Hay Harvest And The Wyoming Wool Festival
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
Time seems to slip away as I end my time here at the ranch. I am beyond thankful for the many experiences and learning opportunities over the last eight weeks. After reflecting upon my experiences it is the uncomfortable situations that have taught me the most. I am thankful for my hosts because they are great at dealing with the mistakes I have made and will make. They understand that it’s a key part of learning. There needs to be more of this in the industry because it’s the biggest roadblock that prevents the next generation from learning and the opportunity to run their own operations. This program is certainly a great opportunity for agriculture students to dive deep into the industry and make the mistakes that pave your learning experiences.
For most operations in Wyoming hay season is in full swing and feels as if it never ends because as soon as one field is baled the next needs to be cut and the process repeats itself. I have suffered this week from my own mistakes but let me tell you I won’t make them again. Cutting hay in the swather guilds the entire process and determines how the next steps will proceed. As I think back on my week, I wish I had chosen a different way to cut a large pasture because it made the rest of the steps challenging. At the moment I was kicking myself because I strive for perfection and otherwise feel defeated. This exact feeling of defeat is what drives me to be better and do the best I can.
The first part of my life was grinding out hay and let me tell you it’s not as easy as it sounds. On Monday we started at 3 am and Tuesday we started at 2 am. We did this because the moisture was just right and ensured the hay was good quality. This wasn’t so bad the first early morning but the next was challenging. The days were twice as long but I was happy the haying process was in progress. This made me realize that ranching is truly exhausting because there is always something to do. This is unavoidable and something that is in every operation.
Honestly, the last segment of my week was a needed break. We attended and helped coordinate the Sheep and Wool Festival in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Thursday night we headed to Thermoplois and helped set up the event hall as soon as we got there. Friday, we started bright and early at the fairgrounds. The day started with guest lectures, educational speakers, and experts in the industry. This was so interesting because I learned and had conversations about things I had no idea existed. I have had little experience with the sheep industry and quite frankly avoided the species as much as possible. After this weekend I have a fresh perspective and want to incorporate them into my own operation.
My all time favorite part was touring the sheep trail on the HD Ranch. The HD Ranch is incredibly beautiful and faces challenges that truly embody Wyoming’s agriculture and the problems I aspire to solve. Josh, the owner, was incredibly knowledgeable and completely honest. This was refreshing because the problems and road bumps are what I want to learn about and engage in conversation about. The ranch runs both cattle and sheep on both lease, BLM, and private land. The predators in this area are rampant and pose a great threat to the livestock. Trying to delegate both stock and predators is an undertaking. Josh deep dived into the struggles and his opinion on the management.
The dust has settled, and reflecting on my weekend what stood out was the coordination of the event. There were around 20 people that served on boards or helped formulate the event. This is a lot of people to wrangle up and communicate with but it was no problem with this group. Everyone was so friendly and considerate of each other. The ideas that were passed around in conversation were so interesting. The whole point of the event was to educate and promote the sheep industry in Wyoming. From an outsider’s perspective that could be boring or uninteresting but these board members and coordinators made it possible. Every part was strategically thought about and the public loved it! I wouldn’t of changed a thing.
Submitted by: Maggie McStay
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
