When Big Business Comes to Rural America

Not yet open for business, but soon the Orschelns in Garnett, KS will be fully functional

We recently moved to the county I grew up in - a county in which the largest town has 3,300 people and the nearest Wal-Mart is 25 miles away. Since we live in rural paradise, most of our shopping occurs in this town, which is the county seat. There are not a lot of large chain businesses around us; there is a chain grocery store (Country Mart) and a handful of fast food restaurants -- that's about it for "Big Biz."

For example, here's a sampling of the locally owned businesses in the town. Small businesses account for probably 80-90% of the town's economy:

- 4-5 beauty salons
- 4 insurance companies (2 chain; 2 local)
- A bar/grill
- A Mexican restaurant (which changes hands every few years)
- 2 auto parts stores
- Furniture store
- 2 hardware stores
- Car dealership
- Feed/livestock supply store
- 2 liquor stores
- 2 women's clothing/gift shops
- 2 floral shops

Most of these businesses have been around since I was in elementary school and there is a delicate balance of shopping local vs. occasionally traveling to "the city" (aka KC Metro) for big purchases like electronics, TVs or other specialty items. The Ninja and I shop local because as part of the community we recognize we need to support our fellow rural dwellers or our county seat may fail to thrive.

Enter, Orschelns.

You see, we used to have an Alco but it recently went out of business and the building was purchased by Orschelns. Yes! Orschelns is coming to Garnett, KS. Most people see this as an step up in rural life, myself included. The ability to purchase fence posts, baby chicks in the spring (!!!) and have an expanded selection of ranch supplies is invaluable. However, another part of me is pained because I know that "Big Biz" is going to take business away from the hardware stores and maybe some from the feed supply business. In all honesty, Orschelns is likely going to put one of the hardware stores out of business.

And that sucks.

It sucks because a business that's been around for more than a decade will likely be shuttered. It sucks because a little piece of the community will break. It sucks that convenience and affordability come at the expense of empty aisles and a "going out of business" sign.

I'm not a fortune teller - I'm not positive that one of the hardware stores will close. I'm pretty sure the feed/livestock supply store will be fine because they deal with a lot of products that Orschelns doesn't carry plus they have a very loyal customer base. But this situation is always going to be a challenge for those of us in rural communities. Shop local is a movement that is alive and well, and for good reason. But when does it become acceptable to save money and shop at Big Biz? What is the percentage of savings that must occur in order for the stigma of shopping at Big Biz to dissipate? I'm predicting that judgment will be cast on those Orschelns patrons who will "abandon" the local hardware stores.

I don't know the answer, but I am guessing I'll know it within a few years. So, readers, how would you deal with this situation? Do you continue to frequent the small hardware stores? Do you run to Orschelns for the things that they offer exclusively? Do you alternate?

How would you handle this retail change up if you lived in rural southeast Kansas?

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Wordless Wednesday: Home

We moved into our new ranch property this past weekend - here are  few pictures of our slice of paradise.

 



 

In order from top to bottom: us in front of our new house on closing day, the view from our balcony overlooking the turn out pens, a view of the housed and one of the pastures while I was riding, the horse barn with tack room and stalls, a new pasture to explore with Friday, overlooking a pasture, barn and the house, and the sunrise this morning.

We are thrilled to say the least. God is good.

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

Wordless Wednesday: Winter Sunset

Wordless Wednesday: Fall in the Flint Hills

Rooster and I enjoyed a breathtaking sunset after our nightly run. God is a fantastic painter!

The leaves are changing colors!

Blame the Flint Hills wind for a blurry photo

Hard to see the different colors of the prairie but they are beautiful in person

Winter wheat is peppered across the land

This windmill now serves as a photo prop instead of its original purpose

Wordless Wednesday: A Glimpse of Heaven

Gorgeous Kansas sunset astride Rooster

Cancer and Ode to a Cowboy

Some of you may have noticed a Facebook status I posted in late July about cancer and Alzheimer's needing to leave my family the hell alone. Alzheimer's has and continues to take a toll on the Frobose, Buzzard and Baker branches of my family and I don't know many people out there that cancer hasn't touched in some way.

