We could of had a Superbowl Commercial

Ok so the superbowl was a couple of days ago.  A marketing opportunity that companies strive to have success at.  It is the one time that you are almost 100% guarenteed that the viewer is going to actually watch your message.  I had two favorties - Dodge's - God Created A Farmer and Budweisers - Brotherhood.  I commented on God Created a Farmer, but  would like to share a story about Brotherhood, or should I say Sisterhood.

Back in the spring of 1994 we were managing McDougal Cattle Station, at Breton.  When we first went there they only had a Red Angus herd but wanted to develop another breed.  We assisted them with the development of a Simmental herd.  The girls were young Crystal 9 and Stacy 7.  That spring they spent a lot of time with us doing chores and working cattle.  Stacy formed a unique bond with a red baldy heifer, right from the time she was born.  She helped name her MCC Red Dream 12D.  Dream could be out in the middle of a big pasture and if Stacy called out to her she would come over.  Without being halter broke, she would let Stacy scratch her.  Only Stacy.  That fall we entered into a production sale with Garth & Judy Sweet of 4S Simmentals.  Dream was selected for the sale.

On the morning of the sale, the girls and I were just about to drive out of the yard, when Stacy asked me to stop the car.  She quickly hopped out and went into the house.  She came back carrying a big object.  When she was back in the car I asked what she had forgotten, she showed me her piggy bank.  I told her that she really didn't need to take that to the sale and she informed me that she did.  She was going to buy Dream.  I knew this wasn't going to end well.

Stacy stayed by Dreams side all day.  She combed her and talked to her.  She hardly moved from her when she had to go to the sale ring.  We didn't buy Dream, she went to live at Lazy S Simmentals at Mayerthorpe about an hour away.  Stacy cried herself to sleep that night.

2 years later, Rob decided to go to the Lazy S Simmentals bull sale that they hold on their farm.  The girls went with him.  They arrived a bit early and spoke with Doreen.  They inquired how Dream was doing.  Doreen mentioned that she had just calved a couple of days prior and was in a pen near by if they wanted to see her.  Stacy was headed out the door.  She ran over to the pen (with about 50 cow calf pairs in it), climbed up on the fence and called out to Dream.  On the far side of the pen a cows head lifted from the feeder, turned towards the girl calling her name and came running over to the fence.  She stood there letting Stacy scratch her.  Dream still remembered her.

I wish we had this on video.  The bonds that we form with our livestock are very special.  I don't know a farmer or rancher that would ever do harm to them.  They usually go above and beyond for their care and comfort.  Budweiser made a wonderful commercial.  One that we can relate to in more ways than one.  I sure hope this colt gets to be on the Budweiser hitch that visits the Calgary Stampede.  Would love to meet him.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2013.  I am not sure where the last year went but it sure seemed to fly by.  Time for blogging was limited, so I will try to be more diligent this year.  Or maybe teach Rob how to blog.  It seems when we are so busy that we sometimes forget all of the great things that happened in the last year so here is a recap.

January

• Calving begins and the first calves of Elegant Force and Sure Fire arrive.
• Rob and I attend the National Western Stock Show - first time in over 20 years.

February

• Mom & Dad celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary
• Drayton Valley Livestock Show committee folds after 20 years. :(

March

• Revolution sons sell well at Red Deer Bull Sale.  Bulls sell to Alberta, Manitoba, and New Brunswick.

April

• Crystal and Jon are married in Independence Iowa.
• Stacy & Dan Move into their new house.
• We get tickets to see Garth Brooks at the Calgary Stampede.

May

• Dad celebrates his 75th birthday.
• Spring rains bring early grass for cows to go to pasture.

June

• Robs mom celebrates her 80th birthday.
• We display cattle at the Alberta Simmental Association Tour and annual meeting.
• Bathroom renovation is completed.

July

• Garth Brooks Concert at the 100th Calgary Stampede.
• Stacy and Dan are engaged.
• Meet Brandon Callis and his family after many stories from Crystal when he was her judging coach.
• Celebrate Uncle Jacks 70th birthday.

August

• Rob helps Jon & Crystal at the Iowa State Fair, while I attend Ryan & Nanita's wedding.
• Attend pasture tour of Mappin Simmentals.
• Attend annual meeting of the Canadian Simmental Association in Nova Scotia. 
• Rob judges National Young Canadian Simmental Association show in Nova Scotia.

