Our Consignments for the Western Harvest Showcase Sale

Posted July 31, 2010 By Sandra Matheson

We’ve consigned five animals for the Washington Simmental Association’s Western Harvest Showcase Sale – four fancy club calves and one bred heifer. The sale will be held October 2, 2010 in Ellensburg, WA.

 

Simmental steer consigned by Matheson Farms

Attendees at the sale can buy chances to win “Sam”. The proceeds from the live raffle of the calf will benefit WSA junior activities and the WSA field day next year.

 

Steer calf Hercules consigned to the Western Harvest Showcase sale

Hercules – a Simmental Angus market steer show prospect consigned to the Western Harvest Showcase Sale.

 

Steer calf consigned to the WSA Western Harvest Showcase Sale

Chewbacca – a Simmental Angus market steer prospect consigned to the WSA Western Harvest Showcase Sale.

 

Steer calf consigned to the WSA Western Harvest Showcase Sale

Borg Boy – another Simmental Angus market steer prospect consigned to the WSA Western Harvest Showcase Sale.

 

 

MFS32W Bred Heifer Consigned to the WSA Western Harvest Showcase

Also selling is MFS Black Mohogany 32W ,  ASA#2484950 . “Mo” is a Simmental Angus yearling heifer bred to calving ease bull TNT Jump Start R238, a Hummer son.

For more information about the animals or the sale, please Contact Us.  

Catalogs will be available in September.

Categories: Cattle and Beef, News and Announcements
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A New Look!

Posted July 22, 2010 By Sandra Matheson

The Matheson Farms website has a new look! As much as I liked the colorful previous theme, I wanted it to be more accessible to the visually impaired. Black type on a white page is much easier to read.

Categories: News and Announcements

Haying – A Metaphor for Life

Posted July 20, 2010 By Sandra Matheson

You’ve heard the old saying, “Make hay when the sun shines”. While running up and down the field tedding  (fluffing) the hay, I came up with some slightly profound thoughts. So here they are…

Haying is a metaphor for life.

Check the forecast before you begin, but take it with a grain of salt. Trust your instinct. The forecast could be wrong.

Never make hay on the Fourth of July. Not only will your family be  ticked at you, but it will likely rain.  A loved one at home on a holiday is worth more than several out working. Besides, better to rain on your burgers than your bales.

You must look ahead to see where you are going.

It’s important to glance back to see how you’ve done.

If something is broken, fix it right away before it turns into a bigger mess.

While daydreaming, one may stray from the desired path. So get back on track as soon as possible!

Eventually, you will have to go back and pick up what you missed.

Make more than you think you’ll need. Life happens.

Rush it and ruin it!  

Making the hay is the easy part. Putting where it belongs takes more work.

Now that you’ve got it, take care of it!

A dry bale in the barn is worth more than 100 wet ones still in the field.

And finally, be proactive! Manage in such a way to grow more grass so you can make less hay.

Categories: General

Making Hay…

Posted July 18, 2010 By Sandra Matheson

…While the sun shines! July has finally brought us some Summer weather. The silage bales are home and the first cutting of hay is baled. Now it’s time to load it up and put it in the barn.

Although I would prefer that the cattle could flourish on pasture all year round, it is not feasible where we live. So, it means putting up hay and silage for supplemental winter feeding. It’s a good feeling to know there is more than enough feed in and around the barn to hold them over until the Spring regrowth.

More on hay making next time.

Sandy

Categories: News and Announcements

Ranch is Subject of Documentary

Posted July 3, 2010 By Sandra Matheson

Yesterday I had the experience of being interviewed and filmed for a documentary by students of the Visual Media and Journalism class at Western WA University. I was asked several questions about ranching, farm life, my grazing management, and the cattle. They also followed me around and filmed as I moved the yearlings to new pasture.

The highlight of the day was when the (previously intimidated by the cattle) crew were out there in the middle of the pasture interacting with the cattle and said “I love your cows!”

I’m looking forward to seeing the results of their work. I hope I didn’t have any spinach in my teeth!

Sandy

Categories: News and Announcements
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State Grange Convention

By Sandra Matheson

Today was the last day of the Washington State Grange convention here in Bellingham. This was my first state convention. It has been an exhausting, but interesting week. I met many new people and made some good “small farm” connections.

On the fun side of things, there were over 400 photos in the state competition this year. These were all the winners on the county level. I was awarded all blue ribbons, had one class winner, and won Second Best in Show. Next year I’m going for the top prize!!

Categories: News and Announcements
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