Provider: Ryan & Hope
Pjesky
Profession: Farmers/Ranchers
Hometown: Goltry, Oklahoma
Winter 2008 Diary Entry
December
From a weather standpoint, the month of December usually epitomizes
a saying by the famous Oklahoma humorist, Will Rogers. He said, “If
you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma just wait until tomorrow.” We
had several days of temperatures near or over 60 degrees, and then winter
arrived. During the early part of December, we had 3 inches of sleet
that was followed by a cold 2 inches of rain a few days later. It
could have been much worse, as over 700,000 Oklahomans to our south and
east were without electricity because of an ice storm for several days. We
only lost power for part of one day. Just before Christmas, we received
6 inches of snow along with strong winds that caused blizzard conditions
and the snow to blow into drifts. All of the precipitation, freezing,
and thawing have made the dirt roads to our farms really muddy and hard
to drive on; it’s a good thing we have four-wheel drive.
Cold weather and snow are really tough on the animals. Every day
we need to thaw out water pumps. We then break the ice on top of
water tanks with axes, and throw out the ice using pitchforks. Cattle
also need to be fed hay and feed because the wheat they graze is covered
by snow. This makes our day’s work much more difficult. Livestock
and pets need fresh water in cold weather as well as when it is hot. Always
remember that domestic animals can’t take care of themselves, so
farmers and ranchers must be responsible for their care and well being.
The typical day for us in December starts at 8 a.m. We go to each
farm where we have cattle to feed, making sure they have plenty of hay
and full water tanks that are free of ice. This process is repeated
at all 12 farms where we have cattle. At the receiving pens, we check
all the cattle and make sure they all eat. If any don’t eat,
we put them through the chute and check to see if they have a fever. If
they do, we give them an antibiotic shot and pills. These cattle
are kept separate in a smaller pen where they can eat and have a barn for
shelter.
Christmas with the family is important to us. We all spent the holidays
with my brother and his family in Canyon, Texas. We are looking forward
to the New Year. It will bring a lot of work, but we believe 2008
will be even better than 2007.
Winter Work on the Farm
January
The month of January in Oklahoma is one of short days that are
really the easiest of the year. With mostly cold weather, all we
do is take care of the cattle, feeding and watering as well as
checking new cattle to be sure they aren’t sick. We will
get busier again in February as the days get longer and warmer.
A huge farm show event in our area, The Chisholm Trail Agrifest, occurs
early in the month. At this event, different types of businesses
that cater to agriculture show their products in one location. This
is kind of like a gigantic toy store for farmers. New machinery and
all sorts of cool, new technology and gadgets are available to see and
check out. I spent the whole afternoon looking at everything from
GPS guided auto-steer to new tractors and harvesters. It is really
fun to look at this stuff, but most of it wouldn’t be practical on
our farm, because it is too expensive.
This month marked a milestone for our family. My dad and I were
able to pay off our land. This is like paying off a house for those
who live in town. Finally, after five generations, my family doesn’t
owe any money on land. This is important, as it now gives us so much
more financial flexibility than we have ever had. When I think of
the struggles that previous generations of my family had with paying
the mortgage, along with my struggles over the last 14 years, I realize
just how exciting it is to pay off the loan. It is a great relief.
Feeding Cattle Hay
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