The Impact of 4H

Ever wonder what it means to participate in 4H? We welcomed Kate Lyden into the studio this week to share about the impact 4H has made in her life, and how - even as an adult - it continues to influence her life!

Transcript

I've tried to explain to Rhett like the life lessons he's learning in 4H, you know, and having to do something every day, like how many people work with people or I try to hire people almost every week and it's like some of these skill set of just like, be consistent, like literally, I think I woke Rhett up three times since August to go out and feed his calf.

Yeah. And it wasn't that I had to tell him to, like, make him go do it. It was just he slept in. I'm like, hey, but and I think it's really interesting. I was not a ten year for member. I didn't start for eighth grade and just the impact, like I didn't do ten years. I only did what, five?

And I felt like, well, close to five. And I felt like it was it's crazy. Like I put that much passion in me that I'm like, okay, well, I want to do it. I want my kid to do it. And I want to be involved still.

Welcome. This edition of the Hoel Truth podcast. Today, my special guest is Kate. And, we got the honor to meet Kate when, we, had the opportunity. We're going to kind of theme this on some community impact that we've gotten the honor to do in the last year.

And, the Rush County Horse and Pony Club had reached out to us to see if we could help them out. So, absolutely. We took that opportunity. So we just wanted to get Kate in here, kind of chat about the horse and pony club and what that means. Because one thing it is, it is away from the regular fairgrounds, you know, during fair week.

So I know that they sometimes don't get, you know, the spotlight or the attention the other fair, kiddos get and just kind of like what that organization means, what it looks like to be part of that club. And you can take a second, introduce yourself and tell us about your family. Oh, my name's Katelyn Lyden and I have lived in Rush County now since December of 2021.

And, I am married to my husband, Matt, and we have a daughter named Madeline. She's just now getting ready to do clover buds this year, so that's really exciting. But I knew before, she was old enough to do Clover Buds that I wanted to be part of the community because I knew for it was big growing up for me.

So I wanted her to be part of that. And we just, my husband and I actually are both clover bud leaders. But unfortunately, due to his job, he's not able to come to all the meetings as much as I am. And, so, yeah, I've been part of horse and pony now for three years. Actually been a leader for three years.

And then, we are located out by the highway department. It's very close over there. And, it's like right behind it. And our fair days are the two days before the fair starts. So we do get a little outshined by other, you know, projects, but we it's just an important as to, you know, the kids that do that as their only project.

So how many kids are involved in, the horse and pony. So we have 17, which ranges from kindergarten through 12th grade. And then every once in a while we had last year we only had 15. So we are growing. So that's exciting. But, let's, you know, very intense project. It's not like one that you get from in January and then you give it back, you sell it at the fair.

You have to keep it the whole year. And it's even actually better when you have a bond with it. So, you know, you work performs a little better for you. So, yeah, my son's doing cattle this year, and I may have said, man, lambs or pigs or a whole hell of a lot easier. Oh, definitely. Yeah. Getting a calf in August and showing it, you know, in July.

But anyways, what is, kind of tell your story because it's kind of unique how you and Matt landed here in Rush County. Yeah. I've gotten a chance to know you through, Dave Ramsey's principles, FPU class and and stuff like that. So I kind of know the story, but to me, it's kind of neat because I'm not a Rush County born guy.

You know, I've been here long enough that kind of feel like I'm grandfathered in, but, you know, it's it's still kind of cool how people end up, you know, end up where they end up at. Yeah. So I'm definitely a transplant for sure. I originally am from Indiana, so I lived in Whiteland. My whole life. And, like Franklin area, most people don't know Whiteland and but they know Franklin.

And, I had was going to join the Army, and I was a little too pudgy for that. So I joined the Navy instead. I was I'm sorry. I'm not politically correct. Sometimes I laugh, I like, you know, fine. And, so I joined the Navy and I joined the Navy when I was 23. And I went out to, I got stationed out of Virginia, because they ran out the female berthing on the aircraft carrier.

So it's just interesting. My husband, he had just gotten, he was in the Navy as well, and he had just gotten to the command we were at, and he and I, I don't know why, just because we were both from Midwest. Because he's originally from Ohio. And, we just hit it off and we went to move to Maryland because he got out before I did, and then we moved to Maryland cause I was still in and, we had Madeleine and, my parent, my grandparents came out and they just looked real old.

And it was really sad. And I was like, man, we need to move back. And he was like, well, where are you want to move? And I'm like, not by your family. So hopefully, no, hopefully. That's like, that's what's there's no we knew we didn't want to live that close. And so then we moved. We actually looked at a house in Newcastle and that house, when we were buying our house, we were using our GI Bill or the GI VA loan.

And they have certain criterias in the house. And we drove 12 hours to look this one house and I our was like, you drove 12 hours and we're like, yeah, this is the house we want. And she's like, it's not going to hit. It's not going to check any of the VA loan boxes. So we're like, okay.

