A Beginning and an End

Isn’t that what agriculture is all about? Around our farm, something is always beginning or coming to an end. This week, it’s the cattle.  And I can’t say it’s just our cattle because the beginning was born at our neighbor’s house. Once again, it was drill weekend for dad so something exciting had to happen with our animals. No fail.

On Sunday, just as I was finishing up feeding the horses, my mom comes running out of the house, waving my cell phone while talking on the home phone.(Gotta love the many ways we communicate in our family.) It was my dad, who had just gotten off the phone with one of our neighbors, who helps us with all our cow problems when we need the extra hands, and he had calving problems with a heifer.  Pulling down their drive way, I could see that there was more than enough help already and I probably wouldn’t get to do a thing. That is one of those things about being a farmer’s daughter that makes me mad; when the guys won’t let you get your hands dirty because you aren’t strong enough or you don’t know enough.  So instead of getting to help pull the calf, I was sent inside in search of rags and warm water. Bummer! But even if I didn’t get to pull calf, I still got to witness the beginning that brings joy into every farmer’s life.

The ending, of course, is happening at our house. For about a year now, we have been feeding out two of our weaned steers for beef. Starting this year, we are marketing them to people who want beef that goes straight from the pasture to the freezer and is specifically cut to their needs at one of our local butcher shops. (If you need some beef, give me a holler!) Today, they were loaded onto the trailer and shipped to the butcher. So while yesterday, I got live in the wonder of new beginnings, today I get the excitement of fresh beef when I get home Friday. What else could a girl ask for?

Our beef steers at their last supper. No picture of the new little cutie because who has a camera around in a cow crisis?