I just got back from the feed store. I own a couple of horses, and it is a regular deal
for me to go to the local farmers' feed store and buy grain. Usually it is the grandmother
running the shop, she is 86, and in great shape.
But today it was her daughter, I know her, we both had kids in the same grade school.
It is a small rural area, used to be mostly farmland, pastures 25 years ago. In the last
15 years the pastures have been swallowed up by planned housing. Yuk!
Now many of those houses are sitting vacant, and mostly for sale by the bank.
But that is not the worst part. It is what is happening to all the farmers in the
area.
These are not those big farms you see in the Midwest. Mostly cattle, goats, chickens, and horses.
Lots of hay fields everywhere. I know things are bad, but I didn't think they were this bad, until
today, when I heard this story from the woman at the feed store.
First she said "In my entire life I have never seen it like this."
I asked her what she meant. I am a business owner too, and it is pretty
rough right now. It is so unpredictable, I just don't know what the future
holds, can my business survive? Will I make it through the year. Is it going
to continue getting worse?
I figured the feed store would do ok, folks gotta feed their livestock.
"Oh no, they are getting rid of their animals, people just can't afford
to buy the feed anymore."
I commented, about how people have to get rid of their horses, they
aren't exactly a must have.
And she shocked me by saying "No, not just their horses, their cows.
Farmers are taking trailer loads of cattle to the livestock auctions. But they
are not selling them. They park the trailer full of cows, and put a big sign on
it reading TAKE THESE COWS FOR FREE."
The she went on to say "We are all going to hell in a hand basket."
I don't think I have heard that expression since I was a kid and
my father would exclaim it everytime my mother ran the phone
bill up from all her long distance calls. I think that was around
1969..
Hell in a Hand Basket, yeah that sounds about right.
Update: Been gone, rec'd for free cows..who could predict...I took the advice
and changed the title for the grammar freaks... Hope that makes you happy.
Appreciate all the comments and recs...
See you on the flip side.