My earliest memories of living on a farm would be picking blades of grass and sneaking it to the bulls through the fence, or carrying an icecream bucket half full of corn to feed it to the calves, or sitting in the hay feeder and letting the curious heifers come to "check" out the new girl in the pen. As I grew older, I became more involved in the family operation. Helping to select which sires we should breed the heifers to, talking with customers looking for a bull to buy, taking pasture tours with my dad and I on the 4-wheeler, or having waterfights with my little sisters in the washrack when working on the show calves: all these things became a part of my life. These wonderful memories haven't come without sacrifice though.
Living on a farm isn't picture perfect. Neverending chores take a chunk out of each day. Calving season kept us up until the wee hours of the night to save a new baby calf. Baling hay was a part of a long, sweaty summer day out in the field. Having the responsibility to take care of someone other than yourself is all about living on a cattle ranch.
I remember having to skip a movie night out with friends or a sleepover because the cows got out or the vet was stopping by in the morning to preg check cows. I remember being snowed in my house for 5 days during the blizzard of 1997 with nothing to do but scoop out feed bunks drifted in with snow just to feed the calves, only to have to start all over again in a few hours when they drifted back in. I remember having to take my show steers to the meat locker, leading them off the trailer. It's all a part of me now. The pain, the troubles, the sacrifice. They make me, me!
Maybe if you haven't grown up on a farm, you might question the lifestyle: Why would you want to grow up like that? The answer is simple: despite the heartaches, the troubled times, the difficulties, and the sacrifices. I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. Living and working on a cattle ranch has taught me the importance of responsibility to livestock, to the environment, to my family, and to my American heritage.
So when a movie like Fast Food Nation questions the wholesomeness of rural America, I have to beg to differ. When is the last time Eric Schlosser did chores, lived through a blizzard, or just spent time with an animal? I guarantee that America's cattle producers care more about animal husbandry and welfare than all animal rights groups put together. The proof is in my testimony. I love agriculture and am passionate about this lifestyle.
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