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