Do you love your job? Ranchers do!

Springtime is upon us here on the grassy plains of eastern Wyoming.  Temperatures are on the rise, and beneficial moisture has been received in the form of rain and snow.  These are the ingredients that make this such a special time of year for those of us working in production agriculture.

We need grass and water to sustain our livelihood, and spring affords us this opportunity.  Our livestock graze the nutritious grass, and the rain and snow fills our reservoirs and maintains our groundwater.  When you combine livestock, forage, and water, a large portion of the United States’ food supply is created.  What a wonderful time to be living in this great country!

Spring is halfway complete in this part of the world, and our calving season is underway.  We chose this time of year to calve our cows because the weather is mild; for the most part, the severe cold and bad blizzards are behind us.  The grass is green and growing.  Simply stated, this mid-to-late calving season is just much easier on mankind and animals.

To see the newly born calves running around in the warm sun on the lush grass is just a remarkable feeling.  They are cute little babies for one thing, and they seem so happy and innocent.  Keeping tabs on their mothers’ are their only worries.  We have taken care of these cows all winter, and this is one of our rewarding experiences being a part of these new lives.  The wildlife on our ranch, mainly Pronghorn Antelope, are co-mingling with our cows and are enjoying these springtime attributes.

Those of us involved in production agriculture are truly lucky to be doing what we do.  We get to experience a “rebirth” every year right now, and that makes our job worthwhile and necessary.  Whenever you can tackle your job with enthusiasm, the feeling doesn’t get any better than that.  Life is great in ranching!

From RealRancher Dustin Cushman, Wavy Seven Livestock – Lusk, Wyo