So we went back to the hotel and finally she's like, hey, there's a house in Rushville. And I was like, oh, okay. And so we went actually that we put that in the address and wrong. And we started off on the north side of town. We drove through all the way and it was like right before the Christmas parade.

So we took all the cute little lights and stuff, and it reminded Matt a lot of where he's from in Ohio. And then we get to our house and are like, oh, we love it. And three other people put an offer in that day. So we had, we had to fight for our house. And anyway, so we ended up in Rushville and it's really funny.

My, we were middle between his family in Ohio and my family that lived in Paoli, which is down like French Lake area. And, wouldn't you know, like six months after we moved Rushville, my mom and dad moved to Greensburg. So they they it's really funny. So we see them pretty frequently now. So it's really nice to be back in Indiana.

And I think Matt is slowly learning to be a Hoosier, but he'll always be root for the Buckeyes, that's for sure. That's good. I'm proud of that. So no, but it is really nice that it's to be back local and be, you know, I can always go over and see, like my sisters live in, Greenwood now so we can pop over there.

And like I said, earlier, like, my grandparents live in Putnam County, so it's really nice to, like, still be close. And, but it's also like, I think one of the things is, like, Matt feels very much like his home is in Rushville now to where it should be for like he had lived away from his family for so long that it's nice that he kind of feels like the it's like the camaraderie and not really camaraderie, you know, community feeling that we got we've gotten some from Rushville, but being that, when you go somewhere and you're like, oh, I'm Kate Leyden and they're like, oh, who you're related to?

And you say, no one. They're just blown away by that. Like, oh, how are you not related to anyone? So I think that's really like kind of fun because we're getting some new blood. Yeah. They're like, oh, okay. Like we're how'd you get here? Then? You have to tell the whole story. At least I do. And well, and, you know, and I remember, you know, you kind of hit on something there when you're like, you're when you seen.

Did you say you seen your parents? Yeah. My grandparents came out to visit. Parents were all like, yeah, I mean, we moved to Nashville for me and for me to work for Dave Ramsey. And I remember like, when my dad came down, I was like, Holy shit, I think he's aged five years and literally 2 or 3 months.

Like, literally that's that's all I had been. Yeah. And to to me it was end up just being that he was having foot problems that day, but still like it kind of dawned on me like, and that was, you know, that that was the reason we moved back so quick. Yeah. It, it really it is sad and like, I don't maybe it's just because we hadn't seen him in a while and then like they had had smells like same health issues.

And it was just really like wow, I don't wanna miss it. I, you know, I grew up next, like we literally went grandma grandpa's house every weekend or maybe even a couple times through the week. And I want to make sure Marilyn had that as well. So I just as much as I say, oh man. So my parents are so close.

But I do love it. Like, you know, we if you need something, they're always there. So it's really nice. Yeah. And I mean and what you know and this the small community though like just to have that the Midwest like some people just they just they don't understand that. And you know, it is it is genuinely nice, you know, especially after you've been here 20 years, like I said, like you, you kind of feel like you're, you know, grandfathered in.

You know, when we say we lived in Maryland, we did have a little bit of a little bit of community, but it's just mostly the people that had gotten out of the Navy about the same time we had. And so, like, we knew each other, that's that was really the only like, like, we'll say our distance family, we made them our family.

But now, like being able to know that this is our house, we're not moving again. Like, knock on wood. We moved a couple times. But like to be able to have friends that, like we've had now for almost five years, like, it's nice to like, hey, you guys want to go do something? Or, like, their kids are very close to similar age and like having that, like there they all go to school together.

Like, that's really nice. I feel like that was something I enjoyed, like living where I live growing up. And like, Matt had the same thing. Like he went to school with all those kids for 12 years and sometimes 13 and, and, and it's just it's really nice that like they were able to do like we have that now here at Rushville.

So, what what is what is your responsibility like your, your club leader for the horse, apparently then. Yeah. So I am one of three. So we have three. There's myself, Ashley Rapp and Amanda Davis. And so I do more, I do the Facebook page. I do all of the, the billing. I it's the worst part of it, I think, or like, making sure we have the funds and stuff there and then Ashley does all of the paperwork side, like she makes sure we have all the, documents and stuff we need.

And then Amanda does the half pipes, which is like kindergarten through second graders. So it actually works out really well to divide and conquer, because it's it's a lot for if one person had to do it. And then for Clover Buds, myself and Caleb or the other, the other leader in Matt sometimes. So we do like the activities and we try to expose those kids to the younger kids, like kindergarten to second graders.

To what, for ages and like the different projects you can do. Because a lot of people think that when you think of forage, you think of animals, but for each has a variety of different things, like everything from Lego sets all the way up to like you can do, baking to, you know, even like a, poster if you didn't really want to, you know?

So there's a lot you can do. What, what is the clover buds look like? And, I mean, this is pretty bad. I'm asking this question with Gen, there's not even prep in the question. Like, I don't even know. I've tried to Clover, but kids, I guess technically. What what does that look like? Because, you know, forage numbers have been down unfortunately.

