This post is sponsored by the Canadian Agriculture Human Resources Council 

There's a saying in agriculture: Free Help Ain't Cheap. Cue hilariously terrifying memories of friends and family "helping" at branding or during a herd move, or heaven forbid, in a sorting pen. Enough said. 

The ag sector is struggling when it comes to finding labour- whether its  beef processing plants, ag professionals, full-time farm labourers or seasonal ranch hands. Its hard to afford them with increasing inflation in an industry where we are price-takers, not price-askers, and its even more difficult to find them. Living rurally can pose a lot of logistical problems- where do we house workers if we can attract them? Usually it means bucking up and paying for residences and/or transportation on top of wages. In an industry with such tight margins, its often just too big of an obstacle to face when there are tasks piling up behind you. Have you said to yourself...

"By the time I train a new employee to do, I could have done it myself. I'll just work harder."

Put your hand up if this sounds familiar? GUILTY. 

From two ranchers that each have full-time ranching jobs on top of full-time day jobs in agriculture, we are very familiar with this concept. In fact in the past we have hired permanent and part time staff to help with our businesses. We've also utilized some the past AB Agriculture seasonal staff grants. And while we don't have any staff right now (at least on the payroll, your own children don't count, do they?), we sure should (she says as she drinks her 3rd pot of coffee for the day). Taking the time to train new staff members, paired with the cost of all that training, on top of the risk that they hop fences to a higher paying position elsewhere is enough to put any potential postings at bay. 

Until now. 

Enter the AgriWorkplace Skills Training Program
$5,000 per trained employee wage sudsidy

This new pilot program from the Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council is offering practical, targeted training for primary ag employees. Not only will they give you e-learning and on-the-job training through workshops, webinars and videos, they will PAY you and your employers to do it!

Through their AgriAcheive Training Tracking Platform, employers can schedule industry-specific training and track their employees progress online. After the training period and sessions completed in the 10 major task areas, the employer can apply for a $5,000 wage subsidy for each employee who completes the training, or $7,500 subsidy if your employee is part of an underrepresented group. They also offer wrap-around supports like childcare and transportation costs, bonuses for completing the training and continued professional development opportunities. 

You all know I love a good grant/funding opportunity. Plus, compared to some of the ag grants out there (ahem, OFCAF), the paperwork is pretty minimal! So here's my advice. APPLY NOW! Its still just a pilot program, meaning there are a limited number of spots available and its all first come, first serve. Now I know, filling out paperwork isn't most farmers and ranchers favorite thing to do, BUT, if I have learned anything from my career in ranching its this:

"Long gone are the days in agriculture where you can just put your head down, bust your butt and make a profit. Farming and ranching are businesses. Far more of your profit will be influenced by your work in the office, rather than in the saddle, corrals or tractor."

And if that doesn't convince you, take a peep and what my dear friend Jill Burkhardt had to say about the program, then head to Canadian Ag HR Council website to apply asap! 

Happy Father's Day! This year's "theme" for Father's Day for Clay was all about grilling that #abbeef. Harper helped me sew (her first time!) a grilling apron for her dad, we got him his own personally branded gloves and of course, she helped me can some Rowdy Rhubarb BBQ Sauce. This was the first time we attempted this recipe, but it turned out pretty good! 

Pulp of 4.5lbs of rhubarb (I used leftovers from the Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Jelly)
2 celery stalks, chopped finely (I used the slapchop)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped finely (I used the slapchop)
1 cup water
1 1/3 cup white vinegar 
2 2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 tsp nutmeg
​1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 TBSP liquid smoke

1. Mix all of the ingredients and throw in the crockpot. Yes, its that easy! ha! I cooked mine on low for 8 hours, stirring often. The chunks will all become mushy and by the end will look much more like a sauce than a stew! If needed, use the emulsion blender to make a uniform sauce. 
2. Before canning, bring the sauce to a full boil, stirring constantly as it will easily scald. 
3. Pour into sanitized jars. Boil in water bath canner for 10 minutes at full boil. 
​4. Enjoy! 

O.M.G. This recipe is AMAZING. My friend Addy from Cudlobe Angus West (check out their AAA Beef & purebred Angus cattle at CAwest.ca) suggested this jelly to me when I was overflowing with rhubarb this spring, and gosh am I glad she did. 