Without delving into too much detail, because I am honestly not fond of sharing intimate minutia of my personal life with the interwebs [or anyone for that matter], my cousin Marty Buzzard quietly lost his long battle with cancer on July 31. I felt, and still feel, like someone jacked me in the aorta with a ton of bricks.

Marty, rest his blessed soul, was a quiet cowboy, however the few words he did offer were heavy with meaning, ultimately consistent with the rest of the Buzzard men. He loved his family and roping, playing basketball and causing a little bit of mischief along the way- an unexpected quality thanks in large part to his calm and reserved demeanor.

A kind and adept horseman, Marty always rode well-broke horses and valued behavior and skill over flash or style. Marty broke colts and rode outside horses for years with unmatched finesse, skill and patience, training his own horses and selling them after he made them into equines of worth. Rare in a multitude of fashions, he was a left-handed heeler and I never tired of watching him deliver a loop. As with all roping, heeling is an art and left-handed heeling is art in motion.

Marty had a horse named Rooster, a champagne amber gelding, who is by our stud Take Care O' Neall [you'll drool]. I liken Rooster and Marty to Doc and I and when Marty was in the later stages of his disease, my father took care of Rooster for long stretches of time so that the horse would remain in capable hands and not be sold during the mires of terminal illness.

You can imagine the shock I felt when I received a phone call from Podge a few weeks ago informing me that I had been given the ultimate gift; Rooster's torch had been handed off to me. The gamut of emotions I've experienced during the past few weeks has been jarring - I'm reeling from the shock of receiving such a special gift, humbled by the trust my cousin, father and grandfather have put in me to take care of Rooster and excitement at owning a son of our stud. Of course, he's not really mine, I'm just watching over him until he meets up with Marty again. However, until that fateful day arrives, I'm going to cherish the runs I'll make and the calves I'll capture on the gorgeous, well-bred, inestimable gelding.


Rooster the rodeo horse with Rooster the rodeo dog making a cameo

 

I'm certain I've never felt more of a higher calling to give an animal supreme care than this very instance and I know that Marty will never be far away.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Wordless Wednesday

The past few days have been very relaxing and my photo stream explains why. These have all been on my Instagram account recently (@brandibuzzard) but if you don't follow me on there (why not?) here's what you missed.

 

 

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Party in your mouth cookies!

Checking pastures and feeding cattle with my favorite cowboy.

Come and get it!

 

 

Until next time,

~ Buzzard ~

My Baby: Semi-Wordless Wednesday

Nope, I'm not pregnant.

Moving on - my children are much more expensive to feed and are considerably larger. My favorite child, my pride and joy, my baby - the superstar athlete, straight A student, cuddly cute one is Doc. You've seen him here.

 And there is the problem child - the one who sneaks out of the house to meet up with the punk rock boyfriend, the child who gets kicked out of prom and the one who doesn't care what I say because I'll never understand how hard her life is (*sigh*). Meet Friday, less affectionately known as HB. I'll let you figure that out for yourself. I bought her from my brother - she is a super nice heel horse and I am adding breakaway roping to her repertoire and she's not doing bad at all.

In all fairness, she isn't really mean or anything. She just isn't finished and I don't devote as much to her as I should. She's also not Doc, which unfortunately makes her #2 in my book even though she can't help it. Favorite child syndrome going on at the FroBuzz Ranch. That said, I have ridden three times this week and things are going well. I anticipate that by next spring, she'll be ready for a summer full of rodeos; once I get her to run through a barrier and some other minor stuff like that.

Sorry for all the words.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Only in America do we say 'Git R Done'!

That is a phrase that has made several trips around the U.S. and has become the motto for NASCAR fans, camo-clad hunters, farm boys and several million other Americans who, like me, embrace their country upbringing. In fact, Git R Done was my class motto (there were only 7 girls and 11 boys; we got outvoted).

The twangy, plaid-wearing Larry the Cable Guy made the phrase famous on the Blue Collar Comedy tour and never looked back. His success has been astronomical, with two BCC videos, his own stand-up career, playing Tater in Cars 1 and 2 and most recently, a TV series the History Channel called "Only in America."  It debuted last year and just premiered its second season last week. Basically, Larry takes camera crews around to various rural outlets and gives viewers a firsthand look at American rural life. During this year's premiere episode, he visited Alaska to try to bust moose poachers and dropped in on Sarah Palin and her family.

