CALF_News_August_September_2019

40 CALF News • August | September 2019 • www.calfnews.net E very high school junior is busy making plans, perhaps even dreaming about what path to take in their lives. Many don’t have a clue what they want to pursue. Blake Bruns of North Platte, Neb., has set himself apart from this crowd. Not only does he have his plans clearly in focus, he has accomplished more than a vast majority of youngsters, even before high school graduation. A solid foundation The soft-spoken 17-year-old started life in Brookings, S.D., where his father, Kelly Bruns, was the livestock judging team coach at South Dakota State Uni- versity (SDSU). The Bruns family was immersed in livestock from the very beginning; Blake and his two younger brothers, Matthew and Kason, learned early the responsi- bilities of good stockmanship. Starting with hogs and goats, the trio, guided earnestly by their mother, Stacie, joined the junior show programs and began the process of building their enterprise. Soon after, they added a small herd of commercial cows to the mix. Blake’s father made a job transition in January 2014, taking his family back to Nebraska, where they have close family ties. This was not an easy process. The senior Bruns took up his position at North Platte with the University of Nebraska (UNL) Extension Service, while the remainder of the tribe stayed put on their farm near Brookings, completing the school year and tending the livestock. It was May before Kelly Bruns was able to secure an adequate and appropri- ate place to house the livestock that his family had accumulated in South Dakota. By this time, the boys were kidding Boer goats, lambing a flock of registered South- down ewes, calving commercial cows and adding registered Herefords. Buildings and pens on the newly pur- chased farmstead had to be revamped at every opportunity. Blake remembers the herculean efforts that had to be made to fix facilities and move the livestock; they couldn’t just pack a suitcase and jump in the car. Developing interests Blake says they went to “lots of prospect shows” in South Dakota. He started raising his own steers right away; the atmosphere in the northern state is very encouraging to livestock families. His mom grew up with Herefords, and adding them was a logical steppingstone for Blake and his brothers. A good deal of early success came with their junior show projects, making livestock produc- tion a logical option to continue. Blake is involved in the American Junior Hereford Association and its many activities. The Hereford people pride themselves on youth development, and he is quick to appreciate the oppor- tunities afforded him. Among his favor- ites is the Faces of Leadership Program, which educates youth on agricultural diversity and leadership skills. The four- day conference is held annually, involving up to 120 teens. Blake explains that they are taken to a different part of the continental United States each year. In 2018, the group toured California by bus, visiting a dairy that uses a robotic milking system, an almond farm, orchards and other production entities. He describes the experience as “an eye opener.” He is currently on the Nebraska Junior Hereford Association Board of Directors and would like to someday run for a position on the American Junior Hereford Association Board. Other livestock Never let it be said that Blake is blind to other species of livestock. While many cattle people tend to be solely cattle people, the North Platte stockman and his brothers raise national caliber young stockman R CALF NEWS PRESENTS R By Patti Wilson Contributing Editor Blake Bruns is taking full advantage of the National Junior Hereford Association’s programs to advance his education.