4-H: 30 years down, 20 to go!

 This past week our oldest took his first prospect beef to the spring weigh in. "Weigh-in" is like a registration event for all the prospect beef that will attend the Clinton County 4-H and Youth Fair the last week of July.  At the event the department leadership tag the calf, vaccinate them for shipping fever, check to make sure they are castrated, and weigh them, of course.  The weight helps the 4-H member judge how the animal is growing, and how much more growth the animal needs to meet the weight requirements for the fair.  "Clover" came in at 225 lbs.  Off to a good start!

 Many people do not realize how many volunteers it takes to run the county 4-H program. There are organizational leaders, project leaders, department chairs, superintendents, fair board members, committee members, fair council members, and it goes on and on.  Very few people involved in 4-H get paid for their time and investment into helping our neighborhood youth become better people.  These volunteers live out the 4-H pledge with their creative minds, loyalty to the program,  and continued service all in an effort to make this a better community, country and world.

 My siblings and I have been involved in 4-H for over 30 years now.  Its not surprising since my parents were also involved in 4-H. My mom often recalls entering her projects at the fair, and how much fun she had. She once said that she couldn't even remember how well she did on them, just how much fun it was.  I recon that was probably because the projects were not the most important thing at the fair. Turns out my dad was!  When my mom worked her "fair job" (remember-the fair is mostly ALL volunteers, including the youth!) She sold milk at the milk stand at the Ingham county fair in Mason.  My dad, noticing her, drank a lot of milk that day.  A LOT.  The rest is history. They've been married over 40 years now.  4-H does that to people. 
     This was the first weigh in for me in 15 years, although it may as well have been yesterday.  In some ways a lot has changed, but in others, not so much.  The tack box is in the basement, ready to go (never unpacked from 1998...).  Later this summer we'll pull out the clippers, shine up the halters, and go to the fair.  For the next 20 years.

-Terri

The Stockyard

Today was the baby’s first trip to the stockyard!

We had a cow to sell and regular auction day is not until Tuesday, but on Thursday you can take cull cows over and they will be put on the "rail" and sold somewhere  else.

Everybody likes to go to the stockyard.  For the farmers it’s the anticipated sale; the chance to visit with other farmers;  the truck ride with the wife and maybe some kids; and a potential stop for a treat on the way home.  For the kids it’s the opportunity to ride in the truck with Dad, to see all the trucks & trailers lined up, and to check out what everyone along the way is up to. And the treat, of course!

Today we went to the Lake Odessa Livestock Auction.  We had one cow, and we picked up a cow for a friend on the way.  One of the most skilled decisions a farmer can make is knowing just when to sell a cow.  They may be old, ill, or have some other problem- no matter what her issue is we don’t want them to die on the farm.  A cow dieing on the farm is a loss of potential income, another bill for the rendering truck, and frankly, a waste of meat.

Going to the Lake Odessa Livestock Auction:

Loading up for the trip!



Our truck and a borrowed cattle trailer.

The unloading area at the auction.

Usually, this parking lot is full of trucks and trailers, but Thursdays are not nearly as busy as Tuesdays.  Probably because the café is closed. (LOL)

Most farmers affectionately refer to the stockyard as "Lako"

Here you are, Iva-thanks for your contribution!

Unloading the cows into the barn.

 

When I was around 14, my parents were converting their year-round calving herd to a seasonal herd, where the cows would all calve in April and May.  During that summer, my dad made a lot of trips to the stockyard.  They were mostly cows that were not bred at the right time for a spring calving.  I went with him most every time.  He went to the auction in St. Louis.  He would  load up the cows, stop by the house and I would jump in the truck.  We would stop at Beck’s on the way for a pop and maybe a snack. Sometimes we’d talk, sometimes we’d just be quiet, or I would bring a book along.  On the Monday before the first day of school in August,  I remember him yelling up the stairs, asking if I was coming.   I decided to not go that day. It was my last day of summer vacation, and I wanted  to do other things. I have always regretted not going.  After that summer we didn’t have as many cattle to send, and often he hired our local trucker to take them. Soon, when I started driving myself, he would send me to auction with cattle so he could work on things at home.  Turns out those trips to the auction were precious times.

