a barn find

 [  an old rope halter  ]

The absolute best barn find! This halter was something I was hoping to have found. It brought tears to my eyes when I spotted it hanging up in a barn. From the barn to my cozy rustic home... it will be loved. 

This halter has passed through the hands of my grandpa and dad. And, it has adorned heifers that built our cow herd. It was incredible to find. It makes my heart happy. It makes me proud. History of the family farm should be cherished. And, I do.

At first, I was not sure how I was going to style it in my rustic farm home. But, I knew it would be a focal point. I decided to hang it as wreath in my entryway. So, I smile every time I walk into my farm home.

conservation

On our family farm, conservation and stewardship have always been important.

 

 

take care of the land, and the and will take care of you - Hugh Hammond Bennett

My grandpa believed in conservation and being a steward of the land. He passed along  the passion for agriculture, farming, conservation, and stewardship to us.

My dad has been farming for over 50 years. And over those years, he has utilized numerous conservation practices on the farm. For more than 35 years,  he has farmed using no-till. That has proven to be very beneficial to the soil health on our farms. He has improved the farms with grassed waterways and tile to safely move surface and subsurface water off fields. Vegetative filter strips along crop fields border creeks also offer protection from erosion. My dad has used crop rotation ( corn, soybeans, hay ) and planted along contours of fields. Cover crops ( rye, oats, turnips, millet ) are planted to protect the soil, improve soil fertility, and for our cows to graze as high quality forage.

Permanent pasture where our cattle graze is on soil that is more sensitive to erosion. Installing rip rap along creek banks for stream bank stabilization has protected creeks in pastures from erosion. Pastures, hay fields, and fence rows provide great habitat for wildlife. We often see wildlife among our cow herds... deer, turtles, rabbits, bees, butterflies, quail, and a variety of other birds. It makes my heart happy.       

This sign was installed on the farm. And, it means so much to me. My grandpa would be so proud.

the farm office

the farm office is the heart of the cattle farm...

  

On our Shorthorn cattle farm, it is very important to have a nice office that is purposeful and well organized. I love to be and need to be organized. Since I often work long hours at times throughout the year in my farm office, I also want a space I love. If I have an office I adore and enjoy working in, I will be much more productive. And, I do love working in my office! I think it's pretty cute...  

 

functional  +  funky

 

black saddle chair
black painted captain chair

laptop & wireless printer

iPad

telephone

desk calendar

sea grass basket [ calendar, patterned binder, portfolios, and Vigortone manual ]

b&w print magazine holder [ natural paper file folders labeled with a black Sharpie ]

clear lamp with burlap shade

2 barn board shelves

clock

sea grass basket [ black binders and a clipboard for cattle records ]
clear + turquoise tote [ calving records ]

black tray [ additional cattle records ]
purple sticky notes

patterned notepads
mini clipboard + notepad

binder clips in an antique Atlas jar

Sharpies [ in my favorite colors...lilac, purple, turquoise, magenta, orange & lime ]

In three desk drawers...
drawer #1    paperclips, business cards, notepads, rubber stamps, and ink

drawer #2    3 hole punch, pens, scissors, washi tape, and string

drawer #3    printer paper, printer ink, file folders, and legal pads

Rustic...the style I have always loved. My favorite colors to use in decorating are black and brown. Then, I add pops of color throughout... purple, yellow, or turquoise. The wall of my office is painted black. And, I absolutely LOVE it! It coordinates well with the two barn board shelves above the desk! The black wall creates a warm and cozy space for my farm office.

A clear lamp with a burlap shade sits on my desk. It adds a warm light as I work. A desk calendar with ultra-fine Sharpies keep track of everything important on the farm. A sea grass basket and b&w print magazine holder are in close reach of working at my desk... while being organized and cute. The wall clock hangs just above the desk. It can easily be seen to help keep me on task.

Onto the backs of black buttons, I glued tacks. The tacks were then pressed into the baskets. So simple and cute! They add an adorable touch to the sea grass baskets. One of these sea grass baskets holds black binders of cattle records. This basket allows quick access to records off a barn board shelf while looking rustic chic.
 

 

I had two extra wood chairs and decided to paint them black. They were sanded for a rustic look. It is perfect for an extra seating at the side of my desk!

 

To add a little of my style to my office

. soy candle

. wax warmer [ linen scented ]

. edition of Feeds and Feeding textbook

. turquoise antique Ball jars - Grandma Stevens

. antique feed scale - Grandpa Stevens
. primitive sheep figurine

. farm photos
. rope knot [ purchased @ Bishop Hill ]
 

feeds and feeding - one of my favorites

 

rope knot from bishop hill

Hanging above my desk is this cute rope knot from Bishop Hill! I love it in my office!

