09/16/2025
Some of my earliest memories take me back to those bitterly cold nights when a mama cow would choose the worst possible time to calve, it always seemed to be the coldest, rainiest day of the year.
I remember watching my dad after a long day of putting out hay, breaking frozen water, and checking the herd, we would sometimes find a little one struggling to survive.
If you’ve ever seen a calf fighting to take its first breaths, you know how hard it is to watch. The question every cattleman faces in that moment is: do we intervene? More often than not, the answer is yes because by then, it’s usually the calf’s only chance at life.
I watched him wrap them up, dry them off, and carry them to warmth, doing everything he could to give them a chance at life.
Those late nights and early mornings taught me more than just how to bottle feed a calf, they taught me about responsibility, compassion, and the courage it takes to care for something fragile.
Farm life is filled with joy and heartbreak, but it’s also filled with lessons in strength and love. Watching my dad fight for those little calves showed me what it truly means to nurture, protect, and never give up. It’s a legacy I carry with me every day.
