I am a woman in agriculture. Married 40 plus yrs to Steve, mom of five, grandma to eleven! My faith is my foundation. Most tweets highlight the beef story.
We have the numbers showing since 1977 we are producing the same amount of beef with 33% less cattle. In 1975 air travel was 119,591 million miles then in 2019 it was 754,300 million. That's just aircraft not vehicles. Climate concerns? It's not the cattle.
#wednesdaywisdom
42 years ago we said I do. I had no clue what it meant to be a farmer and cattle feeder. We've faced challenges but oh the blessings we've been given of faith, family and friends and
@RuskampSteve
is still the one 😘
It's garlic season and the cattle feed smells like an Italian dish. Why garlic? Research has shown garlic keeps flies away from the face. We tried it last year and it worked well. That's one tool we use to control flies as the warmer weather arrives.
#feedlot
#flycontrol
Merry Christmas! It's for days like this that we planted 1000's of trees on the north side of the feedlot. Stay warm and safe in this blizzard
#Christmas2023
#nebraskaweather
Our hearts are experiencing the anguish of losing a very special family member suddenly and way too soon. Please offer a prayer for our niece, Tabitha, her family and friends grieving. She will be missed immensely. My last photo of her as she started her senior year. 😔
These rumen digesters are converting low value plant protein to high value protein, B12, and so much for people like you and I. Want your family to be physically strong, mentally alert and emotionally satisfied? Eat beef!
#beefitswhatsfordinner
#BeefFacts
#HealthyLiving
#Beef
The cattle need more prompting today to move from the sheltered places. Windchill here shows -26 with winds still making extra work with drifting. The trees and metal windbreaks definitely helping the cattle.
#WinterStorm
#Nebraska
Normally my pictures with bedding are during the winter months. For this stretch of hot days we are using corn stalk bedding, misters and shade to add as much relief as we can. I'd like to see more research done on heat stress mitigation so we can all keep improving.
#feedlot
It's a top ten weather day in Nebraska today. Morning feeding is underway. We have several diets here according to the need of the age/weight of cattle. Cattle freely walk to the bunk and enjoy a nutritious breakfast.
#CattleTales
#foodtruck
#breakfast
#SundayMorning
Sending our first pen of finished cattle to Creekstone Farms Premium Beef. They outbid everyone else to get this pen. I had many pics on twitter of bedding these cattle all winter long. They look good and it's a nice, cool day for shipping.
We had a beautiful morning with above zero temps. The cattle were even enjoying some scratching time. Now we are back to heavy snow and winds 😳
#Cattle
#feedlotlife
It's no wonder there's no traffic, check this spot on highway 91 just east of our feedlot driveway. Notice the no passing sign. That's been a big issue for us, continual drifting.
#roadconditions
#weather
These guys know to stay out of the wind. When we give tours in the summer and explain why we have trees and metal windbreaks it's harder to relate to it then if we had them come in the winter.
#cattle
A lot has changed on this farm over the past 110 years. Three things have not.
1. Cattle, corn and hay
2. Ruskamp family ownership
3. Commitment to care
Research and development have been key for rations, animal welfare and beef quality.
#Sustainability
It's a fairly warm day so the cattle are going to the shades and we are getting them used to a little water so they know where to go when it gets really hot.
#summer
#cattle
Shades are enough for most of summer weather, but when the extreme heat events happen water is a must. This watering system keeps cattle spread out which is critical.
#summerheat
#animalwelfare
#Cattle
Back home with my boys. Snow is melting and no water tanks to chop 😁 We shipped finished cattle that went through all the snow and cold. This corn based diet helped them perform 81% choice/prime and a 3.23 premium.
#homesweethome
#Nebraska
#cattle
#corn
@activistHistori
I am deeply sorry for your loss. I live in Nebraska, not far from Lincoln. If your family will be traveling here and needs anything at all please reach out. I will pray as well but know there are so many other needs you may have. DM me if needed
Cattle really are amazing creatures. They have an incredible ability to adapt to weather, they don't complain and they're pretty easy to keep content. Some like snow and some like straw. As long as they can lay down for a nap that's what we like.