And you know like so how how do we get more kids involved? You know what what what does the clover buds, you know, look like? I before you take over, my kids are going to eat, show a calf. And the, I mean, they call it a runt class and. Yeah, show, but, so they're they're each going to I mean, they're they're working.

Regan's already. She's not in for it. She's already showed. She's gonna she's going to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think she showed it to shows already and plans on showing some more of this summer. So what? So if, the biggest thing is, if for the cattle. I don't show cattle personally right now, I know melon that's on her bucket list, so we might not go high end, but we'll get there.

But for for for clover bud kids, they, you can either bring your own animal that you've been working with, but you have to have make sure you talk to the extension office over in the courthouse and get your RFID tag. And that's the same with swine if you're doing it that way. And then, they the bigger thing is, is we have to you have to have an adult assist you.

Yes. I know a lot of kids are like, well, I work with my home with no help, but that's our big safety thing. Just because there's a lot of different, you know, there's a lot more moving parts when you go to the fair, like, everybody is out there, not just, you know, what we've been working with at home.

And, so that's the same that then they have to they will have to sign a waiver, but that's just a minor detail. And then, when they have to be enrolled, for each online. So, and then we ask that they come to a Clover board meeting, which is, on the second Tuesday of the month.

But that's not a hard, you know, line in the sand. But most of the time, the kids, they, most of them have older siblings, so that you kind of have an idea of what you're doing already. But they can either reach out to me on Facebook and I can walk you through it, or the extension office is a great resource as well.

Those ladies over there are like their best, best things. So as long as you don't tell my daughters that about horses, maybe I'll bring them to Clover. But maybe the thing of it is for horses, you you can, you can always lease one so you don't have to be the financial commitment. So just saying so it's crazy.

It's funny though. My daughters have went to every four H meeting with RET besides the first one like oh that's awesome. They came home and they found out there was refreshments. Oh, and then they're like, we have. Or for me, then I was like, no, no, your brother has his for each meeting and I and it's, it's funny because they they love it.

They want to go and then rip burgers live right up the road or in the same for each club. There's a couple of them that's younger. So they go to. So it's just, it's, it's funny just because like I said, like my kids were, they were all about it. I was just like, man, I dreaded like, it's like, oh, I got to go to this freaking meeting.

You know, I say like, I have love. That's like my favorite part of being a leader is that, I have two seniors this year, and I've known them now that were my first kids that I really got, like, you know, they were like, oh, hi, Kate. Like, you know, the outs. So, like, it's like a little tear in my heart because, like, those kids, like, I've seen them grow and, like, that's the best part.

I feel like for each, like, you see them improve every year, like your their interest changes and stuff like, and even like, I mean, it's one thing you see your own kid do it, but then to see like your kid interacting with the other kids, like, I don't know, that's just the best part. And like, they become like your extended family because you see them all the time, like you said.

And you, you're like, oh, how's things doing? And like, you can see when they're down, you see when they when like it's going to cry. Well and like even this weekend I went to help the buddy. He needed to give a couple of, a cow and a heifer a shot just to, just to have him cycle so he could get him bread and like, he was, like, trying to pay me for it.

I'm like, no, we're buddies. We help each other out. But it's just this to hear the kids, just to hear Kaylee, like, talk to me about her calf. And, you know, it's all I love asking them, like, what's its name? Because, you know, it's, you know, all over the board. They have some and it and then it's always a cool story, like, you know, my son had a story named Black Smoke because diesel trucks pour out black smoke.

So, you know, it's good logic. Like, and I won't say the word that my kids want to name their next one, for next year. It may be it may, it may be it may be a shadow ban with the world we live in. But anyways. But no, I mean, honestly, like, no, you're you're right. It's in.

It's fun. They're like the see the excitement and you know, I, I've tried to explain to Rhett like the life lessons he's learning in 4H, you know, and having to do something every day, like how many people work with people or I try to hire people almost every week and it's like some of these skill set of just like, be consistent, like literally, I think I woke Rhett up three times since August to go out and feed his calf.

Yeah. And it wasn't that I had to tell him to, like, make him go do it. It was just he slept in. I'm like, hey, but and I think it's really interesting. I was not a ten year for member. I didn't start for eighth grade and just the impact, like I didn't do ten years. I only did what, five?

And I felt like, well, close to five. And I felt like it was it's crazy. Like I put that much passion in me that I'm like, okay, well, I want to do it. I want my kid to do it. And I want to be involved still. And like growing up in early, like I was, it didn't didn't faze me at all.

I think they were saying like, very, you know, your drive, you could have got six years in if you're taking 13 years of school, you know, next time. What what are some things that the, the horse and pony club, that you guys are involved in? I know earlier you're mentioned some things before we went live, so we, last year we were really fortunate enough to go and help the United Way do, their fundraiser.

They did a bicycle race. That's the five bridges. And, we were able to be a water stop for that. And that was us in changing footsteps. We were we partnered together, and, that was really nice. We've done the diaper packing. I think it's the Milroy, the Milroy Food pantry. So that was really nice to be able to help that.

