Earning a living in agriculture has always been tough, sometimes mostly just subsistence life. Many of my ancestors were involved in Agriculture. There were farmers who left Missouri to travel the Oregon Trail to find more land in Oregon to farm, ancestors who farmed as well as having a meat market, and there were homesteading ancestors too.
My father, Don Shaffner, was raised on a ranch in Beaverhead County, Montana. His father was a homesteader but earned a living by working on a telegrapher for railroad. During the dirty ’30’s, my grandfather had to move his family & rent a farm near Dillon but he always had a job on the Union Pacific Railroad to keep food on the table. When he couldn’t pay the rent on the land, the family moved back to the dryland farm. Dad can remember him arriving at the farm after a day of working in town, and the car would barely slow down but Grandpa would have his foot out the door ready to leap out and begin work on the farm. But he did what he had to do to earn a living.
Dad always wanted to ranch. His older brother stayed home during World War II to help their father on the ranch. Dad joined the National Guard during college to provide extra money. His unit was activated during World War II. During military service, Dad returned home for a visit and realized that he wouldn’t be able to ranch with his dad and brother. But the G.I. Bill would provide an education to become a veterinarian. And still remain in agriculture in his beloved Beaverhead County.
After practicing veterinary medicine in Beaverhead county for over 10 years, he was able to purchase a ranch from his brother. It wasn’t large but he had achieved a goal, buying Hereford cows and a brand; he was in business. Thus his spare time from the veterinary hospital was spent working cattle; his love. With the ranch he involved his wife and his daughters. His daughters learned the value of hard work, love of the land and agriculture.
Learning earning a living!
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