Convention’s Over but The Chaos Continues

By Rose Wendel

Here’s a random post I put together this week!

After a few jam-packed days at the Wyoming Stock Growers Summer Convention, I returned to the office feeling a little like a show calf after its last class: exhausted and unsure where all my stuff ended up.

First order of business? Unpacking. I hauled what felt like a small Cabela’s store worth of supplies downstairs; signs, brochures, rogue Sharpies, and that one tangled extension cord we all pretend isn’t ours. I put everything back in its labeled home (or at least a drawer that looked like it needed a purpose).

Once the dust settled, I switched into photo-editor-mode and started sorting through all the convention pictures. Some of y’all are really good at pretending you’re not being photographed. Others? Well, let’s just say there’s no hiding from my camera when you’re deep in a hallway conversation holding two cups of coffee.

I also wrote the CowCountry recap article for our summer issue. From policy updates to producer conversations, there was a lot to pack into one article.

In true “me” fashion, I forgot to mention something important last post during the actual convention. I had the chance to speak on behalf of the Wyoming Collegiate Cattle Association and the livestock judging team. I had my whole mini-speech prepared, said my piece, and then promptly forgot to tell literally anyone that I did it. So here’s my retroactive humble brag.

Later in the week, I left again, this time for a youth judging camp our collegiate team helped put on. Nothing like keeping 30 kids engaged in market hog evaluation. But really, it was awesome. We got to coach some sharp young minds and maybe even inspired a few future livestock judges (or at least convinced them that reasons are sort of fun).

Stay tuned for more adventures in ag. I’ll be the one buried under photo files and sticky notes trying to remember where I put my to-do list. You don’t believe me do you.