The truth about farming....

[Bright Raven]

If I felt like this:

(raising cattle) is an exercise in futility. Your job, when you raise livestock, is to keep one step ahead of death. One person told me once that the livestock owner's job isn't so much keeping the animals alive as it is preventing them from dying. Another common saying is that "a cow is born looking for a way to die and your job is to find it before they do".

I would be loading cattle today and shipping them to Flemingsburg. Tomorrow, I would be booking a vacation to Tanzania.

 

[True Grit Farms]

If I felt like this:

(raising cattle) is an exercise in futility. Your job, when you raise livestock, is to keep one step ahead of death. One person told me once that the livestock owner's job isn't so much keeping the animals alive as it is preventing them from dying. Another common saying is that "a cow is born looking for a way to die and your job is to find it before they do".

I would be loading cattle today and shipping them to Flemingsburg. Tomorrow, I would be booking a vacation to Tanzania.

Must be your positive attitude. Every morning when I check cows I'm looking for something wrong. This morning the cows are covered in flies so I have to mix some spray up, dump a bag of cubes in a corner and try and spray most of them. Most days I wonder why the heck am I doing this instead of planting more pine trees, then I remind myself how much enjoyment I get from the cows when things are good. I sure have no interest in traveling to Africa and not hunting, I can see enough of Africa in Macon.

 

[Bright Raven]

If I felt like this:

(raising cattle) is an exercise in futility. Your job, when you raise livestock, is to keep one step ahead of death. One person told me once that the livestock owner's job isn't so much keeping the animals alive as it is preventing them from dying. Another common saying is that "a cow is born looking for a way to die and your job is to find it before they do".

I would be loading cattle today and shipping them to Flemingsburg. Tomorrow, I would be booking a vacation to Tanzania.

Must be your positive attitude. Every morning when I check cows I'm looking for something wrong. This morning the cows are covered in flies so I have to mix some spray up, dump a bag of cubes in a corner and try and spray most of them. Most days I wonder why the heck am I doing this instead of planting more pine trees, then I remind myself how much enjoyment I get from the cows when things are good. I sure have no interest in traveling to Africa and not hunting, I can see enough of Africa in Macon.

Oh my!!! You can not begin to imagine the difference. Africans are the ultimate in self reliance and self subsistence. No one over there handing out freebies. That is not to say the elements do not tax their resources. Africa is very unfriendly to humans.

 

[M-5]

the truth is when you have dirt in your blood you find peace and solitude from something that most do not understand. I often sit and watch and look at everything in amazement and Know that this did not happen by chance. I work hard and after about 30hrs in a tractor seat the last few days . My neck hurts and im walking like a 90 yr old but yesterday evening about dark I rode a section of fence that I built last year and I added a few cutoffs to keep the electric where I want it and called the cows to turn them into waste high crabgrass and they hit the gap at a full run, bucking and kicking and I could see the pure joy in their actions . the aches dwindled and I thanked Almighty for all that I have and Just smiled as they headed over to the back corner . I have days where I think its not worth it but If I tally it up I have far more days that I feel a sense of accomplishment and I know that One day when I have to answer for all Ive done, I pray he will say "well done My child"

 

[TexasBred]

the truth is when you have dirt in your blood you find peace and solitude from something that most do not understand. I often sit and watch and look at everything in amazement and Know that this did not happen by chance. I work hard and after about 30hrs in a tractor seat the last few days . My neck hurts and im walking like a 90 yr old but yesterday evening about dark I rode a section of fence that I built last year and I added a few cutoffs to keep the electric where I want it and called the cows to turn them into waste high crabgrass and they hit the gap at a full run, bucking and kicking and I could see the pure joy in their actions . the aches dwindled and I thanked Almighty for all that I have and Just smiled as they headed over to the back corner . I have days where I think its not worth it but If I tally it up I have far more days that I feel a sense of accomplishment and I know that One day when I have to answer for all Ive done, I pray he will say "well done My child"

:nod: :nod: :nod:

 

[farmerjan]

the truth is when you have dirt in your blood you find peace and solitude from something that most do not understand. I often sit and watch and look at everything in amazement and Know that this did not happen by chance. I work hard and after about 30hrs in a tractor seat the last few days . My neck hurts and im walking like a 90 yr old but yesterday evening about dark I rode a section of fence that I built last year and I added a few cutoffs to keep the electric where I want it and called the cows to turn them into waste high crabgrass and they hit the gap at a full run, bucking and kicking and I could see the pure joy in their actions . the aches dwindled and I thanked Almighty for all that I have and Just smiled as they headed over to the back corner . I have days where I think its not worth it but If I tally it up I have far more days that I feel a sense of accomplishment and I know that One day when I have to answer for all Ive done, I pray he will say "well done My child"

:nod: :nod: :nod:

X2

 

[TexasBred]

Must be your positive attitude. Every morning when I check cows I'm looking for something wrong. This morning the cows are covered in flies so I have to mix some spray up, dump a bag of cubes in a corner and try and spray most of them. Most days I wonder why the heck am I doing this instead of planting more pine trees, then I remind myself how much enjoyment I get from the cows when things are good. I sure have no interest in traveling to Africa and not hunting, I can see enough of Africa in Macon.

