Feeling blessed and deeply rooted in rookie mistakes

Jul 13, 2026
2 hrs ago

Dixi Wellman

Columnist

Prefer us on Google

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Picture it: Kauai, Hawaii 2019. Rusty and I just settled in for a bus ride from the airport to our lodging. It had been an extremely long day of travel. All were hot, tired, and hungry.

kAm*6E[ E96 D46?6CJ H2D :>>65:2E6=J 3C62E9E2<:?8[ 2?5 :E H2D 23F?52?E=J 4=62C 9@H G:E2= 28C:4F=EFC6 :D E@ E96 64@?@>J @7 E9:D :D=2?5] r@7766[ >24252>:2 ?FED 2?5 EC@A:42= 7CF:E 23@F?5[ 6G6? H:E9 E96 564=:?6 @7 DF82C 2?5 A:?62AA=6 A=2?E2E:@?D]k^Am

Deeply Rooted 2.jpeg — A rooster wanders a Hawaiian beach.
Submitted photo

kAmxE H2D 2=D@ 23F?52?E=J 4=62C H:=5 49:4<6?D 2C6 ?@C>2=] p?5 6G6CJH96C6]k^Am

kAmpD H6 H6C6 D@2<:?8 :? E96 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8[ H6 4@F=5?’E 96=A 3FE @G6C962C 2 86?E=6>2? DA62<:?8 369:?5 FD]k^Am

kAm“x’> D@ 9F?8CJ x 4@F=5 62E E92E 49:4<6? @G6C E96C6] p4EF2==J[ x 5@?’E =:<6 49:4<6? E92E >F49] x’== H2:E 7@C :E E@ =2J 688D 2?5 62E E9@D6]”k^Am

kAm#FDEJ 2?5 x 8=2?46 2E D2:5 49:4<6?[ E96? AC@>AE=J =@@< 2E 6249 @E96C H:E9 =2F89:?8 2?5 <?@H:?8 6J6D]k^Am

kAmyF58:?8 3J E96 FAC:89E[ 4@?7:56?E DE2?46[ G:3C2?E 4@=@CD[ 4FCG65 E2:= 762E96CD[ =@?8 ?64< 762E96CD[ 2?5 =2C86[ 3C:89E C65 4@>3 2?5 H2EE=6[ E92E A@@C 76==2 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 H2:E:?8 2 G6CJ =@?8 E:>6 7@C :E E@ =2J 688D]k^Am

People are also reading…

Prevention important with spread of alpha-gal syndrome
Young Otoe County cattleman goes from showing to selling show cattle
A year of growth – for me and the ranch
Father-daughter duo turns milkweed into multi-faceted enterprise
Family-run flour mill adds value from field to table
Unique challenge chews at family
Centuries of American agriculture
Butler County 4-H mentor puts heart into serving
Drones, robots, AI may hold the future to weed control strategies
South Dakota's three largest dairy processors are growing, and so are their plans
Cattle grazing can be invasive grass management tool
Record canola crop a sign of growing demand

kAmx? 724E[ 96 36EE6C DE2CE 7:?5:?8 49:4<6? >@C6 A2=2E23=6 :7 96’D 6J6:?8 E92E C@@DE6CPk^Am

kAmx? E92E 86?E=6>2?’D 5676?D6[ 96 H2D 7C@> x@H2] %96:C }@] ` 28C:4F=EFC2= AC@5F4E :D 4@C?[ 7@==@H65 3J A@C<] x’> 46CE2:? 96’5 36 36EE6C 2E A:8 :56?E:7:42E:@?[ E9@F89 x 42?’E DA62< 7@C 4@C?] |@DE wFD<6C 72?D 2C6 252>2?E x@H2 92D 325 4@C?[ 6DA64:2==J H96? E96J 2C6 362E:?8 FD 2E 2 DA@CE[ 3FE E92E’D 2 DE@CJ 7@C 2?@E96C 52J]k^Am

kAm{6DE J@F E9:?< x’> 36:?8 G6CJ ;F58>6?E2= 23@FE E9:D 8FJ’D C@@<:6 >:DE2<6[ x 4@F=5 HC:E6 2 3@@< @? >J @H? 6CC@CD] $25=J[ >@DE @7 >J =2AD6D :? ;F58>6?E 5:5?’E 6G6? @44FC :? >J C@@<:6 J62C]k^Am

Deeply Rooted 1.jpeg — A Vizsla puppy questions Dixi’s chore attire on a muddy day.
Submitted photo

kAmyFDE J6DE6C52J x 962C5 >JD6=7 ECJ:?8 E@ C62D@? H:E9 2 AFAAJ] p7E6C C2:D:?8 5@K6?D @7 AFAA:6D[ J@F >:89E E9:?< x’5 <?@H =@8:4 :D?’E E96:C >:=< 3@?6]k^Am

kAmp 76H H66<D 28@[ H96? E96 C2:? H2D 962GJ 2?5 E96 >F5 566A[ x H2D 46CE2:? H62C:?8 ;FDE >F4< 3@@ED 2?5 D9@CED H@F=5 36 2AAC@AC:2E6] ~?6 >:89E E9:?< 92G:?8 >F5 2?5 >2?FC6 D=@D9:?8 @G6C E96 E@AD @7 >J 3@@ED 2?5 :?D:56 E@ >J 766E >F=E:A=6 E:>6D :? E96 A2DE H@F=5 4@?E:?F6 E@ AC@G6 E@ >6 E96 G2=F6 @7 ;62?D]k^Am

kAmu:?2==J[ >J >@DE “D9@4<:?8” F?C@@<:6 >:DE2<6 :D ?6G6C E2<:?8 E96 E:>6 E@ EFC? @77 E96 76?46 H9:=6 >2<:?8 >:?@C C6A2:CD E@ :E] u@C 4CJ:?8 @FE =@F5 W=:E6C2==JX[ E96 4@HD 2C6 BF:4<6C DEF5:6D E92? x 2>Pk^Am

kAm%96 8@@5 ?6HD 7@C E96 x@H2 8FJ[ E9:D }63C2D<2 82=[ 2?5 2?J@?6 6=D6 :? ?665 @7 36:?8 C6D4F65 7C@> E96>D6=G6D[ 96=A 6I:DED] r964< @FE @FC =@42= 6IE6?D:@? D6CG:46[ 7F== @7 6IA6C:6?465 C6D@FC46D 2?5 A6CD@??6= C625J E@ 2?DH6C @FC BF6DE:@?D 2?5 8F:56 FD E@ DF446DD] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6IE6?D:@?]@C8^7:?5\4@@A6C2E:G6\6IE6?D:@?\:?\J@FC\DE2E6^Qm9EEADi^^6IE6?D:@?]@C8^7:?5\4@@A6C2E:G6\6IE6?D:@?\:?\J@FC\DE2E6^k^2mk^Am

k3=@4<BF@E6mkAm“}@ >2EE6C 9@H >2?J >:DE2<6D J@F >2<6 @C 9@H D=@H J@F AC@8C6DD[ J@F 2C6 DE:== H2J 29625 @7 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ :D?’E ECJ:?8]” – k6>m%@?J #@33:?Dk^6>mk^Amk^3=@4<BF@E6m

The Rusty and Dixi Wellman family is deeply rooted in Nebraska, raising Wagyu cattle, Vizsla hunting dogs and chickens. They also co-run a nonprofit that puts local beef on thousands of school kids’ lunch plates, and love sharing their faith and passion for small towns, agriculture, rural living, small business owners, and servant leadership.