4.5lbs rhubarb (washed & cut up)
1 cup water
14 cups of sugar (I know, I know, but trust me!)
4 TBSP vanilla paste (or seeds of one vanilla bean- I can't find vanilla beans in our little town!)
4 TBSP lemon juice
4 pouches of 3oz liquid pectin 

1. Blend up the rhubarb into a pulp. I used my food processor. Add the 1 cup of water in with the rhubarb to make a puree. 
2. Put the rhubarb puree in a jelly bag (I used cheese cloth to create a make-shift bag) and let the bag hang over a bowl, allowing the liquid to drip out. I did this over night. 
**Be sure not to squeeze the bag, as you don't want any of the "pulp". This will make the jelly cloudy and not clear like you want. 
3. Once you get about 3.5 cups of liquid you are ready to make jelly! 
4. Put the rhubarb juice in a LARGE stock pot. Reminder to self: Get BIGGER stock pot so it doesn't boil over AGAIN. Stir in the copious amounts of sugar, the lemon juice and vanilla paste (use the paste, not the extract so you get the beautiful black flecks!). Bring to a boil. Stir constantly so not to scald. Don't let it boil over because cleaning up sticky jelly is a B*TCH. 
5. Let fully boil for 3 minutes. 
6. After three minutes, add the liquid pectin and bring it back to a boil. Let fully boil for another 1 minute. 
7. Take the jelly off the stove. Skim any foam (which is a lot if it boiled over, FYI) and discard. 
8. Pour into sanitized glass canning jars. I boiled in the canner for 10 minutes, but depending on your altitude, you can check your canning times. 
9. Try not to eat in one sitting! Enjoy! 
​

Heads up! Don't throw out the leftover rhubarb "pulp".
​I used mine to make this Rowdy Rhubarb BBQ Sauce! 

If you're here for inspirational, beautifully garnished cuisine with fresh garden herbs, you're in the wrong place. If you're here to prep for calving and want a freezer full of EASY, yummy, good ol' fashion meals, then I got you. Read on... 

First you need to know that I am LAZY in the kitchen. I don't enjoy cooking. I  do it because apparently it is a necessity for my family to eat. So before our busiest season of the year I like to stock up on ingredients, meals and easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy foods for us to grab on the go (or just eat numbly while we try to keep our eyes open after a long night of calving). Here's a few tips & tricks I use to get ready for calving season (or any busy season!): 

BIG BATCH everything & freeze. Period. 
In the weeks leading up to calving when I make something for supper, say lasagna, but I'll do a triple batch and freeze the extras in tinfoil containers. Put in the freezer and VOILA, when I'm running behind (or simply don't want to cook), I pull out a freezer meal and I'm a hero. I do this all year round and with baking too. The best part is that I usually have extras after calving still in the freezer- hello haying meals! And those leftovers from branding (or make extras on purpose)- hello harvest meals!

Some of my favorite meals to big batch & freeze are below:
Lasagna- I just wing my lasagna recipe (but I also love this zucchini lasagna recipe when I have tons of big zucchini from my garden!) 

Spaghetti Bake- Whenever you have leftover spaghetti (which is often in my house because I can't seem to measure spaghetti appropriately) I throw this together and pop in the freezer 

Crockpot Roast Beef- I'll do a rather large one and then use the leftovers for a few days. I can then make & freeze...

Shepherd's Pie- Perfect for your roast beef (or hamburger) & mashed potato leftovers

Roast Chicken- Not a real time saver, but if you plan ahead you can make a chicken and use your leftovers to make & freeze... 

Chicken Pot Pie- I sometimes make mini versions for easy individual field/work meals, but you can make large family size ones too. Clearly I wrote this recipe out pre-kids as today I would just buy pre-made pie shells, ha!

Stuffed Potatoes- great to have in the freezer, individually wrapped and ready to pop out whenever you need a quick side. I loosely follow this recipe but mostly just wing it. ​

Super Potatoes- these are what we make for branding and they're a huge hit! Again, another great side option to thaw and throw in the oven. 

Chili- My mom's chili recipe is the BOMB (and not spicy, because we're not  spicy family). Check my insta story highlights for a rough recipe.  When I cook chili I usually pair it with this cornbread. This also freezes great & is easy to throw on the side of a field meal later on! 

Casseroles- My hubs is not a fan, so I don't have any stellar recipes for you (sorry!) but I'm sure you hve your faves.

While anything above could be used for lunch (hello, leftovers), I have a few go-to lunch recipes that I don't prep ahead of time but always have the ingredients on hand for in my freezer. They're not glamorous but they are delicious. Also, they're great if you need to feed a crowd on short notice, or after helping you process cows. 