September

• Crops are harvested - poor quality from hail damage.
• Steer calves are sold = net $950

October

• Beautiful fall days to finish off some of those projects.

Res. Jr Champion @ Farmfair 2012

November

• Cattle shows take up most of the month. 
• Quick trip to Iowa to see Crystal and Jon. 

December

• Stacy buys her wedding dress, with a surprize visit from Crystal.
• Checkers sale is amazing - High Country has high selling heifer calf  @ $25,000 and her momma sells for $20,000
• Year ends with embryos and semen selling at the New Years Resolution Sale

The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth

Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede.  To many this may not be important as many cities have an annual fair that they celebrate.  But although this great event is hosted by the city of Calgary it belongs to all of Alberta and Canada. 

Steer Show 1985

The Alberta Beef Booth is
alway a popular spot.

My family has had a long standing association with the Calgary Stampede.  My dad along with my aunt, and cousins have been members on several agriculture committees. Dad for over 40 years.

My family have been exhibitors there in the livestock show, steer show, junior show and stock dog trials.

Showmanship Champion 2006

Our daughters were recipients several times of scholarships.

Scholorship winners

 I was a part of the grandstand show one year, along with other 4H members leading calves across the stage, showing the audiences all the different breeds of cattle.

My cousin is a driver in the world famous chuck wagon races.

Driver - Troy Flad

 Crystal worked in the Agriculture department for two summers on an internship.  She was also the youngest person to be a member of the judging panel for the supreme championships.

The first Friday in July marks the best 10 days of the summer.  Now that we don't live right by Calgary we only get there for a few days each year, but it is always something that is a part of our summer plans.
When we are traveling if we mention that we are from Alberta we are often asked if we have ever been to the Stampede.  We are envied when they find out that we go each year.  It's kinda like living next to Disneyland.

Here are a few fun facts about the Stampede:

We offer the largest purse in outdoor rodeo of over $2 million.

The Agriculture component has been a backbone of the of the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede since its formation in 1886 as the Calgary Agricultural Society.

The purse for GMC Rangeland Derby chuckwagon race is over $1 million

Over a million people attend the 10-day Stampede each July

70 per cent of Stampede patrons are local and 30 per cent are tourists

The Stampede Parade route is 4.5 kilometres

Over two million mini doughnuts are sold each year

Over 200,000 pancakes are served at community breakfasts each year

Stampede Park is comprised of 193 acres

Approximately 3.6 million people visit Stampede Park year-round annually.

Over 30,000 flowers are planted on Park each year

The Calgary Stampede is a not-for-profit organization and the Calgary Stampede Foundation is a   non-profit registered charitable organization.

The Stampede has over 2,000 year-round volunteers and over 1,200 year-round employees

The Calgary Stampede has a huge economic impact on Calgary's economy, contributing $127.2 million and also to Alberta's economy, contributing $166.3 million

I salute the Volunteers and those that have fought to keep the Stampede alive and growing over the last 100 years.  This is the one celebration that we have that keeps urban and rural people connected.  I can't wait to get there on Thursday.

Grated Coconut -
One of the greatest Stampede horses

Diamond in the Rough

A diamond is usually recognised as the symbol for a 75th Anniversary.  2012 marks the year of the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth.  Today May 26 also marks the 75th birthday for my dad - Chuck Groeneveld.  We think he is a diamond in the rough.

Now he may not look quite as young as he did a few years back, but with all the of the things that he is active in, most probably would not think of him as being 75.  Last week he started his summer project of attending over 20 parades though out Alberta with the Alberta Beef float.  In between the parades he will also take the Alberta Simmental Booth and the Alberta Beef booth to many functions including the 100th Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede.  Dad has been a volunteer at the Calgary Stampede for over 40 years.
His interests over the years haven't changed much.  These are the things that he loves:

• Family
• Beef
• Kids
• Cats and dogs
• Talking about beef, his grand kids and his cats and dogs
• Volunteering
• Alberta Beef Producers
• Calgary Stampede
• and thinking up his next project.

He certainly is one of a kind.  A true diamond in the rough. Growing older is a privilege, growing up is optional.  We hope that he keeps being Chuck, Uncle Chuck, that Beef guy or how ever you know him and we hope he never grows up.  Happy 75th Birthday Dad and wishing you many, many more.

