November 8th

Some days you’re the bug; some days you’re the windshield.
 

I guess I’m feeling a little like the bug today.  The Canadian dollar hit an all time high yesterday of over $1.10.  This is bad news for the cattle industry up here.  Of course B.S.E., E-Coli and high barley prices have depressed us considerably as well.  We heard that they stopped the sale in the Creek last week because calves were only bringing 60 cents and pound.  SAD!  Since 2003 when the first B.S.E. cow was found calf prices have come down $200 bucks a critter.  In ‘03 we gave away took 5 cents a pound for cull cows that were bringing 60 cents the fall before.  Now we are getting around the 30 cent mark for them (and the fall cow run hasn’t hit yet).  Nothing has come down in price, we still have to buy feed, build fence, buy fuel, fix things, pay the vet bill, the power and heating bill, pay the lease and taxes…………………..you get the picture!   At least we don’t have any debt like a lot of ranchers and farmers have but it’s still overwhelming.  I watched the media interviewing ranchers at the auction market last night on the news and was struck by all the gray hair in the stands.  Who’s going to feed the country when we all get to old to and can’t?  Who wants to live a hand to mouth existence and not know if you’ll have the money to feed your family let alone take care of your livestock?  Most rancher/farmers (careful one isn’t the same as the other) I know are MORE than capable of holding down a well paying job (and actually get days off AND a paid vacation) simply because they’re so versatile!  Who else do you know who can be a manager, book keeper, machine operator, mechanic, vet, analyst, nutritionist, environmentalist, fire fighter, mediator, teacher, plumber, electrical engineer, post hole digger, ……………………..maybe without the formal education (especially the latter)………………………… but you get my drift?  Just feeling a little hormonal maybe.