Telling Your Story
The sun was shining last Wednesday morning when Mr. Berens and Shelby loaded the last of the winter lambing group for a little ride to the auction in Shipshewana. By afternoon, the light jackets were shed, and it was a perfect spring day for a necessary agricultural road trip.
Word travels. We already knew that restaurants were open in our neigh-boring southern state. And we were going to eat a meal in a restaurant! Oh, yes, and sell the lambs.
You could even say we were giddy about sitting in a restaurant. After 30 and then some years together, giddy isn't an emo-tion we regularly experience any more. So yes, that was a little weird, to be so excited to do a little thing again like sit-ting down in a restaurant. This season in time evokes strange and unexplained emotions in everyone I sup-pose.
After the lambs were settled in at the sale barn, we made our way to the Blue Gate. Mr. Berens' burger was a mountainous double stacked variety. My pork cutlet sandwich was picture perfect. The meal, service and experience did not disappoint.
At least four tables of Michiganders found each as we were arriving and snapped a photo together—all total strangers. They were all just as excited to enjoy food prepared and served by someone else's hands.
We made sure to tell all our friends that we had a restaurant meal. Yes, it was bragging. No, I don't care. I suspect you will see a few of them for a sit-down restaurant meal shortly.
Oh yes, the real reason for the trip, selling the lambs. Although we didn't get that lucrative Easter price of $3 per pound which should have happened on a normal year for the 75-pound lambs, we were OK with the $2.25 range they brought. The Easter market for lambs came crashing down to $1-1.50 per pound just when we were ready to sell. Eve-ryone in ag knows that sinking feeling the markets are so ready to hand out, no matter what you raise.
Thanks, Indiana for a great day, and don't tell our governor we were there!
Bev Berens is a freelance writer and FFA parent from Holland, Mich. She can be contacted at uphillfarm494@yahoo.com.