Celebrating Those Trying
May 31, 2020
In this newsletter, we celebrate those trying.
There are plenty of people criticizing.
There are others who will never get the chance.
There are some who are being held back against their will.
So here’s to those trying.
How far you are, doesn’t matter.
You’ve taken the first step.
We celebrate you and we’re right there with you, not done, just trying.
Don’t quit. We believe in you!
Grassland Gleanings
This article was first featured as a publication of the Midwest Messenger.
By Kerry Hoffschneider
If you think the pioneering spirit is dead, go visit Quinn and Wacey Johnson. They are embarking on a dream to bring more opportunities to the livestock industry – not only to benefit themselves, but their neighbors too.
“After suffering a severe neck injury, I needed something to do with my life,” said Wacey Johnson, matter-of-factly about part of the impetus behind Grassland Gleanings after suffering a severe medical injury while she was pregnant with the couple’s second child, Gio.
“Quinn and I always talked about how, as livestock producers, we are always subject to the market,” Johnson said. “We’re a cow/calf operation and we would finish out one or two animals per year for direct sale to people who wanted a half of beef. The rest we sold were at the mercy of the (commodity) market.”
Quinn and Wacey met at the University of Wyoming where she was pursuing her Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene and he his Bachelor’s in Animal Science. Johnson developed her passion for agriculture growing up near Cody, Wyo. where her family was heavily involved in the rodeo. Her uncle was also an outfitter and the family helped with the neighbors’ cows often. She also showed cattle, pigs and horses in FFA in high school.
“Quinn’s family had run cows for generations. Their family on the maternal side settled near Glen, Neb. south of Crawford. So, he is a fourth-generation rancher,” Johnson said.
She added that several generations of the Johnson family work actively together on the ranch, including “Grandma Lee,” who they named their daughter Lela after. “She is the most active Grandma around. She still moves cows and helps year-round. She is amazing.”
Quinn’s parents, Tony and Deanna Johnson, have been very supportive of starting new ventures on the ranch, she said adamantly. After getting married, Quinn and Wacey purchased a ranch next to his parents, “We call it Johnson lane because there are Johnsons all up and down the north side of the road. We started our ranch with some old mama cows from Montana.”
The couple’s dreams were unfolding and then Wacey had an injury that led her to being nearly immobile for several months. The injury to her neck forced her to have a c-section and she also struggled holding the baby due to the pain. Still, regardless of the challenges, she kept dreaming and the couple decided to start Grassland Gleanings with their family.
“Quinn’s brother Travis and his parents were also seeking ways to improve genetics and Quinn had read an article about the Akaushi breed. They were being produced out of Heartbrand Ranch in Texas and they are a Wagyu breed. Their meat is super tender. They also grade well and yield well. Quinn learned you could cross their fullblood bulls with any other breeds. You have to DNA test all the calves and then Heartbrand Ranch will buy them back from you.” she explained.
The Johnsons now have heifers that are three-quarter Akaushi and they are still buying the fullblood bulls, “We had the first pasture-raised beef processed and it was amazing. It was the best beef I had eaten my entire life. We started asking ourselves, ‘How do we bring high-quality products into a nearly 100 percent agricultural area in the Panhandle of Nebraska?’ That’s when we decided to pursue direct marketing of our beef and with that, I helped start the Northwest Nebraska Farmers Market out of Chadron, Neb.”
“We are now moving towards a CSA. That is a Community Support Agriculture business model where people can purchase an eight to 10-pound box of beef or an 18 to 20-pound box of beef. We have a delivery schedule for various towns in our area,” Johnson said, noting that the CSA structure also allows them to process all the meat animals they are selling at a local, quality processing facility. This eliminates the added complexity of having to travel a couple hundred miles to a butcher with a higher-level of inspection requirements.
Another reason she said they want to go more local in their meat marketing, is the economics of their area, “Dawes County is one of the lowest income counties in Nebraska. We want people to be able to have better access to high quality food at a fair price.”
Johnson noted they practice mob grazing and the meat animals are all pasture-raised and given no antibiotics. They have also expanded to working with their neighbors Gabe Scoggan – a pork producer and Tim Metz – a lamb producer, “We buy the pork and lamb from our neighbors and get it processed. We want to help our neighbors develop markets too. In fact, we have lofty dreams and think it would be so cool to establish Grassland Gleanings operations every 300 to 500 miles. As long as they follow our guidelines of how they are raised, nutrition requirements and no antibiotics. We will sell under the Grassland Gleanings label and will use our website to collect all that information and make it an easy way to shop local.”
