Getting my dowry today.
Since I bought the cows 6 years ago, I have joked that they, and the calves I sell, were my dowry. I had no idea back then that I would marry a farmer. Funny how things work out. What started out as a (legal) tax shelter is going help provide for my about-to-be-started family.
Today I am selling my calves. Hopefully they bring a good price, and I can replenish what I have borrowed against the 0% interest credit card money for the past 6 months, and pay the cattle loan due in April.
Sale day is nerve wracking. You take your entire inventory for the year to the sale barn and trust that you picked the right day to sell, the market is strong, and the buyers are there to buy them. You have to look like you have no emotion, but inside, you are excited or seething or worried or happy or content. Just depends on a few cents per pound either way and it can change your entire year.
They go through so fast, separated into steers and heifers, then into weight groupings, and you may only have four groups go through, even though I am selling 81 calves and Dad is selling 50-some. Once the dust clears and you have all the prices per pound, then you calculate it up and everyone looks at you to see what your final emotions are going to be.
Then, we have to split the checks. I only get a third of the check from selling my calves (dad gets the rest because he did all the work last year). Hope it is enough!
Next year, we will get the entire check for around 30 calves (we are doing the work for those 30 cow) and only split the check for the other 50.
My dowry
January 8th, 2008 at 04:58 pm
January 8th, 2008 at 05:07 pm 1199812077
These days when I hear George Strait's "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls" it reminds me of you!
January 8th, 2008 at 05:19 pm 1199812747
January 8th, 2008 at 05:35 pm 1199813734
January 8th, 2008 at 06:01 pm 1199815266