Thankful for Farm Play

     This weekend we hosted the Kentucky Hereford Association state show and annual meeting at our family's business, Burley Fields Livestock Center. Events like this are more fun than work because we are with lifelong friends and fellow beef producers.
     As much as I love beef cattle and having the opportunity to see good cattle, the kids are the best part of any livestock show. With our youngest graduating high school only a week ago, it is a reminder that it has been a few years since we've packed the bucket of farm toys or the ride-on horse that was often tied in our stalls as a pretend show heifer. This weekend's show had a large group of kids in attendance with a variety of ages. All the kids were polite, respectful, and 100% beef producers, however it was the youngest group, ages 4 to about 9, that grabbed my attention and held it for the duration of the show.
     They spent most of their time together, this small group of about 10 kids, both boys and girls, and they played the entire time they were not with their cattle or in the show ring. One of their favorite play areas was the sale ring where they had their own auctions, complete with pretend sale cattle, and took turns being the auctioneer. They also held their own rodeo, riding bulls, but I'm not sure who came out with the most points.
     Our wonderful dog, Sophie, was also a large part of their play. She was thrilled with all the attention and followed the group around, gladly lying down whenever they decided it was time to rub the dog. I'm not sure who enjoyed that the most.
      It was so cute to see them all bent over something in the driveway, some of the boys actually sitting down, studying something in the gravel. My daughter said maybe they have found a bug, but I knew immediately that it was a frog, a dead frog that had been run over earlier that day. It struck me then just how lucky our farm kids are that they have the instinct to play, to be fascinated by a frog, to not be in despair because they are missing a favorite television show, or wanting a tablet or cell phone in their hands to play a game.
     I'm so happy that these kids have that natural curiosity to play, just like I did and my kids did. I'm happy that we have only a handful of video games in my home, and that my kids were playing at the barn or on the farm instead of sitting in front of the TV.
     Thankful for farm play.

 I didn't take photographs of the kids playing this weekend so I had to include a photograph of Blake with his "heifer" that we hauled to every show.
    
         
    

Veterans Day - A Very Important Day to Remember

         Tomorrow is November 11, Veterans Day. A very important day of each year and a day to honor our veterans. The day first set aside in 1919 to remember the soldiers that fought in World War I, the war to end all wars. World War I ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June of 1919, however an Armistice, or a temporary end of fighting, began on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month .
     The following was found on the website of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…". 
     It was not until 1954 that the word Armistice was replaced with the word Veterans to honor the United States Veterans of all wars. Veterans of all wars. That encompasses a lot of people. Throughout my life I have not had an immediate family member to serve in the military, so I can only imagine the life of those soldiers and their families at home working and going to school, just waiting for their return.
     I have had several cousins and friends to serve in the military and also 2 great-uncles to serve in the Army during War World II. I also just learned last year that my 5th great grandfather was a Veteran of the American Revolution. I am so proud and very grateful to all of these members of my family for their service and their strength, and the time they spent protecting and fighting for our nation. I'm not sure of the percentage and I didn't take the time to look but I know that through history, our nation's rural residents have made up a large percentage of our military. This is just another reason why I'm so proud of rural America and our farming communities.
     This day should not be taken lightly or looked upon as a possible day off. We REALLY do need to remember our veterans and be thankful for the freedoms we have today and be mindful of how quickly our freedoms can be taken away without those soldiers fighting and standing watch over our great nation.
     As Veterans Day 2015 is here, I ask that you take the time to say "Thank You" to any veterans you know and/or see tomorrow and especially to those men and women currently serving in the military. It warms my heart to see our military service men and women and have the opportunity to thank them for their service throughout the year. Tomorrow, there will be parades, school programs, and other community events to recognize and honor our veterans. Make the time to be there and thank the veterans in your family and in your community. All you need to do is watch the national news and see hardships of so many people that have left their country, walked for miles for weeks, to get to a land of freedom. We have freedom. We have so many to thank, and we also need to keep fighting so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the freedoms we enjoy.

    
    

Happy Thanksgiving from Kentucky

     Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, because for me it has always been a time to be with family. It's never been anything fancy. When I was a child my Daddy would spend most of the day hunting with his brothers. It was always a tradition that we sold our tobacco the Friday after Thanksgiving so I remember helping to load the tobacco, not on Thanksgiving, but often it was that week so the sights and scents of the tobacco barn are linked to Thanksgiving for me.
     Today, we no longer grow tobacco but we still have the livestock to care for so like all farmers, the daily duties of feeding and checking the cattle, goats, and pigs is still part of the day. Hopefully there will be time to relax and watch our Dallas Cowboys win, as the cooks (my Mama, myself, and daughter) spend most of the day in the kitchen cooking a meal filled with our traditional foods of turkey, dressing, ham, green beans, corn, cranberry salad, and delicious desserts of pecan pies and cheesecake.
    I'm thankful for my many blessings, my salvation, family, health,  home, wonderful friends, and to be born and live in this great nation the United States of America. My thanks to each and every military person that has fought for this country and our freedom, and to their families for their daily sacrifices.
     Happy Thanksgiving from Kentucky to all! May God bless you!

Veterans Day Feature - Trigg Enterprises is Homegrown by Heroes

 

     With our nation celebrating Veteran's Day earlier this week on Tuesday, November 11, I thought it was the perfect time to feature the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Homegrown By Heroes program and visit with one of the farmer-veterans enrolled in this specific Kentucky Proud program. Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer launched this program in January of 2013 and there are now over 60 Kentucky  farmer-veterans enrolled, using the distinctive logo shown above which shows buyers they are purchasing  Kentucky products from a Kentucky veteran.

     I had the opportunity to visit with Joe Trigg and Rodney Trigg, of Trigg Enterprises, in Glasgow, Kentucky.  Joe and Rodney are two of the five family members, including Eron, Christopher, and Cedric that make up the family produce business that has been in place since 1993. Trigg Enterprises has a greenhouse operation in the city limits of Glasgow and sells directly to customers at that location and also at the two farmer's markets in Glasgow. 

     

     "The greenhouse features a watering, fertigation system (water & fertilizer added through irrigation), that is all controlled by an automated system. This makes it easier because we can't always be here to water at specific times." explained Joe.   

     

     Trigg Enterprises has developed an outstanding business selling a large variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, and hydroponic lettuces and greens. They are also very successful with their strawberry operation growing everbearing varieties in plant pouches. I was lucky to sample the strawberries and they are delicious!

    

    

     

 Joe Trigg, left,  with Rodney Trigg in Trigg Enterprises greenhouse with broccoli being grown in buckets with onions and tomatoes, where the summer tomatoes where previously grown.  The strawberry  plant pouches are hanging at the upper right side of the photograph.  

     It's obvious that Trigg Enterprises has been in business much longer than Homegrown By Heroes has been in place, however, the veterans are taking advantage of the program to promote and build their successful business . Joe Trigg is a 28-year veteran of the United States Air Force and Rodney Trigg is a 21-year veteran of the Navy and their service to our nation is great. An amazing  way to say "Thank You" to these veterans is to support their business, or a Homegrown By Heroes business in your area. 

For more information on Trigg Enterprises and their entire operation please visit the following link: http://www.triggenterprise.com/index.html

For more information on the Homegrown By Heroes program please visit the Kentucky Department of Agriculture  link: http://www.kyagr.com/marketing/homegrown-by-heroes.html

Photograph property of Wanda Quiggins