Samantha Johnston – Johnston – Johnston Farm & Ranch, LLC
What does Harvest mean to you?
It’s often challenging to write these posts; knowing there’s a risk for someone who isn’t involved in the Agriculture industry to read, and completely disagree. However, that’s EXACTLY why I do it! Agvocate!
The wheat harvest is the most commonly blogged about here in our HarvestHER community.
But think about it, what does harvest really mean to you? Halloween? Wheat harvest? Soybean or corn harvest? The Harvest Moon?
Here on Johnston Farm and Ranch, it can also refer to home-grown beef.
Throughout the year, we raise all kinds of cattle: mama cows, bulls, home-raised calves, and purchased stockers or feeders. We generally pick one of those to harvest and feed the family.
This year, we chose a stocker calf that wasn’t growing quite as quickly as his herd when it came time to sell. So, he got to stay on Johnston Farm and Ranch, in a nice lot, all to himself and EAT all the time. Ad lib which means free choice.
The reason he is housed in a smaller lot is to maintain a healthy weight, monitor closely, and allow access to fresh feed, water and hay at all times. Shelter is also provided. He will then grow and be the perfect size (around 1,000 lb live weight) to take to slaughter. Now, keep in mind, this isn’t an overnight process. It takes a good nine months to one year for the feed-out and growing stage to take place.
Indeed, this calf is cared for just like the rest of the herd. If he was a bull, he was castrated, he was vaccinated against all disease, ear tagged, ear notched, and branded and documented in the records maintained.
It’s often a while before the local meat packing plant can get the beef on the processing schedule. If you’ve been through this process before, you know it’s best to call and make an appointment for your beef to be processed as soon as he is put into the “fattening pen”. This allows plenty of time for the calf to eat, grow, get all good and flavored up, and then processed by the butcher. Beef processing generally takes 10-14 days.
Once the call from the Butcher is received, it’s time to load up the ice-chests and pick up the processed, packaged and frozen beef. Depending on the size of your family, your freezer will be stocked with delicious home-grown beef for about a year.
Remember, every time you indulge in a hamburger or steak, someone spent at least one year growing and finishing a calf, just so you can eat.
Thank a farmer.
(Please continue following my future posts to learn about the slaughter/processing practices and business)
1. Be ready to go at the drop of a hat...sometimes without a lunchbox.
2. Has removed the word impossible from her vocabulary!
3. Can hold a baby, take care of a toddler and drive a tractor or combine all at the same time.
4. Must be able to cook for a crew - large or small.
5. Must be able to read minds.
6. Must be able to banter with a parts man until he realizes you DO know what you're talking about.
7. Must be the entertainment director for those rainy days.
8. Be a wife, mom, friend, helper, cook, problem solver, taxi driver or extra crew hand at all times.
9. Can handle the call that makes you react, "You need what? When?" Dropping everything you're doing to make it happen.
10. At the end of the day say, "I really do love this life".