As I was sitting in the barn the other night waiting for the show cattle to finish eating I had settled into my usual routine, endlessly scrolling on my phone. Just then my phone died, no big deal, I’ll just sit and wait. As I stared at Emma and her friends mowing down I felt something I’m not sure I’ve allowed myself to feel for some time… I was completely content.
When we have our heads down pushing forward trying to make our dreams a reality we don’t give ourselves nearly enough time to smell the roses. I know Rome wasn’t built in a day but what I do not know is how many years it took. What I am sure of is it has taken us 11 years to build this place.
As I sat on that bucket tonight I felt at peace. These cattle have always helped maintain my sanity. In return for all they do for me it is our duty to breed them for longevity, soundness and efficiency. Breeding cattle that have those three keys gives them their best chance at the long productive life they deserve.
While living the past 11 years feels like it has been a long time the realization that it isn’t brings comfort. The progress that we have made tells me we are good at this. We aren’t at all where we want to end up but until the other night I’m not sure I’d grasped how close we are getting.
We hope to see you at the Iowa State Fair or at our place for the Iowa Hereford Tour August 26th. We can’t wait to share our program that brings us so much joy with you.
