Continuing a Legacy
We recently purchased some grass-fed steers to finish on the farm. I never truly thought we would venture into cattle ranching at the farmstead because Jack insisted he wasn’t sure about cows. But, in the last year he began diving into the the world of podcasts on ranching and after hearing countless hours of ranchers talk about cattle and their role on a farm ecosystem, he thought it was finally time to take the plunge. I, of course, reminded him how when we were first discussing expanding the farm and getting sheep that cows would be the much more obvious choice. I remember sitting on the couch and asking him adamantly, “But, Jack, who eats LAMB?! No one eats lamb, I don’t even like it and EVERYONE eats BEEF!”. Yeah, famous last words! I was exasperated in my attempts to steer (how punny!) him from sheep land and my INFAMOUS last words of “I don’t like it” are LONG GONE history by now. I love lamb. I’d eat a lamb burger everyday if I could. Lamb curry, lamb shank. lamb meatballs, lamb shoulder roast, I’d take it all. I just LOVE the stuff. But, that’s aside the point now. Now, we have both. And it is both exciting and intimidating.
I say intimidating because to me, cows- they just don’t look at you the same. I’m always a little nervous around large domestic animals. Cows and horses are at the top of the list. Cows especially. There is just something about their eyes- I can’t seem to get a great read on them. But…I did want cattle on the farm originally and I figure with time and some patience I will learn their moods and energies and become more comfortable around them. I was after all adamant about not having sheep and now I love sheep. Isn’t that what life is all about? Being adamant about something and then giving something else a chance to learn that you were in fact VERY wrong about your initial something? Yeah, I’m rambling but the gist is that I love being proved wrong. It means I’m growing and adapting and can admit my shortcomings. And that’s gotta count for something I think.
Anywho, having cows on the farm is very nostalgic for me. You see, my Great Grandpa Burt started a farm back in the mid 1900’s and my Grandpa Sid owned and ran the farm with his brother where they raised and finished cattle in Montrose, CO. It was called, “Collins Farms, Custom and Commercial Cattle Feeding.” While their business model focused on finishing cattle on grain and corn that they grew on their many acres of land, they were similar to us in the fact that they had a business that did it all- from transport, to growing over 2,000 acres of crops, and finishing the cattle themselves- they truly were a “one-stop” shop. Our business also mimics that closed-loop mindset and although our methods of doing things differ greatly and focus on grass-fed and finished meats, it feels important to keep the love of animals and husbandry going for the Collins family legacy.
Unfortunately, farming is a difficult business and the struggle for keeping Collins Farms afloat came to a real head when my grandpa got sick with kidney disease and my grandma Jo was battling cancer. A double-whammy of debilitating illnesses resulted in the need to close the farm and the horrible realization that it could not continue. Now, my mom’s old backyard is a golf course and there is no trace of what once was. Oh man does that sting to write. This is the unfortunate reality for many farmers and ranchers.
Needless to say, it felt even more important and close to the heart that we had some cows on the property this spring to finish off before heading to the butcher. It was like reopening an old book to find that the epilogue had been written and hope for another book in the series was renewed.
While Jack and I are writing our own family and farm story, it feels good to be continuing the legacy my ancestors had of running an ag business on the Western slope of Colorado. Although both my grandma Jo and grandpa Sid are no longer with us, I feel a little bit of their spirits with me everyday and know that they would be happy with what we are doing here.
I hope we can make them proud!
Until next time,
Farmer Kinzie