Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

No @Bruce , there aren't alot of milk testers anymore partly because of so many small dairies selling out. Any farm can do their own on what we call owner sampler, and if they have big numbers of cows, most have a computer system that allows them to enter the information that the tester used to be responsible for. The small dairies didn't used to want to invest the money in their own sampling system, and nowadays, some new computer systems automatically records the actual "milk weight" so the tester doesn't have to record that. In Vt there is mostly Dairy One D.H.I.A. and then some farms are affiliated with Lancaster D.H.I.A. . That is who our "United D.H.I.A." affiliated with when they shut down our milk testing lab in Va..

Due to the problems I have seen, and the aggravations I have been going through with our company, I have actually talked to the "COMPETITION" meaning Dairy One. Their manager of the southeastern area, acts like a manager, and I am seriously considering taking my herds and switching them to dairy one. I have talked to them about me also switching since so many of my herds don't want me to leave..... and Dairy One has "backup" in place for testers that are off for different reasons.... like my upcoming surgery. It also would give my farms a chance to get used to "someone else" testing them, and I could come back to work; for Dairy One; if that is what they agree to; possibly test fewer, or just get my farms up and going with Dairy one and then retire for the surgery. I don't have to worry about medical, I am no longer full-time status so no ins...I'm on medicare anyway.
See the farm gets to choose their tester so to speak.... if there is one available.... and for years Dairy One was not this far south.... they originated in the N.E. states. But as things got tighter in Vt and other states, they expanded and came down into Va.... trying to convert the "bigger farms" to them.... which made it financially practical for them to come down to test. There is honestly some "strain" between us and them..... But if your company's manager says to you, "you have to find someone to take over your herds while you are out, like for medical ( which they told the one tester who had her 2nd hip replaced 2 years ago) (but which all she had to do was tell the general manager when she had her first hip replaced 10 years ago and that manager made sure the herds were covered, not the tester that was out).... then what would you do. I mean, I am not the manager. If I was at any other job, and I was out sick, hurt, for surgery, all I would do is let my immediate supervisor know, and it is THEIR PROBLEM to get the shift/job covered..... I am supposed to find a TEMPORARY worker to be out for 3 months??????
So one of the reasons I talked to the "competition"..... I wanted to see what their policies were. I am not saying this company is perfect..... but it is not MY responsibility to see that the job is done if I am out for a legitimate reason like the ankle replacement. If they fire me they will have to find a replacement, which they won't fire me because they don't want to take on that responsibility. If I retire, I think they won't make much effort to try to replace me either.... partly because many of my herds don't test every month due to finances. So, I think I have some legit grounds. Plus, several of us testers feel like the handwriting is on the wall, and our company is going to pretty much cease to exist and it may be absorbed by Lancaster D.H.I.A.. There are things I don't agree with/like about their manager... he just doesn't "hit me right".... and how are they going to manager us from that distance since they have no other ties except that we are using their lab for our milk samples. Maybe they would get a manager into this area.... but I don't think there are enough farms with the infrequency of testing and the dwindling numbers as farmers sell out or retire out.

There's alot to consider but after all these years, I feel obligated to try to "take care of my farmers" and to give them the best service, and future service, if I can help them. No not really my job to worry about them... but we have a different kind of relationship when you figure we spend alot of time and invest alot of ourselves into their operation trying to help, as well as get very involved with their families and their lives. I've been to their kids weddings, gone to their parents funerals.. it is not like an impersonal relationship. So we will see what happens down the road. Since I have been told to find my own replacement if I go out and have the surgery, and a couple of the girls have already said they can't or don't want to take any more herds, and mine are so much further south than most of them in the counties above me.... If I find my own replacement or fill in from another company... is that so wrong???? Not what they seem to expect me to do... but I see this manager is a not very good light. Didn't think she was right for the job when they put her in, know she is not right for it now. Many things have just pushed it past the limit for me.

 

[Bruce]

It is good that you have your eyes and ears open. I agree, it is NOT your job to find a replacement if you are out. And I understand the "not my job ... but" regarding the farmers, they really are like family, your job or not. Upstanding people don't let their friends just drop off the cliff.

 

[Baymule]

It is good that you have your eyes and ears open. I agree, it is NOT your job to find a replacement if you are out. And I understand the "not my job ... but" regarding the farmers, they really are like family, your job or not. Upstanding people don't let their friends just drop off the cliff.

