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So I called it last week,............
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Russ In Idaho
Posted 1/15/2019 04:17 (#7245954)
Subject: So I called it last week,............


“These are the times that try men's souls.”		Well last week on Monday I called it quits on the dairy. I was approached by a dairyman in October that shipped to our processor about selling out to them in order for them to take over our spot on the milk truck. Our processor has made it very clear the only way anyone could ship more milk was to buy another producers cows out. Cows had to be sold to an existing producer, no new people coming in from DFA or any other places. So that got my wife and my boys talking about it, however it hurt to think about it. My boys wanted to take a different direction in life other than dairy, I don't blame them. This ranch started out in the late 1800's as a cattle ranch and raising U.S. Cavalry horses. Then into the 60's my father-in-law added milk cows to help pull his father out of debit and keep from losing the place. He upgraded the barn and built a elevated platform in the old flat barn while he milked in one side of the old barn in 1976. Through the years 3 of his 6 other brothers helped him build the place up with their labor, and helped keep the place in the family.

I came into the picture spring of 1990, having married one of his daughters the year before. His health had declined and he was going to have to sell milk cows and farm as well as beef operation. None of his other brothers could or would have taken the place over. So my wife and I figured this was the time to start our path in life. I quit a profitable job in the farm equipment business and we took our savings and bought beef cows and came to the ranch to run beef and the crops. Well two weeks onto the place the main milker quit, and I was forced to learn how to milk cows overnight. At the time my father-in-law was bedridden with a back operation, so he couldn't even get out of the house. Local neighbors helped me get a grasp on things as I was raised in a range sheep operation, I'd never milked a cow for production. Then it wasn't a week later the plant we were shipping milk to, called us and wanted to drop all the dairies in the valley. They were WDCI it wasn't very long and they morphed into DFA. So that week a family owned plant 60 miles away and one of their drivers came knocking on our door and asked us to please send milk to them. So we shook hands at the front gate and the truck came the next day. I did business with them for 29 years, all on a handshake. Trucks were never late, and the checks always good.

In 1990 there was 14 dairies in our county and one just across the Stateline in our valley. Over the years everyone quit, I was the last dairy in our county for over ten or more years. The biggest dairy in the valley quit over 5 years ago. I hated to see them quit, I blame that on the banking industry as I saw the bank say they were committed to see their expansion though to the end. But part way into a big expansion the bank pulled the funding, there was two other dairies that that bank was funding at the time for the same type of expansion. The bank got cold feet, it really soured me on that banks policy.

So anyway getting back on track, the first dairyman we talked about selling to that deal fell through and he bought another herd of cows. So then we found out a big dairy in Idaho that just built a new robotic barn needed our right to fill their barns. So we were able to work a deal with them, they are a big family operation as one should be run. They are running the robotic barn as well as a conventional barn. The new owners came that day and sorted cows what was going back to the farm to be milked or what was going to packing plant. They were very respectful in handling the deal.

I was so thankful for my two oldest boys were able to be here that day to help me. I also had three close neighbors come that day to help sort and load trucks. In true ranch fashion here the final sort on the cows out of the chute when I took my cow ID responders off, my son that is in Vet school was saddled up and made the final cut a horseback for the new owners. We always worked cows a horseback down preg. alley, and when hoof trimmer came.

I tell you that was one of the hardest days of my life, I've helped bury 6 of those seven brothers from this ranch. Nothing ever in my life was as hard as cutting those collars off those cows that day. Equally as hard was telling my two long term employees of 28 and 22 years the milk cows were going. We shed a lot of tears, they had raised their families on this ranch. They understand, they told me they considered us family as I do feel and treat them as family.

I gave the last of the bottle and bucket calves away to local young kids in the valley for them to start projects. I told the parents they will lose money on the deal but hopefully it will teach responsibility to them to have to take care of animals. As my feelings is every kid I've ever seen that has had animal chores to do has learned a work ethic and compassion for animals and fellow man. They never seemed to get into much trouble either. The one thing I will miss is taking calves to two local rodeos for kids to ride. We supplied over 50 calves to ride every year. Some of the west's good bull riders got started riding our bucket calves! LOL Every year I would run into people and they thank me for taking the time to bring calves to town for kids to ride.

I'm just so thankful for my family and friends that helped us through the years. But it was time for us to step out dairy and let the new generation of robotics take over. We have taken the human element out of the equation, I think it will better overall milk quality, cow comfort. However there is risk involved with total automation to food supply. I hope we don't ever see those problems. Food has become plentiful and cheap in this country, until people ever run into a starvation will the population ever totally respect the need for farmers and ranchers and livestock. They will just run to the local corner mart and buy processed foods for substance. The day those delivery trucks are held up those people will go hungry for a while. Hopefully the government will be back to work to keep throwing them meal tickets by then.

I thank all of you people for a place to come to vent my frustrations about agriculture, and to learn new things everyday here. We will continue our cow calf operation and hay operation. I'm looking forward to the day I can call my sons up and ask what do you need me to do today.

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