StillwatersIowa

Rarely if ever do I get company on a Sunday morning at the hour I post our visit. So this morning I was surprised when Karl walked in and said his hog shed called him at 2:30 am and told him he and Kristin were out of electricity. We shared a cup of coffee together. Last week I shared with you how we helped get ready for new little pigs.  These little guys are doing the same thing little pigs do. Hang out together under the brooder heater.  Of course someone needs to check out if the dead pig cart works by sharing rides.   Karl and Kristin's new little guests arrived healthy and comfortable. They are anywhere from 19-21 days old. A semi can hold up to 2500 of these little guys.  They get two shots within the first week they arrive. Catching, vaccinating, and lifting 3600 15-20 lb. pigs over the fence will challenge any healthclub workout. However a good crew makes the job go fast. This crew was vaccinating around 1000 pigs an hour. ...

Good morning folks. For some unknown reason my computer refuses to load pictures this morning. I'm sorry. I will do my best to paint pictures in your mind as I share during our visit.   It was a beautiful Friday morning and warming up. The evening before Jan and I drove to Des Moines where she had some shopping to do while I attended my board meeting in Urbandale. At our meeting we were discussing the upcoming presidential campaigns. We also talked about some of our organization's friends that included God in their successful businesses.   I had received an invite to a meeting in SE Iowa from an Ag business that I don't do business with. I was intrigued however that in their advertising they shared their values and their faith.   Thanks to Mark, Brad, and Alex who were loading and hauling beans I decided to head down the 4 lane to SE Iowa. As I was leaving Jan called and reminded me of a farm sale in the neighborhood which I also passed o...

Good morning. I'm not sure who you all are but I hope you are enjoying the season you are at in your life. Just like the weather here in Iowa our lives go through different seasons. It's been cold around here this week. Uncomfortable situations sometimes call for unlikely friendships. Sometimes you may wonder what can possibly happen on the farm in the dead of winter. Well Karl is busy selling hogs and will soon be power washing his shed in order to get ready for a new batch of baby pigs.   We are hauling some grain. In this weather we have to be sure the truck fuel is treated or it will gel up as thick as jelly. Also we run alcohol in the air lines so the brakes work. The boys have been hauling feed ingredients to a local feed mill from ethanol plants in the northern part of the state. Our seed sales are just about complete other than walk-in business during planting season. Winter is a good season to sit down with customers and help them p...

  It's snowing and blowing in Iowa this morning. So we're in a new year. What's the plan? Have we thought about what we would like to accomplish? Will our efforts be effective? As we move forward is our goal just to make a living or make a life? You don't have to be very old around here to wish you were outside playing with your cousins or helping your Dad. Families are the back bone of our culture in learning responsibility and caring about each other. One of the things that shaped me the most growing up was helping and being given responsibility as a kid. One of the most rewarding things for me is to see our grandkids being given responsibility and working along side their parents. I have always loved and appreciated my parents although I don't tell them that often enough. One of my goals this year is to be a parent that my kids can appreciate. By the way I think it's my little sister's 45th birthday today. Happy Birthday Beth. Will you be...