Garlic Bread Pizza: Think pre-made garlic bread from your grocery store, pasta sauce from a jar, your favorite pizza toppings (I buy pre-packaged pizza meat variety packs) & cheese. Bake in oven until warm. Done & delicious! 

Ham & Swiss Sliders (my absolute favorite- I could live on this recipe!)- I just always have a dozen tray buns, swiss cheese and a pack of pre-sliced sandwich ham in my freezer. 

Pigs in a Blanket. Yep, its definitely not glamorous but its darn easy & tasty. Have hot dogs and pilsbury dough on hand. It's that easy. Pair with some canned soup. Done.  

Calzones- Any time I have leftover meat (roast, taco meat, ground beef, chicken, anything!) I will throw it in some sauce & cheese and stuff it in a calzone. Freeze. Thaw when needed & warm!

Pancakes- My mom taught me this and its genius. Whenever you make pancakes, make a ton. Then freeze the extras in a ziploc with parchment paper between. Take out one at a time and throw in the toaster for instant pancakes in the morning! ​

Baking Powder Biscuits- you'll see this one in dessert too, and you'll know why once you try them. But my hubs loves them with just butter or homemade jam/jelly as breakfast. Or throw some fruit in the recipe for a scone-like breakfast treat. You can find the recipe in my insta highlights. 

Smoothies- I like the taste, but hate the hassle/clean up. But of course my daughter loves them, so I'll make a big batch of fruit smoothie (literally just throwing in whatever I have on hand) and then freeze extra in ice cube trays. Then when she wants a smoothie I'll take a few out, add either milk or yogurt and bammo, done! 

Muffins- I always have tons of veggies/fruit in the freezer from my garden so I attempted to use up some in these healthy-ish recipes. I did a couple dozen of each and then froze them in variety packs of 12. My intention is to thaw a pack, use them for breakfast & snacks as easy to grab options: 
Banana Rhubarb Muffins 
Pumpkin Banana Muffins 
Apple Rhubarb Muffins 
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins ​

Baking Powder Biscuits- Now this is the way my side of the family likes to enjoy these biscuits- as dessert. Add whipped cream & strawberries. Easily one of my fave desserts of all time. I make big batches and freeze in ziplocs. Again, find the recipe in my insta highlights. 

Bread Machine Sticky Buns- Now my mom has the BEST cinnamon sticky buns, but they take her ALL day to make. I have no time for that. Hello bread machine- no kneading here! While this recipe does take some time (for rising) and dirty dishes, you can make big batches easy and freeze. YUMMM. 

Apple & Pumpkin Pies- These are my go-to recipes for dessert. I grow lots of pumpkins in the summer and collect my mom's apples so these ingredients are always on hand in my freezer for me. I've also made individual pies in little tart shells for brandings or field meals. Super handy. 

Is there anything better than baked goods? Nope. I am a sweets girl alllll the way. So I like to bake some snacks for the freezer I can just pull out and thaw. 

Banana Bars- If you're like me, I have a TON of old bananas in the fridge, so you'll see a common theme below ;). A new recipe I had to try this year was Rocking Bar H Ranch's Banana Bar. I was insta-influenced on this one and it was so worth it! Also if you don't follow Brooke (@rockingbarhranch) on Instagram, you should! 

Cookies
My favorite year-round cookie hack is to make our favorite cookie doughs, scoop them out on a cookie sheet, then freeze them. Once frozen I take them off the cookie sheet, throw them in a ziploc and put them back in the freezer. This makes it sooooo easy any time you want cookies. Just grab as many as you like, thaw (or if you don 't have time, I add about 2 mins to my regular cook time) and bake! This is my go-to hack for when neighbours show up and I need something yummy to share! This year I made Chocolate Chip Cookies & Double Chocolate Cookies and froze the dough. 
​
Pumpkin Cake Cookies- These are a long time fave of mine and a perfect way to use up more of my frozen pumpking puree. I haven't froze the cookie dough before, but I do freeze the whole cookie, icing and all. 

Monster Cookie Oatmeal Energy Bites- My sister-in-law introduced me to these. AMAZING and way too easy. Literally just combine 3 cups oats, 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup M&M's or chocolate chips. Shape into balls, refrigerate for an hour. Done! 

