It's no secret that farming has its ups and downs. For livestock farmers, especially pork and dairy, it seems like we have been living with turbulence for quite a while now. Sometimes it feels like you are stuck in a cycle of never-ending 'down' days. No matter how hard you work, or how many changes you make, you just can't find your way back to the top.

Yesterday morning my eight year old son put farm life back into perspective for me. He and I were looking at the calf he is bottle feeding and we were discussing how much it was growing. Out of the blue he told me to look at the leaves on the trees which are turning beautiful shades of gold, orange and red. He said, "Mom, life doesn't get any better than this magic show here on the farm." I looked at him with a puzzled look on my face and he went on to explain what he meant. He said, "We can watch the leaves turn colors and fall to the ground but next year the leaves will magically come back. We don't have to worry about having naked trees for long because the leaves will always come back. It's magic."

It took an eight year old to remind me that better days are ahead, and just like the leaves on the trees, they will return when it’s the right time. The ups and downs are just part of life on the farm. It doesn't matter how you farm or where you farm, or if you farmed in the 1970's or if you are farming today. Farm life has its ups and downs. And when you are having down days, just keep on going because brighter days always come around again, just like leaves on a tree.