And, there was another one we've done carrying right now, but, looks like it's. Yeah. You know, it's it's all right. It's that formal. Yeah. Okay. And then like, we've also had a lot, of, lot of help from the Rush County Community Foundation. So I had never written a grant before, and actually and I sat down and like, we kind of, like, figured out how to do that.

And so we haven't had a lot of help from the Rush County Community Foundation. They actually, granted us the award of, we got new bleachers. So those are going to be out there this year. So that'll be really exciting. We haven't put them together yet, but there's some great dads in our club, so they'll be putting those together soon.

But there was so we also like I know last year we did fundraising for the roof. And I know that's where you stepped in and you were like, hey, like, how how close are you to your goal? And we knew we weren't anywhere close from just by selling pulled pork sandwiches and during the couple of open shows that we had.

But, I know last year you helped us out a lot with that so that we have a they have a banner out front for you this year. Thank you. So other than that, we have done quite a few things and it may seem like there's kids that do, like they volunteer at the Brooks Equine and they do like side walkers for the kids that need help, staying on the horses.

So they do that as, like, a kind of like a physical therapy and like a speech therapy. So that's one thing that I think is really interesting. Like, horses have a lot of different avenues that they can take as far as, like how they, like some people like for our veterans point of view, you can like, you see a lot of veterans that do equine therapy and that kind of thing.

And even like just being like, I have horses at home and we just you just go out there and it's just your whole leg day lifts off of you when you're out there. I mean, very similar, like when you're on any animal. But I feel like horses for sure. Like they're just sometimes they're crazy. Other times you're like, man, I really love you.

Like other times you're like, man, you could go up the road. I wouldn't mind. So but the bad thing is, it's like, I feel like. So when I was did forage, I showed cows and goats. And if you got mad, you, you know, you can eat them, but horses, you can't do that. Okay. So people must be it's frowned upon upon, frowned upon.

You know for sure. I mean, my wife is bad. You know, if we meet somewhere, say, hey, I'm pretty sure that was horse. Yeah. I don't think that it is crazy. Like when you go from having, like, farm fresh cattle, like, you know, steaks and you're like, or even ground beef. So you can tell a huge difference. Even, like when you cook it down, like, say you go to, like, another chain store and then you're like, oh, well, you can't, you know, you can definitely tell it cooks differently in like what used to be a pound is now like a quarter like, I don't know, it's not super different.

No. That's, that's funny because, like, that's one thing that I've tried to teach my kids, like, we have to sell a cow tonight. That we bought that was supposed to be bred to have a baby. And she hadn't had a baby, hadn't had a baby, and didn't have a real solid, like, pregnancy data on her. And then I was telling a buddy there, dad, he's like, how long are you going to keep her before you see if she's pregnant?

Well, she's not pregnant. She's an older cow. And I mean, my little Raegan like started bawling. I like, I started telling her up like cancel on her. I was like, sweetie, I love you. She's an older cow. I was like, this is what we have to do. Like, you know. And I just told her, I'm like, it's, you're going to learn a lot of lessons here.

And then this. And I said, you tell me if you want me, that's you want her to leave during the middle of the day. You she'll leave one meal a day and you'll end, you know, you'll come home and she'll be gone. She's like, no, I want to take one last picture with her the night, because, I mean, Reagan would go out in the field, and I'm not exaggerating once or twice a day and give this frickin cow a hug.

And she would be like, hey, dad, so love you should text Michelle, the lady that used to owner, and let her know I hugged Ariel the day and I'm like, Reagan, I can't text her three times a day. Reagan's hugging Ariel, you know? But it's like it's it is tough. That's. I feel like the hardest part. Like, so weeks that we had goats this past.

We've had them since I was our first animal we got during Covid. I was like, we have our I was our gateway animal. And anyway. And we were since as we have, we had the goats and we, they moved in with us and they moved across the country with us and we actually just rehomed them. And Madeline was like, but mom, they were home at our house.

And I was like, but, you know, so it is tough, like for your kids to have to explain, like, we know we'll get another one like that. But it is tough. And like, especially, I feel like maybe for beef cattle would be a little challenging because you're going to eat it. But then I will say, like when I showed cows, one of them drug my dad around after he had a knee replacement and we took a picture of it, put it on the dinner table with it while we were eating the beef, and it made it a lot better.

Dark sense of humor, but. Well. And my boy is kind of boy and, you know, he's like, oh yeah, we're going to eat that one. And I'm like, stop it. And then his his one Show heifer, he freaking adores. And I said, we're going to eat. We're just we're not going to breed Maggie. We're going to eat her.

And he's like no or not. So but yeah, well you get a sense. You have three. You have one that's in the middle that's like, this is a circle of life. It's okay. We're like, you have one that's like, no, we can't the other. But fortunately, I think they all understand that God created them to eat them. Eat them.

But my young son Riley is a female version of me, and I'm kind of worried if I'm being honest. She's like, because she is a spitfire. Like, she walked up the wall on the sales guys the other day and was like, why aren't you working more? I mean, she literally sat down beside him right in that conference room, just plop down right beside and looked at.

