of the hunt.

Stephen loves to take photos, like myself.  He captured some great moments including this one with the yellow shell falling to the ground after I pumped my gun to take another shot at the bird.  

Stephen actually took all the photos on this blog today.  Many thanks to him for capturing the beauty of the outdoors and our upland bird hunting experience.

What I really love about upland bird hunting is that we get to enjoy the sport together.  

And stand next to each other while we each take our shot at the bird.

George obviously had confidence we would get this one because he was already headed to retrieve the quail.

And if you were wondering what a quail looks like, here you go.  They are tricky to find at times.

Now while Stephen was busy taking pictures most of the time, Gerald was guiding us and ducking every other time.  Both of them would say they have had a lot of practice hittin' the ground and takin' cover.  

Joking aside, we always use safety precautions when hunting, 

review rules before hunting and watch each others' backs.

The dogs also watch each others' backs and back each other on their points (when they find the bird).  

What's fascinating about the dogs is that they compete with each other and keep each other in line.

Even if you don't like to hunt, you could attend a hunt to watch the dogs and be thoroughly entertained.

Another bird that Brett will stuff in my vest.....

This one was dead though, all good!

Pretty sure Stephen was on the ground when he took this one but am so glad he caught these images.

And one of the quail landed in the tree, so I found him and then he fell out of the tree.....

Best part about this photo, the smoke coming from my gun.

I'll show you more photos of the birds, the peaceful cabin and a new quail recipe soon.  

But for now, we are thankful for our new friends and a mini trip away before our busy travel season and then planting season on the farm.  

I would say the beauty of it is the fact we found an outdoor hobby we both enjoy.

Brett would say the beauty of it is the fact I actually want a dog now.  

Either way, the beauty of hunting is the freedom we enjoy to hunt outdoors and enjoy our time together.

A Generous and Giving Breed

My sister Sarah and I write quarterly for our hometown newspaper, The Reporter-Times in Martinsville, Indiana.  

We write about agriculture and share our stories and experiences from our Farm Life.  

We share about passion for agriculture as we honor our dad and all our fellow farmers.   

Below is our most recent article.

Enjoy and remember to, Thank A Farmer. 

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It was a chilly December Saturday on the farm. The barn lot was covered with snow and filled with several semis, but our family didn’t own all of them.  So, why were there so many semis parked in the snow covered barn lot? While many of you were listening to Christmas music and finishing up your shopping, our family was trying to finish harvest.  Yes, just because the seasons according to the weather change does not mean they have changed for the farmer.  Only a few of those semis belonged to our family, the others belonged to different farmers. Farmers who were so generous to give up their time and help our family.  This year was a bountiful harvest (the largest in our state’s history), but it was a wet harvest. We needed more space to store the corn and soybeans we grow in our grain bins. These farmers came with their semis to load and haul away grain so our family could have room to store our grain in the bins.  

That day was also a familiar scene. The barn lot was full of other farmers’ semis over five years ago, the day after our father’s funeral. Some of our farmer friends came out to the farm with their semis to help take loads to a grain elevator and give a beautiful tribute to our father. It was amazing to see our farming community come together when one of their own needed help. That’s what farmers do.  They give help when it’s needed. They are a generous breed.

Farmers are also dreamers and gamblers.  They dream for a perfect year that brings perfect weather that will help yield the perfect crop.  But they know that the perfect year will never come, and yet they still take that gamble.  Farmers know that there can never be a perfect year because there is always different types of circumstances that get in the way.  Whether those circumstances are the weather, a death of a local farmer or the fluctuating markets, they will continue to make that gamble and strive for the perfect harvest.  And when these circumstances begin to slow them down, others from their breed come with helping hands, and in our case, a semi too.

They give so much of their time to their farm and their lives to the land while every season brings new challenges but new opportunities.

