After 17 years as agriculture editor at a neighboring newspaper, I jumped at the chance to return to where I began my journalism career more than 30 years ago.
Back then I hired on with Mike and Pat Lindsey as a part time society editor, although part-time didn’t last very long. They soon handed me a camera and really put me to work.
But it’s an interesting and fun occupation. I get to learn a lot about a wide variety of people, places and things.
The people really make it exciting and fun, whether it’s the couple who both reached the century mark, or fourth graders standing awe-struck watching sheep being sheared. And the farmers and ranchers, the archaeologists, the Extension Homemakers.
Some have been good interviews and some not so much.
I was supposed to have an exclusive interview with then USDA Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns during one of his visits to Scottsbluff. I was to ride with him to the airport from the bus we had ridden for the local tour, so we could talk. Didn’t happen. He was on the phone the whole ride to the airport. But I got to visit with Merlyn Carlson, deputy secretary of agriculture. He was a very nice gentleman from down around Kimball or Sidney. I did get a few words with Johanns while walking across the tarmac to his airplane. Merlyn’s visit was much better, but it wasn’t part of my article.
Last summer was special because I was privileged to cover the visit of an international group of archaeologists to the Hell Gap site. Poland, Ireland and Russia were among the many nations represented in the group that was organized by Dr. Yung-jo LEE of South Korea. He discovered what is believed to be the oldest domestic use of rice, dating to about 15,000 years ago. Now he is director of a museum featuring rice history studies. Goat was the main course for supper that evening, because it’s a custom of the Hell Gap field schools.
One of my favorite duties has been participating in the annual Water Tour that covers the North Platte River system from near Sinclair, Wyo., to Scottsbluff, Neb. Everyone should take it at least once to learn about the intricacies of getting irrigation water to our fields. Then you’ll want to go again. And again. And again.
And my favorite part of the past 17 years has been the opportunity to work with area farmers and ranchers. You can’t find better people. And we have a fine crop of young ones coming along – not just farm and ranch kids, but city youth with an opportunity to experience life outside of town. 4-H and FFA are fantastic learning options for youth, no matter where they live.
The best part of all is that I moved to Wyoming from Colorado before “Greenie” was a bad word. And I haven’t regretted a moment of it, nor have my three children, Wes, Eric and Terry Jane, who were raised in Goshen County.
We are all very lucky to live here, and I look forward to seeing you out and about.
