Maybe I Just Need to
Talk
Sometimes it
isn’t so easy being alone. Sure I have
no one else in my life and maybe by the time I analyze all that has happened
and could possibly happen , I may say to myself alone is the only place to be.
In reality it is my decision I have to make with my life and direction I want
my life to go in the future.
Recently I made
the decision to sell the cattle here on the farm. Earlier in a blog I alluded
to the fact I was using more hay than usual and didn’t really know what I was
going to do. Buy more hay and invest more money into cows I barely get the food
bill out of on a yearly basis in increased wealth. Mom liked seeing them and honestly
I will miss them terribly also.
It is hypocritical
of me as a person to keep the cattle on and think there was an alternative
ending to them other than what has to be. Unfortunately beef cows have one eventual
end in sight. Been a farmer enough years for that. Before I felt it was
essential for my survival. Recently I quit eating red meat within the last year
, part of it was a health decision to reduce cholesterol and weight, to which I
have been moderately successful in reducing the bad cholesterol and also in
losing close to 50 lbs. at the best I was doing. Anyhow the change of diet led
me to believe that red meat isn’t nearly as essential part of a diet as it was before.
While I was eating beef as I did for years I justified their raising as an
acceptable practice. I no longer think it is necessary. And feel that long term
consumption of beef has risks associated with it I chose to avoid as well. I want
no part of raising beef for human consumption.
Recent studies have suggested that beef and
dairy production are one of the leading causes of methane production
contributing to the global warming. In fact I intend to stay away from
producing livestock of any means . Seems I have a problem liking my animals too
well. At one point our family was looking into raising chickens , 30000 to a
barn and 3 barns full of brooder chickens , 90000 chickens on 4 ac. ‘s of land.
I walked into these chicken houses and tried to imagine taking care of that
many chickens and walking the floors shooing chickens out of your road as they
lay by the feeders and eat. If you ever get a chance visit a farm and see where
your food comes from. I admire farmers who can provide for all American’s on a
daily basis, animals, to feed the masses.
I have to buy
more hay to keep the cows. On top of that the feed I am buying and some quick
economics tells me get big or get out. Daily I fed and took care of these cows
and have seen them almost every day in last 7 years. I carried my bull to the
barn to get him out of the mud and snow. Now there is no way I could even think
about it.
Anyhow I don’t
plan on getting out of farming, but instead changing the way I farm in the
future. I plan on doing more with the trees and raising perennials, and will
start planting and trimming of Christmas trees for sale. I would like to sell
the trees potted and include free planting in spring . This would include
delivery and set up to your house and free planting on your property in spring.
I really am not into killing Christmas trees either, and figure that we could
all use more trees in our backyards and less neighbors. If nothing else when
trees are too big, I will give them a permanent home here on farm till I fill
all the fields up.
Anyway I go, the
farm and our environment will be better for my part in all this. At least I am
hoping. The cattle thing I would have had to deal with anyhow.
Seems kind of
funny as I lay my thoughts out before you I suddenly realize that if I had been
with someone else I might have to take their opinion into consideration. Well missed
that bullet for now. It isn’t that what I do will make a huge difference in
anything on a large scale basis, but it is the little things that make a huge
difference in our own backyard. Mine will be without the cattle. Still have to
work on that alone thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment