Keeping the Faith, Family and Learning in Farming
May 1, 2021
By Kerry Hoffschneider
You can find them meeting at the farmhouse dining room table under a saying on the wall, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Faith and farming are central to daily discussions around the table – everything from equipment repairs, cover crops to making sure the Awana meeting at church is on the calendar. Connie Cox is in the kitchen preparing lunch, but still within earshot to be asked for her valuable input. Then there is Connie’s husband, Jerry, sitting with their son Clint, daughter-in-law Corinne, and long-time family friend and farm employee – Martin Maisenheimer.
The meeting is taking place near Long Island, Kan. at the location Jerry’s parents, Clarence and Goldie, had saved up every dollar they could find to purchase. They wanted to move because they lived in the middle of the section and could not get their children easily to Long Island School District for their education.
Today, Clint and Corinne are passionate about agriculture, education, and their children’s futures too, carrying on the values of generations before and learning every day. One step in their ag pursuits was investing in Elevate Ag.
“God put me there or I would not have been involved whatsoever,” said Clint adamantly about investing in the company. “I had spoken with Arman Miller at No-Till on the Plains and had been using biologicals for probably three years before that. Arman was getting ready to leave and I asked him, ‘Where are you going next?’ He said, ‘I am going to Green Cover Seed to look for partners for my company.’ I knew the players involved with Elevate Ag and I wanted to be a part of what they were doing because they are good, Christian men and I love the thought process behind the development of biologicals.”
“We want to raise the healthiest food we can learn how to grow, both crops and livestock, and figure out how to do more than just pay the bills,” said Corinne, backing up her husband’s desires to be part of something bigger than themselves that improves the land and community. “It’s a constant learning process for us, but we want to leave our kids the benefits of striving for healthier soils.”
Clint was well-along the soil health path before becoming a part of Elevate Ag. Corinne said proudly, “My husband has no fear. He is not afraid to try anything, so he does.”
The first cover crop they tried was on dryland ground that was the first homesteaded land in their area. “Nobody had grown anything like it around here,” Clint said. “That first multispecies cover crop we grew after wheat harvest just exploded. It just grew and grew. We went to town and bought steers and turned them out on that. Man, it was fun! Google Earth took a picture two or three years down the road at the perfect time of the year. I had a cover crop growing and all my fields were green and everyone else’s around were dead. That really showed the difference and kept motivating me.”
Clint was super excited about Elevate Ag’s products because they also showed an immediate difference and enhanced the strides they were already making moving towards more regenerative practices, “We looked at our crops and then looked across the road at others who were doing very similar practices and had similar thought processes that we do and there was a night and day visual difference in the appearance of the crops – it was all about the biology we were introducing with Elevate’s products.”
Ever eager to improve, Clint said it’s a matter of trial and error, successes and some hard lessons learned, “I kept listening to a lot of podcasts about farming the way it should be. I have always thought there has to be a better way. I told myself, ‘I produce corn and soybeans. Why do I think I will be better or more profitable than a guy in Iowa when I am in Central Kansas? How am I supposed to compete?’ That is really what drives me. I don’t want to be the same as everybody else. It’s boring.”
The Cox family is anything but boring and hardworking too. They raise cattle, pigs, horses, and chickens. On the crop side they raise corn, soybeans, triticale, Teff grass, alfalfa, and milo. They graze a variety of crops such as winter cereals and broad-spectrum, multispecies cover crops.
At the center of all their farm life adventures is – togetherness, Corinne said, “My favorite things about farming and ranching are getting to work beside my husband in building our dreams and maintaining all that God has blessed us with. A huge part of that is raising our children in this life and instilling in them the love for taking care of God’s creation which includes all the responsibility and hard work that run hand-in-hand with farming.”
It’s certainly all-hands-on-deck at the Cox farm too. Corinne raises the nursery pigs, does a lot of cattle work, haying, and horses, helps keep the field crews fed, does the bookwork, and of course is most important – mom! She loves being involved with the community too – everything from the Awana program at church, teaching Sunday School and serving as a co-leader for their local 4-H Club.
The following thoughts regarding farm life from the kids demonstrate their love and devotion to all things agriculture too! The children are involved with all aspects – from showing steers to working calves, feeding baby pigs, mowing and more.
Austyn, age 14, dreams of running a large ag company someday and said, “My favorite thing about farm life is gaining responsibilities and realizing I’m being trusted with more and more. I realize I get more opportunities than other kids and I am grateful for them. These things are preparing me for life!”
“My favorite part of living on the farm is taking care of, and learning about, all the animals we raise,” said Jordyn, age 12. “I would like to someday take over the farm, do more ranching and raise my kids to be ranchers.”
Ten-year-old Haedyn chimed in that her favorite part of the farm, “is helping mom and dad with cattle work and horse chores. I want to become a rancher and raise and train horses.”
Last, but certainly not least, eight-year-old Ryelyn, enthusiastically exclaimed, “I like playing with all the animals! Farm life is the best thing you could ever have!”
Clint is super proud of his wife and children and it seemed it was destiny from the start, as Corinne said she wrote a note as a third grader that her mom found in the hutch one day stating, “I was going to marry a farmer.”
During his formative years, Clint also knew he was going to be a farmer, “I didn’t know any different – I really didn’t. I enjoyed being in the tractor. Dad put me in the tractor early on and I killed a lot of corn early on, but he didn’t kill me back.”
