When it comes to children being severely or fatally injured in farming and rural communities, the statistics are sobering. According to the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Safety and Health (NCCRASH), about every three days a child dies, and every day around 33 children are injured due to agriculture-related incidents in the U.S.

I have thought quite a bit about Mary this Christmas season, especially the part at the end of the Christmas story we read in Luke 2: “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Christmas is a special time of year, filled with sharing memories of Christmases past and spending time with friends and family. Progressive Cattle staff and a few of our regular contributors share Christmas memories that have a special place in their hearts.

A refrain I’ve heard often from temperate climate dwellers is that they wish they lived in a place with seasons. I suppose we often yearn for what we don’t have, as I also dream of the continual warmth of mild days in San Diego.

The cowboy is one of the most romantic, enduring figures in the American consciousness, right up there with astronauts, muscle cars and George Washington.

Tyrell sits down with John R. Erickson, author of the beloved Hank the Cowdog book series, for a meandering and insightful conversation about the animals we live and work with, recovering after wildfires and educating the public about livestock agriculture. 

With winter just around the corner, are you prepared for the upcoming time change? As we prepare to "fall back" with the end of daylight saving time on Nov. 3, many of us have already noticed the earlier arrival of evening darkness.

Wildfires were a fact of life growing up, especially out West. I’d see bulletins come across the news – 50,000 acres, 100,000 acres, gone. I’d shake my head, think “That’s too bad” and go about my day. I think, from now on, I will view these events with a little more compassion.

Mine is a horse-poor outfit. I’m aware that the term “horse-poor” is subject to interpretation, and I’ve seen it thrown around and used in a variety of ways in the ranching world.