Musings From the Mud Room

For many family farms, large or small, hiring outside help is a big advantage to getting a variety of jobs done on a daily basis.   Here at our place, the guys have not had any regular help since relocating to Indiana.
Of course, there's the extra hands hired during hay and straw baling, but that's pretty much it.   I think there are a couple of reasons for them not taking on extra employees.  First, it saves money.  Second, it takes time to train someone.   And third, like the old saying goes, good help is hard to find.   
A few years ago, however, some extra help was brought on to the farm.  Josh Flohr, of Emmitsburg, Maryland, came to know the Sheiss family when he bought a Yorkshire gilt from my brother-in-law, David, in 2003.  Josh indicated interest in working on a hog farm before heading off to college, so he
worked here between his junior and senior year in high school.  He must have had a pretty good experience as he returned in the summer of 2007 while a student at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas.   This summer, I think he was kind of a glutton for punishment when he returned for a third
go as our summer help.   Josh will be entering his senior year this fall at Texas Tech in Lubbock, where he is majoring in Animal Science with a production option.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, I took a moment to visit with Josh so the readers of Talk of the Town could get to know him better and read some perspectives from a "younger voice" of agriculture.

KLS:  So Josh, what are you plans following graduation?
JF:  That's a good question.  I don't know yet.   I'll probably see what kind of job offers I get.  I plan to interview with Pfizer, Elanco, Hormel and Cargill.  Maybe pursue a career in pharmaceutical sales or research work in the meat solution industry.  If there aren't any jobs that appeal to me, I'll probably go back for my Masters degree at Tech in muscle biology. There's a good professor there who does a lot of work with feedlot cattle. Or I may look at Kansas State or Oklahoma State and focus on work with sows.

KLS:  You grew up in Maryland, worked in Indiana and lived in Kansas and Texas.  What's your favorite state?
JF:  I don't really have a favorite.   Maryland has the scenery, Indiana has the livestock and farmland and Kansas has the cattle.  Texas has the nicest people.  They have southern hospitality with a western style. I really like Texas, but it's dry, hot and in the middle of nowhere.

KLS:  So I have to ask, why did you want to come back here again this summer?  (I was thinking that we're probably not the easiest people to work for)
JF:  Well, I'm on the livestock judging team, and being around livestock on a daily basis gives me the chance to keep things fresh in my mind.   You see a lot of differences in animals and I'll be ready to judge this fall.  (KLS note:  Josh accomplished a milestone in his livestock judging career when he placed second at the North American Livestock Exposition in Louisville.  He
won cattle and reasons, besting 150 other junior college contestants.  He plans to judge on Texas Tech's team this fall).

KLS:  For those people that don't know much about livestock judging, what does it teach you, besides the ability to evaluate livestock?
JF:  That's a great question.  It clearly teaches you time management skills.  You have to be able to balance a full academic career plus be on the road judging.   Livestock judging is easily a 30-40 hour a week commitment.

KLS:  You recently celebrated your 21st birthday, stuck here with us.  Was that a bummer?
JF:  (laughs)  It's not that big of a deal.   We were in the middle of baling hay, anyways.   I've got the rest of my life to have a good time!

KLS:  What's your favorite thing to do here on the farm?
JF: Processing litters and working in the farrowing house (that's mainly working with the baby pigs)

KLS:  How about least favorite?
JF:  Crating sows and loading market hogs.  But it's easier now that the semi comes to the farm.

KLS:  Any memorable moments from your times working here?
JF:  Well, the one time we cut all the trees down around your house and Donnie kept yelling at his dad telling him not to break any windows.  We were almost done and Daryl cut a limb down and it went right through the garage window.  I'll always remember that!

KLS:  Yes, I've highlighted their great communication skills here in an earlier column.   Be honest, what's it like working for them?
JF:   You learn a lot being around people who have done this their whole lives.   They sure bring a lot of opinions to the table, and it can be challenging.  But they bring different views on how to get things done.  As long as the task gets done, that's what's important.

KLS:  What do you think about Whitley County?  And since our fair is coming up and you've been here a couple of times, what are the differences in the county fairs where you have lived?
JF:  Where I grew up, ag wasn't as strong.   From my perspective, pork production is still king here and I like to see the family operations in place and agriculture is very strong.    County fairs are a lot bigger here than in Texas.  People in Texas tend to focus on the big shows.  In Maryland, we had a lot of support with bigger fairs.   The quality of livestock here, especially the hogs, is as good as anywhere.

KLS:  Why did you decide to pursue a career in agriculture?
JF:  I guess because my grandfather had dairy cattle and I've always enjoyed working with crops and livestock.   I knew I couldn't pursue that in Maryland, so that's why I went away to school.

KLS:  Is there anything you would like to tell people about animal agriculture?
JF:  I would like to inform the consumer about production practices and a lot of things they would overlook.  Sometimes they think things we do are immoral and don't always understand what we do.  I'd like to give them a
little better education of what we do and why we do it.

When Josh returns to Texas in August, I think we'll all miss him.  Not only was he a big help around here, but he's a genuine good kid.   There's one person that will really feel his absence.  Since first coming here several years ago, Josh has been placed on a pedestal by Dillon.    He is the big brother Dillon will never have.  He has been such a great mentor and friend to him.  Not only has he taken time out to play ball and participated in a mean game of putt-putt golf, he has supported him at pig shows, taken him along on chore duty and listened to his constant chatter (and it is constant!).  I'm not sure if Josh knows it or not, but he has made quite an impact on one young man here in Whitley County.  Thanks, Josh, and good luck
in all you do!