April 2015 Articles

Archives by Months

Just Rambling May 2015

Just Rambling:
I am sad to say that during the severe wind, rain and hail storm that we had in April, the little tree which has been the logo for
Ag Trader USA magazine was blown down and completely uprooted. This was a sad event for our family because we had seen this tree go from a tall, stately tree in years past, to a mere shattered stump, then during the past ten years this tree had grown back to a beautiful little hickory tree. It always had the most beautiful leaves both in the spring and fall. When we first began publishing the Ag Trader USA, I decided to use the little hickory tree as our logo. Below is the story I wrote about this little hickory tree.

About the tree
The tree was once a tall, stately hickory tree until a spring storm with high winds came through several years ago. After that storm the tree was reduced to just a shattered stump with a hole completely through the middle. After removing the broken part of the tree, I couldn’t bring myself to cut down the remaining stump. To my surprise later in the spring that old broken stump began to sprout and now every year this little ugly stump with the hole in the middle has the most beautiful leaves of any tree on our farm.
Moral of the Story:
During life’s many trials we often get knocked down or suffer set backs in many ways but through self determination, perseverance, and God’s help, just as this little tree, we can overcome the trials we face in life.

This weekend my daughter, Dana, ask me what I was going to say about the little hickory tree. I told her I wasn’t sure but I knew it had served a valuable purpose on this farm. First it was a blessing from God, as is all of his creation to us. This tree was beautiful as a tall, stately hickory tree and as a small hickory tree growing back from the stump, with a hole in the middle allowing you to see through the base of it. While it was here it served several purposes—it provided beauty for our farm, shade for our cattle, nuts for the squirrels, and an inspiration/logo for our Ag Trader USA magazine. Through my story about the little tree I hope and trust that it provided inspiration to many others. Even though it is uprooted it will still keep giving as I plan to have the tree trunk made into wooden bowls for my children to always remember the Little Hickory Tree.

About the front cover:
The front cover is a photo of my granddaughter, Savanah’s, show heifer Gracie with her first calf, Buster. Gracie was born on our farm and my daughter, Velvet, (Savanah’s Mother) put this photo on the American Cattleman Facebook page after which she received over 5800 likes. My daughter wanted me to use this photo as our front cover because May is the month we celebrate Mother’s Day and Gracie is a real mother—very proud and protective of her first offspring. She looks as if to say, don’t mess with my son. Even though this issue of Ag Trader USA will be received after Mother’s Day we want to wish all Mothers a Happy Mother’s Day and thank you for all you do as Mothers.

Another holiday we celebrate this month is Memorial Day which was formerly known as Decoration Day. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May and it commemorates all men and women who have loss their life in military service for the United States. As we enjoy the freedoms of life in the United States let us never forget the men and women who died for these freedoms. Van Bennett