Page Views

It is evening as I write this. I just finished checking school work for the day.  While the day didn't go as I had planned, tasks still got done.  While working outside this afternoon, I took a few pictures to update the FB page.  I have noticed that the farm page has had a lot "hits" lately, or "page views" as the FB team likes to call them. A page view is when someone visits the page for the first time.  There has been a significant amount of page views lately.  I can't help but wonder why...is it because I handed out some business cards at a conference lately, because of our new endeavor selling grass fed meat, or is it because of another recent tragedy in our farming community, and people are wondering what my response will be.  Something that I struggle with within our own situation is never knowing that last thought, that last cry out to God, or for all we know that last cuss word sent out for the world.  I know what was said for us to hear, and it was anything but comforting.  The absolute hardest part of these situations is the lack of resolution.  No answers. Ever. Only speculation.  Please don't speculate on behalf of the Clark family.  We, and possibly his family, will never know the deepest battle that went on inside of him.  And the constant challenge now is coming to peace with that.  Please join me in prayer for the family.

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~November~

We welcomed back our regular supplier of sawdust.  This trailer has a "walking floor' where the dust literally falls out into a pile, and I (or an employee) push it into the sawdust bay.  We get a load of dust every 2-3 weeks.

Another Birthday :)

I was blessed to be able to attend the Director Leadership Conference by FCS.  It had been 30 years since I have been to California.  The last time was with the American Farm Bureau Federation when I was in 1st grade.

The super moon over San Diego

Pacific Ocean....I smiled a lot as I watched Farm Credit take over the hotel lobby (jeans and boots everywhere) and how the farmers really stuck out at the beach (lol)

As winter approaches we continue to prepare.  One thing we happen to be on top of is keeping the shop cleaned, swept and ready for equipment to be serviced.

Started the woodstove in the house. Thank you again, church family!

We enjoyed our traditional Thanksgiving meal, including the last of the grass fed turkeys that Rick raised.  Mom and I went shopping some, more for entertainment than gift buying, while my dad watched the kids. The older boys decorated outside, and we enjoyed having the afternoon off.  Thanks again, team members!

Monday, the boys and I blew out the water line that provides water to the tanks in the pasture. Today, with help, we put up the freezer strips between the parlor and the holding pen.  One thing at a time, we will chip away at that winter prep list.  All we can do is our best!



I often wonder if the agricultural community will refer to this year, and possibly last year and the next, in the same way they refer to the "80s".  Will we look back in remembrance of all the struggles the farming community endured, and all the results of those struggles?  We are living through history, right here, right now.  What can we do today to change the way the stories will be told in 30 years?

I am often heard saying "It's been an off year." And it has.  And while some may think that is too much of a nonchalant way of referencing it, it contains it. And there is only one more month left.  



Windrows, Windows, Woodrows, Windmills

I have so much to share with you! Exciting things, stressful things, inviting things, blissful things...

The last two weeks have been interesting to say the least. The twist and turns of direction have sometimes left us feeling queasy, and in anticipation for the roller coaster to finally come to a stop for a bit.

On October 23rd, I choose to be baptized.  While I have been saved for the greater part of my life, I choose to make this additional commitment to fully serve our Lord.  It was a great and humbling experience all at once.  We celebrated that afternoon by baling and wrapping up two of the three fields of alfalfa. Dad baled, my brother and I worked on hauling and wrapping.  Mom helped with the kids.  I marveled a bit at how seamless it went...and how few words had to be said at this point in the game. We have all worked together many, many hours. And given this was 4th cutting at my place, they all knew how I wanted it done...whether they agreed or not! (LOL).  At the end of the day we all went home feeling satisfied about the day's events.  I normally wouldn't make hay on a Sunday, but our time was running very short on getting it done.

On October 24th, we shipped the final two bulls!  This marks two significant changes for our farm. First, we are no longer raising our own breeding bulls!  We don't have to move them back to the rental farm; we don't have the added chore of caring for them daily; we don't have the stress that comes with keeping them over the winter.  Secondly, soon we will have grass fed hamburger for sale!  The bulls were butchered at a federally inspected plant, so the meat will have our own label on it.  Check the Facebook page for availability updates.

Rueben and Howie on their final ride...

Mid week the mechanic came out to look at the 806 that has a serious hydraulic oil leak.  While that only requires a seal kit to repair, the New Holland required some additional thought.  The 4x4 has not been working, and while it can be fixed, the greater issue is that the farm has outgrown the tractor, and if used in the same manor, will probably need fixed again.  We have doubled the amount of high moisture balage we harvest, and use it daily in the winter.  It simply no longer meets our needs, so....

We power washed it to prep it for sale pictures.  The largest of the compact tractors that NH makes, it still has a lot of life left in it, just for farms slightly smaller than us.

October 30th marked the 14th year of farm ownership for us.  On this day, we take my parents out to eat to celebrate and show appreciation for the farming legacy they have helped continue.  We have only missed one year of lunch, and most years we take a picture...just not this one.

The kids and I had a blast carving pumpkins and visiting the neighbors. They dressed up as "Curious George at Mr. Renkin's farm".  Kid #1 said "I sprayed my boots off as good as I could" Those are actually his work clothes from the day....

We celebrated a birthday....

Hauled scrap iron....

And were blessed by our church!

FREE!!! If you can use this railing, please stop by and grab it.  I have no idea where I would store it....

Kid #4 said "I thought it was going to go over the van and onto the house roof!"

It didn't.

 As you may have seen on the FB page I was invited to attend an advanced grazing workshop, and enjoyed it very much.  There I got to meet in person the farmers who are raising our bulls!  The day was thought provoking, educational, and motivating.

Many good things happened the last couple of weeks, but they were met with as many challenges. 'Tis the life of farming!  The cows are in the barn now, and we will begin receiving sawdust this next week.  We are continuing to transition into the winter schedule. Soon we will move the spring calves over to the heifer ranch, and we hope to start tucking things away for winter.

Most blog posts I try to end with some encouraging words, more so for my own benefit, I admit.  I often have to remind myself to try to see things the way other people see them-and we are blessed.  Let's just go with this: