My kids are the sixth generation to live on our family farm in central Iowa. When I was growing up on the same farm, I’m pretty sure I didn’t know what that meant, as in I didn’t know the importance of our family’s legacy.

My kids are also the third generation to show cattle. Seeing the pictures of my dad and aunt with their 4-H calves from the 1950s and 1960s is a really cool part of our history. I love hearing the stories of when they took their calves to the county and state fair, and then later when my dad was the beef herdsman at Michigan State University, and they took cattle to the International in Chicago and Angus Futurity in Lexington. I still have a few pictures of the champions they showed through the years.

Cattle have been part of my life since I can remember. Quietly peeking in on a momma cow calving in our old barn or tying up a potential show calf for the first time are great memories I share with my dad and brother.

I claimed one of my older brother’s show heifers when I was 8. I didn’t want to wait until I was 9 to show, and he needed an extra hand anyway since he had two that year. It was certainly the beginning of something I love and that I still do 40 years later. We were blessed to show some good ones through the years and bring home some championships, and it’s fun to say all but one of the heifers we showed were home-raised.

When you grow up on a farm and showing cattle, the big shows are your vacation. I can say we met some of the best people and had great experiences at our annual vacation to the National Junior Angus Show each summer. I could tell you I had 10 second-place cattle at that show and never a first, but that might be what made me work harder every year. It’s also what has helped me want my kids to have success to continue the legacy that’s bred into them from both sides of their pedigree.

The next generation

My kids have the privilege to have cattle in the same barn as generations before. We don’t really think about it being a legacy at the time it’s happening. Learning to raise an animal and making sure they have the best care possible is what we do every day.

Just as I met some of my closest friends at cattle shows, I’m sure my kids would say they have met some great people, too. Continuing a legacy of what those have done before you isn’t just doing it, but it’s also doing it at the best of their ability.

As my daughter’s junior show career has come to a close, we can already think back to what has made it successful. Yes, the purple ribbon is the ultimate goal, but the learning and hard work that go along with it are what will make her and her brother successful in life. The passion she has built for the industry will help her continue the legacy in front of her.

My son has a few years left to show and has been patient with the process, helping his sister a lot. Now it is his turn to shine. Thankfully, all the skills he has learned along the way will lead to success as well.

Everyone in agriculture has a different story, and everyone has a legacy to share. It doesn’t matter if you are the sixth generation on a farm or the first. What you do today will affect those who come after you.

What is your legacy?

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