Farmers live and die by seasons, and they learn to appreciate each one of them.   All four bring their positives and negatives.  Spring brings warm weather to melt the snow and warm up the ground where the farmers plant their seeds and begin again.  They pray that a late frost doesn’t coat their crops and that rain doesn’t flood and wash them away.  Farmers’ prayers in the summer include timely rain in June and July for the corn and in August for the soybeans.  And it shouldn’t include heat and dry weather that lasts weeks on end.  The harvest prayer is for safety in the fields, on the roads and at the farm.  Winter is a time to plan for the spring planting season, rest up a little and spend time with fellow farmers at meetings learning about new farm practices or how to make our farms better for our families and all those we feed.

We aren’t saying that farmers work harder or give back more than other professions.  Well, we might be a little biased especially during some of God’s seasons like spring and fall.  What we are saying is that they appreciate the seasons and care for the earth they are given and the people they provide for.  We were fortunate to learn that lesson on our family farm and hope to share it with others.

The year our father passed was also a late harvest.  At times we watched snowflakes coat the corncobs that were left standing in the field.  But they weren’t there long thanks to the farmers who came to help with our harvest.  We are forever grateful for your friendship, commitment to agriculture and your hard working, caring hands. You are a generous and giving breed.  

For the Love of Cows

You grew up with cows?

You have cows?

Do you name your cows?

I bet they are so cute!

Well, yes and yes and sometimes we name them and they can be cute occasionally but not really.  

And especially not when they stick their tongues out at you when you are trying to visit and feed them.

I have so many childhood memories involving the cows.  

Their bawling noises in the early morning hours that signaled it was time to get up.

Walks through the woods and along the cow paths to each of our forts was a staple of our childhood.  

We would talk to the cows, drink from their water troughs and use the dried up cow pies they left behind as frisbees (gross but true).

And now my farmer husband works with the cattle daily especially during this time of year.

And I am usually just a bystander, asking questions, giving directions and yes, wanting to name a few of them too.

Our family has a cattle business and yes, most times we see it as a business and part of our farm operation.  

The cattle provide us with diversification on our family farm.  

But it's also a way of life for us and for most cattle farmers.  

We do it for the tradition of raising cattle in this country and on our family farms.

And we appreciate the freedom to raise the breed of cattle we want to and how we want to raise them.

We do it to teach the next generation about how to care for another living being 

and the art of hard work.

We do it in the cold and in the rain and to care for the cattle each day, no matter the circumstance.

And sometimes we love the cows so much that we put on strange hats and 

wear t-shirts in the heat of the summer to educate consumers about cattle and where their beef and milk come from.

(For those that know me, I usually don't wear t-shirts.)

And some of us go to the extreme and bring cow cakes to the party!

I can't imagine my life without cows.

I can't imagine this country without cattle or beef that is prepped in so many of our kitchens

 for a delicious and nutrious meal for our families.

I do so many things for the love of cows. 

What are you so passionate about that you would do anything for?

Walk the Miles You Are Given

After the fire alarm went off, I realized I grabbed my purse and computer instead of my coat. 

Then while outside in the freezing weather, I was reminded that life is pretty funny sometimes and you just have to walk the miles you are given.

I was in Denver this past weekend with my best friend Lindsay for the National Western Livestock Show.  

For several years now, we have been those Indiana farm girls grounded in our roots that love to take our wings west.  And we embrace the adventures along the way, even if it's not in our plan at the moment.

During one trip from Denver through Wyoming and into Montana we stopped along dirt roads to photograph the beautiful western scenery.  We looked like strange tourists in dresses and boots with a crappy rental and fancy cameras.  But we were in heaven, and took a moment to appreciate our surroundings.

As girls that grew up with cattle, we were amused by this sign and stopped to take a picture.  

While on top of this mountain along the Beartooth Highway, we thought it would be a good idea to call our moms while we had phone service.  Well.....we got to the top of the hill here and as we were talking to our moms, a truck pulled behind our car.  We were instantly scared and I realized that I even left the keys in the car so we could have been stranded if they were to take our crappy rental.

But turns out, it was a friendly old man who was making his way through the pass and wanted to make sure we were okay.  Unexpected surprises on the road aren't always scary.

