Winter Wonderland
Life on the farm in the winter has both positives and negatives. Usually, winter is a time for us to slow down, relax and plan. We aren’t making hay, don’t have to care for the crops and the days are shorter so there isn’t as much daylight to work outside. Since we don’t have a heated, shop we try not to do too much maintenance work this time of year either. This free time allows us to spend time together, reflect on the past year and plan for the next one. I am grateful to be in an area with all 4 seasons!
However, there are challenges too. Cold weather like we are having right now presents a few obstacles. Even though our waterers are designed to stay thawed in cold weather, when it gets below zero, we have to break ice off the water tanks daily, sometimes multiple times per day so the cattle have continuous access to fresh water. Usually, I try to get outside around 7:00 in the morning to break the ice off the tanks when the sun is coming up and the cattle are waking up. Once the cows start drinking, the warmer water from 6 feet below the ground keeps the tanks thawed throughout the day.
Many people wonder what the cattle eat during the winter months. While some of our cattle are still grazing cover crops or the stalks and leaves of corn plants through the snow, most of them are eating hay. Hay is dried forages we harvest from our pasture in the summer when we have excess grass. We cut the grass, let it dry and bale it into round bales so the cows are able to get the nutrients they need during the winter while still eating grass! We feed enough bales of hay to last about three days and use the tractor to bring the bales out to the pasture. We place the bales in a different part of the pasture each time we feed new bales so the manure from the cows gets spread across the pasture as a natural fertilizer!
Cold weather like this also makes starting equipment like tractors difficult. As I mentioned we don’t have a heated building and with diesel tractors we plug them in the block heater several hours before wanting to start the tractor. Often times the batteries are drained and we have to use a battery charger as well. Our farmhouse is found at the end of a quarter mile long driveway and we love the privacy, but it makes plowing snow a chore, oftentimes taking more than an hour with a loader tractor to plow out the driveways.
I hope I’m not sounding too much like a complainer. The truth is, I love what I do! Even on days when it’s -18 degrees, it’s a privilege to be able to care for the land and livestock we have.
The cattle do well even in weather like this. They have thick hair coats and hides that protect them from the wind and cold. We also have a windbreak out in the pasture for them to stand and lay out of the wind, but they always seem comfortable as long as they’re together and have access to fresh hay and water.
Valerie and I consider you an extension of our farm family, so we love sharing the details of day to day farm life with you, even the not so pleasant ones. We’re looking forward to summer again when we can enjoy the farm with t-shirts on and show you around our pastures! If you have questions about how your food is raised, please give us a call! We are so grateful for your continued support and I look forward to talking to you again soon!
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