Goodbye Cows!

The last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy around here. Two weeks ago we got word, through a neighbor farmer, that as of August 1st the truck would no longer be picking up our milk. What? We couldn't believe it! Arthur did some checking, and yes, it was true. Our local processor in Thief River Falls is closing. The next nearest processor had a quarrel or something with the other milk companies and decided that they would not pick up any milk except for Land O' Lakes. We don't sell to Land O' Lakes, and they are not picking up any new patrons, so that left us with no truck as of August 1st.

We did a lot of quick thinking, and praying, and decided to sell them at the next available dairy auction which is tomorrow. It was a difficult decision. We had to decide which cows to sell. Which ones were cull cows. Which calves we should keep and raise. Which bulls to sell. Can we live without a milk check? And all that kind of stuff.

Even though the decision was made for us, it has been difficult. We have been involved with milking since before we even got married. Back in high school Arthur borrowed money to buy his first milk cows! In some ways we feel like we are deserting the dairy industry in which the small farms are disappearing in favor of mega farms. We feel like the dairy industry has deserted us by weeding out the unimportant farms like us. We feel like we are giving up a business that we will never be able to pass on to our children or grandchildren. We feel like we are giving up a way of life that we really wanted our grandchildren to experience. It wasn't so much about the money, but giving up a way of life.

Tonight the truck came to get our cows. These are the spectators that watched. My Mother-in-law with a pile of her grand and great grandchildren!

It's pretty neat watching two layers of cows fill a truck!

Bye! You're a good lady! Keep on milking for the person who buys you!! (This is the cow that is pictured in the Wiktel phone book!)

Had to add a picture of my handsome farmer! I told him that now that he's not a dairy farmer, he can truly be a cowboy with just beef cows! (The girls insist that dairy farmers are farmers and not cowboys!)

Sarah, our niece, also has helped a lot with milking and we will miss her smile around here!

So the cows are gone and will be sold at the auction tomorrow. It's sad too because the prices are about as low as they can be for cows so we aren't going to make a lot on them.

It's okay though. God is in control! We have talked for so long about when the right time was to sell the cows and He made it easy for us! Arthur has a list a mile long of stuff to get done so I don't think he'll be missing them too bad. He needs some rest so a few mornings to sleep past six won't hurt him either. So that's how it goes. The pretty ladies are gone, the barn will be mostly empty, but life goes on. Now I gotta get to bed so I can make it to the auction!