Barn Cameras, Calving Season & Real Talk 🐄📷🤍
Today's episode takes you through a real day on our farm - the good work, the hard moments, and everything in between.
Farm Operations:
We're installing a new camera system in the barn to monitor our livestock, and honestly, it's been a lifesaver. With placement discussions and modem setup, we can now keep an eye on our animals even when we're away from the farm. It's given us so much peace of mind during calving season.
Speaking of calving season - we're in the thick of it! We're frequently checking on heifers and cows, tagging calves, and pairing up mothers with their offspring. It's a 24/7 job, but these cameras have made it so much more manageable.
Feed management is crucial right now too. We're preparing feed rations using a mix of wet cake, triticale bales, and dry hay. Our rations are calculated based on hay samples analyzed by a laboratory and nutritional guidance from our local supplier. We recently acquired a new Jlor mixer wagon, though we'll need to replace the knives soon to improve efficiency when breaking down feed.
The Real Stuff:
My family recently received some difficult news at a medical appointment regarding Keaton's cancer journey. Balancing farm life, calving season, and a family health crisis is... honestly, it's one of the hardest things we've ever done.
I want to take a moment to express deep gratitude for the support, prayers, and messages we've received from this community. You've carried us through when we didn't have the strength to stand.
Finding Strength in Sharing:
I view this content and my writing as more than just a hobby - it's therapy for my soul. I have podcast episodes sitting in "draft mode" because the content is raw and emotional, but I keep sharing our story in hopes that it helps someone else going through their own battles.
Life isn't always picture-perfect, and farm life during crisis isn't Instagram-worthy. But it's real, it's ours, and somehow sharing it makes the burden a little lighter.