X2!!

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Gosh, Miss Farmerjan, it seems you go out of your way to provide great service for the company's clients, and for them to treat you this way does not seem right. I think you right to consider going elsewhere and to even consider retiring. For what it is worth, if you can swing it financially, I'd love to see you retire -- things will be so much easier on you.

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[farmerjan]

@Senile_Texas_Aggie ; I am seriously thinking the retiring when I go out to have the ankle surgery. Like @Mini Horses , I have a few more things to get paid off that will put me in a place where I owe no monthly payments at all. I have been doing small things like bought a half dozen pairs of my sneakers when they went on sale 30% off, just to keep me from getting hit with expenses when I do "quit". I had hoped to still have the work income on my "income list" when I found a place to buy. Don't know now if I want to wait that long to quit. Maybe after having the ankle done, I will feel alot better and part-time work wouldn't be so bad. I sure don't want to go be a part time greeter at Walmart!!!!! If I got around better in the barns, there are several that I wouldn't mind keeping that I don't have to get up so early for.

Talking about farms: the one that left me a message that I said I had to listen to...... well it sure wasn't what I thought about scheduling a day to test. They said they didn't know if I had been to the other farm down near them and heard, but the cows are gone. They sold out. So I won't have to worry about them calling for a test at the last minute anymore. I am not so surprised that they sold out, just that it happened right now. The son is catered to, and not a good farmer. He hated being in the barn milking, and was lousy at it and didn't need to be there. Was terrible at feeding and taking care of the baby calves because he just didn't do them half-a$$ed..more died than stayed alive..... wouldn't get out of bed in the morning to get going to get the farm chores done. The nephew was the cow man, and he left about 6 months ago when they were talking about maybe they were going to have to do something, because the son was going to get to keep his job over the nephew who could have gotten the farm back on track.

Oh well, done now. I know they have a fair amount of debt and were getting in deeper every month. Yes the dairy industry is still in bad financial shape, but there was alot that should have been done there several years ago, and the quality of help was a big part of it. Sad to see another dairy shut down though. I lost 3 in the fall of 2017, 2 in 2018, 3 sold out on 2019 and one went off test, with another probably not going to test anymore and they are talking selling out in the spring of 2020. Have one more that said they would be sold out by Oct....but would let me know. That is my little 20 cow herd of jerseys that sell milk to a cheese maker and do cow shares for fluid milk. Still, they tested when I went to the big herd 125 miles north.
I had 25 farms on test, although some were not every month; gave 2 to another tester and then got 1 back when she went to part time and got 2 from her, So lost 10 net in 2 years, have 16 officially on test, with the small one and the other that is talking selling out in 2020.... with usually testing only 5-6 monthly and the others filling in around them on every other or every three months. It just seems that they all decide to test the same month and want the same week. Truly FEAST OR FAMINE!!!!!

Called about killing chickens about 9 this morning. He says he is booked up and it might be mid Oct.... but if anything changes.... he will call as soon as he figures out which day. I said that I could do just the 15 big ones and the smaller ones could wait if he has an opening.... talked to him about doing some in late Dec.... but he doesn't do any chickens in dec as he does hogs.... so will schedule a Jan date as soon as I see if I get any more in mid Oct......might not be any left behinds in Oct either. I will schedule the "smaller ones" as soon as he has an opening..... will play it by ear for the next 2 weeks. He knows what I have and what I want to get done, so I'm on the list. Wish I could have sold all the big ones.... oh well....

Today started out sunny, then clouded up and got 10 sprinkles....said there was an outside slight chance of a stray shower but we didn't get it. Still hit 90 early before the clouds came in. I think all the sorghum-sudan is on the ground and it is looking dry right through Sat.. Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit cooler then back up to the upper 80's and 90 the end of the week.

Time to get a shower and get to bed. Have to be back at this farm at 5:15 a.m.

