The First Hour

There are some things on the farm that just never get old. The job comes with stress at times and more business management "stuff" than most people would think. However, sometimes, we get to experience those things that caused us to fall in love with this lifestyle. Some moments are straight out of the children's book about "farmers." These are the moments we live for. Last week, I had a good and productive day enjoying the beautiful weather. Early in the evening, I decided to go check on the cow herd. Most of the cows in this herd have had a baby in the past couple of months, but for the last few days, I had noticed a couple that seemed to be getting close to calving. The first thing I saw in the pasture was this lady watching over her newlyborn calf. She was protective but not aggressive as I approached to make sure everything was going well. The calf was a perfect little heifer in the prettiest shade of dark red. As I examined her, I noticed that her naval was still very fresh and hadn't dried at all. Telling me that I was probably seeing this calf sometime during its first hour or so of life. She was clean and dry, informing me that the momma had done her job of licking the baby clean directly after birth. I decided to leave these two alone, comfortable that things were going just fine. As I closed the gate, I took one last look, and this 1-hour old heifer was taking her first few wobbly steps and working her way toward the udder for her first meal of momma's milk. What a sight. The miracles I get to witness on the farm are awe-inspiring. Thankfully, they come around pretty often. I hope you, too, have a way to get away from the schedules and screens to enjoy this magnificent creation we have been given. I do that through farming, but it can just as easily be done through gardening, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, bird-watching, etc... Recognizing that we are only temporary residents of this vast, dynamic, and beautiful system called Earth is grounding for me. I truly hope you take time to enjoy it as well.