Let’s savor the Christmas Season

Dec 3, 2025
Dec 3, 2025

Glenn Brunkow

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

I am now declaring Christmas Season officially here. Yes, I operate on a strict policy of one holiday at a time, and since the turkey carcass is officially picked over, it is now Christmas. This is a season I look forward to with great anticipation each year.

kAmx 244:56?E2==J DE@AA65 E96 C25:@ @? E96 2==\r9C:DE>2D 492??6= E96 52J 367@C6 %92?<D8:G:?8] xE H2D 4@>A=6E6=J F?:?E6?E:@?2=] %96 7246A=2E6 @7 E96 C25:@ :? E96 7665 A:4<FA 92D =@?8 366? 8@?6[ D@ 7:?5:?8 C25:@ DE2E:@?D :D 2 3:E @7 2 8F6DD:?8 82>6] *@F A@<6 E96 3FEE@? 2?5 H2:E 7@C D@>6 :?5:42E:@? @7 H92E <:?5 @7 DE2E:@? J@F 92G6 7@F?5]k^Am

kAmx >FDE 25>:E E92E 7@C ;FDE 2 D64@?5[ x H2D 6?;@J:?8 E96 r9C:DE>2D >FD:4] %96? x C62=:K65 :E H2D 367@C6 %92?<D8:G:?8 2?5 BF:4<=J 9:E E96 D62C49 3FEE@? 282:?] x 92G6 EC:65 E@ EFC? >J 9625 2?5 :8?@C6 E96 r9C:DE>2D 564@C2E:@?D 2E ?62C=J 6G6CJ 6DE23=:D9>6?E x 92G6 6?E6C65 D:?46 D@>6E:>6 2C@F?5 w2==@H66?] x H:== D2J :E 282:?i r9C:DE>2D D62D@? DE2CED 27E6C %92?<D8:G:?8]k^Am

kAm#6A62E65=J[ x 92G6 925 %' DE2E:@?D ECJ E@ =FC6 >6 :? 3J D9@H:?8 >J 72G@C:E6 r9C:DE>2D >@G:6D] *6D[ x 25>:E E92E :E :D 92C5 E@ 86E E96> 2== H2E4965 :7 J@F H2:E F?E:= "F2:= wF?E:?8 uC:52J] Wx 92G6 2=D@ ?6G6C A2CE:4:A2E65 :? q=24< uC:52J] x?DE625 x 49@D6 E@ E2<6 A2CE :? 2 >F49 >@C6 C6=2I:?8 24E:G:EJ E92E x 42== "F2:= wF?E:?8 uC:52J]Xk^Am

kAmx <?@H[ x 4@?D:DE6?E=J 4@>A=2:? 6G6CJ J62C E92E E96 r9C:DE>2D $62D@? 8@6D 3J >F49 E@@ 72DE 2?5 x 5@ ?@E 92G6 E:>6 E@ 6?;@J :E =:<6 x H@F=5 AC676C E@] xE :D E6>AE:?8 E@ DF44F>3 E@ D@4:6E2= AC6DDFC6 2?5 A2CE2<6 :? r9C:DE>2D 24E:G:E:6D AC:@C E@ %92?<D8:G:?8[ 3FE x 2> 9@=5:?8 92C5 2?5 72DE E@ >J 36=:67D]k^Am

kAm}@H E92E :E :D r9C:DE>2D $62D@?[ x H:== E@E2==J :>>6CD6 >JD6=7 :? 2== E92E x =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@] !C:>2C:=J[ E92E 2== 368:?D H:E9 p5G6?E 2?5 E96 3:CE9 @7 y6DFD] %96 @=56C x 86E[ E96 >@C6 E9:D E2<6D 46?E6C DE286 2?5 2== E96 C6DE :D ;FDE ?@:D6] |J 72G@C:E6 A2CE @7 r9C:DE>2D :D r9C:DE>2D tG6 D6CG:46] x 2=D@ C62==J 6?;@J p5G6?E D6CG:46D[ E96 =:89E:?8 @7 E96 p5G6?E HC62E9 2?5 D:?8:?8 r9C:DE>2D 42C@=D]k^Am

People are also reading…

Missouri cowgirl bakes to fund her trick-riding ambitions
Finding her niche on family farm: Newman Grove farm wife builds pork business
Meristem focuses on reducing crop input costs for farmers
Variety of fencing meets needs on the farm
Berwald Red Angus 4th Annual Bull & Female Sale
Heart River Ranch Annual Production Sale
Fast-Dohrmann-Strommen 55th Annual Production Sale
Eichacker Simmentals & JK Angus
Short corn offers risk, timing alternative
Effertz Key Ranch 48th Annual Bull Sale
Highmore cattleman elected to American Simmental board
Sitz Angus 24th Annual Spring Bull Sale
Middle East situation a cause of concern for corn
Helping wildfire victims, the Nebraska way
Working cattle, then hitting the books

kAmx 5@ 2A@=@8:K6 E@ E9@D6 H9@ 2C6 2C@F?5 >6 2E 49FC49] x <?@H v@5 D2:5 E@ >2<6 2 ;@J7F= ?@:D6[ 2?5 x 2> DFC6 96 6?;@JD :E] x 2> 2=D@ 46CE2:? E9@D6 2C@F?5 >6 7:?5 >J D:?8:?8 =6DD ;@J7F= 2?5 >@C6 =:<6 D@>6@?6 DE6AA65 @? E96 42E’D E2:=] x 5@ ?@E 42C6j x 2> 8@:?8 E@ 36=E @FE E9@D6 r9C:DE>2D 42C@=D]k^Am

kAmp=@?8 E92E =:?6[ >J 72G@C:E6 r9C:DE>2D 564@C2E:@? :D >J ?2E:G:EJ D46?6] |J >@E96C H2D 2? 2CE:DE H9@ >256 4=2J D4F=AEFC6D[ 2?5 96C ?2E:G:EJ D6ED H6C6 96C >@DE A@AF=2C D4F=AEFC6] |J ?2E:G:EJ D6E :D 2>@?8 >J >@DE AC:K65 A@DD6DD:@?D] xE :D 2=D@ >J =:?< E@ >J >@E96C 2?5 >6>@C:6D @7 8C62E r9C:DE>2D6D A2DE] %2=<:?8 23@FE |@> :D DE:== @?6 @7 E96 76H E9:?8D E92E 86ED 2 C624E:@? 7C@> s25]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 E96 C6=:8:@FD 2DA64E @7 r9C:DE>2D :D >@DE :>A@CE2?E[ x 2> ?@E 8@:?8 E@ H2I @G6C E96 >@C6 D64F=2C A2CED 2=D@] x 25>:E E92E x 2> 2 DF4<6C 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8 r9C:DE>2D[ 2?5 x 6?;@J 6G6CJ >@>6?E @7 E96 D62D@?] x ECJ E@ E2<6 6249 >@>6?E :? 2?5 D2G@C :E 3642FD6 x <?@H :E 8@6D 3J >F49 E@@ 72DE]k^Am

kAmx 42??@E H2:E E@ 8@ =@@< 2E r9C:DE>2D =:89ED 2?5 564@C2E:@?D] (9:=6 x 5@ ?@E AFE FA =:89ED @7 >J @H?[ x 5@ 2AAC64:2E6 E9@D6 H9@ 5@ 8@ E9C@F89 E96 EC@F3=6] x C62==J 6?;@J 2== <:?5D @7 r9C:DE>2D >FD:4[ 2?5 J@F 36EE6C 36=:6G6 E92E x 2> 3C62<:?8 @FE >J r9C:DE>2D A=2J=:DE] x 2> 2=D@ 2 3:E @7 2 AFC:DE[ 2?5 x @?=J H2?E E@ 962C E96 C:89E 2CE:DE D:?8 46CE2:? D@?8D 2?5 ?@E E96 >@C6 C646?E D:?86CD H9@ 3F?8=6 E96 4=2DD:4D] x <?@H[ E9:D :D 2 D:8? E92E x 2> 86EE:?8 @=5]k^Am

kAmx =@G6 r9C:DE>2D 7@@5[ 6DA64:2==J 42?5J 2?5 4@@<:6D] x 2> DFC6 >J 3=@@5 DF82C 2?5 H2:DE=:?6 H:== 36 E96 @?6D E@ E2<6 E96 3:886DE 9:E[ 3FE E92E 42? 36 E2<6? 42C6 @7 :? y2?F2CJ] x? E96 >62?E:>6[ 3C:?8 @? E96 DF82C 4@@<:6D[ A62?FE 3C:EE=6 2?5 7F586]k^Am

kAmx 2> =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ >@C?:?8D 5C:?<:?8 4@7766 =@@<:?8 2E E96 r9C:DE>2D EC66 2?5 ?:89ED H2E49:?8 4=2DD:4 r9C:DE>2D >@G:6D] %9@D6 E9:?8D 2C6 2== 8C62E[ 3FE E96 @?6 E9:?8 x 2> =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ E96 >@DE :D DA6?5:?8 E:>6 H:E9 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D] (:E9 EH@ 8C@H? <:5D H9@ 2C6 4@>:?8 324< 2?5 DA6?5:?8 D@>6 E:>6 H:E9 FD[ x 2> =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ E92E >@C6 E92? 2?JE9:?8 6=D6]k^Am

kAm*6D[ H6 2C6 567:?:E6=J :? r9C:DE>2D $62D@?[ 2?5 x 5@ 92G6 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 A6A :? >J DE6A 2?5 =:89E?6DD :? >J 962CE] x E9:?< E92E :D D@>6E9:?8 H6 2== ?665 C:89E ?@H]k^Am

kAmw@A67F==J E9:D r9C:DE>2D $62D@? H:== 2==@H J@F E@ E2<6 2 3C62< 7C@> 2== E96 H6:89EJ E9:?8D 92AA6?:?8 :? @FC H@C=5 ?@H 2?5 7@4FD @? H92E :D :>A@CE2?E :? @FC =:G6Di 72:E9 2?5 72>:=J] |6CCJ r9C:DE>2D[ >J 7C:6?5Dk^Am

Glenn Brunkow is a fifth-generation farmer in the Northern Flint Hills of Pottawatomie County in Kansas. He was a county Extension educator for 19 years before returning to farm and ranch full time. He can be reached at editorial@midwestmessenger.com.