Ranch Wife's Slant

Cowboys, kids, and ranch life

Category: Ranch Slants

  • How to Know If Agriculture Has Consumed Your Life

    Farmers and ranchers get into their work so much that it can become more than just a job. It can become their whole life. The following list can help you determine if agriculture has taken over your life. Going on a date with your spouse involves a quick drive through an implement dealership to look at…

  • Keeping Readers Healthy With Humor

    I make an effort to incorporate as much humor as I can about the topic I’m writing about in my column A Ranchwife’s Slant. I try to laugh at myself as much as possible and share it with my readers. I like to think that sharing my humor benefits people in agriculture who can relate…

  • Boot Up

    One thing my husband and I have never had a problem with is putting shoes on our kids’ feet. Since birth, they’ve always been well-outfooted, er, outfitted, with cowboy boots. My son’s first pair of boots were a baby gift and he wasn’t able to wear them much because his chubby feet wouldn’t fit in…

  • South Dakota Farm Girls Show Viewers The Good Life

    What I love about South Dakota women is that they’re not afraid to show people what they’re made of. True South Dakotans, farm girls, and friends, Laura Nielson and Ange Kapperman have been creating a buzz doing just that. The two friends wanted to give the world an accurate view of what real farm girls…

  • Daily Gratitudes

    One of the habits I try hard to practice every day is writing down what I’m grateful for. A girlfriend gave me this gratitude journal for Christmas one year and I use it daily but there have been times I found it buried in my nightstand drawer. Writing down what I’m grateful for most definitely redirects my…

  • Mondays Are Best Spent in Luverne, Minnesota

      If you’re ever dreading Mondays, I strongly suggest you spend it with the Rock County Farm Bureau members in Luverne, Minnesota. Mondays will quickly become your favorite day of the week. I departed Sunday morning to head to eastern South Dakota; below is my drive through Kirk valley, north Pringle on my way out…

  • Having a Family Hay Day

    We haven’t put up enough square bales to make an impressive trailer load in a long time, so my husband wanted pictures this time. The barn was originally built to house hay stacks but this photo seemed appropriate. For the past couple of weeks we’ve been busy putting up hay. We baled a lot more square…

  • Deals Worth Waiting For

    I’m a frugal junkie. I love being thrifty and getting what I want for a lot less money. At the beginning of each new year I make a goal list of big ticket items I want. For starters, writing it down first gives me adequate waiting time to consider whether I really want or need the…

  • My Inspiration File

    I am constantly on the lookout for new column topic ideas. I have a special folder dedicated to newspaper clippings, ideas, notes and observations I’ve jotted down that could inspire or trigger a column topic.   Periodically I get stuck on what to write about and peruse through my inspiration file. It contains mostly articles…

  • Dr. Val Farmer: A Professional Who Knows

    Many people think living on a farm or ranch sounds romantic but there are stresses that are unique to the farming and ranching lifestyle that families commonly struggle with. I have always been a Val Farmer fan because he specializes in rural mental health issues that families in agriculture commonly experience. He shares his insights and…