I was like, you should be working. Yeah, but I feel like maybe if I'm coming from a kid, they're like, oh, you know, kids, they they're harsh, they're honest. Everybody around here knows my kids are, you know, they, you know, but but it's it's also funny to from the kid's perspective like, you know, the kids were talking about going the Mahoney Valley church camp, and they know Adam spends a week out there every summer volunteering out there.

So like, they're like, we're going to ask Adam. They had a list of questions to ask Adam. So like, that's that's also fun. Like, our kids are so are so involved in here, you know, some days I might get out of the office so these people can get something done. I pay them the work. Not to answer your questions.

But it's good that, like. Like Madeline's very similar. She's like. Like very similar to me. Like, doesn't know stranger. But then you look back and you're like, man, maybe you should teach her like stranger danger, like, you know, we were. Instead she's like, oh, hey, how are you? Like, you know, she'll come up and or, you know, when we were doing financial peace here, like she was, you know, just beaten the crap out of you.

Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. You I was like, I didn't I didn't teach her that. Like like, I don't know. It's it is interesting like how kids do just they do their own thing like. Yeah. But a lot of that does has to do with like when they see their parents out, if it's run in the business or if it's doing for if it's leading, like, you know, I always say that's probably one of the most important things my kids have probably learned from us running in the business.

And then being so involved is just to be able to talk to people. Yeah, that's, you know, like it's in the grand scheme of things, you know, and like I said, once again, like them seeing us get out of our comfort zone, them seeing us give back like it's they're going to naturally grow up and want to do that kind of stuff.

Like. Yeah. And you're saying earlier about for age and you know, the older kids helping the younger kids like my son's already had a couple people help him in his short, you know, for his career here so far. And he's already talking about a friend of ours, a little boy that's probably four. He's like, I can't wait to teach Dawson what I know about showing cars when he gets old.

Yeah. And like, so he and I, and I've preached to him and like, try to teach them like, hey, you know, Charles Jackman, him and Jenna just got married, like, I worked for doctor Rob. Emily worked for doctor Rob. Like, we've worked we've I've been a client of that family for 30 years. Since we moved over here.

But it's, you know, we got to support Charles, me and for h. And then now it's kind of cool that, you know, Crosby was nice enough. Came and fed to this heifer last fall at a show. Him and Courtney came out and helped just show them how to wash and yeah, tricks and that. So like that's that is that is the fun part of for ages.

And then you know, once you're involved in it, it's like, you know, it is I don't think that I'll ever not be a part of it. I just you can't see it like it's just so rewarding. Like it's neat. You know, even I know we had the previous leaders before they retired. They'd been in for 26 years. And you're like, I can see why.

It's it's very rewarding. And, you know, a lot of times it's just one of those things that you just keep doing it because it's part you just like a routine. Almost. So but we were talking about you were talking about, you know, you hope your kids see what you're doing. I think that that's that's great. And I feel like I try really hard not to like, let Madeline have, like, a lot of, you know, not just a lot of screen time or anything, but actually, she's sitting in there, but but, but what I'm saying is, like, I think that a lot of times, like, social media and stuff hinders kids.

They, they're so used to texting their friends versus or instead of, you know, giving up to give a presentation or to give, you know, like we have to do demonstrations as part of our project. You have to give one demonstration, we prefer to be on horse related or horse industry related topic, just to have that familiarity to get up and talk to people because that's all like it's all it's a fading art, almost at this point.

It's like it really is. And I go interview people. I mean, just like, and I, you know, I work remote from home and it's like I used to be in the office, but now, like, you kind of also like being remote. We lose on that. Add on that, like, you know, where you're around people and just, you know, a lot of that portion.

00:27:22:31 - 00:27:44:32
Unknown
Yeah. Okay. Yeah. You're. Like so and you know you lose that like kind of camaraderie between you and your work people because you don't you don't get to just talk to them. You know, side conversations here and there. But like I think that's one reason, like I did get so involved when I, when we first moved here is because, like, I work from home, I get, you know, I get kind of lonely.

00:27:44:32 - 00:28:09:27
Unknown
So I need that like interaction. So I, I enjoy it talking to anybody like, like, but I mean, there's a lady at the bank and I feel like she's like, oh, you're here again. Like, should something break time? Time. Sorry. Oh, oh, come on. I don't really do that. But it's just, you know, you're like, oh, but person.

00:28:09:31 - 00:28:27:15
Unknown
Well, especially, especially when you're a mom. And at that time when you have a young kid like, you know, like I'll never forget, like when I used to come home and Emily, when she had to talk, you know, a baby. And you know, that one time she had pretty much two toddlers and a baby. And then sometimes she's just like, I just want to have a normal conversation.