Yes the necessities of calving usually include chains, tags and bagged colostrum. But that's not what this post is about. This calving prep post is all about the goodies that you don't need, but as a rancHER these will make the stressful (in my case, chilly) time of year just that little bit better! 

Lamb's Soapworks Lip Butter. Because winter. You can check out their website or if you're local I got mine as a Christmas gift from Vintage Nineteen89 in Brooks! I have Vanilla Bean and it is HEAVEN. 

Running M Brand headbands (fleece or regular, depending on your calving weather) & scrunchies for that wild hair. If that doesn't tame things, just go ahead and get...

Rustic Rose's Farm Hair Don't Care sweater

The Bunkhouse silk scarves. Nicole always has the best scarves, but if you are a little more artistic than I am, you'll need to snatch up one of her Color Me scarves. That's right, you can make your own design! There are also the coolest kids scarves in the Color Me collection to keep your kids busy (maybe while you've ran out to the barn to check on a mama!). 

Sweatpants. While you're at The Bunkhouse, you'll definitely need to grab "the cows don't care" sweatpants because who actually wears pants under their carhartts? 

Some friends of mine had GREAT suggestions for keeping those legs warm, too. One suggested Lulu Lemon lined studio pants & the other suggested good ol' classic wind pants over your yoga pants. She made a great point... its much easier to run from a cow in yoga pants than carhartts! ;) Plus I love the wind pants idea because you could put them over anything and still have clean pants underneath. 

Ciara Sandum Photography Go-Mugs because you'll need alllllll the coffee for those long days (and nights). Mental Note: Restock the Baileys ASAP! And of course I'm going to encourage you all to get the mug with our Whiskey Creek Ranch heifers on it ;) but Ciara has lots of cute go-mugs to choose from!

I don't know about you all but calving time for us usually coincides with little sleep. Whether its waking up to check calves or an overactive brain once we do lay down, I've recently found a few things that help us get back to sleep fast.

Essential oils in the diffuser. My favorites are eucalyptus or peppermint as they make me feel like I'm at the spa :). Lavender, chamomile, bergamot and ylang-ylang are also supposed to be great for sleep, but I'm new to this oil thing and stick with the ones I know, ha! 

The best way to ensure you fall asleep after a cow check... don't get out of bed! We use our ipad (bigger screen than our phones) to check the camera- that way you don't even get cold 99% of the time. A blog post on our calving camera systems coming soon, since I consider them 100% necessary to our operation! 

And finally, here is a list of random unnecessary necessities I like to stock up on in the house before calving as you never know when you're going to get to town...
​
1. Bailey's (no joke, it had to be in here twice)
2. COFFEE. All the coffee. 
3. Vitamins C & D and Cold FX (also recommended by friends on Insta- a must have!)
4. Yeast & bread flour... If you don't have one, invest in a bread maker. There is nothing yummier (and more satisfying) that pushing a button and having a warm loaf of bread or buns when you come in from a cold calving check. Trust me, you'll look like a hero!
5. Meal Prep. Yes I don't leave the farm during calving. I'm here all day nearly every day for weeks on end... but that doesn't mean I want to be cooking ;). So I try to make things a little easier on myself by prepping some meals and a lot of snacks that I can pull out of the freezer and warm with minimal effort. More on that to come! 
​6. Kids activities. This is a new one for me. My three year old is BUSY. And when I need to rip out to the barn for a few minutes or do a check where I don't want to burn 15 minutes dressing/undressing a toddler, its best to have her busy. Hello DOLLAR STORE! Anything crafty, and I'm there. (Minus paint, because we all know how that turns out unsupervised). 
7. Batteries for those flashlights/headlamps. Check and see what sizes you need and stock up. Also for those kids toys ;) 

Married with Cows is BACK! And it feels so good. Its been a hot sec, but I have recently been inspired to get back in the saddle and get writing again. The long version will come in another post, but the short version is maternity leave is making me miss the creativity and interaction with producers that my off-farm job provided. I can't say I'll be consistent (#momlife, am I right?). I can't say I am an expert at anything, but I can tell you I'll pop in here to provide my opinions on agriculture, ranch life and probably some momming too. If you're into it, follow along! 

I know it can be scary. I know it takes time and effort, and sometimes the response can be negative. But its also completely necessary (and most times the response is actually very positive!). When most consumers (our CUSTOMERS) are two to four generations removed from the farm, we have an obligation (and its in our best interest) to educate them on their food (our PRODUCTS). In any other industry would a business let rumors and incorrect assumptions live freely without correction? We need to set the record straight- and what better way to get that message out than for our customers to hear it straight from the horses mouth? 

