The Year the Cattle Market Saved the Farm

The Year the Cattle Market Saved the Farm

Everyone is feeling the rise in beef costs. The cost of a Ribeye has gone up about 30% in the span of a year. Bucket calves, which were once worth $50, are now worth $2,100 at one day old. The lowest cattle herd since 1950, and there's no end in sight anytime soon. Why is the U.S cattle herd so low, you may ask... The answer isn't just in the numbers; it's in stories like ours. 

Like many farm families, this farm is our only source of income. Our family’s future depends on the success of the farm. Like many farm families, we don't have an outside job to fall back on. We don't have the benefits or a company to pay for our health insurance. We have come up with the capital to pay for everything ourselves. 

Last year in July, our farm credit bank had a security breach, and money was sucked out of multiple clients' accounts by mistake. Yeah, we were one of the people who got hacked. The bank issued money back in and accidentally put $50,000 in our account. And well, it was a good feeling having all that money in the bank. It gave a sense of peace knowing checks for insurance and processing bills would go through. I hoped the bank would consider letting us convert that amount into an operating loan to help keep the farm running. The banker said no, and we were given one week to repay the full amount. Checks were all over, floating around all of Illinois. From Northern Illinois to Southern Illinois, in the hands of the Amish Mafia. Checks were being cashed left and right. Before I knew it, as I looked at my checking account, $50,000 turned into $23,000. I had one week to come up with 27,000 dollars and, on top of that, pay bills to keep the lights on. I was so incredibly stressed. I tried to sleep my problems away in the old farmhouse. I thought about selling my truck-- how could I? How was I going to haul animals without a truck? The cattle! The hardest thought of all. Every farmer's toughest decision. Letting go of cattle you've cared for is one of the hardest parts of farming, especially not knowing exactly where they'd end up.

So, I loaded up my best head of cattle. Polled, black, and fat, knowing they'd bring top dollar. I watched them load into the silver trailer. As much as it hurt me, I knew it was my only choice. Even with that, I still needed money to squeak by barely. I prayed for a good market and made just barely enough to feed the bank.

By the end of the year, half of our herd was gone. Between the bank situation, Uncle Sam's increased taxes, and everyday farm expenses, we were pushed into one of the toughest seasons we've ever faced. That was the year the Cattle Market saved the farm. As much as it hurt to see brood cows-- animals born and raised on this farm-- and their calves shipped away, I thank God every day for them, because thanks to those cattle, this farm is still here.

And that's why the U.S cattle inventory is so low. Family farms like ours are pushed into a corner, and it's the only choice to survive. Without people like you choosing to support local family farms, many of us couldn't keep going. I want to reiterate just how grateful we are for you. We say thank you as often as we can, but it never feels like enough. Every extra dollar you spend with us-- even the smallest amount-- means more to us than you know.

FARMER SCOTTS STORY
WRITTEN BY ALEXIA HASSELMANN