Medals for Cattleman

Our family or at least me and the girls are followers of the Monarch.  We have watched the Royal weddings and funerals.  Crystal during her internship with the Calgary Stampede helped plan the visit of Prince Edward.  I like that we belong to the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II began her reign on Feb. 6, 1952. She is celebrating her 60th Anniversary and Diamond Jubilee. 

The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal — one of a series of national celebratory gestures to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s ascent to the throne — was awarded to 60 Canadians Monday at Rideau Hall, 60 years to the day after the Queen began her reign. The medals were awarded to Canadians who have devoted themselves to the well-being of family, community and country.  The Agriculture community was well represented yesterday.

The medal presentation and other events will kick-start a year of celebrations in Canada and around the world to honour the Queen’s six decades on the throne, with a planned Thames River pageant in London in June — involving up to 1,000 elaborately decorated ships in a regal flotilla — expected to be the main jubilee show-stopper.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. David Johnston presented the medals to the 60 recipients.

“Today, we once again affirm our bond with the Crown, which helps us to define our country and what it means to be Canadian,” Johnston said at the beginning of the ceremony.
Harper, in a speech following Johnston’s, thanked the Queen for a lifetime of devotion. The Diamond Jubilee Medal is meant to recognize thousands of Canadians for selfless devotion to their citizens and country, Harper said. A total of 60,000 medals will be given to Canadians throughout the year. 

David A. Chalack – Balzac, Alberta
For his contributions to the field of animal care and to the success of the Calgary Stampede.  Chalack, immediate past chairman of the board for the Stampede, even got a personal nod from Harper. “He said, ‘My goodness, David, I barely recognized you without your (cowboy) hat on,’” said Chalack. “I feel very fortunate to be selected — it’s a real honour to be a Calgarians here in Ottawa representing what’s important to Southern Albertans.

Travis Toews – Beaverlodge, Alberta
For his dedication to the field of agriculture, and for his support for farmers and cattlemen.



Congratulations to two very well deserving Albertan's.  You represent our province, and industry very well.  We're proud to call you a part of our family.

The Price Is Right

Many of us grew up watching the game show `The Price Is Right``.  It was a fun innocent way to waste an hour trying to guess the right prices of the products and wishing that we were winning all of the cool prizes they were giving away.  Host Bob Barker seemed like a nice man that cared about dogs and cats and reminded us at the end of each show to spay or neuter our pets.  A good message on being a responsible pet owner.
                                                                                            

 Years later, Bob has shown his true colors.  He has been very vocal about Lucy the elephant from the Edmonton Zoo and how she should be relocated to an elephant sanctuary in California.  Again it seems like a practical thing to do........if you weren`t a very old elephant that may not survive the trip or the relocation.

This last week the Calgary Stampede came up with a creative way to get new visitors to come to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and to promote the 100 Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede.  A trip to the Stampede and 6 pairs of custom made cowboy boots offered in the final showcase on The Price Is Right.  The positive response and inquires to tourism Calgary following the broadcasting of the show has been huge.  When ever we travel through the US or around the world, we are asked about the Calgary Stampede once people know that we are from Canada.  It is known as an event that everyone should try to attend once in their lifetime.

World Chuckwagon Races

Following the broadcast, Bob Barker was interviewed and showed his disgust at offering a trip to an event in which he thinks animals should not be a part of.  He went on to say that when he was on the show he stopped the giving away of fur coats and leather products.  Now I respect that everyone is entitled to their opinions and choices that they make in their lives, but I am getting really tired of celebrities thinking that they always know best.  I thought that was why we lived in free countries, so we could listen to both sides of the story and make up our own minds.

Grated Coconut
The Greatest Stampede Horse ever.

Calgary Stampede's support of
Youth and Agriculture through
Scholarships

I hope the winner of the showcase, chooses to attend the Calgary Stampede this summer.  I hope that she enjoys our Canadian hospitality and the events that are unique to our province.  I hope that she also appreciates that the Stampede always has the best interest of everyone that is part of this great event, whether they are humans or animals.

Good Bye Summer

On this first official day of fall I thought I would look back to what we did during the summer.  2011 was the summer were we didn't plan anything.  Some how though it all went by very quickly. 

June started off with taking a quick trip to Iowa to visit Crystal and to meet Jon's family.

Randy & Rob fishing on Sunday morning.

