This week in NE Kansas it was SO cold! Below freezing for highs ALL week basically. With negative wind chills. So what does that mean for the farmer? Lots of focus on keeping our animals safe and taken care of. Cattle can withstand these cold temperatures as long as they have water, shelter and feed. If you don't follow Everyday Kelsey on Facebook and Instagram (everydaykelsey13), you should! On the FB live stream I explained how my dad taught me why cattle eat hay. When I was younger and riding around with him feeding, he explained to me that a cow's stomach is like a wood stove. The hay is the wood and it keeps that cow warm until the next morning. Over the past few years that I have been married we have been actively trying to conserve and stockpile grass going into the winter so that we don't have to feed so much. Cattle can graze through snow as long as it's not really deep and really wet snow. They have a really hard time getting through ice. We feed and supplement the cattle differently depending on the group. Our fall cattle that are really working making milk and growing their growing babies get fed really good quality alfalfa with lots of protein value to it. The cows set to start calving in just a few weeks don't have to have that. They can maintain their body condition with good quality brome (for those that don't have stockpiled grass/cover crops to graze) and protein. Once they have their babies we will make sure they are fed differently, taking into account that they are now working harder making milk and caring for babies, while still staying warm in the cold weather. It's very similar to humans or so I've been told. Mothers need to take care of their bodies and pay careful attention to their nutrition and their growing babies, whether that be while they are inside their mom or after birth.
This week also brought us an exciting wedding weekend. One of my classmates that I've gone to school with since grade school married his college girlfriend. I'm so excited for them to begin their new lives together and start on the journey of marriage.
The Father of the Bride summed it up best I think in his speech to the bride and groom...
Marriage is hard work. Nobody says it is easy. There will be good days and there will be bad days. There will be ups and there will be downs. However, you will always have each other to lean on. And you will always have this perfect day. Weddings are our perfect day, NOT our best day of marriage. When times get tough, remember the perfect day. Remember how you felt, remember how much love you showed. And remember that you promised in front of all your friends and family that you vowed to spend the rest of your life with this person and how happy you were about that decision.
I LOVE weddings. I love what they remind me of. I love that they take me back to my wedding day. I love that we get to reflect on our marriage. I love how gorgeous they are. I love wedding cake (let's be honest, I love any kind of cake, but wedding cake is the best!) I love that it puts the important things into perspective.
Last week I asked you to sit down with your spouse, family, significant other or yourself and ask those questions. This week I ask you to spend some time in thought and think about the important things in your life. What makes you happy? What is the most important thing to you? What are you grateful for? Write these things down on a piece of paper and put it somewhere you see it everyday. Know what you are working so hard for. All the green stuff in the world won't make us happy, if we don't have our priorities in line.
May you continue to work on those goals that you set for yourself just 8 days ago. Mondays are an awesome day to start back on track, but today is even better! Have a blessed week and be sure to jump on social media, especially Facebook so you can be a part of my live called Agriculture 365!
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