#WinterWeather
It's a much nicer morning to be out and about for me and the cattle 🤠
@RuskampSteve
cleaned and bedded some pens in the afternoon yesterday and yet some will still choose to lay in the snow 🤔⛄️
#cattle
#winterweather
I woke up thinking wow, I turn 60 today. 😳 Then I saw the sun come up indicating a sunny day after many rainy days. ☀️ Then this verse came to me. "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice in it and be glad". 🙏Psalm 118 is worth a read today. 😊
#blessed
#grateful
Happy heavenly birthday to our dear Tabitha. Only a year ago we were singing and laughing together as you began your senior year. You are missed oh so much.
This little gal is getting her first driving lesson and she's loving it! This is the advantage of having family on a farm.
#grandkids
#farmlife
@RuskampSteve
It's a beautiful day to ship cattle. These boys kept right on eating through all the weather with their normal corn-based diet. The off truck weight is 40lbs lighter than our software calculated. Now to see how they grid.
#cattle
#feedlotlife
@BostonCathSupt
I'm the oldest of six, husband is 2nd oldest of ten and we had five. Here is our latest family photo before adding five more grandchildren.
I learned pretty early on in cattle feeding to value the sight of new cattle lined up at the bunk. Appetite is a sign of health. That feedtruck mixes the ingredients so every bite is the same.
#feedlotlife
#CattleTales
24 hours after arrival these 550 lb calves are rested and enjoying a nutritious plant based breakfast. Today they will receive vaccinations, dewormer, tag for ID, and an implant all under veterinary guidance/protocols.
#CattleTales
#feedlot
#cattle
#AnimalWelfare
Twitter friends please pray for a family whose daughter died in a tragic farm accident. Flood them with your love and prayers. God knows who needs them.
You can see the iPad inside the feedtruck allowing us to accurately mix the right amount of ingredients and deliver the right amount of feed to each group of cattle. Technology helps us take better care of our cattle.
#feedlot
#technology
While I check cattle
@RuskampSteve
is cleaning pads. The frozen tundra is thawing enough to help us prepare for the next round of weather concerns. The cattle look great and seem to enjoy 30 degrees as much as I do
#feedlot
#cattle
It's not People Magazine or Rolling Stones but it's pretty special for us to have our feedlot featured here. 39 years ago Steve's uncle asked us if we'd consider living/buying this farm. We did. Over 100 years of cattle cared for here in the same family.
#beef
@NeCattlemen
Cattle are spreading out for nap time today. Looks like a good idea to me ⛄️meanwhile traffic is moving on the highway with less than ideal conditions
#cattle
In my role as a farmer I have come to understand the delicate balance of two concerns. First, we must respect the creatures and the land providing food. Second, we need to maintain a level of profitability to keep improving the quality of the first concern.
#NationalFarmersDay
When
@RuskampSteve
says we deserve a steak for supper even when he has to grill in below zero weather I am all in. Prayers to all who've had a rough week with the weather.
#beefitswhatsfordinner
#winterbbq
What do you find in rural America? You find generous hearts ready to help where needed to save lives, share resources and build community. God bless those who will continue to need our help in the weeks to come. BTW this is someones cornfield.
#NebraskaFlood
#rescue
It looks like the snow quit but not the blowing snow on the ground. These drifts are close to the height of our pickup. Cattle are eating and staying strong through this weather event.
#WINTER
#Nebraska
We show 73 mph winds this am from our weather station and 1" rain. We have damage to the pivot and power is out in a large area around us. We replaced this pivot 2 years ago from a major storm. Saved some of the old spans just in case.
I'm don't know the official name of this implement but
@RuskampSteve
calls it the box bucket. Put that with the Hyundai loader and it's the bomb for pushing snow this morning. Snow removal looks a lot better than 40 yrs ago.
#WinterWeather
#Hyundai
We were looking at a weekend forecast in the mid 80's with a north wind. With cattle still sporting their winter coats, ready to ship and on the south side of trees we decided to put some shades together. This is the earliest we've put up shades.
