T: My Why

Why do we raise cattle?  I get asked this fairly often.

My answer started with, "because it's what my (then-new) husband loves."  I always joke that I married into this business - even though Zane lived in an apartment in the city when I met him.  But this --- this business, this passion --- it's part of him.  And I married all of him.  Even what I didn't understand...yet.

Early on, I was appalled with the way that money can corrupt this business.  I always thought of farming as something that was family-centered and wholesome.  Some of the things I've seen in this show cattle world are anything but .... and it started making me question a lot of things.

Opinion aside, I saw how the money can drive people to do things that I don't think they'd do otherwise.  Everyone wants to win.  Everyone wants to sell the high-dollar calf.  Everyone wants to be that breeder.  And it seemed at times that cheating, lying, or being deceitful might be the way people truly get there.

And then I started looking deeper.

At the real heroes of this industry.

There are countless people out there doing it right. Doing it truthfully.  Doing it with integrity.   And working their tails off to make it happen.

14 years in this and I can say I know why we do this.  We do this because it's something we enjoy.  We enjoy doing a project as a family where we can teach our now-12-year-old daughter about financial decisions, dedication, transparency, hard work, and dignity.

But more than that, we do it for the kids' faces I see in the ring when they win.  We do it for the kids' whose faces we see when they don't win, but they still get to hold their head high after we talk about what an amazing job they've done working at Chick-Fil-A to earn money to buy feed and still made time to be a great student and work with their calves.

We do it because we believe in the genetics we've raised, we believe in the program we've created .... and we believe in this industry as a whole.

Sure, there are sour apples out there, but there are many, many hard-working families out there sacrificing so much to make this happen --- not just the cattle industry, but the show cattle thing.

And I couldn't be more proud to be part of this family.

~Traci

Great Job Purple Banner Design

Thank you Bethany from Purple Banner Design for putting together this stylish sweatshirt for my daughter.  Another excellent piece of work you put together.  She will be sporting it this weekend at the show.

Thank You!!!!

London 2012

The 2012 London Olympics are upon us.  Our family loves watching the Olympics, and this year is even more special.  As a kid, specifically while watching Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton in the 1984 Summer Olympics in L.A., my fire was lit to someday compete in the Olympics.  Though my dream never came true, it brings me even more joy to be a parent and see the same fire being lit in my daughter. 

In honor of this year’s Olympics, its athletes, and all the parents and coaches, here is a little something my wife and I put together.  This is the same philosophy we use as parents with our daughter for not only her sports, but her education, her animals, and her life in general.

 May the spirit of the Olympics run through all of our HEARTS!   

Vice President of the TMAA

For those of you that have not heard yet, I was recently elected as Vice President of the Texas Maine Anjou Association.  I am excited to take on this new role, and make my impact to the Maine Anjou breed here in Texas.  I am also the Chairman of the Fundraising Committee, and part of the TMAA Sale Committee.  Feel free to contact me any time if you have questions about what the association is doing, or if you have comments that you would like to be known to the TMAA Officers and Board.  My phone number is 817-233-9357 and my email is zntcattle@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Zane Mai

Continental Divide Vacation

After 11 days, 10 states, 4200 miles, and 8 National Parks/Monuments, all I have to say is AMAZING!  Sorry for the lack of updates on our website, but I got a little preoccupied the the last couple of weeks helping my wife plan, and enjoy the most amazing vacation our family has been on.

Our trip was a combination of seeing parents and grandparents and seeing the marvels of the Western United States.  We started off meeting up with my grandma in Loveland, CO and enjoying the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  The we proceeded to the Panhandle of Nebraska to see my grandpa and parents, and also took in a couple of the icons of the Oregon Trail (Scottsbluff National Monument and Chimmey Rock).  Then we blazed off to see some of the picturesque areas areas of the Black Hills (Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave), the Grand Tetons/Jackson Hole, Craters of the Moon in Arco, ID, and the vastness of country in between.  I recommend every stop!

We took a few days in Boise, ID to visit my wife's father and grandmother, while taking in several of the attractions in the Boise area.  What a wonderful area and city!  After our little rest, we headed South to Arches National Park in Moab, UT.  All I can say is it is a MUST SEE!  That same day we took in the Mesa Verde National Park in Cortez, CO.  Also a must see.  Even pictures can't explain the beauty of these places.

Last stop on the trip took us to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.  Self proclaimed the 8th Wonder of the World, I have to agree.  Again, pictures can not explain.

I know we passed so many of our friends and fellow cattlemen in our travels, and I truly apologize for not getting a chance to stop and say hi, but we did take in, and appreciated the beauty you live in every day.  I do have to add that on our trip, we saw several projects at several national parks financed by the Economic Recovery Act, and it made me so happy to see these dollars going towards these parks, allowing people world-wide a better chance to enjoy the rare creations God gave to America and the World.