00:28:27:15 - 00:28:53:34
Unknown
And I'm like, no, I get it. It's so true. So yeah, it is so true. So yeah. But no, like I said, like I, I mean, for h, you know, for h did so much for me, you know, for H and FFA like, I, I really contribute to a lot of, of a lot of just the development and like, you know, you say like, you know, when you say four h pledges, FFA, creeds and stuff like that, like if you like.

00:28:53:39 - 00:29:14:42
Unknown
And I mean, they make you read them and you like Sam as a kid, but then when you revisit some of that stuff as an adult, you're like, holy cow. Like, you know, it's just it's it really it's really cool this to see, like, to me, it's always cool to see like highly successful people. And they're like, oh yeah I did FFA.

00:29:14:46 - 00:29:32:05
Unknown
Like there's a guy that is really big in the commercial roofing space known nationwide. And one time I posted a picture of my son with this for H cap. And he's like some of the best lessons he'll ever learn. I contribute a lot of my success. And I was like, Holy cow. Like that's I know that's that's kind of cool to hear.

00:29:32:05 - 00:29:51:58
Unknown
And, you know, and my kid will never understand how much money our kids will never spent staying for a long time, had money we spent on trying to teach him these life lessons. So we we got some bucket caps, like, two years ago, and we were like, oh, we're going to we're just going to have them. I don't know why we eat them yet, but, money growing up, my, my dad shoutout to my dad.

00:29:51:58 - 00:30:07:47
Unknown
He paid for everything. And now, like whenever we were starting to put these calves on Crep feed, I was like, man, this is expensive. And my dad's like, think about how much it was when you worked and now. So I'm like, man, I didn't ever appreciate that. And then you at the end of the year, you get your your auction check.

00:30:07:47 - 00:30:26:57
Unknown
And I was like, thanks dad. And he's like, nope. But it's funny. Like you're just like, you know, look, now I'm like, man, my dad, he sacrificed a lot for me to be able to show cows and, like, we when I was growing up in Whiteland, we lived, like, in the city limits. So I had my cows were at my uncle's house, and I had to ride my bike out there.

00:30:27:12 - 00:30:47:03
Unknown
And so I felt like I really wanted to show cows since I had to ride my bike the whole 2.6 miles out there. But it's just crazy. The things that like impact you like that, put it in like impressions, you know, like that's not the word, but but you know, like it's really does like I or the people that I've met, like I've reached out to them for like, you know, hey, I seen you guys selling show.

00:30:47:10 - 00:31:01:22
Unknown
She has goats. And I was like, hey, you guys go show goats. I have a kid over here that's looking for a goat, so it's really nice the connections and like the networking you get from being, you know, just, you know. Yeah, I did, FFA, but I wasn't I didn't do that as much as I did for each year, so.

00:31:01:27 - 00:31:18:21
Unknown
But yeah, it's very rewarding and it's nice to know like it's almost like its own, it's own little community. Like, you know, it's kind of like a bonding thing. Like you go anywhere. I'm like, oh, yeah, we do forage in this place. And they're like, oh yeah, we do that. And it's a great way to like also like what works for one club may not work for the other club, you know.

00:31:18:21 - 00:31:41:42
Unknown
So that's another thing that we've learned. You know, so that's really what I find most rewarding. And the people like I've met like wonderful people through forage, so I do I would say that I wish it wouldn't. I say this in two parts. One, I wish it wasn't so competitive, you know, like because I feel like this year at the fair, there's going to be a lot of great cows or no beef cattle and, you know, dairy cows.

00:31:41:46 - 00:31:58:09
Unknown
But at the same time, like, I wish it could go back to the original part where, you know, a home grown mom and dad calf could make good wind just as well as, expensive calf. But, you know, that's me not wanting to get into cows. I say that about horse. You want to go buy a nice horse like I.

00:31:58:09 - 00:32:16:56
Unknown
I see the fairness in me. I saw the conversation with you. I say, yeah, we're we're here to have fun. Yeah, but spend enough money. We're here to win something, too. Yeah, exactly. So but at the same time, you know, I do want them to know, like, it's not about the banners. It's not about the buckle. It's like it's about everything else that goes into it.

00:32:16:56 - 00:32:35:41
Unknown
I feel like everybody should. That's the revert back to. That's the sole purpose you're doing. That's not so because everybody wants to win. But. Well, it's funny because my three kids, you have Rhett, Reagan and Riley Reagan doesn't carry it could be the ugliest, worst calf in the world. It could be. You know, this is that's what gives hugs in my eyes.

00:32:35:41 - 00:32:55:35
Unknown
Let me rephrase that. But if it's cute in her eyes, like, I gotta breed a little, I gotta, I gotta poke a little competitive them into that girl. Because now my youngest one I want to tell you like that girl is going to take not going to take no for an answer. And I've already been warned that a couple people think she'll be the best showman out of any of my kids.

00:32:55:40 - 00:33:13:24
Unknown
And I don't want to speak badly. I don't want to speak down on my other kids. But like Riley is just. Rhett is not. He's not fierce enough when he walks into the ring. And a couple judges have mentioned that, and I like that comes. Yeah, you and I, I keep I've been coaching them a little bit like going there with that.