But then there was the time we were stalked by mountain men (and we thought they were chasing us).  Or the time we got the last room at a Motel 8 with nothing but construction workers and truckers.  

And we must not forget the time that we almost slept in our car because there was no vacancy in a small Wyoming town due to a Quarter Horse Show.

But when in Denver, a mile high, we somehow seem comfortable as we find our roots in every corner.  It may be in the old stockyards or talking to an old man who is a descendant of Laura Ingalls Wilder (no joke).

And we never forget the wings that brought us west.  

I find it funny at times, we both are so grounded in Indiana and rooted in our history, 

but yet we love the miles our wings take us on.  

And we always remind each other, as we all should,

 to not blink when on your adventures or you will miss the beauty of it all.

When my flight was cancelled late on Monday, I kind of forgot about the beauty.  After long lines, hours on the phone, booking my flight in my maiden name, rounding up college kids to share a cab with and the fire alarm at 7:30 a.m. in the always lovely Quality Inn well.....I forgot about the beauty of the adventure.

It wasn't until I helped a couple get home, realized I helped the poor college kids and had great conversations with people at the airport that I felt better.  That maybe the miles I was given for this trip were not only meant to enjoy Denver but to slow down and appreciate the adventure.

We are only given so many miles in our lives. 

I understand everyone has somewhere to be, but can't we slow down and it enjoy it all for a minute.

So while we may be a mile high on our next adventure or see many miles of the road ahead, 

slow down, walk the miles you are given, appreciate the people and places around you and enjoy.

Winter "To Do List" on the Farm

"What exactly do farmers do in the winter time?" a friend recently asked.

Well, that's funny you ask, because I was just thinking about sharing the 

"Winter To Do List on the Farm".

When most people think of farmers, they usually think of the spring and the fall.
But there is a lot to do when they are planting or harvesting their crops.

Every season has it's own "to do list" and every farmer has their own "to do list".
Some farmers are more diversified than others (they have more than just crops).

For example, a lot of farmers have crops and livestock.  Some farmers have just livestock.
And in the winter, you have to check on your livestock just like every other season.

Even if they don't really like it and give you dirty looks. 

 They need to be fed, have water and a warm barn just like you and I need to be fed,
have fresh water and a warm home.

Farmers and livestock producers have to not only get out in the cold to put the hay or feed out for the animals, but they also have to check their water supply.

So, here we were checking the creek.  It is the main source of water for this herd of cattle.

When it freezes, it has to be chopped or water has to be given to the animals in another way.
On our farm, they would construct a heated water fountain for the cattle.

In the barns or the farm, just like in homes, they have to make sure pipes don't freeze as well.

Animals are not the only thing to care for on the "winter to do list". 

Here are a few others:

*Fix and prepare machinery 

*Review last year's financial and agronomic data

*Clean barns and shops

*Create a plan for next year's planting season 

*Buy seed for next year (happens throughout the year)

*Review financial planning and future growth or diversification

*Work on year-end financials

*Monitor markets

*Sell grain

*Haul grain

*Visit with landlords, partners, customers, consultants, 

equipment dealers, machinery dealers, etc. 

*Review insurance

*Attend meetings to learn about new production practices, 

new farm policies and new developments in the agriculture industry

*Review insurance and legal documents

*Catch up on a lot of farm magazines that got piled up in the fall!

*And random jobs you just didn't have time for while planting or harvesting.

And much, much more!  

Our farm includes a family owned seed company.  My husband and his brother are the fourth generation to run the company.  So on their "to do list" we can add customer calls, deliveries, processing and bagging the seed, meeting with folks that work in agronomy and genetics, and all the paperwork that comes along with it.

Basically, there is no real "off season" for farmers.  

Even though some farmers may not have as many things to do as others, 

there is still work to be done and still a long "winter to do list".  

Oh, I forgot, we also teach the next generation on our farm.  

Something that's always on the "to do list".

So now you know what farmers do in the winter.  

You are welcome to come and check the cattle with us if you want, 

but you have to wear a hat like little Ethan's if you do!