Well, I guess it started before I was born. My grandfather (on Dad's side) bought 110 acres a few miles east of Nacogdoches, Texas in 1958. He and Dad fixed it up by repairing/rebuilding perimeter and cross fencing. For my whole life, there have always been anywhere from 20 to 40 cows on the place. We've never done the AI thing or bred pure bred cattle. Growing up, we helped Dad with pretty much every aspect from hauling hay to working cattle (vaccinations, castrations, etc.) to mowing pastures to fixing fences, etc. I was pretty much a labor hand - Dad told me what he needed done and we or sometimes just I, would get it done with whatever we had to work with. For Ag, as a freshman and sophmore in high school I fed out one steer one year and two the next - not halter broken...just fed throughout the school year and sold at the auction barn. Started college when I was 24 - Stephen F. Austin State University, 1988-1993 graduated with a BS in Geology and a Minor in Applied Statistics (so good luck selling me on the whole man-made climate change thing). Got married in 1994 and worked 8-1/2 years as a hydrogeologist/Statistician for an environmental consulting company then went to work for Texas State Parks for the past 20 years (12+ years as State Park Police Officer & about 15 years as a park manager - those positions overlap a bit if you are wondering about the math). Lived too far away to get back out there on a regular basis and as Dad got older, he couldn't do what he used to do so some things fell into a bit of disrepair. Moved a little closer in 2009 and tried to get over there more often. When we would go to get the cows up for working, it was frustrating. Some had become a bit wild and with many of the fences being in bad shape, they were almost impossible to round up. Started using my days off to at least patch some of the fencing so rounding them up would be a little easier...quite a few were still wild. Dad sold me my grandfather's old house (right next door to him) and the wife and I started to do an add-on and remodel. When we starting tearing into it, we found that the frame was not in the best condition so after talking to the contractor we decided to just tear it down - slab, septic tanks, and all - and build a new house. We've been in it for about 2 years. That puts me on the place although I have a one hour commute one way to work five days a week. But I have been able to do some long overdue work on the place over the last several years. September 2021 through May 2022 was pretty rough. Dad couldn't even get out of the bed. So Mom and I took care of him until the end. Since then, she has pretty much turned over the operation to me although it is in both our names - I still consider it her property - don't know why - habit, I suppose. We have made some decisions on needed infrastructure jobs each year to 1) keep the tax man at bay; and 2) get the place back in shape. In the meantime, I've been tending to the cows, pastures, and fences. Since culling out the pyscho cows and a couple of non-producers (barren, old, etc.) we now have a brangus bull, 15 breeding age cows, 5 heifers (all are mostly brangus), about 20 acres of hay pasture (coastal bermuda), a 30-acre pasture currently undergoing "rehab" which will soon be another hay pasture (maybe grazing every other year), fences still need brush clearing in some spots but I've made good progress there, an old caved in barn that is on the list for next year (clean off footprint - more brush - and build a new one), two ponds, water line (to be replaced next year) from the house to four water troughs that will need to be reset, I do have the electrical service for the old barn down there - just need to build a new barn, a 1998 John Deere 5520 tractor with various attachments (front and rear), and good cattle working facilities. Brush and fencing is an ongoing project but with all the work I've been doing, they are pretty much serviceable as is. So I guess my involvement has been deepest over the past few years but I've been involved in it to some degree for as long as I can remember. I think my folks moved out there when I was 1 or 2 years old. The bull and the cows just run together year 'round. Calving is pretty much exclusively in the spring. When all of the calves have dropped, my neighbor and I will get them all up for vaccination, castration, worming - and Ralgro for all that will be sold later in the year. Try to get chicken litter spread early in the spring and spray for weeds somewhere around May. We have a good guy who bales our hay pastures usually twice per year - of course, the past two summers haven't been very cooperative - didn't bale anything this year until November (friggin' November!). Hopefully, this coming year will be better and may even get to bale the 30-acres on the back side of the place (fingers crossed). Planning on running new water line next year and re-setting the big concrete water troughs. The operation will probably never be big enough to make a living at it but it does provide a good supplement to our income. Met some folks on an online forum called "Cattle Today" - perhaps you've heard of it - lol. A good place to draw from the experience of others and beats the crap out of facebook. Good to know y'all even if it is just in the virtual world for now. (Although, I have spoken to Mr. Allison by phone and email on things unrelated to cattle.)
It's been, and remains, a ton of work but I would rather be doing that than managing the park - can't stop thinking about the projects that need doing. I'm a logistics kind of thinker so the priorities have already been established - now to just get it all done - it's a big job of "catch-up". I prefer, and will do much of it myself but will need to hire some of it out (water lines, dirt work, & possibly building a barn) - I never seem to get tired of doing this kind of stuff. It's good to be able to look back at the end of the day and see what's been accomplished. Looking for an opportunity to retire - I've been eligible for 4 years...just unable. Then it will be "Katie bar the door!" on the old family farm. I can see what I can do in just a day's time...having 6 days a week, I could get most everything done I see that needs to be done in less than a year. As it stands now, I'll just have to be satisfied with nibbling away at it. Priority 1 at the moment is finishing mowing that back pasture - and that's non-negotiable.
I guess I'm old school in that I feel a deep connection to that old place and the land it sits on. Played in them creeks and woods and fished in them ponds more times than I can count. I told the wife when we built that house, it would be the last house I live in...I have neither the intention nor inclination to leave...it's home to me. I'll look after my Mom, the missus, and the place until I am no longer able. Once I'm gone, I told the missus she can do whatever she wishes with the place but as long as I'm drawing a breath, I'll be out there working on something - I'm totally incapable of sitting still. Kids are grown and gone so that place out there is now my "project". Probably mis-stated something or missed something in all of this but that's what comes to mind right off the bat.
It's been, and remains, a ton of work but I would rather be doing that than managing the park - can't stop thinking about the projects that need doing. I'm a logistics kind of thinker so the priorities have already been established - now to just get it all done - it's a big job of "catch-up". I prefer, and will do much of it myself but will need to hire some of it out (water lines, dirt work, & possibly building a barn) - I never seem to get tired of doing this kind of stuff. It's good to be able to look back at the end of the day and see what's been accomplished. Looking for an opportunity to retire - I've been eligible for 4 years...just unable. Then it will be "Katie bar the door!" on the old family farm. I can see what I can do in just a day's time...having 6 days a week, I could get most everything done I see that needs to be done in less than a year. As it stands now, I'll just have to be satisfied with nibbling away at it. Priority 1 at the moment is finishing mowing that back pasture - and that's non-negotiable.
I guess I'm old school in that I feel a deep connection to that old place and the land it sits on. Played in them creeks and woods and fished in them ponds more times than I can count. I told the wife when we built that house, it would be the last house I live in...I have neither the intention nor inclination to leave...it's home to me. I'll look after my Mom, the missus, and the place until I am no longer able. Once I'm gone, I told the missus she can do whatever she wishes with the place but as long as I'm drawing a breath, I'll be out there working on something - I'm totally incapable of sitting still. Kids are grown and gone so that place out there is now my "project". Probably mis-stated something or missed something in all of this but that's what comes to mind right off the bat.
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