I would like to take this opportunity to introduce my guest. Tara Smith. Some of you already know Tara and the rest of you will have the opportunity to know her and become acquainted with her life and her goals.

Tara was raised on a ranch in southeastern Montana. I have known her all her life, I knew her folks and her grandparents and her Aunt Carla was my best friend and my kids’ godmother. We lost Carla several years ago to cancer, but I have quietly kept an eye on Tara and all the things that she is doing to promote agriculture and the people who are in the trenches with her and her little family.

This past summer she and her husband Clay had quite the scare. Their little girl got struck by a rattlesnake. She was rushed to the hospital and administered the anti-venom. It’s supposed to be a good thing, but she went into anaphylaxis. She was non responsive and was on a life flight to Billings. The scariest moments of a parents life, because at that moment, you are helpless and all you can do is pray that your little has the strength to beat this. She did and now they are going to add another little to the tribe. Congratulations Tara and Clay.

In our chat on The Cattleman’s Corner, I was so pleased to learn that Tara is trying to help other families maintain the family ranches. Learning to have mission statements and communications on a weekly basis with everyone involved in the ranch. Learning to have those hard talks with respect and with common goals in mind. There are many difficult relationships in the ranching and farming world and so many outside entities working against family ranches.

As ag kids, we just assume that there is going to be family interaction on a daily basis. The people who have jobs and don’t participate in our way of life, can’t comprehend the dynamics.

The lion’s share of the people in this world, get up, kiss their significant other or their cat whichever the case may be, and they go merrily off to a job which no one else in their close family circle participates. Those people don’t or can’t or have no reason to bring their work home with them. In our world, we never leave it. We live it, day in and day out. We have to make appointments to be gone. Lots of days on the ranch, we didn’t start a vehicle. We might saddle a horse, some days several, but no other transportation was necessary. We might eat breakfast, go to the work on the place, eat lunch together, go back to work and eat supper and all shower and go to sleep in the same house on the same place. That kind of togetherness can create some friction. If there is already some discontent, it can be exacerbated.

There are all those other elements that are interlopers on an already stressful scenario. Weather is always a factor, markets, politics, commodities, feed, health of livestock and people, chores, fences, predators, major purchases, finances, decisions, repercussions, fires, celebrations, extended family, hobbies, necessities, snake bite, wants versus needs, legal matters, education, water rights, leases, wills, trusts, inheritances. There are a hundred more factors and most of them have subtitles.

Hale Broadcasting addresses many of these subjects and does so through guests like Tara who have unique perspectives and possible solutions to offer. Please keep up with Tara and her journey through @ranchtabletalks on Facebook. Look for her to be a returning guest in the episodes to come on Cattleman’s Corner.

Editors Note : The host of the Cattleman’s Corner radio program is Nelseena Lehmann, lifelong agvocate and “just one cowboy girl trying to make a difference”. You will find a link to Tara’s podcast and blog @ranchtabletalks below.

Visit RANCH TABLE TALKS >> https://facebook.com/ranchtabletalks