Here are a few great suggestions of infographics you can post on #CdnAgDay about Canadian Beef. Just be sure to post from trusted sources. My favorites are the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Canada Beef, Beef Cattle Research Council and Canadian Cattlemen's Association. A new one I have recently been enjoying is Alberta On The Plate! **Remember to tag them when you post so consumers know where to go to find out more! 

Still too nervous to AGvocate? That's ok. There are resources to help! Two courses I have taken online that have really helped me to become confident agvocating are the Beef Advocacy Canada on the cattle side, and Crop Life Canada's Certified Crop Science Consultant on the crop side of things. Both are longer module based learning with assignments to ensure you are grasping the concepts, but both are really valuable courses. While they may not be courses you will complete before Tuesday's #CDNagday, I would HIGHLY encourage you to put them in your 2022 Goals to complete! 

In case you remember from the 2016 blog called Our Cow/Calf Tagging System, I am a bit particular when it comes to keeping track of cows and writing down records. At the time, we had quite an extensive record keeping system we developed through Excel. As much as we love a good spreadsheet, we were wanting a bit easier system (where I didn't have to write the code) to keep our cow/calf records up to date. Enter, HerdTrax.

HerdTrax is a herd management software developed by Dr. Troy Drake, which allows you access to carcass data. Once you enroll in HerdTrax, you can choose to retain ownership of your cattle until harvest, through Dr. Drake's extensive list of feedlots. Once harvested by Cargill, you are able to see the carcass data from your actual calves, link it back to their dams and sires, and make management decisions that benefit both you and the feeder. The idea is that you can cull the cows that don't make you money, and invest in the cows that do. 

Now. I'm not here to tell you what to do, or even that this is the best software out there. However, I am here to share with our readers what has worked for us. On the data entry side of things, HerdTrax is fairly simple to use. While not in an actual App form, you can use HerdTrax on your phone, ipad or computer, to enter data as you complete work on the ranch. We enter individual treatments, calving records, breedings and pasture movements on the go. Because I am somewhat of a worry wart, I do still write down herd treatments, group vaccinations, etc on paper, entering them into HerdTrax later. I know, I know, I shouldn't be doing that in this day and age, but I am secretly an 80 year old Grandma who doesn't trust my entry skills, or that my phone won't crash and somehow lose all my data (I don't think that can even happen). 

Being an excel gal, I do notice the odd weird glitch or inconvenience in the HerdTrax software, but honestly, whenever I do, I email Dr. Drake and he fixes it. It's an easy to use program, has all the data fields I was looking for, and can even allow you to upload up to 6 photos for each animal (hallelujah!). Overall, I haven't found any other software programs I prefer.

On the data sharing side of things, this software is pretty legit. When we retain ownership of our calves, the data is shared directly with the feedlot and I can see how all my calves are performing right until harvest. I also love the fact that I get carcass data back, allowing us to make management decisions that actually impact our product. Thinking back, it was actually crazy that we were selling a food product, but had no idea how that product yielded, tasted, looked or sold to consumers. WHAT?! In any other industry that would be insane. Only lately, through programs like HerdTrax or the CRSB pilot, is data being shared all the way from producer to harvester. And since all your data is at a click of a button, even if you're not retaining ownership through HerdTrax, you can email that data to anyone that wants it (perhaps a new marketing tool?). All i can say is it was time, beef industry, it was time! 

I couldn't believe the cows that were making me (and the feeder) the most money. Let me tell you, it wasn't always my favorite cow with perfect composition and seemingly high weaning weights. Sometimes it was, but not always. Sometimes its that ugly cow in the corner that surprises you. We need to, as cow/calf producers, start looking under the hide to improve our profit margins.

But, I'll get off my high horse now. Have a read, maybe visit the HerdTrax site, and maybe give it a try. It might not be for you. But i would be going against the reason I started this blog if I didn't share with you guys something I found that works and adds value to our operation. 

Until next time, 

Jess 

It's hard to believe this wild little girl is one! Although, its also hard for us to remember life on the ranch without her. She has helped us wean calves, preg-check cows, vaccinate the herd, feed, calve, and now shes working on putting up feed for another year. We are so proud to be able to share agriculture and ranching with our little girl, and hope she enjoys the lifestyle as much as we do!