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Saying Good-bye on a Monday

Krista Stauffer

Like most people, I would guess you dread Monday mornings. That is if you work Monday-Friday with the weekends off. Monday means your weekend is over. Monday means you can’t just turn the alarm clock off and go back to sleep. Monday means you have to go to work. Mondays can be rough.

Well around here, Monday is “Sale Barn” day. Not every Monday, not even every other Monday. Just certain Mondays. A Monday that our farm has a cow that can no longer pay her way on our farm. A Monday where we have to load up a cow that we have taken care of her entire life and send her through the sale to enter the food supply. A Monday that both farmer and I dread. A Monday that simply put, just sucks. I hate those Mondays.

Every farm has their own guidelines for what determines if a cow stays or if she goes. On our farm, a cow  has to at least produce enough milk to pay for the feed she eats each day. It’s really not an issue for most and they don’t have to be high producing cows. Our main goal is longevity for our cows, not maximum milk production. Sometimes, a cow just doesn’t do so well in that area. Sometimes she will have one lactation where she doesn’t do well but the next lactation she does great. Most years we can give them a “second chance” which means we just wait it out and see what she does on her next lactation.  In the meantime another cow is producing enough milk to make up where she is lacking.

But truth be told, we simply cannot do that right now. The milk price is too weak. We just cannot pay the bills if we are keeping cows that do not at least pay for the feed they eat.

So we have to make the call. What cows have to go? What cows can stay?

We make a list, not a big one, maybe 2-4 cows. We write their numbers down.

We cross off a number or two.

We change it to another number.

We change it back.

The cattle hauler pulls in.

We change our mind yet again.

While he backs up, we pow-wow. May even argue. Tensions are high. We both don’t want to do this.

I cry. I cry almost every time.

He says, “Fine she can stay, but the other has to go.”

I help load whoever is still on the list into the back of the trailer.

I walk away with tears rolling down my face.

I wipe away the tears. I dry my eyes. I go love on another one of my girls (aka cows).

AND we push forward with our day. Any other year, last year even, she would have stayed.

But not this year. Not this time. Not this cow.

It’s farming, I know. It’s just how it is when you are raising animals for food. It’s just farm life. But it doesn’t mean that it isn’t hard. It doesn’t mean that I don’t get attached. It doesn’t mean that you can spend years caring for an animal, spending hands on time with her every day of her life; that it doesn’t hurt your heart to see her go.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. I never want these girls to become just a paycheck. I want to give them the best life possible while they are on our farm. AND when their time on our farm comes to an end, I will cry. I will wipe away the tears and then I will go on taking care of the rest of our animals the best way I know how.

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Krista Stauffer

Owner at Stauffer Dairy
Krista didn't grow up on a farm but fell in love with a dairy farmer and now works alongside her husband on their family dairy farm, raising five children. Despite her non-farm upbringing, she embraces farm life, enjoys gardening, and remodeling their farmhouse. She also runs a successful women's boutique, manages social media for local businesses, and serves on the board of a non-profit creamery, showcasing her dedication to entrepreneurship and community service.
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