Bill Wake

Farmer’s got the feed wagon in the shop, getting it tuned up. No cattle on the place. Haven’t been for 5 years. I asked him what he’s up to and he said he’s thinking about buying some calves to feed. I said, “they’re not cheap right now.” He said, “I know. I figure with feed, labor, and equipment I can make $150/hd. Plus I’ve got the barns & concrete sitting here not being used.” He used to feed 1,000+ head from 4-500# through finishing. I pressed him further, asking if the hassle was worth it for the 300 hd he was looking to buy. His response was profound… His friend recently took early retirement at 58 yrs old. Lives in town with not many hobbies. Said he was talking to him the other day and he’s 6 months into retirement and bored out of his mind. He doesn’t have any daily purpose. He’s facing 20+ years of that existence. So, Farmer wants to prevent that fate. Buying 300 hd to hopefully make $45K is worth it because each day this winter he’s getting up to feed, scrape pens, and watch markets to price his steers. He’s got daily purpose regardless if he hits a home run or breaks even. I don’t think we talk enough about what the retiring generation is going to be doing, on a daily basis, to fill the human need of having purpose. Whether it’s hobbies, a part-time job, or contributing to the family business, unplugging from a lifetime of working hard every day is going to take some adjustment and a plan. I’m convinced that having a purpose to get out of bed each morning is key to a long-lived, fulfilling retirement.