Wacey and Quinn simply want to continue to put their pioneering spirit into action to positively impact their local area and beyond, “Consider how many miles it takes your food to get to your door. We want to lessen that. We also want to connect with our customers. We are customer inspected at Grassland Gleanings. We want our customers to see what and how we are doing things.”
Learn more at: www.grasslandgleanings.co and
www.facebook.com/grasslandgleaningsllc/
Bio-Char
We are looking forward to working with Rowdy Yeatts at High Plains Biochar on cattle and soil trials this summer. I have been researching the possibilities of biochar for years to improve our soils and the Dung Beetle populations. You can learn more about the work of High Plains Biochar at:
www.facebook.com/HPBiochar/
Let’s Eliminate the B.S.
By Nate Belcher
Hybrid 85
We did the dirty work, so you don’t have to. We cut out the middleman, got rid of the promotional B.S. and passed on all those savings to you.
That’s how we can offer high-quality corn at $85 a unit, all day, every day.
www.facebook.com/hybrid85/
If you’re ready to farm for net but have questions, reach Nate Belcher at corn@hybrid85.com or call him at 402-580-0015.
It’s Not All Bad News
By Kirk Peterson
Even in “normal” times, the news can be depressing. But these days, it can seem like there’s an awful lot to worry about. Here’s a sampling of the types of headlines I’ve seen recently:
- Why US hospitals are going bankrupt
- New York City likely to stay in lockdown until June
- Fed’s Kashkari says ‘worst is yet to come for unemployment,’ urges Congress to provide more aid
It’s easy to get gloomy reading such news day in and day out. But if you look for good news, there’s a lot to be encouraged by.
For example:
- People in India can see the Himalayas for the first time in “decades,” as the lockdown eases air pollution
- “The coronavirus pandemic has taught me to stop waiting to live my best life”
- A coronavirus silver lining: less driving, fewer crashes
As an investor, a plethora of troubling headlines can make you question yourself, your life choices, even your overall approach to the financial markets.
Remember: market volatility goes hand-in-hand with investing. Your strategy was designed with this truth in mind, and is built around your time horizon, risk tolerance and goals. We can probably expect to see more shocking headlines in the months ahead. If underlying economic conditions change or a new long-term trend emerges, we may want to revisit your portfolio’s positioning.
But it’s never all bad news, and if you look for the good, you just might find it. Meanwhile, we’re watching the headlines for you. Feel free to give yourself a mental break now and then, and keep an eye out for the silver lining.
List sources:
1. CNBC.com, May 11, 2020
2. SeekingAlpha.com, May 11, 2020
3. FoxBusiness.com, May 11, 2020
4. CNNPhilippines.com, April 10, 2020
5. USAToday, May 11, 2020
6. Wired.com, April 27, 2020
Kirk Peterson – Peterson Asset Protection Group
kirkpeterson@woodburyfinancial.net
(402) 519-0330
www.petersonassetprotectiongroup.com
Hello from Anchor Meadow Farms
By Emely Hendl
Yes, in some way, we all want to stick our head in a pumpkin or whatever is available right now, but there’s still a lot we can do!!
Anchor Meadow Farm pasture-raised Kunekune pork should be arriving soon! Eat your way to healthy, with our nutrition-packed, gourmet pork offerings.
Pastured pork provides nutrient-rich meat with Vitamins A, C, and D from living life as they should in the sunshine and fresh air.
Find arrival dates and prices on Anchor Meadow Farms Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/Anchor-Meadow-Farm-245014352709769
Call Emely at 402-613-5483.
| Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support of Ficke Cattle Company. Because of that support, we have a very limiited beef supply available until the: Fall of 2021. Our Liberator Newsletter will continue to promote Soil for Hope and inspiring stories. As always, we always love to hear from our supporters. Please don’t ever hesitate to give Del a call at (402) 499-0329. Thank you SO MUCH! Stay well and may your next step be towards your dreams. Pictured is a beautiful Graze Master Beef picture submitted by Jessica Wobig. Thank you again! See you in June. |