Since then, I have only been to the auction with Dad a small handful of times. One time, after our oldest was born, the three of us went to Lake Odessa (where we went today) and he bought us lunch at the stockyard café, to celebrate the baby’s first time at the livestock auction.  I can’t even begin to count how many times that child has been since!

If I had one of those calendar’s where you record all of baby’s “firsts”, I would definitely put a sticker on today’s trip to the stockyard.  Might seem kind of weird to other people, but these are the days that are special to us.

Don’t miss an opportunity to spend time with people that matter to you.  Soon your circumstances will change and that opportunity might not come around again. So go ahead! Jump in the truck and ride along to the stockyard, the store, the neighbors, wherever it is that life takes you.

-Terri

Vet Calls

This past week we had a handful of calves that were slightly under the weather.  I told Rick yesterday that if I couldn't bring them around over the weekend, that I was going to call the vet.

Well, the vet beat me to it! He called yesterday afternoon. This is how it went:

Me: Hello?
Vet: Terri, this Mike. How's it going?
Me: Did Rick call you about my calves??
Vet: No....what's going on with your calves?

I explained the situation and what I was doing to correct the situation. He affirmed that I was handling it correctly and that he didn't think he needed to come out to look at them.  He offered some other tips, then told me why he was calling.  He knows a young man who wants to learn a little bit more about grazing, and would like to job shadow at our place for a day or so.  We like to pay things forward, so we will have this young man out soon.

Did you notice during the phone call, the vet never said "from Clinton Veterinary Service" or even his last name?  This phone call got me thinking about what a good relationship we have with our vet.  A good relationship with the vet is right up there in importance as a good relationship with your own doctor.  He knows our operation, how we manage, how we think, and he always tailors the doctor's orders to what's going to work best for us.

I have known our vet for at least 20+ years. I cannot remember when exactly he became the preferred vet at my folk's farm, but I was young.  One thing I like best about the practice is their honesty.  Mike will always be very honest in the most respectful way.  A long time ago, when I worked full time for Mom and Dad, we had a lengthy herd health check. During the check, he told us that he really thought we ought to go into partnership together, instead of Rick and I starting our own dairy.  We told him a little story about concerning too many chiefs and not enough Indians.  There are many other reasons why both my parents and us didn't want to go into a partnership together (enough for another blog entry) but we didn't get into that. That day the herd check seemed to take forever.

Some partnerships work well.  The partnership my parents had with my Grandpa worked great.  Grandpa was very easy to work with.  His regular response was something to the tune of  "whatever you want. Sounds good to me." You could ask Grandpa if he wanted to go out to lunch, or if he wanted to buy a new tractor. It was the same answer. "Whatever you want. Sounds good to me!"  But not all of them work out so great.

Four or five years ago, when Mike was out for a herd check, he brought his former opinion up in conversation. He said "you know, I really thought you guys should have went into partnership with your parents. But I was wrong. You've done real well here." I will never forget him saying that.

We don't agree on everything, but our discussions have rarely been heated.  One superior thing about Clinton Veterinary Service is that they have many different clients but they treat all of them the same in terms of importance. 

When Rick and I started the dairy, Mike hired on a new vet, Russ.  Russ is also a great asset for our dairy. The best thing is that he really got into the meat of his own career when we did.  So, we can grow old and grey together, and when we are, he can hire a new vet out of college to continue the tradition with our kids on their own farm.

Here's some more information on Clinton Veterinary Service:

http://www.clintonvetsvc.com/ 

Or, "like" them on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clinton-Veterinary-Service-PC/371200738888


-Terri

Stock Options

Parents provide for their children in different ways. Most all provide the basic necessities; food, clothing, shelter & utilities.  Many parents try to  go above and beyond that and look forward to the child's future. They may put money aside in a trust fund, certificate of deposit, savings bond or a college fund.  Well, we invest in stocks for our children.

Livestock, that is!