00:33:13:24 - 00:33:43:06
Unknown
I'm here to win mentality, especially in showmanship you know. Yeah. But you know, but little Riley, like she's and honestly, I tell him he's kind of soul because if you watch any of these shows, it's always girls that win showmanship like it's never boy. So I don't know if the boys aren't doing the showmanship as much or if it's just really hard to compete like a little girl with a little pink, you know, her little shirt on and like, you know, give them a light red color.

00:33:43:11 - 00:33:56:09
Unknown
We'll go. I will say, though, that a lot of kids like, I hope that this is the biggest thing that we're pushing this year at the fair is that if you mess up on your pattern, I know they do patterns and horses, but they don't really. You know, when you walk in, act like you never messed up. Just keep going.

00:33:56:09 - 00:34:14:00
Unknown
Like don't don't dwell on it. Just keep going. Like they may not even a solid like the judge, you know, that's the biggest thing is like, it's all right. Just keep rolling like so. But yeah, you know that your kids are so like there's so opposite in in how they are like one's real competitive and you got a middle, middle ground one.

00:34:14:10 - 00:34:43:58
Unknown
But really honestly though they're all three very interested in it. Like they all the little girls one used to get away with not going out to help feed in the morning. I said, absolutely not. Yeah. I was like, I know you're my princess, but I was like, get your ass out of bed, kids. So but I mean, they genuinely like, you know, they're they're excited and, you know, like you said, like, I was I mean, it was exciting last weekend going down to the burgers and just the kids talking and then coming home and telling mom about their calves.

00:34:43:58 - 00:35:03:41
Unknown
This and, you know, it's it's it's this color and it's, this is the name. And like, you know, like I said for for for h. And it just it's so good for the development. So do you guys to open shows to then. Yeah we've done some. Yes. We haven't done any this year technically. I just trying to get these heifers bred.

The one is knock on wood, hopefully the second one takes us. Yeah. You know, so but yeah, we went to some, we went to three. It's actually my son show five different shows last year. Last fall. So exciting. Yeah. It's a different experience to like go into those open shows versus like you're just county fair. You know, I mean it's that's I feel like if even if you can't go to show like going just to watch is a great because then you, you know, it goes back to networking and meeting new people.

Like, you might not know you need that person right now, but they might, you know, no, you're down the road. They'll be a great asset to you. So I feel like that's the big thing about I like, just go and watch and just see how things are done outside of Rush County, too. I think that's a big thing.

Not being from Rush County, like knowing that there's more than just what's at the county line. So like, I think that's a really important thing for people to learn too, is that, you know, just because you do it this way here doesn't mean it's the right. Not not the right way, but the only way. So, well, I made the mistake of, hey, Rhett, do you think you want to showcase.

Yeah, that's. I took them to the fair last. Last year. Yeah. So then he was like, this is what I want to do. Yeah. But that, you know, that's very competitive. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But he's like I said he's he studies though like he's very he's very knowledgeable. Like he studies what bulls what he even knows a lot of the bulls who like the genetic side of.

Yeah. Which is very like that's, that's where the world's going. Like I is now like the new like you don't need to just breed to the, you know, neighbor's cow. You can breed anywhere. Like, well, the crazy thing is the embryos, I mean, that's AI is kind of dying artificial inseminating right away. Not artificial internal intelligence, you know, but, really, in the show world, AI is dying more and it's more just embryos because they can flush them cows and get 20, 25 eggs every time they flush them.

So is that very similar than in, like, I guess, horse world? Like, you can take an embryo and put it in a reset mare and then, you know, it doesn't. That mare doesn't really need you, doesn't need to be anything fancy, but you can essentially just science. Yeah. So I know that's pretty neat. I know my, a couple of my friends have done, like, IVF personally, like, as a human.

And, I mean, that's science and craziness, too. Like it's crazy. Well, and also and, and I don't know, maybe this is as popular in the horse world, but sex, semen. So this podcast will get shadow banned. They're going to think we're, like, talking about, you know. No, but yeah. But like, no, I don't I and not we tried looking into, breeding one of our mares but like I just the the the end result is so risky, you know, I mean, yeah, you may get a foal, but you know, you could also die and like, wait, I didn't want to go through through that.

But, I mean, it's definitely if when you're in, when you have it down pat and you're good at it and you know what to do, like I think that's it's fantastic. And it definitely, you know, you could have a regular your own mare here at home. But if you want to breed to something better, I think that's a great, you know, thing.

Well and that's and that's what I'm teaching my son. Like, you know, everything in show is expensive. Okay. But literally, like when you can buy an embryo, like, I'm also trying to teach him the long game in life, like, you know, and if he goes and we buy some embryos and we put him in some cows, then he has to ten and take care of them cows and check them cows every day for nine months before they ever have.

Yeah. And then another six months after the cab before he ever really shows them like, you know, that's that's helping him get, you know, hopefully pretty high quality cattle at, you know, a fraction of the cost of waiting to buy it in the fall, which is nothing wrong with buying it in the fall from the guy that raised it.

