Service. Seven letters, can make a huge impact in someone's life.

As I was looking at my Time Hop App today I realized exactly one year ago today I was in Washington, DC attending Washington Leadership Conference with my teammate Sarah Forbes. I had before attending WLC heard about how awesome it was and that I should try to go. So I ended up boarding a plane, not knowing what to expect just ready to see what WLC was like.

            The experience was life changing. I don’t say this because it sounds cool.. I mean this realistically. I met so many great people and learned more about my purpose and service. At the end of the week each participant must chose a Living to Serve Plan (LTS Plan). My family has had some hardships with cancer so I wanted to do something that would benefit the American Cancer Society with my LTS Plan. Ashtyn Strewsberry, Former Nebraska State Officer told me my Sophomore year of high school about how she made Parachord Bracelets and sold them and gave the proceeds to children who had clef pallets. I borrowed her idea and decided to make parachord bracelets, but I could have parachord to represent every type of cancer.

            One thing that stuck out for me from the conference that I haven’t forgotten until this day is it’s not about what others have done for me; it’s about what I can do for others. Service. It may just be seven letters, but it could make a huge impact on others. At the end of the day it isn’t about the legacy you lived it’s about the legacy you left. Make your legacy a good one. Think about volunteering in your local community it could be as simple as baking cookies for an elderly person, or helping pick up trash in the roadside ditches. Whatever you choose to do be passionate, even the littlest things can make the biggest difference in a person’s life.

            So far I have raised over $200 and have a goal of raising $1,000. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. If you are interested in a Parachord Bracelet they are $5 each, please email me at haleyehrke@icloud.com or go to my Facebook Page Parachord Bracelets for Cancer to learn more.

I am pictured with a donation check made to the American Cancer Society from the proceeds from my Parachord Bracelets for Cancer project.

Here are some examples of some Parachord Bracelets I have made. 

Quote of the Week: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. –Mahatma Gandhi

It's about the experience you gain

One of the main things I have learned from showing cattle is how to make a return on your investment. Now this may sound silly when I say I love showing steers, but I have learned the importance of a good heifer that turns into a cow. I have not shown too many heifers throughout my show career, but I have been fortunate to be able to use my winnings from my steers to purchase commercial Simmental/Angus cross cows to put in my herd. This May I made a huge investment at 18 years old. I purchased fourteen Simmental/Angus cross cows. All fourteen cows have a calf on their side and I am excited to be able to sell 18 calves on Big Blue Sale barn. I will also have my five “show calves” selling this fall on Lueking Club Calves Fall Sale.

            I was really proud, was when I found out an old show heifer “Bling” had raised a steer calf that I sold last fall to a family in Colorado won a Steer Show. This cow was never Supreme Heifer, but she has proved herself in the Donor Pen. Which is worth more than winning that Supreme Heifer title. Congratulations, Trista Lebsack from Bennett, CO on your Champion Market Animal that was Raised and Sold by H & P Ehrke Cattle Company and Lueking Club Calves

Bling (Monopoly) X Bodacious.

            One thing I want everyone to remember when they are nearing there county fair, it’s not the ribbon you receive it’s what you gain from the experience. My heifer “Bling” the one I talked about never winning Supreme Heifer ever, yeah she got a blue ribbon and eighth in her class at Ak-Sar-Ben. Was I upset because of the color the ribbon? Yeah, but she turned out to be a great donor cow that is making me money for college. Enjoy the experience it does go fast, and it is not about the ribbon, it’s about the experience you gain.

I hope everyone had a great 4^th of July. I’m off to a fun week at the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute.

Trista Lebsack Grand Champion Market Animal, Bennett, CO. (Bling) Monopoly X Bodacious Raised and Sold by Lueking Club Calves and H & P Cattle Company.

Quote of the Week

“Life is a journey with problems to solve, lessons to learn, but most of all, experiences to enjoy.” -Unknown

Life as I know it

Life has been so crazy lately. I have been busy with the end of the year things for school as well as preparing my cattle to go into there show barn.  It has rained a lot lately which has meant the pens are a disaster and the milo has just been put in. I am very thankful for the rain, last summer we were in a drought. I just got out of school, I flew to Arizona to my cousins graduation then the day after I arrived back in Nebraska I went to COLT (Chapter Officer Lenadership Training) then I showed my cattle at a show on Saturday and then I went to Girls State on that Sunday. I was sure ready  for the week of recuperating after Girls State. Yes, I have a busy life but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

            One thing my parents have instilled in me is a strong work ethic.  They have made sure if I set a goal of some sort I am going to work my hardest to try to achieve that goal. This happened recently to myself. I have been a hardworking student my whole life. All until my junior year I was receiving 95% and above GPA. I was on the highest honor roll at my school every quarter. I made Quarter 1 Honor Roll with Distinction of my junior year with a 96.3 % GPA but, unfortunately Quarter 2 I was disappointed with a 94.9 GPA. I was devastated. As I was in tears telling my parents I wasn’t going to reach my goal of making every quarter in both Junior High and High School. They said “ Haley, sometimes goals are hard to reach, so you have to amend that goal to make it more feasible. You are taking hard classes this year, you are working hard in everything you are doing I am not disappointed.” With my parents support I amended my goal by reaching Honor Roll with Distinction every semester. I knew I’d have to work my butt off but I could do it. I accomplished first semester with Honor Roll with Distinction. But, as fate would have it with my heavy class load of College Chemistry, College Bound English, Algebra II, and American History, I only achieved  a GPA of a 93.8% I was upset. My parents then told me  “ Haley it is still achievable work 2x as hard this fourth quarter and you will make Honor Roll with Distinction for 2^nd Semester. I knew I could do it. So 4^th quarter I am happy to report I achieved a GPA of 96.2% and a 2^nd Semester GPA of a 95.2 %.  I am so blessed to have the support of my parents. Without them telling me it was going to be okay and pushing me to do my very best I would have given up right there and said well I missed 2^nd and 3^rd quarter so why not miss 4^th quarter?

