Hey y’all, it’s Megan, and this video is one of those that holds both the comfort and the hard parts of farm life. I start out in Mama’s kitchen on a cold, blustery day, putting a chuck roast in the crock pot for my version of French dip sandwiches. I’m not a “pot roast” person, so I sear that roast first for flavor, then let it go with onions, garlic, a little chicken broth, Wash Your Sister sauce, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Supper ends up being toasted buns (I use mayonnaise instead of butter), melty cheese, and a peppery dipping sauce, with fried green beans finished off with a little roast broth to make a quick gravy. But not all stories have happy endings, and a couple days later we’re dealing with heartbreak over our newest calf. We worked and worked, even warmed it up in the bathtub and took it to my dear friend at JW Farms Micro Dairy, but it never had a suckle reflex and we believe it was a birth defect from the start. That’s the real part of livestock—blessings and burdens—and it hit me hard, especially with the wintertime blues and missing Daddy during calving time. We also tackle a practical farm fix: adding granite/rock dust to build up the milking stanchion floor and cut down on mud. I share what I’ve learned—routine matters with dairy cows, and having a way to “squeeze” them in the stanchion can save your back and your sanity.