Eastern Iowa Farmer Fall 2020

dear diary
to be a handful, I feel if they aren’t
taken out in public, they won’t know
how to act or know what is expected
of them. While James and I do enjoy
date night occasionally, most of our
trips out and about include our children.
I’m beginning to get concerned
about the effects all this quarantine and
lockdown business will have on not only
our three kids, but children in general.
They are at an age where experiences
shape their future, and let’s face it, the
long-term consequences are pretty scary.
Wednesday, April 15
#10 “Sales Men, Life
Goes On!”
As long as I can remember, I
have always had a love for
show cattle. Although my
childhood was spent living
in town, I spent more time
in the country on my grandparent’s farm
helping with the cows and our many show
calf projects.
Fast forward to 2009, James and I
had dated for a year, and we decided to
go to a bred heifer sale. We made two
purchases that evening, and I guess that
sealed the deal – we were stuck with each
other. Most people start their relationships
purchasing a puppy or a kitten. Not us; we
bought cows. That must have been the telltale
sign it was a match made in heaven.
Since that sale in the fall of 2009, we
have continued to grow our herd to just
shy of 50 cows and multiple bulls. We enjoy
the show cattle world and have come
a long way with our program in 10 years
creating sound, functional and practical
cattle that can have success in the showring,
pasture and feedlot. In order for our
success to continue, we rely on multiple
breeders and semen distributors to stop
by our farm, look at our offspring, offer
breeding decisions and sell us semen.
Today was the first opportunity we had
to purchase semen for the year as the first
semen sales representative stopped by. He
stayed for nearly two hours, and we had
adult conversation while talking cattle
and reminiscing about a few friends we
had lost in the past year.
And what a breath of fresh air! It was
so incredibly wonderful to have had these
conversations and know a normal life is
there, it is only a matter of time until we
get to go back to some sort of normal
we once knew. Man, I long for that day!
While I don’t miss the hustle and bustle
and extra that isn’t necessary, I want to
be able to go out and eat in a restaurant,
I want to go to a cattle show, I want to be
able to shop in stores and take my kids to
school. I want our life back!
Friday, April 17
#11 “Snow Daze”
In typical 2020 fashion, which has
proved to have absolutely no normalcy,
why wouldn’t it snow?
Two days after crop insurance
kicks in, and they say it’s safe to
plant corn, we were unable to plant due to
a wet and heavy snow.
Maquoketa
Financial Group
Paul Miller and Associates
714 West Platt Street, Suite #5,
Maquoketa, Iowa 52060
Stop in or call 563-652-3513
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eifarmer.com fall 2020 | Eastern Iowa Farmer 89