April 2008
The 29th
It has been almost a month since my last entry. I think we have experienced almost every type of Nebraska weather possible in the month of April. Our daily plans are dictated by Mother Nature and her choice of moisture and temperature this time of year.
Regan is busy helping seed clients get ready to plant and crop consulting clients make plans for the coming growing season. I have to laugh at how many times I have heard him say, “Unless you have little jackets for those seeds, they are better off in the bag.” I have visions of all these little ladies knitting tiny jackets for corn and bean seed. Sometimes we want to plant by the calendar rather than what the conditions warrant. This year is a good example.
I am no better. I have been digging around in the flower beds and the strawberry patch. Checking out who is waking up. One thing is for sure-the dock weeds are. Do you know what they are? They are these nasty wide-leaved weeds that I absolutely DETEST. They are fast growing and very hardy. I have tried digging them out and it seems no matter how deep down you dig, the root keeps on going. They drive me to using chemicals to abolish them. Grrrr.
We have four cows yet to calve. Cattle and horses alike are anxious for green grass. I have nicknamed the calves that duck under the electric fence “the gang”. They have searched out the patches of green. The minute they see me heading their way, their tails are up and they sail right back under the wire. It really has become a game.
Last Thursday, the one colt we were expecting arrived. She was 15 days overdue. We have named her Sebrina. As you can see from the picture, she is all legs. She arrived just ahead of the rain and snow we had.
The countdown for school to be over is on in our house. There is so much to do and having to come in the house before dark is pure torture. I think I may be just as excited as the kids for summer vacation.
March 2008
The 31st
March is leaving somewhat like a lion. What a dreary wet day! I just come in from bringing up a newborn calf and his mama. He is doing fine-just wet and cold. We will keep them in the barn for a couple of hours so that he can dry off, warm up and recuperate from his arrival into an unwelcoming world.
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to share my love for farming with a couple hundred 2nd and 3rd graders from Madison County at the “Life on The Farm” day put on by Madison County Extension. These kids were excited to see and touch and hear about various aspects of farming. We, as farmers and ranchers, often forget how many of our neighbors do not understand our industry. One little boy brought this to my attention when he did not want to help me with a cow puppet because he thought the tail had been cut off. He then proceeded to tell me he heard all cows have their tails cut off. I took a few minutes to visit with him about this idea. I told him that not all cows have their tails docked. We then talked about why producers might use the practice of docking-cleanliness, safety. We also talked about how the procedure was done. After our discussion, he was more than willing to participate in the activity. We often believe the worst when we do not understand.
The kids are proud caretakers of bucket calves. K. purchased one from a neighbor and S. has taken over the care of the calf we brought in last week. They now have bottles to feed and are in the process of teaching the calves to eat feed.
Regan spent most of last week soil sampling customers’ fields. The frost finally went out to allow him to probe. He sends these in and uses their analysis to recommend fertilizer needs and rates. It allows the grower to fine tune their input plans.
The 24th
Happy Easter! We have had a busy week. More calves arrived. One that was about a week old started looking dumpy about mid-week. K. and I brought the mother and baby up on Thursday. I held the calf on the 4 wheeler while K. drove and the cow circled us all the way up to the catch pen. It was an interesting ride for all involved. We milked the cow out and gave it to the calf with a bottle. She sucked it right down which gave us an indication the cow may not have enough milk. I also think the calf may have a touch of an infection. We will have to watch her closely. We try to do everything we can to avoid giving medications. Sometimes there is no other option. That is why we keep close records on all our cattle. If we end up treating this calf, it will be marked down and she will not be sold through our meat business.
On Thursday, I helped down at the locker in Albion. They were cutting three beef that I had brought in 10 days prior. We let our beef hang 10 days. This seems to be the optimum about of aging for our carcasses. On the days the locker cuts my beef I go down and help vacuum seal and label all of the cuts. I want to know what is in every package. The employees at Albion Lockers are willing to do whatever it takes to keep our customers happy. That means a lot to us. We have been working with them for over eight years.
The kids were home for several days around the Easter holiday. We had a good time. The girls and I started on a big project that will probably take us several years. Our farm has a dense grove of trees that need to be cleaned up. One skid loader bucket full of sticks at a time.
The 17th
Ahhh, St. Patrick’s Day. The only day I can be proud of my Irish temper. There was a tongue-in-cheek letter to the editor in the paper over the weekend about St. Pat driving the Norwegians out of Ireland. That got lots of laughs around our house, simply because being Norwegian brings a laugh anyway. I am a bonafide lefse lover also.
Back to winter this morning. The storm front brought four new calves in the last 24 hours. All are doing fine. Last night, we fed the cows and noticed one mama off by herself and uncomfortable. An hour later, the calf was just ready to get his first meal. Our cows are all good natured for the most part. We have a couple of older cows that start heading for the far corner the minute we come in site. They hustle their calf along, figuring out of site is out of mind.
Regan has been busy trying to finish up winter projects. With the snow gone and warmer temperatures for more that two days in a row, spring fever can hit at any time. Lord, help us all then. Maybe the snow flakes will curb the fieldwork itch for a few more days.
