My grandfather on my mother's side passed away in 2010, and walking around the Magie makes realize just how much I miss him.

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My grandfather along with his brothers had a cattle ranching operation. He was the one responsible for the buying and selling of cattle. Numerous weekends were spent with him in one sale barn or another.

That's not to say that's all he did, he had a hand in almost every step of what goes into having a successful cattle ranch. He also made sure all his grand kids understood the value of hard work as well.

One year for my birthday he gave me a calf to raise and care for. The next year it became two, then it was three. By the end I had five calves each summer. He would give me the calves in the spring, then in the fall we'd take them auction. There was no way he would be outbid for those calves either.

I would love to get just one more day with him and walk around the Magie visiting all the exhibits. My grandfather might have been from South Dakota, but he would have made a handful of new friends in Montana within the hour.

Walking into the Magie, it's like being a kid in a candy shop seeing all the new equipment and advancements in Ag. I've been coming to the Magie since 2000 and it's amazing to see the technological advancements in just these past two decades.

The Magie is the one time a year this former "farm kid" who ran away to the "big city" misses the days of chopping thistles and feeding cattle. Well that's a lie, I don't think anyone ever misses chopping thistles.

A Look Inside Magie 23

A look inside at some of the booth and vendors making up the Magie 2023

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