The next episode, which is on tomorrow at 8 pm/C on the History Channel, will be in Wisconsin getting a better look at the dairy and beef industries. The online summary says that, "His first stop is the state's largest dairy farm, where he works every tough job that goes into each glass of milk." Additionally, I'm sure we can expect the usual LtCG antics and humor which will probably spice up the show.

I am not sure if I'll be able to tune in but I'm sure going to try! If ya'll watch, please leave me some comment love and let me know how it goes!

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

Proud to be a Redneck

I'm from the backhills of southeast Kansas - and damn proud of it. I grew up going mudding, wearing camo, attending bonfire parties in pastures, swimming in the horse tank and watching tractor pulls & demo derbys (and loving them). In addition to those 'ignorant' activities, I helped my family raise and train horses and care for the small 'herds' of show string livestock.  Calling me a redneck isn't an insult but saying that you're better than I am is.

Bryan Monell, animal activist who specializes in undercover efforts, proclaimed that "Those people are rednecks," in reference to all people work with animals AND "we are superior." Wow, if you want to fire up a bunch of agriculturalists who already despise you and your efforts, no better way to do it than saying that you're better than the people who raise and produce our nation's foodsupply.  Now, I already told you that I don't mind being called a redneck and that I'm proud of it.  But I looked up 'redneck', and Google's definition reads:

An uneducated, unsophisticated, or poor person, typically used to describe residents (of either gender) of the rural US.

Now, I'm definitely of 'either gender' and am from the rural U.S. and am sure as hell poor - but by God, I'm not unsophisticated or uneducated.  Good thing Mr. Monell wasn't in rural Kansas at a farmer-laden coffee shop when he said that, he might have wound up in the hospital instead of jail (where he currently resides until his court date in September regarding an 'incident' in California at a circus). 

Why is it that activists continually insult our nation's farmers and ranchers and then continually eat the food those same farmers and ranchers produce?  Major slap in the face to our producers.  We should all be thanking our farmers every day for providing us with a very safe and healthy (not to mention affordable) food supply that we can count on year round.  Mr. Monell may be winning the name-calling battle, but all he has really achieved is ticking off farmers, ranchers and agvocates around the nation. Especially since his slander was written in a recent http://www.cattlenetwork.com/ article.

In closing, I've included some words of wisdom for agvocates and producers: 

1. Be the bigger person -- don't resort to name calling.

2. Use insults to fuel your agvocacy passion - I'm so ticked off right now that I can't wait to get to the grocery store and spill my agriculture guts to some unsuspecting shopper.

3. Tell your story -- utilize twitter, facebook, blogs, snail mail, telephone, word of mouth, the coffee shop - let consumers in on how you care about the land and animals that contribute to our food supply.

4. THANK A FARMER! 

Until next time,

~Buzzard~

p.s. - that link to Bryan Monell's court case is not my opinion of how the incident occurred but it gives you a more detailed description of what happened than I can provide.  I'm sure he wasn't 'innocently and peacefully' protesting a circus.

Kids ask questions, please provide answers!

My little sister is quite possibly the coolest person on Earth - at the moment she's tied with Dr. Jim Nelssen but she's only 6 and 3/4 so she has lots of time to move up.  On the rare occasions that I get to see her, sometimes she'll go with me to feed horses.  We all know how kids are - they're the best exercisers of who, what, where, when, why and how.  Meaning, they ask TONS of questions.  I've recounted one particular experience below when we were doing the evening chores.

K - What are we gonna do now?
B-  Feed the horses.
K - Why?
B - Because it's supper time
K - Horses eat supper?
B - Yep - just like you. We always make sure we feed the horses first, then we eat.
K - Are they having squetti (spaghetti) too?
B - Nope - we're giving them corn and oats.
K - Why don't they get squetti? 
B - Because horses don't like spaghetti and these corn and oats will give them lots of energy to chase calves and run around and play. There is some molasses in there too.
K - Mlasses? What's Mlasses?
B - MOlasses. Say MOlasses.
K - MA lasses.
B - Close enough. Molasses is a type of sweetener that makes the horse's food taste better.
K - Like sugar on rice krispies?
B - Exactly.

At this point, the conversation turned to rice krispies and then she went to play with the kittens. When I started feeding hay, she came back....round 2!

K- Why is that grass made into a square?
B - This grass is a kind of hay, and this square is called a flake.
K - What does it do?
B - It gives them minerals and nutrients to keep their body healthy.  Kind of like your Flinstone vitamins.
K - Why can't you just give them a Barney Rubble?
B - Because Barney Rubble is for little girls and hay is for horses.  This hay also keeps Doc (my A-team breakaway horse) and his friends from colicking.
K - What is cowlicking.
B - Colicking - not cowlicking.  We don't lick cows.  Colic is when a horse gets a tummy ache because he ate too much corn and molasses and oats.  Hay keeps him from getting the tummy ache.  Do you know how it feels when you've eaten too many cookies?
K - I wanna eat cookies all day.
B - Fine. Remember what it feels like to drink too much pop and your belly feels yucky?
K - Yes. It makes my tummy hurt.
B - Ok. When Doc gets colicky, he feels like you do when you've had too much pop.
K - Oh ok. Don't give Doc any of my orange pop.

At this point, it was time to water and blanket the horses for the evening (this conversation took place over Thanksgiving break last fall) which led to questions/answers about why we blanketed the horse, why the blanket had straps, how the horse laid down/got up, how does the horse know it's time to wake up, etc.  While very amusing, I'll leave that out for length's sake.

I think it is very important to answer questions that youngsters have.  Sometimes we get caught up with our daily routine and forget that the young mind is a sponge - we should saturate that sponge with knowledge while kids are willing to listen to what we have to say. With a society so far removed from agriculture, we need to take advantage of every opportunity we have to educate the next generation.  K doesn't live on a farm and might never but at least now she knows why horses are fed grains and hay.  That's more than a lot of urban adults could tell you.  I invite anyone to come help me feed horses in SEK - just be prepared to haul hay, clean stalls and chop ice ;)

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Beautiful. Country. Life.

Pasture behind my house in SEK

I love living in the country.  Until I left for college, I had never lived in town and although living in town has its advantages (24 hour McDonald's anyone?) I pined for my serene countryside everyday until this past June when I moved back to the countryside after living in town in MHK for 4 years.  Let me tell you, I'm loving the crickets, starry skies, scenic view and the absence of sirens. These pictures are from my daily 10 minute drive to school.

Corn north of Manhattan

The rain has been coming at pretty reasonable intervals this summer. Not like the summer of 2007 when it rained for 4 straight days and afterwards didn't rain for a month.  This summer we've been fortunate enough to have rain every 1 1/2 weeks or so and the crops seem to be doing pretty good. Look at these beans - tall, green and lovely!

Tall, healthy soybeans

Recently cut alfalfa field - smelled amazing!

I don't think you have to be a farmer or have grown up farming to appreciate the simple beauty of the countryside. If you eat food, that's should be enough.

Until next time,
~ Buzzard ~

These Boots.....

I love Eric Church.  I love his voice, I love his music and I'd love it if he were my arm candy (not all the time, just temporarily).  Last night I went to a FREE and amazing Eric Church concert in the Power & Light district in Kansas City.

One of Eric's hits is a song called "These Boots." He talks about a lot of life events and stupid things he's done while wearing them.  It's an example of great songwriting and you can read the lyrics or listen to the song later to find out what I mean.

 But let me get to my point.....
 You know who else experiences a lot in their boots?  The fine folks that produce our nation's food supply - yep, America's farmers and ranchers have more stories to tell about what happens during a day in their shoes than anyone I know.  Don't believe me?  Ask one of over 2,000,000 American farmers how they feed the nation day in and day out - I'm sure they'd be glad to tell you. 

For example - every day dairy farmers mik their cow herds 2-3 times per day.  The work day starts before the sun comes up and ends after the sun has disappeared.  Dairy farmers do this 24/7, even on the holidays. How does that milk taste? Thank a farmer!

