There are no words to describe our first Women In Ranching Fall Tour. My heart is full of joy and happiness. You know when you go to church and you come out feeling high on Jesus, or that feeling you get when you get back from a church retreat? On fire for Jesus! Well, after this event, I am on fire for BEEF! Even though there were some things we had originally planned that fell through, I believe the event was a success.
We started out in good ole’ Decatur Texas. We left the infamous NRS store and made our way for the Bradley 3 Ranch. I have to say; the good Lord was on our side as the forecasted rain held off and we were able to get to tour the ranch. Bradley 3 Ranch sells Angus cattle and even a few Charolais. During the tour, we even had the pleasure of getting to hear Minnie Lou Bradley speak. She was the sweetest lady with a great sense of humor!
One of my favorite things is being able to tour other people’s ranches and see how they have their facilities set up and the way they run their operation. One day, I hope to take all this knowledge and put it into play at my own ranch. On a side note, I decided I definitely wanted to raise bulls after leaving this ranch!
Lakeview, Texas. If you have never been there, you need to go. Only make sure you go on a Saturday evening between 5-9. There is a restaurant called Lakeview Grill. My mouth is watering thinking about the superb meal they provided for us. There is no menu. They serve a salad bar, beans, a ribeye, and potatoes. It is worth the drive no matter where you live and the history of the place just tops it off. We made our way to Amarillo as we stopped there for the night. Sunday morning started out with a nasty drizzling rain. However, as we made our way to Channing, the drizzle stopped and we were able to enjoy the tour of the Barber Ranch. Mary Barber got on the bus and we were able to actually take the bus and drive through the ranch. We were able to get out and see some Hereford’s and Mini Hereford’s before the rain came. The trip began to wind down as we made our way to our last stop. The Pullen-Mayfield Ranch. The hospitality was phenomenal. The information that I was able to learn over the weekend was something that can’t be taught in the classroom.
I am so grateful for the opportunities to visit ranches and meet and empower women in the industry. One of my favorite things was to sit on the bus and just talk to the women I met on the trip. I love hearing and learning about them and their operations. Thank you to all the ladies that attended! I am already looking forward to the next one.
I am looking forward to this coming weekend, Texas CattleWomen Fall Convention at the Texas Beef Council Offices!
On a side note, the tooth fairy came to visit our house while I was gone. My baby isn’t so much of a baby anymore!
As always share some love, the world could always use a little more love!
There are no words that can express how much this past weekend meant to me. I was a whirlwind of emotions from frustration to being on the brink of tears multiple times due to the overwhelming feeling of joy. There is nothing like putting your heart and soul into a project and then it turns out even better than you had hoped.
Saturday morning started out early and with a bang. I loved checking everyone in! I was finally able to put a face with the ladies that I had been talking to. Dr. Gill started out the morning with his amazing cow handling abilities. He is such a Rockstar to watch. I learn something new every time I hear him speak. It is almost like magic how he is able to move the cows around on horse and on foot. The afternoon was a favorite part of the event for many ladies. I, however did not get attend this part. When Mother duty calls, I have to go. I drove back to College Station to watch Mattie at her dance recital. She did awesome! She is definitely a talented little girl. After the recital I drove back to Decatur, Texas to make sure I was there for the next morning. Yes, that is a lot of driving but when you are that passionate about the things going on in your life you do what you need to do.
Today as I was driving I was thinking and God has been amazing to me this year. I can not thank Him enough for that. I really believe that if you are on the right path and you give thanks and praise to the right Man upstairs, He will continue to bless you and you will experience happiness. Yes, life is always full of ups and downs, but that is life. The way you look at things determines the outcome. You only get one life…… Live it to its full potential.
Man oh man! My trip to Phoenix was simply magical!! This was my second year to attend the American National CattleWomen (ANCW) annual meetings, but this was my first year to attend the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) annual meeting. First and foremost, wow. Just WOW! I did not realize how big this event was or how many attended this convention. Even if it is only for one day, the trade show is worth it. In the market for a job? The trade show is where it is at. So many different companies were represented. From equipment companies to insurance companies to feed companies; Whatever your interest in agriculture is, there was a booth for it.
Besides meeting new people and being nominated to serve on the Board of Directors for ANCW, I had one more piece I really enjoyed. Believe it or not, I loved being able to hear Colin Woodall speak. He is NCBA Chief Lobbyist on Capitol Hill. He is an astounding speaker and has given me the drive to become more knowledgeable about the current legislature affecting our agricultural industry. If ever given the chance, I highly recommend attending any meetings where he is speaking.
I wrapped up my convention by attending an emerging leaders luncheon. This is an incredible opportunity for college students and the youth coming up in the industry. We were able to sit down with some of the more knowledgeable people in the industry and learn what it takes to succeed. There was also a notable speaker there by the name of Bruce Vincent. He is an impeccable speaker, so please make sure to check him out as well.
Casey.Lynn 