Hate to tell you this but those are pure blood, registered, locally bred and reared Americans. Most have an American history that probably goes back much farther than yours but the lighter colored ones may be some of your distant relatives.

 

[Bright Raven]

Must be your positive attitude. Every morning when I check cows I'm looking for something wrong. This morning the cows are covered in flies so I have to mix some spray up, dump a bag of cubes in a corner and try and spray most of them. Most days I wonder why the heck am I doing this instead of planting more pine trees, then I remind myself how much enjoyment I get from the cows when things are good. I sure have no interest in traveling to Africa and not hunting, I can see enough of Africa in Macon.

Hate to tell you this but those are pure blobod, registered, locally bred and reared Americans. Most have an American history that probably goes back much farther than yours but the lighter colored ones may be some of your distant relatives.

NO! Vince is from North Dakota. ;-)

 

[Jogeephus]

I still love it, but sometimes I think I am about to drown.

My hat is off to ya'll that do this well. It is no small feat. You have a right to be proud. :cowboy:

Indeed it can be overwhelming but only if you let it. What I have found helpful is when you begin to feel overwhelmed with all the little things that are swallowing you and your time like the waters of a frigid lake you need to stand back and admire the lake from a distance and reflect on the big picture; your accomplishments, your vision, and your vision of things to be.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Must be your positive attitude. Every morning when I check cows I'm looking for something wrong. This morning the cows are covered in flies so I have to mix some spray up, dump a bag of cubes in a corner and try and spray most of them. Most days I wonder why the heck am I doing this instead of planting more pine trees, then I remind myself how much enjoyment I get from the cows when things are good. I sure have no interest in traveling to Africa and not hunting, I can see enough of Africa in Macon.

Hate to tell you this but those are pure blood, registered, locally bred and reared Americans. Most have an American history that probably goes back much farther than yours but the lighter colored ones may be some of your distant relatives.

got slapped to reality with that possiblity one day.. Talking to a black Man ,who's grandmother was a Cherokee Indian,from the same area my Cherokee Great grandmother was from :lol:

 

[Workinonit Farm]

+1 farmerjan

Add me to that list. :nod:

 

[Workinonit Farm]

the truth is when you have dirt in your blood you find peace and solitude from something that most do not understand. I often sit and watch and look at everything in amazement and Know that this did not happen by chance. I work hard and after about 30hrs in a tractor seat the last few days . My neck hurts and im walking like a 90 yr old but yesterday evening about dark I rode a section of fence that I built last year and I added a few cutoffs to keep the electric where I want it and called the cows to turn them into waste high crabgrass and they hit the gap at a full run, bucking and kicking and I could see the pure joy in their actions . the aches dwindled and I thanked Almighty for all that I have and Just smiled as they headed over to the back corner . I have days where I think its not worth it but If I tally it up I have far more days that I feel a sense of accomplishment and I know that One day when I have to answer for all Ive done, I pray he will say "well done My child"

Nice post!

 

[HDRider]

I still love it, but sometimes I think I am about to drown.

My hat is off to ya'll that do this well. It is no small feat. You have a right to be proud. :cowboy:

Indeed it can be overwhelming but only if you let it. What I have found helpful is when you begin to feel overwhelmed with all the little things that are swallowing you and your time like the waters of a frigid lake you need to stand back and admire the lake from a distance and reflect on the big picture; your accomplishments, your vision, and your vision of things to be.

I am bad about that. I'll be fighting through briers and thorns and find out I surrounded by roses.

I am working on it...

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

the truth is when you have dirt in your blood you find peace and solitude from something that most do not understand. I often sit and watch and look at everything in amazement and Know that this did not happen by chance. I work hard and after about 30hrs in a tractor seat the last few days . My neck hurts and im walking like a 90 yr old but yesterday evening about dark I rode a section of fence that I built last year and I added a few cutoffs to keep the electric where I want it and called the cows to turn them into waste high crabgrass and they hit the gap at a full run, bucking and kicking and I could see the pure joy in their actions . the aches dwindled and I thanked Almighty for all that I have and Just smiled as they headed over to the back corner . I have days where I think its not worth it but If I tally it up I have far more days that I feel a sense of accomplishment and I know that One day when I have to answer for all Ive done, I pray he will say "well done My child"

Nice post!

I totally agree. I have been doing this a LOOONNNGGG time, and like right now, I am looking at some calves running & bucking with their tails up in the air. It sure brings a SMILE to my face. How can you raise any kind of living being and not pleasure in your accomplishments? Yes, we have bad times, but the good out-weighs the bad.
I am VERY PROUD to be a "farmer". And I love "God made a farmer".

 

[Jogeephus]

I am bad about that. I'll be fighting through briers and thorns and find out I surrounded by roses.

I am working on it...

Same here. I find a nice cold beer and a pretty sunset can sometimes be helpful.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Going out to check cows this evening, and I find this, and I forget about whatever negatives I may have been thinking about.

 

[Highpoint]

I really enjoyed the article.