It Was Hard Work Being a Cow

Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe shares his SWEAT Pledge, as part of a $1 million scholarship fund to get Americans back to work. The pledge is.
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If we do that right then we can set money back and expand our operations. Until recently, there was a fair amount of risk since we were expanding and borrowing a lot of money. So there were a few sleepless nights when you might have an economic reversal in the market. Having employees is probably the greatest joy and the greatest headache in life and that can be somewhat difficult. But I think in this business that labor issues in general are probably one of the biggest headaches that people will have.

The Cowhand Then and Now

If we sell our cattle for more than what our expenses are we make money. And the secondary way is just the long term appreciation of your real estate. And so, those are probably the two, the realized profits and the unrealized profits. One, they would need to spend quite a bit of time in an apprenticeship with an existing operation for a period of years to figure out what works and what does not and I was fortunate enough to have my dad for that.

There are so many nuances you have to pick up on; whats going to be the most cost effective way to do it this year, working around weather, economics, people, and the contractors. There have been many, many cases where a wealthy person that has made money, inherited money, or made money in another industry decided to step into agriculture and most of the time they literally get their head handed to them and and lose a lot of money.

They think farming is simpler and easier than it is and they can apply knowledge from another industry and do it better than a lot of the cattlemen already out there. But the majority of the time they lose their shirts. What is most challenging about what you do? What is most rewarding? Clearly the fact that everything is so visible. Your crops, you can see if things have gone well or gone poorly.


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With the livestock, you can both see in the animals and you can see in the financial returns if things are going well or going poorly. Or if a piece of farm equipment breaks down and you can see it get repaired. Also, being outside is rewarding. To work with an existing operation to gain the experience.

That is first and foremost. Because the infrastructure, feed lots, facilities, etc.

And so, your physical facilities would already be set up and ready to go instead of having to start with raw land from sratch. Go work on a farm somewhere because boy, trying to jump in without the experience, you could have a Ph. Typically with family vacations, a week or ten days.

But also there will be some agricultural events or such that I will take off for and I really enjoy. Fortunately I love it. There isn't a typical day. We have to check all of our cattle several times a week throughout the year. It's is a chore in itself as we have over head of cows and replacement heifers on seven different locations within a mile radius. In the winter, the cows are calving, so we have to check them daily.

I am a US cattle rancher. What do you want to know?

We also have to put hay out regularly and limit grazing the cattle on winter ryegrass. In the spring and summer we perform our herd-health measures, cut hay and perform pasture maintenance. The majority of our calves sell through auction and leave mid-August. A few are sold throughout the year to restaurants.

2. What's the biggest mistake you've ever made while working?

We continue work in the hayfield in the fall, which quickly transitions into planting our winter forages. By November, we start our cycle over again with calving. One of us routinely gets a truck stuck in the mud when we know we shouldn't be driving in wet conditions. Especially this past winter in record-rainfall conditions, we got stuck at least weekly!


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  6. 1. What's your typical day like??

    7. The most unexpected thing we've experienced is the sheer camaraderie amongst our friends and neighbors in the farming community. The willingness of people able and wanting to help each other is humbling, whether it is assistance throughout the year, during sale day, or simply watching out for one another.

    12 Reasons You Should Be Proud To Be A Hard Worker

    There is a real sense of community in the Clinton Louisiana area we are privileged to live and have our farm. My husband grew up in it, but it's new to me. I grew up on family farms and ranches in both Colorado and Louisiana where we had help, but it often came at a price.

    When you do something you love, it isn't work. We put in really hard days on a regular basis, but whether we're sitting on a tractor, building a fence, working with the horses and cattle, or any other tasks we face, we enjoy most of our "chores". It also helps that no day is ever boring or "routine". Having grown up on farms, I can also say that it's a great way to get the entire family outdoors and doing things together.

    A really good day entails the two of us working together and substantial progress made without any major breakdowns of equipment.