MM Livestock Co

This is an excerpt from "A History of Shelby County Iowa 1915" Perry McDowell born May 17,1866 "Poets often tell the truth and the old song which contains the refrain "The farmer feeds them all" states a very fundamental economic truth. Without the farmer the rest of the country would starve within a week despite the large amount of food in cold storage. Every occupation might be done away with but farming and people could live. A total cessation of farming for a very short time would actually depopulate the whole world. A man can live without banks his whole life but deprive him of his bread and his career is soon ended. Farming is becoming an honored profession: Our district schools are teaching it as a science and our colleges are granting degrees for agricultural courses. The farmers of any community sustain the people dependent on every other profession. Without the farmer the banker would close his doors, the manufacturer would shut down his factory and the railroads would suspend operations. Among the honored men of Shelby County, Iowa, who help keep the banker, the manufacturer, and the railroads is Perry McDowell of Douglas Township." I think it is amazing that something written almost 100 years ago still rings true today. The family farmer is the foundation on which this country was built. We Keepers of the Land are honor bound to produce the best foods, preserve our history, and honor the men and women that came before us. Meg

I forgot about the Kittens! Sox one of our farm cats presented me with 3 cute lil kittens a few days ago. Imagine the shock when a rescue cat with a spay certificate from the shelter brings her babies out to meet you. Someone messed up! The kitties are cute though and will go along with mommy to be altered as soon as they are old enough. Anyway, you have been asking why we are changing our name. Mostly because we want to identify more closely with my family farming history. I am the 7th generation of my family to make my living off of the land.(my mother swears there is a cowboy somewhere with a daughter that loves opera and the ballet. Boy is he confused!) I'll post a tribute to my great grandfather Perry McDowell, taken from "A history of Shelby County Iowa" in a day or so. His great grandfather is mentioned there too. Grandpa raised Beef cattle, Dad was a vet. So the progression is "in the blood". Another reason is I decided to take advantage of the farming exemptions and fee waivers by using my own name. Times are TOUGH! and every penny saved helps. Lastly I felt it was necessary to completely separate my operation from any connection with a former associate that refuses to raise their standard to what I feel is proper. I have worked too hard to get my animals certified, graded, tested, and verified to lose it all because someone else doesn't want to put in the extra effort. I want my customers to be absolutely confident about what they are eating, and if I don't raise it myself, I'm going to find a producer that raises animals the same way I do. (Ok Rant over) On a lighter note. The Red Wattle Hogs are on their way and should arrive in a few days. These hogs will be primarily bred for seed stock with a few made available to our customers. I'm very excited about our shift to Heritage Breeds. It doesn't cost a penny more to raise them and helps protect our history at the same time. Meg