Summer School isn’t just for the slacker kids that seem to like school so much they want to be at it year-round. There are so many learning opportunities both this summer and throughout the year. I’m not just talking for adults but for kidos too.
For example, my kids and I went to SD 4H Rangeland days last week in Belle Fourche. This event is for both range and soils separately. Range is for any kids of 4H age so, you have little beginners all the way to seniors in high school that compete for a chance to go to the national contest. Soils is only for high school. Yes, there is a contest component but the first day is schooling only, the contest is to see if you were paying attention. You can compete as a 4H team or an FFA team. The 4H teams are the only ones that can qualify for national if they win as FFA has its contest in the fall. Parents, grandparents, Uncle Bob, you can all learn too by accompanying your kids to this event when it comes around next summer.
I’m not going to hide the fact that I would like to see more of our area kids attending Rangeland Days and other events. I want to give props to the FFA Chapters and 4H clubs sending kids to this. Wessington Springs FFA (Jerauld Co 4H), Sunshine Bible FFA (Hand Co 4H), and De Smet FFA (Kingsbury Co 4H) were the areas represented there as the only FFA or 4H kids from the region I cover. Which these area kids are attending every year and have been for quite some time. I’m not going to call anyone out by name, but I can count at least 6 FFA chapters and many, many, 4H kids from the 4 counties I cover that could get a lot out of this. Next year will be in Belle Fourche again, which I can already hear the “it’s too far.” So what? Turn it into a mini vacation or whatever, trips are fun.
They do usually alternate the event every two years, so it’s a possibility it could be closer to home after next year, but waiting doesn’t help anyone learn. The reason I have taken my kids each year since I could (Covid messed the first year up) is that you don’t retain a whole heck of a lot with the one and done approach. I know there are some of you adults out there that were in Land or Range judging in high school but how many years did you do it? Once and that was for a month, I bet. While winning contests is nice, it’s the learning that is the most important part. If it’s not evident I’m partial to the Range side of things. Soils is very important and a great thing to learn, I just think it’s easy for most anyone to see the everyday applications of Range. Once you have experienced it, you will know what I mean. The problem is you won’t ever know what I mean if you don’t just bite the bullet and sign your kids up (or if said kids, drag your parents along).
Ok, I spent an awful lot of time on one event, but I do fee.l it’s that important. There are plenty of other Summer School activities out there for you. The SD Grassland Coalition just had a grazing school in Wall with two more schools coming up July 22-24 in Summit, and September 9-11. Adults of all ages and even kids can attend these. For anyone in the Sanborn County Pheasants Forever Chapter area we are offering scholarships to attend. Next year for Rangeland days we will offer scholarships for that as well. The cost of these isn’t a huge amount but if that is a reason to hesitate, we would like to take that hurdle away. Time away and money are big reasons we use to not continue our education, but the biggest is probably that we don’t think we need it. “I already know what I need to know, everything is operating as it should.” I may write some of my experiences like I’m 70 even though I’m only 39 (for a couple more months). I was a weird kid, paying attention to things I don’t think a lot of kids do at a young age. I remember what farming was like in the late 80’s, I went with my dad and grandpa most days, all day, always riding in the tractor. Except for cultivating, I took up too much room evidently. I think it was more because I had to go uncover young corn that dad covered because for some reason, we couldn’t use shields or drive straight. I really did hate that job; I would have rather picked rocks. We cultivated, we planted oats, used farmhands to stack hay. The 90s came and with it round up and soybeans. Even in my short life things look very different now than when I was a child.
Things have changed quite a bit in farming. Our practices have changed, our technology has changed, even our crops have changed some. Change has been happening ever since the first plow broke sod here. It may have seen a little slow at times but if you look at it closely, it’s really been quite dramatic and over a short period of time. We honestly are very open to change when it comes to farming practices.
Now how have things changed with how we graze? I would say that we haven’t changed at all at least not for the better. I’m not saying I should convince you to make any changes or take my word as gospel. What I do hope is that I can encourage you to take the opportunities that are out there and see if there are things you pick up on your own that lead to more productive and profitable practices.