Friday, February 27, 2009

Their Dream

This might sound like a goofy post but of course again I have something to say....

When children are young they dream of becoming something. To them it might be something very important. Maybe a princess, a mommy, doctor or a teacher. The one I hear the most from girls and boys is a firefighter.

Well, when my dad was little his dream was to become a farmer. So he did. Then my brothers decided to follow him and also become farmers. I remember in High School I wanted to be a Lawyer... I could be making some pretty big bucks if I would have done that but I wasn't the type of person who liked school work. Honestly I did not want to go to school as long as I would have to become a Lawyer and my Social Studies teacher with the gross arm pits was nice enough to tell me I would need to take alot of Social Studies classes in College. I really disliked Social Studies.

Anyways, this post is not supposed to be about me. Its supposed to be about the Farmers out there that are struggling. The ones who hear people complain that they paid $3.45 for a gallon of milk. What do you think that Farmer got for that milk if you only paid $3.45? Don't forget the middle man who makes a cut as well. Stop and think about what that Farmer had to do to get that milk from the cows in his barn. Yes, he had to go out in the cold and feed them and milk them. He probably at some point this winter had to deal with a tractor that wouldn't start because it was too cold or maybe a water pipe broke in his barn and he had cows standing in water and had to pump the water out of the barn. Sometimes we forget to think about why we pay $3.45 for that gallon of milk. Times are tough for these Farmers right now. They can't afford to buy feed for their animals because prices have gotten too high and they are not getting enough money for their milk. Its a hard job and not everyone can do it.


It saddens me that my dad has to quit Farming. That is his dream. It also saddens me that my brothers are also going to quit Farming. Thankfully my Brother T is finished with College and Brother M will finish this Spring. How they managed to go to school and have their own Herd of Cows I will never understand. That's what they wanted so they made it work. I hope once all is said and done they can find a job/ career that they really do enjoy. They have come to the point because of the economy you can not make a decent living in Farming and its hard work.

So on March 14, 2009 they will sell their Cows at a combined Auction (if you do not know Auction details I can email them to you). Feel free to come and buy a cow or two! Maybe you want the one in the picture up top that you can ride like a horse!


It does sadden me they will quit doing what they enjoy. I will say though I am excited that they will have some time to also enjoy other things like spending time with Family. My dad will help my mom re-open the Cafe. My Brother T will actually fly to Texas! Yesterday it was 95* there. Oh how I wish I could go. Just in case you don't know. My grandparents are in Texas. Last winter T drove with them out there and spent a few days having fun with Grandma and Grandpa and then flew back. This year he will fly out and help them drive back home! Then there is Brother M sounds like he will finish school and he is already looking for work.

Don't get me wrong here, there are times I am glad they are quiting. This will give my dad more time to spend with the grandchildren. Hopefully it will give my brothers the opportunity to meet new people, like maybe a GIRL! Kind of hard to get a girlfriend when all you do is stand in a barn and milk cows!

So with all this said the biggest thing for me is never tell a child they can not do something. The Dancer wanted to be a princess at one point. She was just a little girl. She had her heart broken when some goofball boyfriend of her birth mother told her that being a princess was stupid and not a career. We all have hopes and dreams for our children but we must never break their hearts.

1 comment:

~Dinah said...

HUGS!!! It's hard. We know a number of dairy farmers around here also who are experiencing the same things. I try not to complain about the prices of milk & cheese, but I'm human and I know that I do complain too. There are ups & downs in every career choice, I guess. Hope your family are doing okay!