Sheep Industry News May 2022

The Last Word KYLE PARTAIN Sheep Industry News Editor

Time To Get Back Out on the Road

I t's a cool April morning in central Utah as I write this column. I'm spending a week in the state for a variety of stories ranging from a sheep producer to a new research farm to a wool sale to a company that manufactures sheep camps. Other than the ASI Annual Convention in January, this is my first trip of the year. It should be the first of many. As you might imagine, my trips around the country were limited the past two years. I got out a few times, but overall I spent way too much time sitting at the desk in my office (or my home). In fact, I was sitting so much that I got one of those stand-up desks just to give my office chair (and my backside) an occasional break. I'm sure that some of you can relate. But what I'm more sure of is that most of you will understand how much I hate sitting at a desk. As farmers and ranchers, I have to believe that you'd prefer to be doing anything over sitting at a desk and talking to people on the phone. It's no different for a writer. I'm wired as such that I need to get out and see things. If sitting is required, I'd prefer to do it at a producer's kitchen table or on the tailgate of a pickup truck parked in a remote pasture as sheep and dogs take their turns visiting in hopes of getting some attention and possibly a treat. A lot of my work travel is centered around events – many of which were canceled in the past two years. Generally, I'll find an event that I need to be at and then pursue three to five other story opportunities that can be worked into the same trip. When the events went away, my travel opportunities followed suit. At the same time, we rearranged ASI budgets to move travel funds to other areas of

need. I'm happy to report the travel budgets have been restocked and I'm anticipating a busy summer and fall of travel. There's a wonderful patio area at the AirBnB – cheaper than most hotels in the area – I rented for the first two nights of this trip. It provides a bit of inspira tion that I'd never have sitting in my third floor office back in Denver. It's nice to have an office where I can close the door and ignore the world when I need to, but that's no way to live life on a regular basis. Early in my career, I covered sports for local newspapers. If I'd spent just a bit too much time at my desk, I could easily escape by heading out to watch a local team practice and talk with the coach. Back then, I regularly huddled under various awnings and covers

in the rain, looked for shade trees on a sunny day and maybe even longed for the warmth of my desk a bit while covering a football game on a snowy day. But I never regretted my escapes into the real world outside the newsroom. And with the possible exception of a cold morning spent measuring sheep scrotums at Tom Boyer's place a few years back, I can say the same about my job at ASI. But I need your help. I need your story ideas. I need you to let me know about events in your area. I need you to give me an excuse to escape the office at least once a month from now until the end of the year. Armed with a full travel budget and a company credit card, I'm ready to go. I will warn you, however, that there can be a downside to inviting the media – even friendly media such as me – to your operation. Things don't tend to go to plan. Sheep get out just minutes before I arrive. Surprise snow storms happen. I've been known to bring rain – which might be a selling point for the drought-stricken West – that creates generous amounts of mud. Photos tend to work best in the hour or two after sunrise and the hour or two before sunset, which aren't always ideal times to have a stranger hanging around the operation. But it's my job to tell your story, and I can't do that without you.

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