#feedlotlife
It's 96 degrees with a nice 10-15 mph breeze from the south. The cattle are under shades and other places in the pen to stay comfortable. Me, I'm wearing a cooling towel, drinking water and taking indoor breaks. The heat seems stronger the older I get 🤔
#summerheat
Feedlots like ours hold all the water that runs on or through it into a holding pond. We call that nutrient rich water "brown water". We use the water and nutrients for our corn keeping ponds and streams clean for things like fishing.
#Sustainability
#corn
#stewardship
The cattle have no idea we are expected to get perhaps a foot of snow this week. And they don't need to worry, that's our job. Quality nutrition, health care and resting places each day help them weather the storms when they come.
#winter
#feedlotlife
When we bring cattle into the feedlot our goal is for them to thrive, not just survive. We can measure this through performance. Cattle health begins long before the finishing phase and it is so very important for a thriving animal.
#beefproduction
#cattle
#bqa
@mariashriver
There are so many ways to support women without promoting the death of their children. How about more crisis pregnancy centers where we take care of both? How about rescuing girls from sex traffickers? There is so much love we can pour out on women that feel trapped vs abortion
A surprise storm came up around 1 am with 59 mph and .5" rain. I could barely open my eyes after a weekend of family gatherings. Corn standing ✔️ shades up ✔️ pivot up ✔️no other significant damage ✔️ 😊
It seems like late in the day to early evening can be the most intense time for heat and loss of wind speed. The sprinkler system we have shows really well here.
#animalwelfare
#sprinklers
#cattle
It looks to be another beautiful day in the Nebraska with mild temps and so far, very little wind 😳 for the second day in a row. Enjoy!
#feedlot
#weather
This fish deserved a story so I created Big Bernard the Bass who lives in the old fisherman's pond. The grandkids listened very intently so I think there will be sequels since we threw him back.
#fishing
#MemorialDay24
This is one happy farmer because I have brand new insulated coveralls!! Cheers to the many farmers and ranchers going out in all types of weather to care for land and livestock providing us with numerous food choices! Happy
#NationalFarmersDay
#HumansOfCattleTales
#Nebraska
No power means generator power here. We cannot be without electricity at -22. Those of us with livestock plan for power outages from weather events because ice, snow, wind and tornadoes happen here. Older tractors always have a job.
#poweroutages
#generator
#JohnDeere
One of the grandkids handed me his fishing pole while we removed his latest catch. The worm was still on the hook so I threw it in quick to see what I could catch. It was a nice Bass that responded 😊 Grandmas can fish, too 😆
#fishing
#farmpond
A string of high heat days will continue to test man and beast. We have a light breeze to start the day with the hope for a good breeze throughout the day. Prayers for all working in the heat and the creatures under our care.
#cattle
#hotweather
I'm always amazed at how much cattle like to lay on fresh snow. We cleaned areas and put bedding on cement and in this pen half the group chose bedding, other half chose snow and quite content with the choice 🤷♀️ They are definitely built to handle the cold.
#feedlotlife
#snow
My feedlot cowboy ninja! We were removing tarps on the shade trees for the winter and this one got hung up. I suggested getting the loader. No, said hubby. Let me see if I can do it. 60’s are the new 30’s?
#CattleTales
#ninjawarrior
#fueledbybeef
#strength
We've been struggling through some health issues with our son and have invoked the intercession of Fr Flanagan. Already, Jeff has received strength from prayers. This weekend the baby geese hatched and went for their first swim. Signs of new life bring hope.
#prayer
#frflanagan
Forty years ago I graduated as a veterinary technician and still in that career. There are many roles we can provide outside the veterinary clinic including feedlot work. I love cattle but I will admit the work can be quite strenuous.
#feedlotlife
#womeninag
#farmher
#animalcare
A gentleman walked up to my hubby last week in an airport. He knew my husband from my tweets and asked us how
#64
is doing. I am happy to report
#64
is doing quite well through our Nebraska winter even as we go from 40 to -24 in one day.
#CattleTales
#feedlot
#AnimalWelfare
This little girl was up three hours past her bedtime, perhaps a little bit too much sugar? Anyway, it's not stopping her from getting up early to ride with grandpa in the feedtruck.
#farmlife
#grandkids
#riseandshine
@RuskampSteve