 

 

 

My favorite farm photo is a b&w print of my dad as a little boy bottle feeding his lamb. It is so cute! I will always cherish it. The framed photo goes well with the antique scale of my grandpa Stevens.

capture life

capture life...perfect for this agriculture photographer! I found this adorable wood sign at Barn Owl Primitives! It is on a barn board shelf beside a antique turquoise Ball jar.

my favorite mug from magnolia market

 I adore this mug! It was a from my visit to Magnolia Market in Waco, TX! 

converting the corn crib

 

In 2012, my dad started renovating the corn crib on the farm where I live. The corn crib was sided, new sliding doors were built, and windows were installed in 2013. There are sliding doors for the alley on the north and south side of the corn crib. And, there is also a sliding door on the north west corner of the corn crib. Two walk-in doors are located for access into the east and west.

 

It is so nice to have the corn crib preserved. The corn crib was the first building project completed when my grandpa and grandma purchased the farm when they moved to rural Altona in 1957.  I have so many great farm memories in that corn crib...unloading barge wagons and filling the crib with ear corn, and sliding down the ears as we were grinding corn out of it for cattle feed.

 

cleaned corn crib

I finally made time to clean out the corn crib and organize the space. We repurposed it to be used for feed and fence. The west side of the corn crib holds feed supplies, and the east side of the crib stores fence supplies. It works very well! The converted corn crib has been such a blessing on the farm!

The Shorthorn

 

 

One summer, my nieces visited the family farm and stayed overnight. After an evening of swimming at Oak Run with my parents, I surprised them with The Shorthorn. The Shorthorn is simply, vanilla ice cream and strawberry pop. It is a fun treat on our Shorthorn cattle farm! 

 

Now when my nieces stay overnight with us on the farm, we enjoy The Shorthorn. It is such a cute way to remember the farm.

10,000

It was an exciting morning!

 

9999.9

The Deutz loader tractor turned over 10,000 hours! The hours rolled over when feeding calves in the morning. Dad enjoyed the special moment.

 

dad enjoying the moment

 

My first memory was of my dad driving home the new tractor. I was 2 years old. I remember standing in the backseat of the car looking out the window watching my dad on the Deutz as my mom and I drove home to the farm on the sunny afternoon. A farm girl remembers important moments!

 

10,000

The tractor has worked many hours on the farm. The Deutz had several responsibilities over the years...feeding calves and cows, raking hay, baling hay, grinding feed, cleaning barns, loading manure, pushed snow. And, the tractor worked hard throughout the year. Even on frigid cold winter mornings, would start and go to work.

 

 

i heart agriculture

i HeArT agriculture

. farm . family . faith . love . tradition .



Every morning, I am blessed to wake up and do what I absolutely love...raising cattle. In my heart, I truly believe it was something I was born to do. Raising cattle is a family tradition. And, I am extremely proud to be a third generation cattleman. Raising cattle is about family, faith, love, and tradition. We take great pride in being stewards of our land, and caretakers of our cattle. It is tough work...blood, sweat, and tears. Though, it is extremely rewarding. I am able to see our work and dedication in our healthy cattle herds.

My wishes for the cattle farm...

I have quite a few wishes for the farm this year. I will need to work hard to make my wishes come true. But, it will be well worth it. I want to constantly improve.
 

. purchase barn cameras for the calving season

. build cattle sheds for calves and raising bulls

. plant trees around barns and in the pastures as windbreaks

. build a cattle shade for cows and calves in the pastures during the summer
. rebuild the corral in the pasture
. plant turnips for cows in the fall for extended grazing season

2014 is down the path

2014 was an amazing year. I am truly thankful and blessed!

I had the incredible opportunity to write a month long journal for Farm & Ranch Living! It was such an honor! I am so blessed to be able to share my love of our family farm with others. After publication, I was approached for radio interviews to talk about agriculture, farming, and my experience writing for Farm & Ranch Living. So much fun!
 

farm & ranch living

 

I traveled to San Antonio, TX to visit my friend, Keri for a few days! We had so much fun!  It was nice talking, and shopping. Along the Riverwalk, we enjoyed a Coronarita..so very good! We also toured the Alamo...it was pretty amazing!

coronarita

 
A dream come true...I was elected to the Knox County Farm Bureau Board. I very much look forward to representing farmers in Knox County. It is such an honor!

 

I started renting hay ground this year. It was an exciting farm kid moment! It is such a great feeling!

In May 2014, I chose two bull calves to raise as breeding bulls...I love them so much! I haltered my bulls. They were absolutely wonderful! I loved being in the barn and working with them. They have great dispositions. Paperwork was completed to register MJS Burning it Down 4M08 and MJS Dirt 4M80 for pedigrees with the American Shorthorn Association. 

my 2014 shorthorn bulls

My friend, Julie and I enjoyed the Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line concert! We had a wonderful time! Glad we were able to have a fun night of singing to our favorite songs.
 

