Meinzer
Audrey Powles
June is easily one of the busiest months of the year for me. Between coaching little kids baseball, getting cattle turned out to summer pastures, scattering bulls, and beginning to start hay season, there is very little downtime. As busy as this month is, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air. After breaking ice all winter and feeding cattle through the winter and spring, June marks the finish line for the end of winter chores. The calves have all been branded, and the pairs turn their noses up at the feed wagon in favor of lush green pastures.
Turning pairs out to summer ranges is a special feeling for ranchers. For months our days follow a similar routine. We start our days by going through pairs and making sure that there are no sick calves or cows that need our attention. After checking pairs, we then head for the feed tractor to ensure that these pairs are fed a ration that provides for all their dietary needs. When that is done, we might work on some repairs that need to be taken care of, but as turnout date gets closer and closer, the spare hours are spent focusing on fencing pastures and making sure that the water systems are working properly. We plant post after post and fix the spots where deer ran through the wires or snow laid on top of them and pulled out all the staples. There’s a ton of walking, each post is shaken to make sure it’s worth staying in the fence line, and special attention is paid to each wire to make sure they are tight. Dirt is pushed back up around tanks so calves can reach the water and drink. Any leaks are patched, leathers are changed in mills that won’t pump water, and tanks are cleaned of weeds and debris that might have blown in them during the winter. To say the least, there is a lot of work that goes on before the cows get turned out into their summer homes.
When the day finally comes that the cows can be turned out, they are as eager to get to grass as we ranchers are to send them on their way. Pairs stretch out nose to tail across the prairie with cowboys steering them along the trail. Kids are excited to ride their horses like their parents and with each passing minute the ranchers feel a little more at ease. The weight and stress of calving season melts away as he watches calves follow their mothers along the trail. He stops and thanks the Lord for the recent rains that have allowed the pastures to grow and for the health of the herd he is driving. The soft grass underneath hooves squeaks and swishes as the herd moves slowly along.
 The drive ends as the herd is driven to a tank and paired up. When the pasture gate is closed, it’s the equivalent of a student finishing finals week, a businessman closing a major deal or a realtor closing on a property. A rancher’s work never stops, but for a moment he can breathe easier.
As June draws to a close, here’s to all my fellow ranchers out there. I hope that your pastures are belly deep in grass, your tanks full and flowing, your fences tight, and your hard work this spring rewarded with some time for yourself and your family. Keep praying for continued rain this summer, healthy calves and continued strong markets. That’s all for this time, support your local rancher by buying U.S. Beef and keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire. God Bless.
Meinzer is a fourth-generation rancher raised on the southeastern plains of Colorado. He and his family live and ranch in Oshkosh, Neb.
