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Show I. December December 22, 1982 FOCUS 11 name BLv.li Viilw, and sold the 50 f.kir.v to Nciman Marcus, ;f UajMs. The males fetched $1 100 00 per pelt and the rcHJcs a mere -- $580.00. "Bus "He said, good mink them. Ella genious for . ku-.-c- he w when : v' it. . For a following the success f tin, Black Willow' continued to breed, the raise ar,f airon mutates. But, when t Vcame apparwfti-v- hv ent that ihry were not to pay for making their own fee .hey were all .hat time to destroyed. the i. Black Willow pree: has enjyyt c unequaled 'o Today, th. Mink is t!i. herd in in:. bee.i have introduced L ntxr,-- . many, "This fr family ptoj i;ir lives." has -- everyone, friends and breeding period, lest they damage each other. When the kits start to come, they have to be watched closely, lest mamma starts to eat them. And, if they are fortunate enough to survive the sibling period, they still have themselves to contend with. At about two and a half months, the kits are separated from the females. Each requires a shot at separation. Their disposition does not improve with maturity. Their predilection to visciousness only tends to increase, which is probably just as well. Were the little creatures cute and cuddly, and thoroughly loveable, harvest would likely be more difficult. .Attracted by the fragrant odor of the specially prepared mink feed, skunks can be a real problem, one that has iJo: Still now that Jr John , will be in ?. . operation, working wi& - 'is, who plans charge retire:nf N'm the business . as s w she can "gracefully Rut, son in on V'i law Don ter Lori, Dawson .no Today. sheds, with ber of mink a from and daughin law Ken in-.- Mary. has 48 ... v.rying numh, ranging ? v. hundred to . coop-- h.:; several During tfc"-the very bet for are kept !out 3,000 tales. The k breeds females ing season, ; . an. rest arc skinned : auction. not good are sold fThe bert harvested hi June auctiv J, killed, spared nk - Meanvbi prod kitsin e..v time four cleaning.. V' to the fa;ui all work or mink ,:s the industry) have their reward. As Bus used to say, "Smell? I love that smell! That's the smell of money! One employee told me, "It's hard work, but we can't complain. Ella is always working with us. In fact she works four times harder than most of us." I'm told Bus was the same . way. -- Utah-Mis- Facing Page: Lower left hand comer. Ella and long time helper, friend and in common, Mother M food must be fed and Every .. . ''r. 4 M M Bottom. - Getting ready to ' ; ' .. . " pull the skin. ..This'. page: Top. JohHiv and helpers grading mink , : Center, graded mink lay' ing in pens waiting to be, L;-- vs ; single o They ' r - .. and .waii; in-La- Velma Judd. Top. John Senior. Dairy Ling . f. t coached the vough m M I M M m 1 M M I . . r mink, M1 I , . t k s In addition to running one of the most successful mink farms in the country. Bus was also President of the National Association of Fur Breeders for three terms, a leader in developing a sports program for the youth in the area, a sponsor of an adult softb-tlteam, and an active supporter of the Miss America program. Active in church, civic .nr community projects. Bus v as in fact, something of a living legend. Everyone who knew him loved him. Everyone who knows Ella loves her. Everybody loves a gord success story. l no less a demanding I their own, quite unique to mbers who .nil. like the smell, (mink farms have an odor all the farm extra four full nd usually furt time, Help with addition employe.:?. cleaned antness, ?vrty to r chances. But, the demanding hours, the extremes in weather, the hard work and the unpleas- ... ' eir.tV operation. crops. The lb daily, hardy ones simply shoot them, and take their . breeding crop of 5. and the - cycle cor. 1 stw ;-- During employs aL;-people, .k.v for that are for coats, J trinkets. t of the vld for the - stock . to continually e dealt with. Some mink farmers put traps out for them. The more 1 1 t 1 . 1 1 1 .' 1 1 : : 1 .. M v Ella skinning pelts lie inforgntund. . s . |