Little Pasture on the Prairie

Last May, after selling most of my flock the previous fall, I had very few pregnant ewes under my care. I’d been proclaiming for years that I needed far fewer ewes or far more if I was going to make shepherding sustainable.

Stray Thoughts: The New Game

The students eagerly line up to cross the finish line, which is what graduation feels like to most of them. Only seconds after the rotation of the tassel on their cap, they realize they have not actually finished anything.

It’s always construction season for the body

Like a car racing along the interstate, exiting onto a highway, and finally reaching the family farm along a dusty gravel road, our blood circulates inside our bodies.

LETTER

At Mobridge Regional Hospital & Clinics (MRH&C) we frequently encounter challenges working with Medicare Advantage plans. They often erect unnecessary and/or inappropriate barriers to care, including burdensome prior authorization requirements, payment delays, and payment denials.

Stray Thoughts: Meritocracy

Our small group of communities celebrated something quite unusual this past week. One of our local young adults was selected for inclusion by a National Football League franchise.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

During calving season, we keep the first time mothers close to the house so we can check them often. If there’s going to be a problem during labor and delivery, it usually happens to a first-time mother.

American Indian Health Care

American Indians face some unique challenges when it comes to caring for their health. Culturally, we view health in a holistic manner as a balance of our bodies, mind and spirit that allows for good health. Historically, the women would have knowledge of herbs and men would be spiritual healers.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Back in my wayward youth, when I was a full-time touring musician, I spent more than my fair share of nights on couches or floors or camped out in the back of my Subaru station wagon. I had two dogs that usually toured with me, so I was never alone, and rarely felt lonely.

Stray Thoughts: Flood

As an adult, have you ever had to cry? I don’t mean just for a brief moment when something bad happened, or when a stray tear sneaks down your cheek during an emotional scene in a movie. I mean a real cry…an earnest sobbing when you don’t have any answers and you have no idea what to do.

Letter to the editor

By now, it’s no secret that the aftermath of the July 5, 2022 hail storm has been an expensive learning experience for us all. Even though we have excellent local contractors, the sheer volume of damage and destruction made it impossible for everyone to use our locals’ skills.