“I met Corinne in livestock and meat evaluation class,” Clint went on about his born-to-be a farm wife partner for life. “I convinced her to move out here and work pigs, but she told me she would not live without cattle as well. Soon after, I asked her to marry me.”
It has been a family affair since the beginning. Clint bought 27 bred heifers to start his own livestock endeavor and his parents helped with the calving before he was done with college. Back home, Clint has grown the farm by renting from farmers in the area that have known his family for generations, “I never went knocking on doors, but tried to stand in the right circles. That generation has since passed and were the guys that farmed right around my grandpa and dad. I am grateful for the start I had.”
“Dad told us we had two years to figure it out and in 10 years all of it is yours. He has transitioned everything to us,” Clint explained about how the farm has evolved since marrying Corinne.
Jerry and Connie are simply happy to be supporting the next generation. They also love when they can have all their children and their family members home with them – Clint’s two sisters, Carrie and another Corinne, his brother Caleb and their wives and children.
“You decide that you are going to survive it or not,” said Jerry about keeping the farm going. “We decided we were going to do what we could to keep going and we’re blessed to still be here.”
As far as what the future holds, you can rest-assured that plans are being made by the hearts and minds gathering around a dining room table in the Cox farmhouse for as long as they hope the Good Lord allows.
Bring home the bacon at: www.facebook.com/Island-Meats-LLC-107368841451946
Yes, we believe in you.
The Worm Talk has Come to a Head Folks!
In honor of Earth Day 2021, we are offering one hell of a deal on worm castings.
Give Del, (the worm pictured here), a call: 402-499-0329
Check it out! Elevate Ag Results!
Ahhhh, the beauty of a “check strip” in a new field with Elevate HyprGrow applied on a Hay Master Sorghum Mix. South Texas is being hit hard with drought, so every little thing helps. Thanks to AquaLoch, LLC and Mike Forostoski for sharing this amazing picture and data with the world.
Contact Elevate Ag today to learn more about our HyprGrow bio-stimulant, as well as our other products that are continuing to turn heads and make waves. Leaving more on the table when the day is done should be on the front of everyone’s mind right now. Don’t let another season slip away: www.elevateag.com
A picture of Elevate HyprGerm on root shoot. Treated on the right, competitor in the middle and normal fertility on the left.
Travis Kraft
719-342-1706
travis.kraft@elevateag.com
Del Ficke
402-499-0329
del.ficke@elevateag.com
Arman Miller
785-207-0205
arman.miller@elevateag.com
Alyssa Ficke’s version of “Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa”
Recipe link from: Slow cooker chipotle barbacoa recipe – copycat chipotle barbacoa (eatingonadime.com)
Enjoy slow cooker chipotle barbacoa recipe with little effort thanks to the crock pot. Tender beef is cooked to perfection and tasty with rice or tortillas.
Servings: 6
Calories: 444 kcal
Author: Eating on a Dime
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 Chipotle Peppers diced
- 1 Tablespoon Adobo Sauce sauce from the chipotle pepper can
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 Onion Diced
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 limes juiced
- 1/2 cup Beef Broth
Instructions Add all the ingredients to the crock pot.
Cover crock pot with lid, and cook on low for 10 hours. 30 minutes before serving, shred the meat and stir back into the sauce in crock pot. Remove the bay leaves. Enjoy!
Call Nate Belcher: 402-580-0015
www.hybrid85.com
May Preparations
By Kirk Peterson
| Between celebrating mom and Memorial Day gatherings, May brings a month of transition from Spring into Summer. May also brings warmer temperatures that give us the chance to enjoy warm, lazy weekends with many opportunities to gather with friends and family. As the weather starts to warm up, set some time aside this month to prepare your home for the coming rise in temperature and the summer storms that may come. That way, when the temperatures soar, you can take advantage of energy savings! This article highlights some quick tips to save money on your electric bills! Also, before those summer storms come your way, trim any tree branches that are at risk of falling onto your property, clean out gutters, and inspect your roof for missing or damaged shingles. These kinds of preemptive tasks can help to avoid thousands of dollars in storm damage and help you avoid the unexpected. We hope the last month of spring brings the chance to relax and enjoy time with those you love. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out! |
Kirk Peterson | kirkpeterson@woodburyfinancial.net
(402) 519-0330 | http://www.petersonassetprotectiongroup.com/
What’s New at Anchor Meadow Farm!
By Emely Hendl
NEW!!! German Lindzer Cookies available by special order, raw wildflower honey for your allergies, native flowering seeds for planting and fresh, Graze Master Beef. All this and more available each week at Anchor Meadow Farms Local Love store. Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
Kunekune is gourmet, pasture-raised, heritage breed pork.
Please call Emely Hendl at 402-613-5483 for pricing, pickup and delivery information. We have honey and eggs too!
You can follow all the exciting Anchor Meadow Farm happenings at:
https://www.facebook.com/Anchor-Meadow-Farm-245014352709769/
Eggripreneurs!
Summer is near!
A great time for the kids to start their “agripreneur” projects.
Thank you for reading!
Need some help getting started?
Call Del: 402-499-0329
No electronic or mechanical reproduction of The Liberator is permitted without direct consent of the author, Ficke Cattle Company. Contact (402) 499-0329 or fickecattle@outlook.com Thank you so much for reading!
Copyright © Ficke Cattle Company – Graze Master Genetics, All rights reserved.