I am certain that my cows conspire against me at times. They do things that seem really stupid at first but when you start to think about it, they might be smarter than I am. The level of ingenuity is staggering at times, or maybe I am reading too much into it.
kAm%9:D A2DE >@?E9 x 92G6 925 >J 4@HD @FE @? 4@C?DE2=<D[ 2?5 E96J 2C6 C:89E ?6IE E@ 2 A2DEFC6 E96 4@HD 2C6 :? >@DE @7 E96 DF>>6C] x DA6?5 2 8C62E 562= @7 E:>6 H@CCJ:?8 23@FE E96 7=@@5 82A 2?5 <66A:?8 E96> @FE @7 E96 4C@AD]k^Am
kAm%9:D H:?E6C x 76?465 E96 D2>6 4C@A 7:6=5D @77 H:E9 6=64EC:4 76?46 2?5 AC@466565 E@ 8C2K6 E96>] tG6CJE9:?8 H6?E 2=@?8 ;FDE 7:?6 F?E:= @?6 52J x 925 2 76H 4@HD 324< :?E@ E96 A2DEFC6] $@@? 2== E96 4@HD H6C6 324< :?E@ E96 A2DEFC6[ 2?5 E92E :D H96? x 7@F?5 @FE E96 7=@@5 82A H2D @FE] xE 5:5 ?@E E2<6 >F49 E@ =625 E96> 324< :? 2?5 7:I E96 7=@@5 82A] %96 4@HD 8@E 2 76H 32=6D @7 2=72=72[ 2?5 x 8@E >J 4@HD 324< :? E96 C:89E DA@E]k^Am
kAmp3@FE 2 H66< =2E6C E96J H6C6 @FE 282:?] %9:D E:>6 :E H2D 2 D>2== 82E6 @? E96 76?46 36EH66? E96 4C@A 7:6=5 2?5 >J A2DEFC6] x 925 4@>A=6E6=J 7@C8@EE6? :E 6I:DE65] ~?46 282:?[ x =65 E96 4@HD 324< :? H:E9 2 4@FA=6 32=6D @7 2=72=72] x 42==65 E9:D 2 H:? 3642FD6 E96J D9@H65 >6 2 DA@E E92E A@E6?E:2==J 4@F=5 92G6 366? 2 5:D2DE6C E9:D DF>>6C] w@H6G6C[ 2E E9:D A@:?E x H2D E9:?<:?8 E96J H6C6 ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ 86E >@C6 2=72=72 @FE @7 >6]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 =2DE 6D42A6[ x 8@E 2== E96 4@HD 6I46AE @?6 7:CDE\42=7 96:76C] $96 5:5 ?@E D9@H FA F?E:= x 925 E96 82E6 D9FE 2?5 E96 9@=6 :? E96 76?46 7:I65] x E9@F89E D96 H2D ;FDE 2 5F>3 96:76C 2?5 ?@E A2J:?8 2EE6?E:@? 3FE ?@H 2D x E9:?< 23@FE :E[ D96 >:89E 92G6 366? 2 A2H? E96 @=56C 4@HD FD65 7@C >@C6 2=72=72]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE 52J D96 H2D 2=@?8 E96 76?46] y6??:76C 925 E96 52J @77 H@C<[ 2?5 H6 564:565 E@ AFE 96C 324< :? H:E9 E96 C6DE @7 E96 96C5] %96 62D:6DE 2?5 >@DE =@8:42= H2J H2D E@ CF? 96C FA E96 76?46 E@ E96 82E6 :? E96 C@25[ 324< 5@H? E96 C@25 2?5 :?E@ E96 82E6 @? E96 DE@4< 7:6=5] xE H2D `__[ >2J36 `d_ J2C5D ?@CE9 @7 E96 7:6=5 E96 C6DE @7 E96 4@HD H6C6 @?]k^Am
kAm$96 >@G65 FA E96 76?46 E96 7:CDE d_ J2C5D 62D:=J[ 2?5 E96? D96 C62=:K65 E92E D96 H2D 86EE:?8 72CE96C 7C@> E96 96C5] %:>6 27E6C E:>6 D96 DE2CE65 E96 C:89E H2J 2?5 E96? 4FE 324< E@ E96 96C5] u:?2==J[ y6??:76C DF886DE65 E92E x 86E 2 4@FA=6 32=6D @7 2=72=72 2?5 D66 :7 D96 H@F=5 7@==@H E96>] x EC:65 E@ =625 96C ?@CE9[ 3FE 282:? D96 EFC?65 324< E@ E96 96C5 27E6C d_ J2C5D]k^Am