            Sometimes we have to reevaluate goals. Sometimes we set goals that are not good for our selves. Goals are just guidelines, while I am a type A person who makes lists and sets high goals and has high aspirations that simple hug and pieces of advice from my parents made me feel that it was going to be okay and it was.

           

Quote of the Week “ Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek. – Mario Andretti

May is Beef Month!

         May is beef month, not only in Nebraska but it is National Beef Month. Have you ever thought about what we do with the cattle we produce? Maybe you thought all we could do is just put meat on our tables? Well that is wrong. I am here to tell you that off one beef carcass (the average beef weighs 1350 lbs.) yielding 68% produces enough leather to make 12 basketballs, 144 baseballs, 20 footballs, 18 volleyballs, 18 soccer balls or 12 baseball gloves. Beef is also used to make ointments, gelatin, soaps, lipsticks and much more! My friend Abby provided me with this information after she gave me her 4-H speech.

            There are many uses of the beef carcass other than meat. There are also so many inspirational people in the beef industry. One that comes to my mind is Ann Marie Bosshamer. Ann Marie is the Executive Director for the Nebraska Beef Council. Ann Marie works to  manage all the check off programs and activities fro the Nebraska Beef Council. Ann Marie also serves as a spokesperson for the beef industry and the check off programs.  Nebraska really appreciates all Ann Marie does not only for the beef industry but, also our state. 

            For the State of Nebraska alone 12.1 billion dollars from beef impact the economy. Nebraska is home to 1.88 million head of beef cows with 20,000 operations. There are 4,570 cattle feeding operations with 5.1 million cattle fed and marketed per year. Nebraska ranks first in all cattle on feed with 2,550,000 and second in all cattle and calves with 6,300,000.  In the United States there are 757,300 beef cow operations with 32.6 head of beef cows. 87,160 cattle feeding operations in the United States that market 26.2 million cattle. I found all this information on the Nebraska Cattlemen website. After I began to think about those numbers I began to feel pride. I love cattle, I always have and always will. These numbers don't just say to me the beef industry is a good thing it says to me the beef industry is a very good thing that will be around for generations to come. 

            The beef industry plays a big role in my life, it plays a big role in Nebraska’s economy and the world’s economy. I am proud to say that I own cows and am able to show cattle. Beef is what is for dinner!  Celebrate Beef Month! I challenge you all to go out and enjoy some beef with me!

Quote of the Week: Agriculture is our wisest pursuit because, it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness. –Thomas Jefferson

You are the friends you keep

My mom always told me when I was young "You are the friends you keep". I never really knew the truth of this until I became actively involved in FFA and showing my livestock. I mentioned before that I have shown cattle in many states and at many levels. With that being said I have had to give up sports to have more time to work on my cattle and be in  FFA. I have also missed a lot of school because of showing cattle and being highly involved in FFA. But, I have had the opportunity to be pushed out of my own comfort zone in my little town to make friends and gain new experiences that I wouldn't of done if I wouldn't of happened without FFA and showing cattle. There is also a very famous quote that I like to say to my showing friends after a steer show whether one of us won or we didn't. "The buckles will tarnish, the ribbons will fade but, the memories and friendships will last forever." I am a very competitive person I hate to lose. I hate the word loosing. I hate hearing that word. I love to win. That is what drives me to wake up every morning and run that steer one extra lap, work that extra hour on the hair in the barn or make sure my sets are perfect. Or I even come in on a Sunday to make Ag Sales Binders for my Ag Sales Team. Yes, I am a perfectionist. Yes, I hate to lose but that is one thing I learned from a young age "Winning isn't everything, you have to lose to win." But, through everything I have made many friends. I always know my friends are there for me no matter what. Whether it is about a steer not walking correctly, or about anything FFA related I know they are always there for me. So today I would like to give a shout out to four of my friends who have really been there for me this last month. Now I know I have many more friends that deserve to receive recognition but, I didn't want to make my blog a book this week! Each week I am also going to post a quote that I find inspiring this weeks quote of the week is:

"It is nice to be important but, it's more important to be nice" - John Templeton 

Katie Nolles:

I met Katie through showing cattle and her tremendous passion for agriculture and FFA. Katie has been a great mentor for myself. Whether I'm seeing Katie rain as the National Hereford queen at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, KY or watching Katie win Senior Public Speaking at State FFA Convention, Katie always has a warm friendly smile on her face! I greatly appreciate your words of encouragement and your similar stories where we can both relate with similar experiences, you have been a wonderful inspiration to myself. 

Isabelle Schultz:

I becamce connected with Isabelle at a wedding, and we quickly became friends from our numerous steer shows we attended. Isabelle has always been a text message away. It's great having friends that have the same passion you do and being able to relate. 

Mekenzie Beatie: 

I met Mekenzie at the Nebraska Cattlemen's Classic where I was serving as a Beef Ambassador. I was able to make connections with a girl who is growing up on a pig farm learning a lot about the steer show world! Whether its random snap chats about our new favorite Netflix series - Gossip Girl or just words of encouragement, Kenzie you are a Blaire Waldorf! 

Jessica Hartman:

Jessica and I met at a district FFA contest my freshman year of highschool. I knew instantly she was a great friend. Whether we are competiting tough at districts or we need to talk about the events happening in our own chapters or to share ideas, Jessica is someone I can always count on. I know she is going to do big things in the Medical World!