1. Patience- A newborn calf is born on a cold January morning. Before the cow even cleans her off, we pick the calf up and bring it in to the basement next to the wood stove. Its 5 degrees outside. One of the coldest morning we have had in years. It would take a matter of minutes for a wet calf to loose ears and tail to frost bite. This was a heifers calf too. She took a little longer having the calf because she was new to the whole birthing process. These factors all contributed to a tuckered out little baby by the time I got her first milk called colostrum to her. She was weak, still couldn't stand, and was still shaking from being outside. I gently coaxed her into taking the first few drinks from a bottle. Then, she had to rest. We went on like this for 30-45 minutes until finally she finished the bottle. By noon she was up on her feet and ready to be a survivor. Had I not been diligent and patient in my endeavors to make sure she got this first milk, she likely would not have made it. Something we all have to learn at some point in our life is patience. Most people learn it once they have children. You have to be patient with little ones. I had the privilege of learning this at an early age long before I had a child of my own. This has helped me in my professional life as well. As a school teacher, you must be patient and know that all children learn at a different rate. Some need a little extra coaxing to get motivated and some just need a little extra attention to fully grasp a concept. I expect as a I get older patience is something I will get even better at. This is also something we are passing down to the next generation at LaLu. Here is my cousin Cain feeding a newborn calf.
2. Desperation- In life, not all things are rainbows and sunshine. Sometimes you work hard and want something so bad and still it doesn't come to you. In the summer of 2007, we had a drought here in Tennessee. I had just finished my junior year of college and was actually working on another farm that summer. It was so dusty and dry. The corn wasn't waist tall, the pastures were brown, and the cattle were hot. The rains never came that summer and something had to be sacrificed. My family discussed this at length until finally it was decided our beef herd of 50 cows would have to be sold. This was truly bittersweet especially for my Mom. My parents started our beef herd from a couple cows they bought off my Granny. They worked hard and bred for the best genetics. As I grew up, this beef herd was the foundation for all my show heifers. By the time we sold them, over half of the cows had been my show animals at some point in time. It was a desperate time but we couldn't afford to buy feed for them and we were not able to grow feed for them. We were at the mercy of mother nature. I learned a lot that summer. I learned what it meant to persevere, to keep fighting, to keep holding on. We would survive this drought as a family. Right now, there is a similar situation taking place in South Dakota. A freak blizzard came while most cattle were still out on summer pastures killing tens of thousands of livestock. I am sure they are feeling desperation right now. If I could say one thing about the farming community though, it would be that we will be ok. Maybe not next week or in a month, but it will be ok. The Summer of 07 was bad but its now a distant memory. I'm not saying I haven't learned from it but we as farmers are all the mercy of other forces. Its a part of life we accept and grow from.
3. Exhilaration- It's 6 am. I have been up and feeding calves since 5:15. I mixed the cows feed with the skid steer and mixer wagon while the sky was finally beginning to lighten. As I pull the tractor to the cows trough, the sun finally bursts over the horizon warming my face. It was a pretty crisp October morning. This is one of the most beautiful sights and I get to see it every morning. I am one of the lucky ones. I get to witness nature's miracles on a daily basis. A cow is struggling with having her calf. We get her up and check to see if there are any problems. Sure enough the calf's head is turned back not allowing the calf to be born. We push the calf back and reposition the head. After a few gentle tugs on the calf's feet, she slides right out. After all the struggle on the cow's part and the struggle on our part, the calf is here and is alive. The mother comes and begins her job of cleaning and loving on her baby. It is not always a happy ending like that. Sometimes you work hard and the calf is born dead. Assisting a birth can be an exhausting job. The mother is pushing against you doing what nature tells her to do but we need her to stop so we can reposition the calf or get chains on the feet. Once that calf is born, you wait for that first breath or the first shake of its head that never comes. In farming, we take the good with the bad. We accept that we can't save them all but we try our best to do what we can. Life is a beautiful thing and we get to witness that miracle on a daily basis.
4. Hard work and long hours- As farmers, our work is never done. There is always a pen that needs to be cleaned, hay that needs to be mowed, ground that needs to be tilled, and most importantly mouths to feed (our animals and the world!). Its our job to tend to the land to help feed the world. Whether its corn, wheat, beans, eggs, pork, beef, cheese, or milk, all farmers put food on the table of others. We serve the people and we serve the land. We are stewards of the land and do our best to preserve the Earth for the next generation. We get up before the sun and often work way past sunset. We do what it takes to get the job done. This is a cute picture below but the most important aspect is that it was taken on Christmas day. While others are at home with their families celebrating, farmers are out tending to their livestock.
5. Hope-I have hope in a better tomorrow because I am a farmer. I know we are going to get better and better at our job of feeding the world. Each farmer in America already feeds 155 people. I expect that number to continue to rise. I hope for a bright future and for Case to have the opportunity to be a farmer if he so chooses. I have hopes that he grows up to be a good young man that makes his own choices and sees the good in things. I hope he can learn from his Pa about driving a tractor and working the land. I hope he can learn from me about how to doctor a sick calf and the kindness you need to tend to sick animals. I hope he learns how to work hard and still have fun from his father. We all have hopes for our children.
6. Love- I love my way of life. I love that it showed me how to work and never give up. Growing up on a farm gave me a love and closeness to my family that few others know. Working side by side through the feast and the famine made us that way. I love my husband and know he is my soul mate. I am not saying it is easy or that there haven't been bumps in the road but I am saying it is worth it. More than that, I love him more now that he is Case's father. And then there is the love a mother towards her children. Something so deep and instinctual. I cannot imagine this world now without Case in it. He is my life, the reason for breathing, the sun on my face. Most importantly, I can't wait to see that bond grow even stronger as he grows up.
As farmers, we pass our way of life down from generation to generation. The picture above is of my cousin Cain helping me feed calves. A task all the children love to help with. Our lives revolve around our farms. We put the needs of it above our own needs. Not everyone agrees with it, but I feel it was a great way to grow up.
Until next time,
Sara LaFever Halliburton
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