We also took a few animals to the Drayton Valley Livestock Show.  It's a good thing this show happens early on as this is the only way that we get those first few calves halter broke.


July the weather did not cooperate and our swath grazing was very delayed being planted and then got washed away with 4 inches of rain, two days after planting.  Sure not the success if was last year, so the cows have already been turned into it.

  We did fit in a couple of days to the Ponoka Stampede and the Calgary Stampede for the rodeos, chuckwagon races and the CS Steer Show.

In August we were honored to attend the wedding of Stefon and Becca Beechinor.  The wedding was held in their hip roof barn that is on their farm and over 100 years old. 

Becca & Stefon

 



                      Then we headed to BC to judge the Vanderhoof 4H Show and the Open show that hosted the Angus Gold Show.  Some really good cattle and met some great people. (even some from Kansas!)

Tom and his Kansas helpers brought out
a great string. 

Supreme Champion Female

The trip continued with us doing some golfing in Williams Lake prior to judging the Williams Lake 4H Show.  Again an awesome group of kids and cattle to work with over the two days.  We were able to meet the leaders of the only First Nations 4H Club in Canada.  These ladies are doing a wonderful job with these kids.  We also visited the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame.  It was interesting to see all of the old brands in the area. 

Then at the show that night some of the cattle were carrying those brands.  Lots of Agriculture history and good cattlemen in that part of the county. 

The Before picture

We also fit in a few of those jobs on the to do list.  Painting all of our steel fences was on my list.  The weather cooperated in August and September so I was able to get most of them done.  Rob has started to work on the show and sale cattle.  It was a good summer to get caught up on a few things and to enjoy being at home.  Visitors are welcome at High County any time of the year.

Year in Review

2010 is almost come and gone.  Another decade finished.  If someone would have told us a year ago that we would be writing a blog in 2010 we probably would not have believed them.  Sometimes the year goes so fast or we are looking forward to events in the next year that we sometimes forget the things that were memorable in the current year.  So let have a look back at 2010.

January

• First calves of IPU Revolution 172U arrive......we are very pleased.
• Old man winter makes sure we remember what winter can be like

• Rob gets a new calving shed

February

• Simmental bull sales are going strong
• Tickets to Australia are booked

• We say good bye to good friend "Auger"  His family honors us by giving us his show stick.

March

• We get to listen to Crystal speak at Lethbridge College on Agriculture Advocacy and Social Media in Agriculture
• Rob's dad has a massive stroke....family is in shock

April

• April Showers and more rain.  Thank you Mother Nature.
• Bulls are all out working

May

• April showers bring Grass and lots of it. 

• Lots of 4H shows to judge
• We say good bye to Rob's dad - "Howard Young"

June

• Champion Bull and Res. Champion Female at Drayton Valley Show, great night for a BBQ and tunes by Ty Wilson

• Cows and calves are out to pasture, no grasshoppers this year.


• Excellent Alberta Simmental Tour through Central Alberta

July

• Fun times showing steers at Calgary Stampede.  Res. Champion Charolais

• Honored by the AYCS (Jr. Simmental Association) as the Friends of YCS
• Great visit with Buddy and Francis Leachman while watching Lance judge at Synergy

August

• Great long weekend at the Saunders reunion on Vancouver Island
• a few games of golf
• Starting fall work so we can be away for a few weeks

September

• World Simmental Congress in Melbourne Australia

• Sale cattle selected for National sale, Agribiton and Checkers
• Spending some time with Crystal down under

October

• Res. Senior Bull at Olds Fall Fair.....thanks Stacy for taking care of things

• Wine tasting in Australia along with snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef and Kangaroo hunting
• Great visits with friends at National Trust Sale

November

• National Champion Bull at Brandon - IPU Revolution 172U
• Grand Champion Bull at Farmfair - IPU Revolution 172U

• Won a Featherlite Stock Trailer for being a contender in Super Saturday at Farmfair - Thanks Warren from Allan Dale Trailers, Red Deer. Ab
• Res Sr Bull - Agribition along with a class winner - RJY Joy's Firstdate 1W.
• Meeting "the Boy"  Crystals friend Jon.

December

• Being a part of the $8400+ average Checkers Sale
• Adding "Elegant Force" to the herd and having her arrive all the way from Kentucky.

• Spending time with friends and family at Christmas