Fall in the Ozarks

It's been two and a half years now sense I took over the ranch, and I feel a lot better now than I ever thought possible. Two days ago we worked my herd and sorted off 30 yearlings. I kept 5 heifers and sold the remaining 25 head yesterday. I get to take a big check back to the city and I have money in my account. Life is good. I have not posted in a long time, and can't promise I will post very often, even though I know I should. I have been busy on the ranch, getting gravel hauled in and spreading it, fixing gates, and generally trying to make life easier on us this winter. The big difference now is that it is enjoyable, and I have the energy to do things. Before I would just feel overwhelmed at it and almost unable to do anything. It takes time to grow into things, no matter what it is. Keep the faith that it will get better, and you will be able to see the good in it.Now that I'm feeling better, I will start my series on equipment. Keep checking and don't give up on me, and enjoy the beautiful fall weather wherever you are!

Divorce

Last Saturday I helped a friend move out of the house she had shared with her husband for the last several years. They are seperated and all but legally divorced. What made the moving so hard was the fact he was there along with two children they had together. I was very uncomfortable, to say the least. I could just see him going into a bedroom or closet and coming out with a SKS rifle, shooting us all, then himself.
He never became physically violent, but several times the couple exchanged heated words, spewing venom back and forth. It brought back bad memories from my childhood, of moving hearedly from place to place. It made me sick in the pit of my stomach, thinking of those boys remembering this day for the rest of their lives.
She had no one to help her move her stuff out, and he never lifted a finger to help to us. It really made me wonder, how do two people go from loving each other enough to get married and have children, to hating each other so badly they can't stand to be in the same room together?
You have to guard your relationships, just like you guard your stuff when you leave the house or when you lock your car doors in town. Where and when did things go wrong? People do not just wake up hating each other, it has to go from love to hate slowly, I would think.
I know this blog doesn't have much to do with agriculture, but a messy divorce can cause you to loose the farm quickly, then everyone suffers. What is the answer? I wish I knew. Preventative maintenance, just like servicing your tractor or pick-up truck could go a long way in keeping your marriage working properly. Counseling, both before the wedding and periodically after should help a great deal. Is a prenuptial agreement planning to fail or a fail safe plan to keep the family farm in the family? I don't know the answer to that. You will have to figure that out on your own. Good luck and do everything you can to keep your love alive.

Project Legacy

Welcome to Agriculture Expatriates! The purpose of this blog is to help people who were raised on a farm/ranch, went off to college/military/etc., found a job in a city or place away from their home, and struggle with leading life away from it. In other words you have to make a living away from the farm/ranch, but want to help your folks in it's operation and hope to retire there some day. You may fit into this category or you may just want to start a hobby farm or small cattle ranch/dairy after living in the city.

Let me tell you about myself in this first blog. My name is John and I live in North West Arkansas. I have cattle ranch in North Central Arkansas, about 120 miles away. I am 35 years old and took over the ranch two years ago, when my Dad died from cancer. I had no plan, no program, no idea what my first step should be. I HIGHLY encourage people to talk to their folks, if they have not done so already, about taking over the farm operation. There are several great resources out there now, so start today! In future blogs, I'll share my story and tell you how I got through different things. Hopefully this will help you. I am new to this blogging thing, so it may be slow at first, but bear with me. I also will try to post pictures of the ranch, etc. so you can see my operation and know I'm not just making this up as I go. You can do it, just remember you are not the only one leading this life of running back and forth. City to farm, farm to city every weekend or once a month or whatever your schedule allows. Thanks for reading, and talk to you soon!