December 9, 2022
America’s pastimes are behind us. I’m talking about baseball and the family farm, but there are still things we can learn about from both.
Let’s take weaning cattle, for example: every year a pregnant cow can have a calf at her side. Once the calf has grown and developed and can care for itself, it no longer NEEDS mom’s milk. Having both momma’s milk and additional feed can help the calf have a better start in life but the calf can survive without milk. Sure there are benefits for the calf AND the cow (for a time), but eventually, the milk becomes more of a comfort to the calf and a burden to the mother. In fact, it can begin to be really harmful to the momma cow and jeopardize her health. At some point, weaning the calf from momma’s milk is necessary to the health and safety of the cow.
This process of weaning can be a stress on both animals too (even though it is necessary to both of them). It is not unlike our local government and their insatiable appetite for federal government dollars.
Let’s look at this proposal for a baseball field in Pocatello (see, I told you we would talk about baseball AND the family farm). We don’t NEED a field. We don’t NEED to spend. We have federal funds and for some, it is necessary to stay on momma’s milk until we kill this cow. Let’s be responsible, let’s wean ourselves from the federal government for the benefit of both ourselves AND the old gal. Sure, it’ll be noisy. Weaning always is. You’re going to hear cow bellows for a few sleepless nights, but if we don’t dry this girl up, she will never live to raise another calf. I could elaborate, but I’ve got chores to do. Someone still needs to tend the herd.
Steven Porter, Pocatello
