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"Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little things well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves." -Dale Carnegie
-Mark Johnson
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Company: A&M Ranch
Location: Sandwich, IL
Years in the Field: 30
Education: BS Animal Science, Oklahoma State University, Joliet Junior College
Website: www.AandMRanch.com
Contact: aandmranch@aol.com
Specialization: purebred Southdown sheep
Choice of Feed: HSC show lamb starter, HSC Grand Lamb Mixer, champion drive topdress
Hobbies: - Mark is the Agricultural Specialist for Kline Creek Farm, an 1890’s Living History Farm, located in Winfield, IL. There they farm with draft horses, and maintain a small quality flock of sheep as well a few Shorthorn and Angus cows, all of which are used in the educational programs.
- As consultants and custom fitters Mark and Amy have worked with most breeds of sheep including Columbias, Suffolks, Hampshires, Dorsets, Montadales, and Natural Coloreds, club lambs and North Country Cheviots. All of which have competed successfully on the local and national level.
Favorite Sports/Team: Loves all things OSU (Oklahoma State or Ohio State), loves the Red Sox, loves the Cubs and Bears.
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“If you build it, they will come.” |
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Since my last entry we have been scouring the Midwest to help our daughter and other local 4-H kids get their project lambs put together. We visited several farms and saw some terrific lambs. We also attended the Premier Ten and Midwest Elite Sale in Richmond, IN. That was a great weekend. Not every good lamb was being fed HSC Lamb Starter, but it is was amazing how many of them were.
We hit some of the same farms looking for lambs each year and it is fun to see change, growth and progress. Folks are all talking about the economy and remarking how sales have still been surprisingly strong. A few folks I spoke with changed from Honor Show Chow in hopes of saving a little money. They may have saved a little money, but it showed. Their lambs didn’t have the bloom and pop that they had in the past. It worked, I saved money. I went elsewhere to buy lambs this year.
Many ownership deadlines are fast approaching. The fastest way to get beat at any show is to get kicked out for not playing by the rules. Make sure you know the ownership deadlines and any dates for weighing and tagging for your area. This is the easy part.
I will be in Walworth, WI this week for a workshop. We have been getting things set for another big clinic at the 2009 Midwest Stud Ram Sale. Look for more information on those two Sheep Workshops.
Our own lambs have been well received this spring. We have sold sheep into eight states so far. They really got into the creep well this year in spite of all of the bitter cold. We have weaned and transitioned them on to a grower we mix using the Grand Lamb Mixer. It is important to get the lambs weaned and make sure they are current on their overeating and tetanus vaccinations. The traffic we have received at the farm this year has been very gratifying. We sold out of yearling rams in early April and are almost out of ewe lambs now. We did save a couple for the Ohio Showcase Sale in May and hope to have some in the Midwest Sale in June.
The family seems to be running in many different directions lately. We all thought it would slow down after basketball season got over, no dice. I didn’t realize prom season started so early. Emily has been dress shopping, dress fitting, tanning and making hair and nail appointments since February. I am soo glad I am not a teenage girl! Amy has been keeping very busy at Midland Crossing Mercantile. She has worked there for about two years. They have been really busy, and sales have been strong. I keep hearing how bad the economy is, however livestock sales have been real strong, and feed sales are up.
Here’s a quote I’d like to leave you with: “If you build it, they will come.” When things get tight, folks have to identify priorities and keep their focus. It is clear from what we are seeing that raising livestock and doing it well is a priority for many families. Raising livestock is something that brings generations together. It teaches responsibility and accountability in time when it is most needed.
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