Some consumers want to think of farming as a romantic, feel
good profession that Grampa and Grama used to do. In their minds they see feed being
scattered to a few free range chickens, leftovers dumped over the fence to the four
pigs snoozing in the mud, a hat wearing, weed chewing, one strapped overall wearing
farmer on a three legged stool milking Bessy. Oh, and he occasionally squirts
milk into the mouths of the two cats sitting there watching. The two work
horses, Joe and Ned flick their tails while munching on a pile of hay waiting
to get harnessed up to work the rich dark soil behind the white farmhouse with
the huge oak tree holding a rope swing from the limbs that are shading the
front porch.
If only we could live in a fairy taled world.
The truth is, there are a lot of wonderful things about
farming today. And, when we have visitors or speak to people about farming we
love to show and tell the good, heartwarming things.
But, there is also another part. An inevitable part.
There comes a time when a business decision has to be made.
Yes, I said business. Most farmers are farming as a business and it supports their
employee’s families and themselves as the only income. For some reason people
don’t want to associate farming as a business. And, if they do associate it as
a business many equate it with something evil and harmful. You know, the big
farmers that mistreat their animals and etc. That’s a whole ‘nother story.
Farmers are farming to create a future for their children
and grandchildren as well as make a living. Hard decisions have to be made. For
instance, when a cow is sick or hurt we decide how or if we will treat it or
sell it. There are many reasons for treatment, but occasionally the treatment
is more costly than the value of the animal. Making this decision is not
enjoyable but necessary. The cow is then culled from the herd. Culled means
removed.
Also, as the young cows move up and more new cows come into
the herd the cows with the highest production value are the ones who stay. The
others are culled.
What happens to a culled cow?
It goes to the slaughter house where it is sold as meat or
to an auction house where buyers from food companies purchase them for a food
product.
Yes, they are killed. No one wants to say that out loud
because if you hear a farmer say they kill animals, then they are in the group
of non-caring, cruel people who need to be punished. Specialty groups will
swarm over them like vultures over road kill.
But, this is part of farm life. A good farmer takes very
good care of his animals, land and resources. And part of that good care is
making proper decisions to keep the farm going to be able to provide that good
care and a living for the animals and themselves.
We have a dairy herd and when bull calves are born we sell
them within a few days.
The people who buy them raise them for beef. For food. So,
ultimately they are raised to be eaten which is another fact that people don’t
want to discuss. They want the cute little calves to become pets that roam the
pasture swishing flies off their backs with their long tails.
That’s not reality.
It’s time for consumers to realize that death is as much of
a part as life in farming. Also, there is nothing wrong with raising animals as
a food source. Cows are not a domesticated animal yet some want to equate a
thousand pound cow with a pet cat or dog. They want them to live their lives
out in the barn yard eating, consuming and taking from the farmer without
giving anything in return. That’s a great strategy for failure as a farmer.
Farmers shouldn’t have to apologize for choosing what’s best
for their business. Too many outside sources have become “experts” and
continually inform the population what is right and wrong with a business they
have no experience.
The fact is life and death happens on the farm. It’s time to
discuss all aspects of our food sources.
