andybob
Well-known member
I grew up with cattle and developed an early fascination for the local native breeds, the fact that you could actually make a good living with cattle in our country was a bonus to my addiction.
What's your story ?
- Thread starter CottageFarm
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Isomade":1a8h1v7k said:
It ain't the age it's the attitude. :lol2:
Wanted to buy some of that good looking flat land in Arkansas when I was there this winter. Now I would have to have a boat to get over it. It's 10ft under water and Jed will still make a living on it before winter. Shows sometimes you better stay close to home.
LRTX1
Well-known member
I grew up farming vegetables, small scale 30 acres. By the time I got finished with school, both me and dad worked full time to make ends meet and were trying to farm on the side too. Decided to give all that up and planted everything in pasture and got some cows. Over the years work has kept me traveling and not spending the time needed on the farm until here lately. Now I am trying to get the cattle operation to be more profitable, lowering input costs, increasing herd size, improving quality in cows and facilities etc. Trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can.
MO_cows
Well-known member
Had farms in the family growing up, but didn't get to live in the country until we bought our own place. Had a couple horses and life was good. Through my job, I got exposed to a lot of different breeds, their registries and members/breeders. The Tarentaise breeders by and large were a down to earth, solid bunch of folks. I always liked the cattle, too. Entered a raffle for a donated heifer at Denver, just to help out the assn. Lo and behold, we won. Called home to hubby for a consultation - I've got some good offers, keep her or sell her?? He said, if you can get her home from Denver, keep her. So, you could say we started out with a $5 heifer......
slick4591
Well-known member
I was raised a city kid, but did spend time on Granddad's farm during the summers. He had cows (mostly dairy), pigs and horses. Never was interested in any of them, but in later years the kids wanted to show hogs with FFA. That first year I got interested in them and started a small farrowing operation. Never did very well, and I kid about not losing enough money in hogs so I bought a few cows.
Victoria
Well-known member
When I was two years old we moved from the city to the ranch to take care of my grandfather's cows. Mom used to take me out walking the fields to check them and there was one old Hereford cow that was fascinated by me. She'd come to see me and I would stumble over her. She started my love of cows. These were pretty wild cows mind you, except #9. Actually, she was #21 but I couldn't count that high so I called her #9. :lol2:
Fast forward to my graduating years and I decided to go to school for marketing management. Did that, got a city job and only saw that cows for castrating, preg check days. Helped another guy round up his cows with my horse. That was about the extent of it for a few years. Then I got really sick. Had to quit my job and moved home. Happened to be calving season. Mom was pretty tired doing it alone. Had a downer cow that needed a lot of care. That was something I could help with so I took care of her. Was pretty happy after a number of days when she could walk on her own. I managed to help out that year here and there and after a couple of surgeries I was able to get a job again and go back to work. I sent out a few resumes but my heart was with the cows. I had forgotten how good it was just being out with them. So instead of taking a city job I decided to go the road of less money, more work and my cows.
Fast forward to my graduating years and I decided to go to school for marketing management. Did that, got a city job and only saw that cows for castrating, preg check days. Helped another guy round up his cows with my horse. That was about the extent of it for a few years. Then I got really sick. Had to quit my job and moved home. Happened to be calving season. Mom was pretty tired doing it alone. Had a downer cow that needed a lot of care. That was something I could help with so I took care of her. Was pretty happy after a number of days when she could walk on her own. I managed to help out that year here and there and after a couple of surgeries I was able to get a job again and go back to work. I sent out a few resumes but my heart was with the cows. I had forgotten how good it was just being out with them. So instead of taking a city job I decided to go the road of less money, more work and my cows.
crossbredcalves
Well-known member
I grew up on a Charolais ranch that my dad managed. My first word was bull, and I learned to count by counting cows. Growing up, we had horses and rodeoed, and my brother was a calf roper, so we always had some small calves to take care of.
When I went to college, I started saving my pennies and bought some calves. As they grew, I sold them to buy a couple bred cows. When I graduated college, I started buying a cow here and there. I now have around 10 head that are mine in the clear. I am a teacher, so going to the farm is my cool down after a long week in the classroom, and I have been able to teach my city kid students about the farm life.
When I went to college, I started saving my pennies and bought some calves. As they grew, I sold them to buy a couple bred cows. When I graduated college, I started buying a cow here and there. I now have around 10 head that are mine in the clear. I am a teacher, so going to the farm is my cool down after a long week in the classroom, and I have been able to teach my city kid students about the farm life.
TexasBred
Well-known member
crossbredcalves":23cqhgnh said:
I tried that too but we had holsteins...trying to count them just made me stutter.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
City girl married a farmer
IGotMyWings
Well-known member
When I was a kid, I worked with my uncle and cousin farming a little over 500 tillable acres and a handful of cattle. I had envisioned myself taking my uncle's place when he retired, but that didn't pan out. A few years later, I worked for another farmer out here with about the same number of acres, but he had hogs. A few years after that, the planets aligned for us and my wife and I bought a small farm. We cash rented the ground for a few years, then out of nowhere, my brother-in-law tells me about a whiz-bang deal on a bull calf. Well, that was the cattle-yst I needed, so we told the brothers who had been farming our ground that after the beans were out, fences were going up. I'm still small in the business, but I have a niche market and a loyal customer base. I'm not getting rich, but I'm involved in agriculture which is where my heart and soul have always wanted to be.
GMN
Well-known member
My Grandparents had a dairy/beef farm and my GrandMother was a huge role model for me, liked her life, and wanted to be just like her.
Victoria
Well-known member
Isomade":31qbc7cv said:
I think most of us on here chose happiness over money. ;-)
CottageFarm
Well-known member
Isomade":2gx3zdg1 said:
"old" is irrelevant to age. I've known cantankerous, old 40 year olds....Come to think of it I married a loveable, cantankerous old...
CottageFarm
Well-known member
Victoria":1hsgo7b2 said:
CottageFarm
Well-known member
Thank you all for sharing your story with everyone. It's a great pleasure to read them. I hope more people continue to add their story as well. :clap:
