A mom, her boys, too many cows and lots of farming
For our first date, Derek and I met at a sandwich shop in downtown McPherson. I had walked over from work and Derek had just pulled into town after being on the road all morning. When I asked him what he had been doing he responded that he had been delivering bulls to the cows … Continue reading Making Babies (Calves, of course)
During the winter months we have a lot of mouths to feed on the farm. More than 500 to be exact. That makes dinner a big deal and important part of the farmer hub's day. We put a lot of time and attention into the feed for our cattle because, just as in humans, proper … Continue reading The Dish on Dinner Time
Calving season at Sawyer Land & Cattle is often a lesson in genetics. While most of our new babies are black or black with white on its face, we occasionally get a surprise, or a calf that makes you question who the dad is. Like humans, cattle have dominate and recessive traits that determine hide … Continue reading Who’s Your Daddy? (Farm Style)
We love our male (bull) calves but too many males can be a problem. Therefore, we limit the number of bulls through castration and create males without the ability to reproduce, aka steers.
We keep our animals healthy and trust the companies producing the end products will likewise keep the beef fresh and safe for consumption. How do we know? Because federal inspectors are in processing facilities daily and put their seal of approval on nearly everything that goes out the door to the public.
An inside look at mother cows and their calves - and another reminder that mothers rock!
As a farm wife I so often hear people talk about their love and support for farm families and local farms. The moms and dads, brothers and sisters growing wheat and hogs is exactly who they want to purchase their food from. But mention Tyson, Cargill or any company name and that love dissipates quickly. … Continue reading Behind the Company
The tractors are safety stored away in the barn and the cows are munching away on veggies and corn stocks but that hasn't allowed farmer hubs any downtime. The new year marks the official start of calving season for Sawyer Land & Cattle. Like most years, we've had a few momma cows jump the gun … Continue reading Calving season is here!
We had a group of young people visit the farm Thursday. This was a unique group as it was comprised of local and Northern Ireland teens, all participants in the Ulster Project and all excited to see a farm up close, although some enthusiasm as dampened by the 100-plus-degree heat. (It rarely gets above 80 degrees … Continue reading Ulster Project Pays a Visit
When Derek and I were newly married, I accompanied him to the sale barn. He was selling some cow-calf pairs and then a lone calf that has lost its mother. I hated to see the calf sold so I made a deal with Derek that if it didn't bring more than $200, I was going … Continue reading Generations of Good Genes
