Enjoying Nature on the Farm

This is a picture that I took in our barn where we store hay.  She let me crawl up on the bales and take multiple pictures of her without even moving. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget and was Blessed to experience.  It was so quiet outside that day and Dad and I walked to the barn to take the pictures so that the truck didn't pack down the hay.  We were doing this to get pictures for Mom because she couldn't come to the farm that day.  There were a couple of times that I thought she was going to come out of the nest for sure, but she didn't move.  We plan to return in a few days to see if there are any babies that we can see and/or hear.  We will keep you updated.

While I was walking in the field Saturday night to check cows, I saw Clara Bell again.  She is not growing much, but she is still moving around and staying with the herd and that is more than I ever thought possible when I found her the morning she was born.  Thank you, God for allowing me to save and raise this precious animal.  I know that may seem odd to some of you, but I feel that God entrusts me to care for and protect as many of his creatures as I can on the farm.  While this means saving some, it also means selling or slaughtering some so that the ground is not over-grazed.  This is necessary for the quality of life for the ones that we keep.

Not sure you understand?  Ask a farmer if you can work side by side with them for the day or visit their farm to see what they do on a daily basis.  It may open your eyes to why we do things the way that we do them.  For me, it has been learning from a lifetime of living and/or working on our family farm.  I had to learn the positive lessons along with the not so positive ones.  I will never be able to repay my parents, Kermit and Ruth Shroyer,  for all of the lessons I have learned.  Learning to take care of the land and the animals was taught (not always so patiently) while we worked along side them.  These lessons still continue today as my family is slowing taking over the farm operations so that they can relax and enjoy the retirement that they so richly deserve.  Thank Mom and Dad for all of the lessons, both on and off of the farm.

Learning from my parents, I have taught my children as they have worked along side my husband and I on the farm since they were old enough to safely participate the task that we were doing that day.  Yes, we have all had injuries that have occurred in the farm, but you can get injured walking down the sidewalk or playing on a playground.  We do everything to keep everyone safe, but accidents do happen and we are working with animals that have a mind of their own.  The other factor to consider is that even if the animals do not mean to hurt us, as big as they are, stepping on your foot with their hoof hurts!

Remember to enjoy nature and your family whenever you get the opportunity!


Until next time,  remember.......Beef, It's What's for Dinner!