Gettin’ the Heck Out of Dodge
I just returned home from an amazing three days in Sun Valley at the Idaho Cattle Association Convention. It had been more than ten years since our family had been to a Convention, so I was wondering how much had changed. Fortunately, only the venue from Sun Valley Lodge to Sun Valley Inn was different. The good people remain the same regardless of the years. The Convention’s theme was innovative. . .”Not your Grandad’s Industry.” That was an understatement with the current market conditions. The speakers and agenda were thought-provoking with some interesting trends. I kept thinking that it wasn’t Grandad’s industry, but it will be our children’s industry. The time away from the ranch and its demands gave me time to think and plan and question. The current topics and statistics were important to me as we strive to inform our consumers about our product.
On the drive back home over the Camas Prairie, I realized that “getting the heck out of Dodge” is very necessary, especially in ranching. We’ve never really taken a “vacation” in 30 years of marriage. If we did get away for more than 24 hours, the event was generally tied to cattle or kids. But, that has been the interesting part; to travel to something or somewhere that rejuvenates your passion.
On a recent college visitation trip to Kansas and Oklahoma, my daughter, Dana, and I took an afternoon to explore the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. What an amazing tribute to our industry, its heritage and art. I was thankful we took the extra time to visit it.
Although I have lots of laundry, a basketball game and cows to feed today, I feel ready to tackle the demands with a bit more energy. It was great “gettin’ out of Dodge,” but it’s really good to be home.
~ Julie
Julie and her family own a cow-calf, yearling operation and custom feedlot in southwest Idaho. She and her husband were raised on livestock ranches and their industry roots run deep. Their children have been very active and involved in the ranch and feedlot, and are developing their own herds of quality cattle.