kAm%92E :D H96? x 8@E E96 3C:==:2?E :562 E@ =625 96C 2=@?8 E96 76?46 F?E:= H6 42>6 E@ E96 82E6 E@ E96 62DE] (6 925 E@ 8@ E9C@F89 E96 4C66<[ H:?5 2C@F?5 EC66D 2?5 5:E496D] xE H2D 2 >F49 =6DD 5:C64E C@FE6 E92E H6?E FA E96 76?46 2?5 324< 5@H? E96 C@25] %96 @?=J 5:776C6?46 H2D E92E E96 C6DE @7 E96 96C5 4@F=5 A2CC6= FD 2=@?8 E96 76?46] %96J E@@ 925 E@ 8@ E9C@F89 E96 4C66<[ H:E9 566A 32?<D @? 6:E96C D:56[ 2C@F?5 EC66D 2?5 E9C@F89 5:E496D] x 5:5 ?@E E9:?< E96J H@F=5 8@ E9C@F89 H:E9 :E[ 3FE H6 H6C6 @FE @7 @AE:@?D]k^Am
kAm%@ >J DFCAC:D6 E96 96:76C 4C@DD65 E96 4C66< 27E6C x H6?E FADEC62> 2 5:DE2?46 E@ E96 4C@DD:?8] %96 4@HD 2=D@ 7@==@H65 2=@?8 H:E9 >J 42==:?8 2?5 4C@DD65 E96 4C66<] %96 96:76C 7@==@H65 >6 2D x H@F?5 >J H2J 5@H? E96 76?46 2C@F?5 @3DE24=6D F?E:= x 8@E E@ E96 82E6] %96 82E6 H2D D64FC65 3J 6IEC2 H:C6 3642FD6 H6 5@ ?@E FD6 :E @7E6? 2?5 x 5@ ?@E H2?E 2 82E6 72:=FC6 6:E96C]k^Am
kAm%96 96:76C 7@==@H65 >6 H:E9 y6??:76C :? AFCDF:E ;FDE E@ >2<6 DFC6 D96 5:5 ?@E EFC? 324<] x 8@E E96 82E6 @A6? :? 2D 3:8 2 9FCCJ 2D x 4@F=5] %96 6?E:C6 96C5 H2D 4=@D:?8 :? 72DE[ 2?5 x 4@F=5 62D:=J D66 E96> C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 A2DEFC6] x 8@E E96 82E6 @A6? 2?5 5C@G6 E96 D:56\3J\D:56 :?] x DH62C E96 4@HD H6C6 D?:4<6C:?8 2E >6 2D x E9C6H E96 7=2<6D @7 2=72=72 @FE]k^Am
kAmx 5@ ?@E <?@H :7 :E H2D D@>6 <:?5 @7 :?:E:2E:@? @C 92K:?8 E96 @=56C 4@HD H6C6 :?7=:4E:?8 @? E96 96:76C @C >2J36 D96 H2D :? @? E96 A=@E E96 H9@=6 E:>6[ 3FE x 2> A@D:E:G6 E92E x 8@E 5FA65 3J 2 3F?49 @7 4@HD] }@E @?46[ ?@E EH:46 3FE E9C66 E:>6D E92E H66< >J 4@HD 7:8FC65 @FE 2 H2J 7@C >6 E@ 7665 E96> 2=72=72]k^Am
kAmx <?@H[ 4@?G6?E:@?2= H:D5@> H@F=5 E6== FD E92E 4@HD 2C6 =@H=J 2?:>2=D E92E 5@ ?@E A@DD6DD E92E >F49 :?E6==:86?46] x >:89E 36 >2<:?8 >@C6 @FE @7 E9:D E92? x D9@F=5[ 3FE x 2> 72:C=J 46CE2:? E92E 2 96C5 @7 4@HD 9FDE=65 >6]k^Am
Glenn Brunkow is a fifth-generation farmer in the Northern Flint Hills of Pottawatomie County in Kansas. He was a county Extension educator for 19 years before returning to farm and ranch full time. He can be reached at editorial@midwestmessenger.com.
Catch the latest in Opinion
Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!