We give each of our children a heifer calf when they are born (during the next calving season for the fall birthdays).  We put their names on the ear tags with corresponding numbers.  Then, when the heifer is 2 years old, she will have her first calf.  If it is a bull, the child retains the sale money from selling the bull.  If it is a heifer, we raise her and the child now has two animals.  If we have to sell a heifer or a cow we split the proceeds with the child.  We are providing the funds to raise them and take care of them so we also retain the money from milk sales.

When the kids are 18 (or older) or when they know for sure what path they want to take for their future, they can take their small herd and go start a farm, or they can sell them for the money to go college, start a business, as a down payment on a house, etc.  They can sell them back to us (for market value) or to someone else, where they may do better.

Cows do not usually live for 18 years.  We have had some that have reached 13, but not very many.  Most of our cows average about 6-8 years.  So along the way the kids learn the ups and down of growing a potential business.  Sometimes you get bull, sometimes you get a heifer. Sometimes your cow lives for a really long time, sometimes your yearling heifer has be sold right after she calves. A bull calf might mean a quick sale for a little cash, but a heifer calf (with delayed gratification) will yield more calves and milk, and ultimately more income.

Right now, this is what each child has:

#1: 5 cows (3 have to birth calves yet this season), 1 yearling, 1 heifer calf (so far)
#2: 3 cows (1 to birth a calf yet this season) 2 yearlings, 1 heifer calf (so far)
#3: 2 cows (1 to birth a calf yet this season), 1 yearling, 1 heifer calf (so far)
#4: 1 cow, 1 heifer calf
#5: 1 heifer calf

Someone once said that our kids are going to own over half our herd.  My response to that was "So what?"  Not all the kids will be cashing in their cows at the same time.  By the time they are an adult, we will probably have a pretty good inkling what direction they are going to take, so we can prepare ahead of time.  Maybe we won't want to milk as many by the time child #5 gets to be 18....either way, this is how we can do something right now to invest in our children's future without forking out a lot of cash.

At the end of the day what really matters is not the kind of stock you invest in, but how you train your children to manage it.  Now is the time, when they are young, to install life management skills.   Its also the time to remind them that the things of this earth stay here, on earth.  Sure, its important for them to find their passion, work hard, be productive, support their future family and not be a burden on society. But its more important to find Jesus Christ and use the gifts and talents that He gave them to serve others.

One of the kid's cows with their new addition, a heifer!  This picture was taken during the rain event that we had, and these cows are now on much more dryer & cleaner ground.






"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal." Matt. 6: 19-20.

In a grazer's words: If it rusts, rots, or depreciates, don't buy it! ( Or at least think really hard on whether you need it or not.)

-Terri

A Day in the Life of the Farmer

To give you an inside peek at what goes on around here, I'll share yesterday's happenings.

1. Morning chores-which came a little late (4:30 rather than 4:15) due to the fact that we got home a little later than planned from the kid's church program the night before. Most mornings its just Terri and I for morning chores. I seen we had two cows that needed to be treated for grass tetany.  Change of plans for the morning.
2. Cleaned up breakfast and got the little kids ready for the day.  We always have breakfast together.  I clean up while Terri showers & feeds the baby, and the older kids start school.
3. Went to the vet's, the store and TSC. Picked up a little something for the wife while I was there:

That's right, guys. Forget the flowers and bring home the footwear! Just be sure to get the right size...

4. Quickly treated the cows with the Cal-Phos (Calcium/ Phosphorus IV).
5. Watched the other kids while Terri took one to an appointment.
6. Worked on the fence in the calf lots.  We're getting older. We don't like to chase calves as much as we used to. So, we keep adding strands of fence to the calf lots....I think we're up to 6 now.



I had the kids pick some "flowers" for Mom while we were out.  We left them in the barn where she sets her phone and the video monitor.

7. Afternoon chores-Ashley was there for milking, so we milked and Terri got some extra work done with the calves. Had one new fresh cow.
8. Fed the heifers at the rental farm.
9. Supper with the family.

All in all, pretty productive!

-Rick