A New Year?

Honestly, I don’t know how I really feel. Well, no, I do. With all the unrest, I feel like I just want to huddle in a corner somewhere. I feel like I can’t (or don’t want to) share my thoughts. Unfortunately, our country is so divided.

So, no, I will not say how I feel about everything going on. Why? Because it’s going to piss someone off. And it isn’t going to add value to anything. I just cannot believe what is happening to my home state and I am sickened by it. I honestly cannot think of another time in my life where it has been like this.

So, let’s keep moving and focus on more positive vibes.

What makes you feel good and at peace? For me, I love music. Many types of music. Well, maybe not so much country. I think my parents pained me into listening to Johnny Cash, Kitty Wells, Floyd Cramer, etc., too much, so it kind of burned me out.

My favorites? I love classic rock. Styx is at the top of my list, but Goo Goo Dolls is right behind them. I LOVE their music. How about you?

On The Farm

The big topic right now is the USDA came out with the crop report. I honestly thought the crop yields might have been down a bit because we heard some rumblings of it during harvest. But I should have known better. Rarely are these crop reports friendly to farmers this time of year. So it’s not like it’s never happened before, but I always want to have positive thoughts.

I think the biggest question is, what are we going to do about it? Our technology has improved so much that crops can endure many issues that used to hurt us in the past. We are doing such a great job, for the most part, that it’s kicking back at us. And I don’t have a solution.

Some of the solutions I have been hearing make me cringe a bit. Set aside acres, smaller more niche farms. At the age that I am and with how we have farmed for many years, it is hard to fathom changing the way we farm.

Pigs

Pigs seem to be growing fast right now. We will start selling pigs next week. They seem to be staying healthy, and for anyone who is familiar with raising pigs, that’s a big deal and a pleasure to say.

Our biggest issue right now is that our on-the-farm feed mill is giving us problems. We are unique in that we are smaller producers that grinds our own feed for our farm. Years ago, I worked for Weigh-Tronix in Fairmont (manufacturer of feed mills), and we bought a feed miller using an “employee discount.” So we are trying to figure out what to do because there is no longer support. We feel that making our own feed gives us an advantage from a cost and feed quality standpoint. I think we can make some adjustments so we can still grind our own feed. Maybe not the same way we have for 45 years, but it should suffice.

Family History Story

I love telling stories and researching family history!

A while back, I learned that my great-grandpa owned a farm in the same township where we live. I wanted to find out where that farm was located.

So . . . I visited our courthouse and asked if they could help me find real estate records. They were very helpful as this was my first time researching real taste records.

I found them!

And guess what? The farm he bought in 1888 is located 1 mile from where I live. And . . . we own a farm in the same section! Crazy!

I had no idea.

Does anyone else have an interesting story to share?

Be Careful What You Read

We all need to be careful about what we read.

Busy Time of the Year

You wouldn’t think January would be a busy time of the year. But it is.

I spend a lot of time in the office. Lots of year-end reports. cost of production, balance sheets, profit and loss, payroll reports. I am the clerk for our township and also do the books for our church. So, wearing three hats and sometimes all three the same day!

We are going to take some downtime next month. Looking forward to the break!

Any Questions?

Let me know if you have any questions for me or if there is a topic you would like me to write about. I would love to know! Please put them in the comment section.