 

[Baymule]

Hope you get all the chickens butchered, it is a job. We slaughtered 8 young Easter Egger roosters last month, cooked one last night. It sure was good, more flavor than the Cornish Cross. Scrawny little thing, next to a hefty CCX with a triple D breast. LOL

 

[farmerjan]

Sunny yesterday, did my farm 1+ hours south and did a couple of stops on the way home. Got samples packed and sent out. Went to the Rockbridge Co beef meeting last evening. Am going to get some gas, fill the old Farmall H and take it and go rake the sorghum sudan that is cut. There are 2 places about 20 acres total so will be at it for several hours. Get the lower side turned up to the sun to dry more. Possibility of scattered showers tomorrow, very small chance I think. Then maybe more chance on Sat.
We desperately need some rain on the pastures, but really want to get this sorghum baled first. Didn't cut any grass hay as it is so brittle/dry, it would burn up in a day and not be worth baling. Maybe if we get some rain, it will put some life back into the late hay and be worth cutting.
I also have to haul some water this evening. The spring at the one pasture is drying up and the calves can't reach down into the trough as it is getting too low. So, back to water hauling.
Luckily, no more farms this week. Maybe 1 or 2 next week. The one that postponed today since they are still chopping corn. Boy, am I so glad that ours is done, bagged and just doing it's thing fermenting into silage....

Still enjoying this warmer than normal weather even though it is way too dry for here this time of year.

 

[farmerjan]

Had a good day all around. Spent about 4-4 1/2 hrs on the H. It was real nice, got the gas & put in it, came up the road and got that 10-12 acres raked. Sun and breezy so PERFECT drying weather. Not so good for the grass and all that is crying for a nice drink of slow rain but..... Drove the tractor down the road and to the other farm where the other field is. Started raking and it started to cloud up some. They did say there was a small chance of showers. Didn't feel like rain as the air is soooo dry. It turned black and then there were a few sprinkles. I kept watching the sky but it looked like it was going to stay south traveling to the east. Son texted me and said it was raining at work, 5 miles south, but we only got those 20 sprinkles, and you could watch it just keep heading east. I got done, and the sky cleared off and the sun came out. DODGED the RAIN.... or it dodged us actually... I took the tractor back up the road to the one place we make hay on, and put it back under a "run in shed" that is in one of the fields that was for the previous owners' horses to go under. The rake won't fit under it, but the tractor does. This is the one I have to turn off the gas, in the line next to the fuel sediment bowl.

Then I came home, switched trucks and loaded the water tank and went to the spring down the road, got nearly 200 gallons (this is my little 4x4... don't want to overload it too much) and hauled it up to the pasture. The cows are still getting enough to drink because they all came and drank some, kept looking at me like "is this all you brought?". So at least they are not being deprived water, but I will haul another load in the morning and then they will be able to forego the water trough down the hill, if they want. Plus, it will fill it up higher, so the smaller, month old calves can reach to drink it.

Did check over the cows and have 2 new babies. The last heifer we bought finally calved, little tiny heifer calf, she has next to no udder so don't know if she will be able to feed it very well, but I will keep an eye on it. And the first of "our" heifers calved. It was my heifer actually, and she seems to be doing well with it. It looked like a bull but it was getting dusk and I didn't want to bother her as it was nursing. I thought the grey charl x heifer was going to be the first, surprise to me. So now I will be in there at least once or twice a day to check on them. And keeping the supplemental water troughs filled so that the heifers don't get dehydrated.

Since the grass is so dry, I am going to get a few "protein tubs" for this group. It is not as cheap as feeding them grain, but with the little babies, I don't want them to get trampled when the cows go rushing into the pen for grain. So the tubs are easier, and will add some nutrition since the grass/pastures are dried up. Going to get a few heat detectors on them and start breeding those couple AI now that the temps have cooled off a little. We are forecast to have some showers this weekend, then hot again. The forecast is for a BIG cool down the end of next week. We are supposed to be near 90 again the next few days, then drop 20 degrees by the end of next week. It is getting into fall.....

Got 2 loads of clothes washed and will hang out in the morning then go haul the water. My new glasses are in and I want to go get them, my son needs an oil filter for the 4 wheeler, I need to get the heat detectors to put on the cows, and might try to go by the stockyards and see how the prices are doing. My list is in the truck, but I think there was something else I put on it to get when I was in town next time. I try to do that sort of stuff on my way to, or home from, a farm when I can, to save a trip. Several of these things are in different directions, so might only get a coupld done, then do the rest when I go in the other direction.

 

[Baymule]

I hope you get enough rain to get another hay cutting. We need rain here too. What do you haul water in? Do you have a tank? I used to haul water to my horses, I used plastic trash cans, they worked pretty good.

ETA We posted at the same time. LOL So, yes, you have a tank.

 

[Baymule]

We both posted at the same time, and double posted!