Right now, in Colorado, farmers are in the middle of wheat harvest.  Wheat harvest, regardless of location,  isn't your typical 9-5 with breaks at 10 and 3.  When I was in high school, I used to go up to my room at 9 or 10 pm and look out the window to see the neighbors harvesting wheat with the headlights on the combine blazing.  They worked late into the night and were back at it again early the next morning. 

My best friend in elementary school, Heather, and I used to bottle feed the calves that her dad had put on the porch.  He had been up all night checking mama cows and calves every 2 hours to make sure that the calves were standing and able to nurse.  If they were too weak, they went to the porch and we got to take care of them.

These are just a drop in the ocean compared to the endless knowledge and experience an American farmer has.  Below, I've listed some great sites for true, and humorous, farm stories. 

Baxter Black, DVM and cowboy poet - On the Edge of Common Sense
The Chronicles of Newman (and other farm stories) - http://www.stargazingfarm.org/chronicles/
Five Farms: Stories from American Farm Families

And just for good measure, I had to throw in a picture of my boots ;)

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Care, Not Cash

I've raised horses and livestock my entire life.  From horses to goats, sheep to swine - I've fed, watered, doctored, been frustrated by and been trampled on by all of them.  Why do I, and thousand of other young livestock men and women, put so much time, sweat, blood, tears and care towards our animals and their lives? Because of the love we have for livestock and the way of life that accompanies owning and caring for them.

The first time I ever read this poem, I was standing in my the Ninja's parents' kitchen in Ohio in 2009 and I have loved it ever since. Written by H.W. Mumford, it exemplifies all the superb qualities of a Stockman (or woman) that are often unnoticed. 

A Tribute to the Stockman

Behold the Stockman! Artist and Artisan.

He may be polished, or a diamond in the rough-but always a gem.

Whose devotion to his animals is second only to his love of God and family.

Whose gripping affection is tempered only by his inborn sense of the true proportion of things.

Who cheerfully braves personal discomfort to make sure his livestock suffer not.

To him there is rhythm in the clatter of the horse’s hoof, music in the bleating of the sheep and in the lowing of the herd.

His approaching footsteps call forth the affectionate whinny of recognition.

His calm, well-modulated voice inspires confidence and wins affection.

His coming is greeted with demonstrations of pleasure, and his going with evident disappointment.

Who sees something more in cows than the drudgery of milking, more in swine than the grunt and squeal, more in the horse than the patient servant, and more in sheep than the golden hoof.

Herdsman, shepherd, groom-yes, and more.

Broad-minded, big-hearted whole-souled; whose life and character linger long after the cordial greeting is stilled and the hearty handshake is but a memory; whose silent influence forever lives.

May his kind multiply and replenish the earth.

Nowhere in that literary masterpiece does it say "and make as much money as possible" or "take over modern agriculture" or "fool the public into eating meat".  It doesn't mention those statements because 1) they're not true and 2) nobody gets into the farming or livestock business to make millions of dollars. Farmers and ranchers do so because they love the land, animals, hard work and their fellow farmer.  They are rich in character, determination and wisdom.  What better wealth to have?

Until next time,
~Buzzard~

Diamond in the Rough - 3/50 Project

On a recent trip to Fort Collins, CO for a research trial, I stopped in to La Luz, a local restaurant specializing in fresh Mexican food with a kick. While standing in line and trying to decide between fish or carnitas tacos (carnitas on corn tortillas won; they were fantabulous), I came across a flier for The 3/50 Project. The 3/50 Project is striving to preserve locally owned restaurants and businesses, such as La Luz, by encouraging consumers to spend $50 at 3 independently owned businesses once a month. A strong incentive to follow the program is that

for every $100 spent locally, $68 goes back to the community in the form of taxes, payroll and other expenditures. This money helps keep local economies strong.

I come from the small town of Colony, KS that boasts one of the best restaurants in SEK - The Country Diner. It's comforting to think that everytime I buy a pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes and iced tea from "The Diner" I am helping strengthen the community's economy.

I'm not suggesting that you completely swear off large chains, I'm merely suggesting that you contribute to the "Little Man" that may exist in your hometown. Independently owned restaurants are often diamonds in the rough and hopefully they'll be around for many years to come. If you're ever in SEK, I encourage you to drop into The Diner, sit a spell and enjoy the company and fare.
Until next time,
~Buzzard~