I’ve been raising and showing beef cattle for almost 40 years now. Until recently, I had no idea there was such a thing as “Cow Appreciation Day.” My daughter and I continue to actively travel across the United States showing, buying, and selling Limousin & Lim-Flex cattle. Our cattle are a huge part of our life! Despite the many obvious reasons, I want to share with you the real reason I am most thankful on “Cow Appreciation Day.”
Have you ever sat back and thought about how a cow affects our everyday lives? Dairy cows produce the milk we drink, the cheese we eat, the ice cream we crave, and the creamer for our coffee. Beef cattle produce the hamburgers & steaks we love to grill and the briskets & ribs we love to smoke. We can’t forget the leather seats in our vehicles, the leather shoes on our feet, and the leather belts around our waists. The list goes on & on! Doesn’t everyone love to feed the calves their bottles at the county fair or at on-farm festivals and events? If you haven’t ever bottle-fed a calf, you have no idea of the fun you are missing!
Despite all these great reasons to thank a cow, I’m most thankful for all the great memories & amazing people my daughter and I have met over the years. We have become friends with so many wonderful people across the country. Even when we only see them a few times a year, we can always talk to them like we just saw them yesterday. These are friends we compete against in the show ring and try to outbid at sales to buy the next great show heifer. These are the same friends that we celebrate with if we win or if their family wins the show that day. We all want to get that “victory tap” from the judge! However, no matter which of us wins that day, we all know we competed hard and will still be good friends at the end of the day. Cattle come and go, but special friendships last forever!
So today, I want you to help us all celebrate “Cow Appreciation Day.” Every dairy cattle farmer and beef cattle producer I know is grateful for the life their cattle have provided for them and their family. I know my daughter and I are so thankful for the wonderful cattle we have raised and look forward to many more years trying to raise the next great one. Even more so, we are beyond blessed for all the great friends and families we have met along the way!
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