2026 Winter Cattle Journal | Editorial: Back to Basics
“Those who don’t know where they come from do not know where they’re heading because they do not know where they stand.”
– Otto von Habsburg
Wintertime gives me the opportunity to reflect on those that came before me. When I light a fire in the stove because there is finally enough of a nip in the air to justify it, I can’t help but think about my great-grandfather and great-grandmother who relied upon this very element to keep their family warm. I renew my appreciation for all of the agriculturalists of three generations ago whose stakes were so much higher than ours.
My homesteading ancestors endeavored to raise cows and crops through harsh winters and dry summers in the Depression in South Dakota. Winter in northern Wyoming is difficult for me with all the advancements at my fingertips… what must they have endured?
And yet, I believe my ancestors would express gratitude for all they had, even in those hard times in the 1930s. They had a milk cow and laying hens. My great grandmother baked bread every week. They had a horse or two to go to school and church. Not all of their children survived childhood, but they cherished those that did. And someone always had it worse. They were rich. They were blessed.
As crazy as it sounds, part of me pines for the simplicity of their lives, despite their difficulties. They were satisfied with little; we are unsatisfied with much and want more.
Not that I believe I could cut it a century ago as a homesteader’s wife. Even now as I type, I realize that my modern gadget has distracted me for long enough I’ve let the fire get too low.
All the same, I enjoy partaking in the slow things that connect me to those ancestors. More often than not, the way they did things then was better than it is now.
We’re now so distracted, health experts are actually telling people to go outside and touch grass. Going outside and getting sun in one’s eyes is now advised to optimize circadian rhythm (since the blue light from our screens confuses our bodies so much). More than ever, exercise is recommended as the median weight in the country reaches astronomical heights.
The basic principles of life that farmers and ranchers have practiced for centuries is now given as health advice. Wild, huh? It isn’t any wonder why after Covid, the “homesteading” trend grew so popular.
Even though animals and livestock can be stressful, all in all, they have more to offer us than we realize. They make us rise at dawn, go outside for fresh air, watch the sun rise and set, and have the satisfaction of having a well-tended herd or flock. It’s good for health, and it’s good for mental health. Perhaps those old ways will never cease to be the best ways.
I’m happy to say that those basics of life are found in abundance within the pages of this journal. I never get tired of reading about the longstanding, many-generational operations that continually return to their touchstone values: cattle, family, and faith.
Here’s hoping you have some time this winter and spring to return to simple things: coffee, a sunrise, and some good reading material to go with it. The reading material is on us. Don’t forget to put a log on the fire.
