38 times across this field yesterday afternoon. That’s how many trips and it took and a few hours to do so – which gave me plenty of time to think.
A few years ago, I remember being in this exact same field about this time of year (last cutting) and thinking “I wonder if this will be my last time in this field?”
That was a few years after the dairy industry started to tank. That was when we kept saying “It’s got to turn around, it always does.” Yet, it really hasn’t.
We were in a dire situation and were having conversations about downsizing, selling off property to stay alive – which would have been a fail right from the start. But, we were like a drowning man grasping at anything that floated by no matter if it would hold him or not.
I remember praying and listening to God and he seemed pretty silent at the time which did nothing to relieve my fears.
I can’t exactly explain how we were able to hang on other than the fact that I believe, for us, that God wants us here. We made a commitment years ago that as long as he provided a way, we would tend his critters and care for his land.
Things are holding around here. It’s getting to pinch time though. Land rents, seed, fertilizer, custom harvesting bills are coming due. As well as the regular monthly bills. One of the problems dairy farmers has is that we never know what we will be paid for our milk. It can fluctuate from $16 a hundred weight to $12 or $13. If we only shipped 1,000,000 pounds of milk a month the difference between the two prices is $40,000.00. That’s a lot of variance.
But, I’m going down another rabbit trail. We saw that our farm picture was placed with an article about $15million in grants to farms, food processors on a local TV station. I called my connection to the station and asked her to remove our picture because we never received that money. I felt it was basically false advertising. She did.
But, my whole point in this is I really don’t know if we would still be here if it wasn’t for God keeping us here and the help that the President and his advisors provided for us. The PPP was a life saver for sure. There have been a couple of other things we have/are applying for.
That thought brought me to what I’ve heard in the past about “all the government $$ that makes farmers rich”. Well, it ain’t making us rich. Nevertheless, that got me thinking even more. I told ya, 38 trips across the field – a whole lot of thinking time.
Every person who eats, puts clothes on their body, takes medicine, sits on furniture, drives vehicles, etc. should be grateful for any and all help that farmers receive. Because, if we don’t get it, you won’t get your groceries, your cotton T-shirts, certain medicines, the tires on your cars etc.
Too many of us perceive that someone else gain (for farmers it’s hardly a gain, it’s holding our heads above water) would be their loss.
We all need to be pulling for each other, not looking for things to complain about.
One last request, when you sit down and fill your belly, which 99% of the people reading this surely does, ask God to bless those who provided.
