Nieslanik Beef

Roosters really do crow... before dawn. When that alarm goes off morning is upon us...  and it's time to do the chores.  
 
Rule number 1: Get up. Don't nestle back under your covers. It'll just make you feel guilty knowing the animals are hungry. 

Rule number 2: Get dressed without looking outside. You have to face the elements no matter what, so why know it's only 10 degrees? No point in peeking out a frosty window into the darkness.  It just makes you want to break rule number one. 

Rule number 3: When your done feeding, stop for a moment.  Listen to all the critters happily chewing. Enjoy the warmth from the sunrise and know this is just where you want to be.

When it comes to seasons, we commonly know them as winter, spring, summer and fall.  But ranchers, well they go by different seasons all together.  Take January for instance.  To us it means calving season.  We have 300 mother cows who are about to start having babies! 

This means round the clock watch for the next couple of months with Grandpa John (1st generation), Marty (2nd generation), Parker and Johnny (3rd generation), and Jerilyn and Cara all taking shifts. 

It is always exciting to see the first one hit the ground and watch the herd expand. You ask why we calve when it's so cold?  The calves have to be strong enough to make the trek up to the high country in the spring.  But that is another season...

Keep a lookout for the first Nielsanik Beef calf of 2018.  Will it be a bull or heifer?