One of my neighbors, a good friend, is giving up ranching. He's still a relatively young man, in his early sixties, but he's just had it. Tired of the grind and just plain burned out. The place is already sold and he has a new place to move to in the next month or so.
It's a tough time for him. He was born on this place, as was his father, and grandfather. But times have changed and it's just too hard for the small rancher to make it any more. Aside from that, he wants to do something else with the rest of his life, including some travel.
He sent his swather out on consignment the other day, and soon there will be a big sale at his place. That's not going to be a good day for him or his wife. Next up we'll be trucking the cattle out to the sale barn. That'll be another tough day as they both really like their critters.
It's not like this is an unusual occurrence in America these days, but when it hits so close to home it really gets your attention.
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3 comments:
Tell him thanks for feeding us for awhile. I've been around such sales,(family in rural NC) and it is seldom a happy time. I wish him the best that can be had
When my grandfather sold off his Hereford herd because his health would no longer allow him to take care of them, we thought he would have a heart attack. His grief was terrible to see.
I'm sorry to hear that. Like the Romans, the bedrock of American society has always been the rural people, and I don't care a damn that ABC says that isn't true. But they grow fewer and fewer.
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