40 farmers from Brazil toured our family farm in September. It was so amazing. I was so absolutely excited to share my love of agriculture and family farm with farmers from Brazil! Even though we didn't speak the same language, we all spoke agriculture. In November 2013, I traveled with Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leaders to study agriculture in Brazil. I was blessed to have the opportunity to share my family farm with them. It was so special. I will forever remember it.

brazilian farmers visit our farm

 

My friend, Ryan and I had a blast at the Florida Georgia Line concert at the Illinois State Fair! We had such a good time!!

It was an exciting farm kid moment...I bought my first tractor! In September, I bought a CaseIH JX80! My heart fluttered when it was delivered to the farm. I absolutely love it! It has been a great investment for my cattle and hay farm. So far, my tractor has been used to cut hay, rake hay, move bales, haul and spread manure, haul corn and soybeans, and feed cattle. 

In partnership, I bought a Shorthorn heifer. A friend and I formed a cattle partnership. I am pretty excited! And, I look forward to our future!

Cattle chores were done, and my car was packed. I was on the road to Texas! In December, I drove to Texas to visit Keri. It was such a fun road trip! I absolutely love Texas. I enjoyed the drive to Texas...my heart smiled as I saw more cattle grazing! It was so great talking, shopping, and hanging out with Keri. So many memories were made. What a fun adventure! I look forward to going back!

god bless texas

Flushing Y5

Arrangements have been made to flush a cow! It is pretty exciting! Colleen Lewis of Tuition Genetics will be flushing Yellow #5 for embryos. Yellow #5 is one of my dad's favorite cows. He has been wanting a heifer from her for quite a while. So, we decided to flush her for embryos.

We are flushing a cow for the first time in 71 years of my family raising Shorthorn cattle. I look forward to documenting the process! It will be an amazing experience.

 

We hauled Yellow #5 to Tuition Genetics this afternoon. She will be examined for reproductive health. In 30 days, the process will begin. Over a course of a month, she will undergo a series of shots to be flushed for embryos. She will then be artificailly inseminated. Straws of semen were ordered. Yellow #5 will be artifically inseminated with semen from Homedale Creole 135. After seven days, she will be flushed to retrieve the fertilized eggs [embryos]. The embryos can then be frozen.

Preparing to Wean Calves

As of this afternoon, we are prepared to wean our 2014 calves. Much effort goes into the preparation of weaning our calves. The feeder calf barn and lot have been cleaned and sanitized for calves, and the barn has been bedded down with straw. We have the scale and records ready to weigh calves.

barn is ready for calves

So much work has been put into redoing the For-Most cattle chute we use for feeder calves. Many calves have been vaccinated in this chute. My dad welded a new floor. It looks great! In time, I hope to sandblast and repaint the chute.
 



for-most cattle chute

After speaking with our veterinarian, vaccinations were ordered. We vaccinate our calves according to our health program we have developed with Dr Baird. Calves will receive four shots...Bovi Shield Gold, 20/20 Vision 7, Vitamins ADE, and BP48.




shots administered according to our health program

 

Every year, we weigh calves at weaning. We sort and weigh the heifers, steers, and bull calves from each herd. In 2006, I created a spreadsheet to better track weaning weights of our calves. The spreadsheet lists average weights from the farms, and shots administered to the calves. Information we collect is extremely valuable! 

weaning records

We are weaning calves from the two cattle herds on Tuesday. I am extremely excited about these calves! There are many high quality heifers and steers this year. These calves have been so much fun to watch grow. It is a proud moment for a cattleman! 

We are continuously improving every year. We can proudly say that we have improved from the previous year. It is something we strive for as cattlemen. Each year we evaluate what we do and make changes as we see necessary.

Friday on the Farm

'hiding'

a calf is 'hiding' in the lush green grass



  

So vibrant...the red and white calf, and the lush green grass. I walked to check cows and calves in the pasture, and this is what I happily found. It is so sweet how the young bull calf is 'hiding' in the grass. I love it!

 

monicastevens.photoshelter.com

Friday on the Farm

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Valentine's Day is a celebration of love. My love...is raising cattle. My heart belongs to my red, white, and roans...our herd of Shorthorns. I truly love my cattle! Every day I am blessed being able to do what I love doing. Lovingly raising cattle is a family tradition. And for over 70 years, we have taken great pride in caring for our cattle. I am extremely grateful to carry on this tradition. The care we devote to our cattle is shown in their disposition. This morning feeding while feeding my bull calf, Dirt Road Anthem, he playfully nudged me into a snowdrift. I laughed, dusted off the snow, and scratched his back. He made me smile on a chilly winter morning.      

i 'heart' my cattle

 

A Cattleman

a shorthorn cow is licking her newborn heifer calf

A healthy, vigorous calf is what being a cattleman is all about. My family is extremely dedicated to caring for our Shorthorn cattle herds. Since 1943, the care for our cattle has been a tradition. As a third generation cattleman, I am proud of my family's tradition. The care for our cow herds' health and nutrition is shown in our healthy calves. We have been truly blessed this calving season with amazing calves.