CALF_News_February_March_2020

27 CALF News • February | March 2020 • www.calfnews.net The main goal is to “breed cattle good enough for our customers.” Held each year in early February, the sale’s addi- tional four breeders in the Blue River gang are the families of John Mackovicka, Ulysses; Larry Mach, Weston; Trevor Naber, Utica; and Jake Stutzman, Beaver Crossing. Val and Lori Eberspacher are sale management, traveling each year from Marshall, Minn. The legacy of Mr. Confidence A shining star of the operation, and one that advanced Ruth Simmentals greatly, was their bull Mr. Confidence. Ruth says he did tremendous things for the program, progressing their genetics. He contributed a large number of off- Snapchats from a Feedyard Newbie The following are tongue-in-cheek Snapchats from a feedyard newbie working at Any Yard, USA. Comments were made purely for entertainment purposes, and specifics have been left out to protect the innocent.  Gate boss today.  Parts boss today … I like this job better.  Hauling dirt. Send prayers.  Yes, it’s possible to get a loader stuck while trying to dig an animal out of the mud.  Got guilt tripped into loader operator position. Teenager managed to convince me I NEEDED to try this. At least there’s A/C. P.S. If you see a backbone laying around any- where, I’ve lost mine.  Pretty sure I’m handier than the cowboy who’s currently using a hammer to drive a screw into a wooden post after stripping the screwdriver bit. I’m keeping my mouth shut.  Awkwardly eating lunch in the office. I have tortilla chips. Hope office workers like the sound of crunching. Planning an escape to cowboy crew. Might drown in filing paper- work if I remain here too long.  Week 1 in office: It’s Thursday and I’m out of clothes to wear. Back to t-shirts. Spent a lot of time deciphering cowboy paperwork. I cook a lot of commodities down for analysis. Could probably qualify as a chef. Used the manager’s computer one day so, basically, I ran the yard for the 20 minutes I sat at the desk. Probably deserve a raise. Office staff gossips almost as much as cowboys and stand around talking a little less than the yard crew.  In the office. There’s nothing to do right now. I changed the dates on the calendar and entered some dead.  Forgot there was a manager meeting this morning. Not sure if I was supposed to be there. Sounds tense. I’m just gonna sit out here.  Week 2 in Office: First yard injury. Banged my head on the cabinet. Resulted in large goose egg. No accident report or drug testing needed, though.  Getting paid to alphabetize and laminate things for nine hours. Living my best life.  spring and gave the Ruth family a ton of good publicity. Although 11 years old, the granddaddy bull still occupies the farm, reminding everyone of his wins: Supreme Champion Bull at the Nebraska State Fair, and Champion Simmental Bull at Kansas City and Denver. Ruth Simmentals has been a faith- ful exhibitor at the Nebraska State Fair for years. Cognizant that their heifers always need to work as cows, they do not lean toward producing show stock. They instead aim their genetics toward the commercial cattleman. Nonetheless, the family still enjoys pulling a trailer-load of Simmentals to the fair. Thinking back on their special time hauling Mr. Confidence, Ruth says he would sure like to win Denver again someday. Goals Ruth did not hesitate in saying he would like his daughters, 2-year-old Charlie and 1-year-old Josie, to remain in the cattle industry. His kids will have a fighting chance, with both their parents in the barn. Ruth’s wife enjoys livestock and is a full partner in the business. Keeping a serious eye on the future, Ruth sits on the Nebraska Simmental Association Board of Directors. He is most proud of his family and, second, is proud of the good people in the cattle industry. The cattle industry can be proud of Jake Ruth. 