Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Bearing the pain reaches the point that you can't do it anymore so I hope you do what makes your future better.

Yeah, @Mike CHS , I've reached the point of the pain is getting to be too much and I am tired of hurting all the time. I want to be able to walk again, like a normal person.

 

[Baymule]

You are normal? I got side tracked, I forgot what I was going to say.

 

[Baymule]

Hah! now I remember......after I backed up a page...…..

On the rehab, I hope wherever you go has good food. If not, order in pizza, pizza places usually deliver.

You know how to start a wheelchair stampede? Walk through a nursing home with a bucket of fried chicken.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Thanks @Baymule . I thought at first maybe I wasn't typing correctly, and that maybe I was under the influence of the super strong Ibuprofen I was taking, and not making any sense.

@Duckfarmerpa1 : they are milking 200 registered jerseys. Normally takes about 4 hours in a double 5 side opening, parlor; but the daughter couldn't get off her job to come help, and so we did the afternoon and the guy who helps milking just isn't as fast. Took from 1:30 to 6:30 to milk that afternoon. When we test the morning milking I go up and stay overnight with the farmer and his wife, then they start milking at 2 a.m. and we usually get done between 6-6:30 a.m.. Then I would do the computer work, and then go to another small farm about 20 min away and test them. They started @ 7:30 a.m.. 20 +/- cows in a 10 stall stanchion barn, so 2 groups of cows....10 in to milk, 2 at a time, then 10 out and the next 10 in. Not efficient for farms with any number of cows, but that is how it was done for years and years before "parlors" were built. But that small farm sold out the first of Nov.... so only the bigger farm to do up there.

Heard on the radio just the other day, that Va has lost 18% of its' dairy farms in the last 2 years. Something like 56 in 2018 and 48 in 2019.... so say 100 dairies in the last 2 years. That means that if there were 500 dairies still in Va, then over 100 have closed down in 2 years to under 400 now. And it is like that in nearly all the "dairy states". The big get bigger to try to spread the costs out over an increasing number and the small farms go out.

The ankle replacement has been in the "working on it" stage for nearly 5 years... trying to find a dr that I felt comfortable with and that was not pushing the "just fuse it" mentality. Finally found one through a recommendation and am very comfortable with them. Mine will be a 2 part deal though, besides the main replacement ,I also am having another smaller "joint" fused because there is no "replacing it" and I have so much arthritis in it that have less than 15% use of it and alot of pain. Could do the replacement only, but then this might bother me in 6 months, or 5 years.... and I would have to be laid up again. So going to do both at once and be done. It will be several months, he said about 3-4 total.... due to the fusion having to totally heal before I do any weight bearing. Can't take the pain anymore, so I am thinking that this is a step in the right direction. If all goes well, then the knee will be next year. Tired of not being able to walk like a real person without the pain and being so unsteady on my ankle.

Wow, with the milking..so, obviously you sleep during the day...do you have your own cows? The smal farm..do they have machines for the milking? I think it’s all fascinating. I didn’t grow up around farming. I wish I did. I love the work..it gives me such a feeling of accomplishment...can’t even image a 9-5 job....the animals and the unconditional love. . That’s horrible about the small farms going under. It’s just like small businesses due to Walmart, etc. But, those poor people probably struggle to get a regular job after farming for their whole life...darn shame.

Didnt realize your ankle was that bad! I’m sorry to hear that.But I’m glad youre finally able to get a repla instead of the whole thing fused...and I would totally do the same thing by getting both surgeries at the same time frame....youll. Have to keep us all posted on here, because I really want to hear how it all goes for you!! Good luck at the pre op testing!!

 

[Baymule]

Naw, she don't sleep during the day, she's a farmer! Always something going on. She might get spoiled by all this time off in rehab (if the food is any good, she might join the stampede) and decide to semi-retire.

 

[farmerjan]

With the way the dairy industry is going, I am to the semi-retired position pretty much now. Working only 10 days a month or so. Had a farmer here close, call me, wanting to know if I knew if there was anyone buying cows. He just turned 61 his brother is 63 or 64.... he said he never believed that he would get to retirement stage and that his cows would be worth "nothing". Which is basically what they are worth as cull cow price is really nothing. A good dairy cow used to be worth 1500-2000 and now if you can get 1000-1100 that is a windfall. Sad with all the years of breeding and genetics behind it. So many really thought that when retirement time came that their cows would be their "retirement money" and they are worth about half of what they were, if you can find a buyer for them as dairy replacements. They are worth about $.50 lb so about 5-700 as cull cows. Pretty sad.
I expect this farmer is looking at ways to sell out. And he told me that the crazies in Richmond Va ( no offense to anyone but the new democratic bunch that just took office) are now designating our county as a "solar farm" county, and he has gotten some info that one of their best crop fields is designated as prime for a solar array.... and there are rumblings that EMINENT DOMAIN may be able to come in and take it if the farmers do not want to sell their land. Kind of like the new GUN REGULATIONS that we are dealing with and how they are going to come in and confiscate your guns that fall under their new regulations and specifications of "automatic weapons or assault weapons".. I'm sure some of you have seen the whole uproar and the almost unanimous support by nearly everyone around, for us to become "sanctuary 2nd amendment counties and towns. It is a real mess. This bunch in Richmond are going absolutely nuts. There are going to be some really bad times ahead. Moving to Tenn seems like a good idea as they are much more sensible.

 

[rachels.haven]

...TN has a high of 65 today right outside of Nashville, if you need any extra incentives...thunder storms though. I think severe thunder storms are the state animal.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Vet

Naw, she don't sleep during the day, she's a farmer! Always something going on. She might get spoiled by all this time off in rehab (if the food is any good, she might join the stampede) and decide to semi-retire.

very true..you can’t sleep when the animals are busy,...my sister always texts me and says ...you’re working now?? Like she can’t believe that I still have to go out with the animals in the evening...lol...but.. I never did this stuff before..and she has noooo clue. But it’s a blast—- BEST thing ever!!

 

[Bruce]

and there are rumblings that EMINENT DOMAIN may be able to come in and take it if the farmers do not want to sell their land.

I can't say Eminent Domain won't happen but that seems somewhat unlikely. What is more likely is big solar businesses will come in and buy the land at a price the farmer would have a hard time refusing. Those dairies selling out? How often is the land sold to housing developers?

In any case, however much I am pro solar, it would be very sad to convert productive hay land to solar fields. There are a bazillion (that might be an exaggeration) square miles of rooftops in this country that could be covered with solar panels and have no negative impact on the land or use thereof.

Kind of like the new GUN REGULATIONS that we are dealing with and how they are going to come in and confiscate your guns that fall under their new regulations and specifications of "automatic weapons or assault weapons"..

Is the legislature actually talking about doing this or is it the standard Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) rumors that happen any time the Democratic party is in the majority (and sales of guns go way up at the same time)? Automatic weapons have been illegal in the USA for many decades.

I did some Googling and I don't find any info related to VA 2020 gun legislation that suggests there is even an inkling of a plan to confiscate anyone's legally possessed guns. As far as I know, no one in the USA has ever gotten even close to thinking they could force people to give up their guns. What IS true is that VA has now banned guns in the statehouse. Lots of states do the same and it is a far cry from confiscation.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

@Bruce....you would think that this being the "sunshine state " , Florida residents would be able to get solar systems for free to help support the state's energy ....costs.... etc....
what a waste of natural resources ......