December/January 2004/2005

December/January 2004/2005

My son George told me I could write an article on the survey that all you good Suffolk members got along with your ballot. I hope all of you voted and sent your survey back. The survey did not have the questions I expected, in fact, it made me grumpy, which is not good for someone my age. I then got to thinking this article will be in the Suffolk News around Christmas and I should be in a cheery mood with the full holiday spirit. Some how you good faithful readers will have to excuse me this Christmas, as I feel I must make some comments on the survey.

Of the eighteen questions, seven were on the Suffolk News. While I think our magazine is the most intelligent project we have ever done in the last twenty years, it’s not going to save the Suffolk breed. Writing in the Suffolk News pleases me; I feel a very important part of it. I have a good two hundred letters and cards from Suffolk breeders encouraging me to keep writing my old farmish, family-type, simple articles. It seems the powers that are in our associations are always bringing up the question: “If we can’t fund the Suffolk News by advertising, should we use income from dues and registrations to be able to afford publication, or should we not continue putting it out?”

Anyone that thinks getting ads is easy better think twice. In fact, I am amazed at the many ads we get. Just maybe this should be part of being a director, making each of these important people get at least one advertisement for each issue of our magazine. In short, make them work for having the honor of being a director. All breeds need a magazine or newsletter. How else will breeders know what is happening with the many events that happen during the year? If breeders want to make our magazine more interesting and educational, why don’t more of them respond when they are invited to write in “Ask the Experts?” Putting words on paper is not impossible. Writing must be like dancing to you young fellows—you’re helpless at both of them. In fact, my dad’s great pulling team couldn’t get most of you fellows on the dance floor. When writing something, pretend you’re talking to one of your sheep friends, then put it on paper, or better yet, have your good wife help you. I feel our magazine helps bring breeders together, making them part of belonging to our association. If there was ever a time that Suffolk breeders needed a sense of belonging, of being a part of an organization, it’s now.

The last question asked how to strengthen our association. Anyone who doesn’t know an answer to this question has their heads in a cloud, or maybe buried in their kid’s sandbox. The answer is pure and simple: we must get the wether breeders back in our fold, and do it fast. My wife and I had the honor of attending Amy Mrozinski’s wedding, a powerful event. Amy is the daughter of Larry and Deb Mrozinski, whom I have known since they were teen-age kids. Larry judges may of our top Suffolk shows. At the wedding I had the privilege of meeting Kevin and Pam Hoeing from Rushville, Indiana. It has been years since I have enjoyed such an interesting conversation with anyone as I did with Kevin. Here was an articulate and intelligent middle-age fellow with a great wife. And if I remember correctly, he also had two children in college. He had a great farming background with his two brothers on the farm and a large dairy herd. He told about his dear old father. The way he described him was almost a carbon copy of my dad, with his love for purebred livestock. Kevin told about bringing his children to the National Suffolk Show, which was held in Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds in 1992, and remembering what a great event it was. He was no longer breeding framed sheep, and now was a market lamb breeder. The sad part of our conversation was that he was no longer keeping registration papers on his sheep, although he said he had great records on his ewe flock. I will not go into the reasons he wasn’t; he should have the opportunity to explain.

I’m sure there are many Kevin Hoeings in our great country who still love and have fun breeding Suffolk sheep. Our board of directors must contact these outstanding breeders and find some way to get them back into our association. I really had the feeling that if there were some way to once again get Kevin’s sheep registered, he would do it in a heartbeat. I had a conversation with Duane Sickles three or four years ago; I felt his feelings were the same as Kevin’s were. I have thought about my conversation with Kevin Hoeing many times, as well as Duane Sickles, who was a former Suffolk director of our association many years ago. In fact, he was on the board with my brother, Fred. The question is: Are we going to lose these outstanding Suffolk breeders with great families and farming backgrounds, or, are we serious enough to get off our rear-ends and find some way of getting them back into our association? I don’t care what it takes, we need these special breeders—we cannot afford to lose them.

While I’m in my grumpy mood, I’ll continue. Suffolk breeders must become friends again, know each other and start having fun like they always used to. At times I feel we are a bunch of “GROUPIES”, meaning we have our own group of friends and customers and to hell with the rest of the breeders. I want you all to think about this statement, and then think about how many new Suffolk friends you make each year. We are not a bunch of barnyard dogs that growl and bark and act tough. Silly statement; maybe or maybe not. Try going to important meetings or seminars and you will find out everyone is given a name tag, a simple way of meeting people. Anyone that thinks unity is not important; one of our top professional football teams is now making a point to get players to know everyone in their organization, from the fellows who pack their gear, to the secretaries, cooks, etc. They find that unity and friendship helps the whole organization to be successful in winning football games.

I feel Suffolk breeders need a little history lesson. All breeds have their ups and downs. The only specie of livestock that has never really had a low or a serious hit is the great Holstein milk cow. Even this great breed may be in trouble at this time, because they burn out so early in their lifespan. We Suffolk breeders have taken two very serious hits. First, spider; second, scrapie. Somehow we have survived these bad times. Now all we need to do is toughen up our stud rams. Rams that think they should die or be useless at three or four years old cannot be tolerated. Rams that are always having injuries to their feet and legs must be corrected. We must look at the horses with long, strong pasterns, which give them flex in their legs and makes it easier to walk and run. You can be sure the horses are not standing on their front hooves, like too many sheep standing on their front hooves. The moral of this statement is few breeders could survive these obstacles. Somehow we Suffolk breeders have, and now it should be smooth sailing.

My dear wife just got back from church. Now I know I should have gone with her, but we both agreed I better write this article. As someone who has always been in the livestock business and has seen the tough times livestock associations have gone through over the years, they are especially apparent now. When breeders seem to think it’s not important to be part of a group or organization, I’m fascinated by our great colleges and churches of steel and bricks—parking lots bigger than most of your sheep pastures. How do these great organizations survive? It’s simple, they get donations. If any of you sheep breeders wonder why colleges spend millions of dollars on their sports programs, its pure business. The greater the teams, the larger the donations they get as well as the larger enrollment of students. Then of course, former alumni leave them money, land, homes, etc. I don’t know how it is where you live, but in the Kalamazoo area our great churches have made a complete turn-around from years past. The idea is to get the young people and have five to eight piece bands with at least two singers. The music they play moves the congregation, young and old. They have members of the church help people park their cars. You’re greeted at the door by sincere and happy people that make you feel welcome. After the music, everyone greets each other in great friendship. In short, the churches are doing a great job of promotion and increasing their memberships. Like the colleges, the churches depend on donations, maybe more so. The money my faithful wife puts in the donation basket scares me at times. You can be sure it does no good to remind her we are in the farming and livestock business—not the most stable of occupations.

I’m sure you’re wondering what all this rambling has to do with sheep or livestock registry associations. The answer, of course, is why don’t breeders of purebred livestock donate money to their favorite purebred breed, either now or when they leave this great earth? Somehow I feel if there was ever a God-given deed, donating money or leaving something to your favorite sheep breed would be of great importance. The next time you good Suffolk breeders go to church, count the number of times “sheep” or “lamb” is mentioned. When you do, you will realize what a holy thing this might be to donate to your favorite association.

Hey—sorry for being so grumpy or like an old scrooge. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and thank you for letting me come into your homes these past years.