On July 22nd 2009 the “new” Star Lake Cattle Ranch website was launched. This was a huge deal for me as I designed the layout (with input from many others of course) and we then had a local web guy do the programing. Since that day in 2009 I have been running the site for Star Lake and sending out all of the e-mail blast that you hopefully receive. There is a lot of work and a bunch of time spent on the SLCR site and I think it is one of the best around. The site has went from being a marketing tool to an income generator. We have monthly internet auctions, year round semen sales, a yearly 20% off semen sale, as well as starter herds and previews for our production sales in May and October. It is a great honor to be able to help sell the cattle that some of the best men in the cattle business have worked so hard to raise. Back in my Junior Show days I was lucky enough to have some of the best teachers and mentors anyone could ever ask for. Todd, Josh, Max and Montie taught me more then I could ever begin to remember about holding onto the halter, but the things that really stick out now are the lessons that they never once told me… these are the lessons that they showed me. The lessons learned from watching Todd and Josh up in the show barn, down in the embryo barn with Max and Dr. Stroud flushing cows, out in the pasture treating, feeding and breeding cows with Brad and the countless hours in the truck or car with Montie as he was selling cattle… All of these moments are great memories priceless lessons. Last week I got an ad from Marilyn Brink who does all of the print advertising and builds our production sale catalogs amongst many other things and this ad had changed a bit. One of the guys that worked at the Ranch had moved on to another operation in his home state and in place of his name was mine. This is by far the greatest honor that I have ever received and is something that… well I can’t accurately describe the profound feeling of pride it gives me. To be included in the same part of an ad with someone might not be that big of a deal to some people but for me to be included in that ad with my heros is something I will never forget. I hope I can do even better work and get these cattle and embryos sold for the price that they always should and present them the way that they deserve to be as well. The ranch produces the best damn Hereford cattle in the world and the team at the ranch is the best as well… such a great honor to be able to have a small part in their success.
Congratulations Jon. It just goes to show that some of the greatest teachers and mentors are not found in a classroom.