When it's All Said and Done

Note: I started this post on November 25th, but there was just too much raw emotion to put it into words. I finished it today, because that chapter of our story needed to be completed.

For the first time in 43 years, cows are not being milked at Twin Oaks Dairy.

That's right, Kenton and Scott sold the milking herd. And I'm pretty sure it broke everyone's heart. Not that it was a bad decision, or the wrong one, just that it's so drastically different. Every day of Scott's 31 years, cows were milked, babies were fed, and hay and feed were put out. Tonight, it is eerily quiet, and Scott is home early.

The first week of October, our last milking hand turned in his two weeks notice. He is leaving to go work in the oil field, and we can't compete with that pay scale. Perhaps that’s why we haven’t even had anyone come by in two years asking for a job? That and dairying is hard work. Scott and Kenton have been killing themselves trying to get everything done. They have been stressed, exhausted, and there's almost a sense of hopelessness about them.

When we were dating, I remember one of the last things Scott asked me before we got engaged was if I could handle being a dairy wife. I was insulted. Of course I could. Who did he think he was talking to? I’m a vet. Of all the people I know, wouldn’t you think I would know how important it is to take care of and milk cows around the clock? Truly, I had no earthly idea what I was about to become a part of, something much more than just milking and feeding cows.

Being a dairy farmer is not merely a job or a business venture. It is a way of life. These men, this family, they breathed it, they lived it, and when they were able to sleep, they dreamed it. Odors that would be off-putting to most became my favorites, they were my husband’s scent. There is nothing better than looking out to see black and white cows in a green pasture. Nothing more satisfying than a hard day's work, especially in agriculture. Yes, it was constant work, and yes, lots of holidays, birthdays, weddings, even funerals were missed or postponed in order to get the job done; it is what it is. 

But it came down economics. To support two families, a certain number of cows had to be milked, but that number was higher than two men could do alone. And those two men were tired. Their wives were, too. There's only so much support you can give your husband before you lovingly and hesitantly say, "enough is enough," because deep down you know that to stop dairying is giving up not just a business, not just a lifestyle, but a 3 generation legacy. 

A buyer, a good man who understands the blood, sweat, and tears we all put into those cows, offered a very fair price, and two weeks and three truckloads later, the only sound left on the always noisy dairy was the crying of hungry calves and heifers. Thank goodness we didn't sell them right away so Kenton and Scott still have something to do. But soon, those will be gone, too, and we're not sure what they will do- probably fix all of the things they haven't had time to fix for the past 5 years. 

I wouldn't count them 100% out of the dairy business just yet. In fact, they've already started dreaming up the next plan. But for now, it is time to rest and regroup. And praise God for the wonderful opportunities that lie ahead and thank Him for those blessing we have already received.