Or you know, a guy that raised embryo calves, you know, but I will say like the it's just crazy how when you watch a calf or even I mean, I've seen calves, I've seen puppies and, you know, a couple other animals be born, but like that just you're just like, wow. Like, that's because of not because me.

But, you know, I mean, like, he he's going to see the whole circle of life. And I think that's most important, like when you're doing an animal project, like, you know, the whole cycle. Like the only problem is he's a nine year old boy and you know what? We're going to watch what we say here because we will get shadow band.

But yeah, like, they haven't seen any bulls breed any cows yet. So, you know, he's obsessed with saying wiener lately, so, yeah, we've been I and everything and putting eggs in at our house. So, we've had to take a couple to farms to get bred by the bull, but we just drop them off with the bull, so, you know, they don't they they don't see that.

So, yeah, they hate. It. And I was like, oh my God. I got a lot of editing to do on this damn podcast. Why are we doing this. This is like snip it together. Yeah. That's like no, but I mean, that's a whole do a whole conversation just on that stuff, but. Right. So anything, get no bleachers out there.

Anything else exciting for the horse and pony Club? We do have a pulled pork dinner coming up. That's between. We're selling tickets from now until the end of May, I think, to 23rd May. And then our. It'll be a drive through. So you just give us your tickets and you will handle your pulled pork sandwich some applesauce.

I think we're doing baked beans. I think I know, and, a cookie. So all that for $10? That's pretty good deal. It all goes towards, so for us, being we, like you were saying earlier in the show, we, we take care of all of our grounds work. We take care of all of our buildings. And then we have also pay for our most of our awards that come out of our club.

So all of that, benefits the club, all the funds, and we do clinics with the kids. Every once in a while, we'll have some people out to show them different things you can do within the equine industry. And, it's really I mean, like I said, those kids are work really hard. And so if you get a chance on Friday, the two that Friday and Saturday before the actual fair kicks off, that's when the kids will be out there showing their projects.

What is so the, drawing a blank here, for the food, fundraiser. The pulled pork part is that drive through there at the. Yeah, it'll we go down to pass the highway department. Excuse me. And you'll go in for me. You pull in there and it goes to the right, and then you'll go in, you'll give us your ticket, and we'll have some kids run out with your food to you.

It's pretty simple. So we did it last year. Because we were trying like that was what were doing for the roofing, fundraiser, and it worked really well. We had a really good turnout. And it, we had them all pre prepped. And so when they said I want to we just put two in a box and away we went.

So nice. Yeah. Anything else. Any future plans out there. Goals you guys are working on. Anything you want to share. Well I know we have, we have a new roof now. Thanks you guys. So that's worked out really well. It's beautiful. You're, like, pretty green and, I'm like, dear Helen, she gave me a cold.

No, we. You probably there. So we are now. We're, we're working on our footing situation, so that is an ever going thing. So when the horses run, you want to have really nice footing so that they don't, because they're kind of fragile, sometimes beastly animals, but very fragile. So you have to have good ground.

And, so our next, I think our next thing we're going to look really try to do is, fix the footing and, what's it's like it's, something underneath the tiles. Is that what it's called? So anyway, so we have. That's been there for since that's been part, you know, been a horse arena. So it's about time to get that fixed up.

But other than that, I mean, we're pretty self-sufficient out there. We do have, people come out and mow and, that, Yeah, we're doing pretty good out there. Nice. Well, I appreciate your time, coming in. And, just want to encourage anybody in the Rushville area to support their pulled pork sandwich, fundraiser. I'll sit here and say I'll probably forget about it.

If I'm being friggin real honest with you. Because I sometimes I feel like a hypocrite when I say, hey, you should go do this. And then I'm thinking, heck, I'll freaking forget about it by then or be gone. But yeah, no, like, I mean, we're we're thankful that, you know, we had the opportunity to help you guys out.

I mean, honestly, that's that's what we're here for. That's just that's the people that that's the company that we have. Fortunately, that's that was our intentions. When me and Emily started this, I said it from the get go, it it really had nothing to do about it was way bigger than me and Emily, you know, and, this community has supported us.

And that's been huge, you know, and small business starts. It's like you just put your neck out there and you're like, man, I hope so. Why not chop it off, you know? So, yeah. No, no, we're thankful. And you know, I don't know much about it. That's why I had you come in here to chat.

Because I get it. A lot of girls and not just girls, but, you know, a lot of little girls love horses. You know, we have boys in our club, too, right? So, but I will say like that. Not just whole roofing, but like, we the we we have so many local businesses that. Do you support the technical grounds out there?

If it wasn't like we sell banners that companies can like, it's just a three by four banner and that, that really supplies are like a whole year worth of, like, you know, operation costs for that. So if it wasn't for like the small businesses like you guys and the other ones that have helped us, like we wouldn't, we wouldn't have a club.

So I, we really appreciate that. That's really all right. We appreciate you tuning in this week's podcast. Thank you.