News

Aug 22, 2023

Summer heat and social media

Jaclyn Wilson Social media was in fine form last week. The YouTube video by Peter Santenello that was filmed almost a year ago for some reason ended up in algorithm land and jumped up by 100,000

Jaclyn Wilson

Social media was in fine form last week. The YouTube video by Peter Santenello that was filmed almost a year ago for some reason ended up in algorithm land and jumped up by 100,000 views. I had no clue this was going on until the emails and website subscribers started to roll in. For the most part, the emails are harmless, but good heavens there are some unique individuals out there. I’m finding out the more outreach that happens, the more introverted and hermit like I become.

I could never imagine sending headshots of myself to someone I saw on social media. Like, “Here’s an 8x10 to hang on your refrigerator. Sorry I didn’t include the ‘Beef-it’s what’s for dinner’ magnet so you’ll think of me.”

The good of social media definitely outweighs the bad, but sometimes I just shake my head at the pure stupidity. In other social media news, I was called a fraud this week. Some good ole Ohio farmer thought he’d respond to a Twitter post of mine that was asking for hints to deal with excessive heat and humidity by saying agriculturists would know how to deal with that so I must be a fraud.

For some context, there is some killer heat going on right now in western Nebraska, along with a little higher humidity than normal, but I’m heading to Jamaica this week to the Denbigh Agricultural Industrial show, and it’s looking like a real feel of 105 and up, with 80% plus humidity. Something this rancher is not used to. I’m not sure who in their right mind heads to Jamaica in August, and I may be questioning my sanity, but it will hopefully be an amazing trip sharing the U.S. beef message, as long as I don’t melt.

So back to being a fraud, I will admit there are comments once in a while that I bust out laughing at, and this was one of them. Then I got to really thinking, and I came up with a list that definitely makes me a fraud.

I love the shoe brand On and prefer to work in them and a ball cap. I wear untucked T-shirts. The last belt buckle I got was from the National Western Stock Show when I was in high school. I don’t own a pair of coveralls. I love to wear ski pants and a beanie in the winter time. I usually look like a ski bum, not a cowpoke.

I drive a pickup but refuse to get a grill guard because I think they don’t look "feminine." Once in a while, if a steak is just barely inedible, I will use ketchup. I refused to be "rear admiral" when testing bulls in high school. This has become the running ranch joke for so long that everyone else volunteers for the job so I’ve never had to do it.

I pull a calf without calf pullers, and I like dark beer instead of Coors light. In the winter, I will get a manicure every couple of weeks. The only reason is my fingers will split out if I don’t, but he doesn’t need to know that. Once in a great while, someone else will saddle my horse. I struggle with backing up a vehicle, but we won’t say it’s because I’m so used to having a trailer on that I have to adjust for that reason.

The point of the story is: if being a full-time rancher, owning your own cows, paying half of all the ranch bills, and making all of the livestock decisions constitutes me as fraud, so be it. But don’t worry, if I’m ever in Ohio and see you with a flat tire alongside the road, I’ll pull over and change it, just for you.

While I’m saying this all tongue-in-cheek, because I do find a lot of humor in stuff like this on social media, it’s a good reminder. A positive pro ag message goes a long way. If you are going to be out there, spreading a pro ag message, no matter what affiliate you belong to or what industry you are a part of, remember, if you start tearing them down, who is going to tell your story?

I’ve been hearing multiple rumors the last couple of weeks that I’m running for legislature. I have no desire whatsoever to run for legislature and have no intention of running, period. Why? Because there are too many topics out there that I just don’t care about.

I see it time and time again, the brutality that politicians have to deal with from constituents. No thank you. I feel a politician’s job is to not push their own agenda but to listen to their constituents. The way some people act nowadays- nope, notta, and no thank you. It’s the same message as above. While there are some good people in office today, fewer and fewer are running, because they are burnt out on the naysayers.

Since that was quite a soap box this week, let’s get onto something else. Haying is a struggle. I started swathing the first hay meadow this weekend after the pivots with the intent that if I got half of it done before I had to leave south, I could use it as a good excuse to not swath the other half. That half is my nemesis and I can not win.

Last year, by the fifth time the Boss Man had to come pull me out within a time span of a couple hours, I got demoted. Granted, the demotion may have been by choice, but he was in agreement, and that was during a drought. I try not to do idiotic things repeatedly, so in order to get out of it, the smartest decision seemed to be to leave the country. All joking aside, the rain keeps coming, so we have nothing to complain about with being behind on haying.

Something really unique that has been going on the last week is a flock of long billed curlews that have taken up a short residence at our feedlot pivot. Curlews are usually around, but the largest group I’ve ever seen at one time is less than 20. This flock has over 100 that roost on a sandbar out in the pivot lake and then fly out and partake in the grasshopper population. They have been neat to see as they were once considered nearly threatened. While I know they will be migrating soon, I hope they return and remember the hospitality along with all the free food.

Hopefully I’ll find some air conditioning in hot, humid Jamaica to write next week’s article and share about what producers are doing in the Caribbean. Until then, say something nice to someone and stay cool.

Jaclyn Wilson is more than a rancher, raising Red Angus cattle at Wilson Ranch near Lakeside, Nebraska. She’s an artist with a welder’s torch. She holds leadership positions with several agriculture organizations. She can be reached at [email protected]. This column represents the views of one person and are not necessarily the opinion of the Midwest Messenger.

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