Leaving dairy behind not always an easy decision

Dairy dispersals may seem more prevalent today but I’m not sure they are happening any more often than any other time in the dairy industry.

Many folks are selling out because of economics. They know cattle are worth money today and are selling while the price is high instead of waiting until they can’t hold on any longer. Others are selling out because it’s the end of the line and there is no one else to take over the farming operation. And still others are simply worn out.

I read a post on social media this morning of a notable farm on the east coast that milked their cows for the last time this morning. Waverly Farms, of Clear Brook, Va., is done milking Jerseys and as I read the post, I saw a very familiar trend.

The brothers at Waverly are not a bunch of young, energetic men who decided to turn a corner and try something different. They are retiring from decades of breeding some of the best Jersey genetics in the world. Apparently, the next generation is not interested in the day-to-day grind of milking cows and now it’s time to face that fact and enjoy retirement.

I don’t blame them, at some point every dairyman needs to transition from the grueling work of a dairy farm to enjoy the freedom that comes with an empty barn and a silent milk pump. But that’s just it, there is a tension between freeing yourself from the hard work and missing what you loved about milking cows.

When my parents’ barn suddenly went up in flames taking all the cows with it, their decision was made for them. They didn’t rebuild but decided to move on. While they enjoyed more free time to be involved with their children and grandchildren, there wasn’t a day that passed that they didn’t look out into the empty space where their hip-roof barn once stood without lingering thoughts of missing the cows.

Adventure awaits those who see it, but there will always be days when you miss what developed your character, molded your children and stacked evening sunsets upon stunning sunrises to created decades of satisfaction and awe of God’s creation.

Leaving behind what we love with a hope for what is to become is what a new day promises. While God’s mercies are new every morning, He gave us a memory to reflect and reminisce, so we can count ALL of our blessings.