Jerusalem Ridge Farms

I was recently in San Antonio for the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) annual meeting and I have to say I probably enjoyed SA more than any other city I've been in of late.  Our meeting hotel was just a couple of blocks away from the Alamo, so that enhanced the experience greatly.  I've been fascinated with the Battle of the Alamo since I was about 12 (and no, that's not the year it occurred!)

As much as I did enjoy the Alamo and the River Walk, I actually managed to squeeze in a few meetings while there.  Most importantly, American Meat Goat Association (AMGA) president Marvin Shurley and I were joined by Robert Swize and Bob Duke from the American Boer Goat Association (ABGA) in our efforts to try and pull sheep and goat producers together on the national level under ASI's banner.  I've been serving on ASI's goat committee for a couple of years now and we continue to search for an efficient and cost-effective way to integrate goat producers into the ASI membership.  I won't bore you with the details, but it's not an easy process.  Talks continue and hopefully we'll soon come upon a solution that will help the goat industry as a whole to demonstrate a unified front when communicating with the USDA, congress or whoever else might have an influence on our industry.  With ASI's splendid record in Washington, it seems much more sensible to partner with them than to "reinvent the wheel."  We're not to a concensus as yet, but the talks are continuing.  Here in Kentucky we seem to be making a little more headway in uniting sheep and goat producers (and all those folks like myself who dabble in both species.)  The new Office of Sheep and Goat Development is on track, with interviews currently being held to find an Executive Director.  As soon as that individual is in place, we should be off and running.  Once again, Kentucky is leading the way when it comes to innovation in the small ruminant industries.

The most difficult thing about the trip was getting the daily updates on the steadily worsening condition of Stephenia's father.  I flew back to Kentucky on Saturday evening, January 27, and we were notified that it was just a matter of time on Sunday, January 28 - Tex's 94th birthday.  Monday morning I drove Steph to Paducah to be with him and she was there when he quietly slipped from life shortly after midnight Wednesday, January 31 .

He was a humble man, but a truly great one.  After my father died in 1989, Tex stepped into that considerable void.  But then, I had always thought of him in a paternal manner so it was like going through that loss of a father all over again when he passed.  I can only say that I'm grateful to God that He allowed me to have Tex in my life and I'm grateful to Tex for the gift of his beautiful daughter in addition to his treasured friendship.