Stan actually feels much better than he has in years. The valve replacement was a huge success. But it is time for the milkers to go. Help is impossible to find, and he really can't continue to do it alone. All the kids that have helped over the years are moving on with their lives and the little kids aren't ready to fill in. We're keeping the calves and heifers and all of the equipment, not with the thought of going back into dairying, but as income for the years to come. Stan and our son-in-law have a hay business and may increase that. He's also talking about a small beef herd. A friend who has a farm between us and Melissa asked Stan if he would be boarding heifers next year, so that thought is going through his head. We'll see.
It is nice that we are closing out the dairy with the best year we've ever had. The price of milk was generous last year and while the hay crop wasn't the best we've ever had, it was good. The girls put out some over a million pounds of milk, good girls! There are 50 to go.
Both daughters have told Stan they have lists of things they like him to make for them. I may start a list myself!
