April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
PROFILE
It's a farmer's life
Mr. Steidle has owned 300 acres in Cobleskill since 1979, but has been farming since 1965. Although he's a native of Brooklyn, he was drawn to farming as a young boy when he visited upstate farms with his family.
After helping out on various farms in his youth, he started out on his own with only a few dozen cows. Today, Mr. Steidle and his wife of 42 years, Debbie, have more than 100 cattle to care for on "Deb-Ray Farm."
In his 46 years in the business, Mr. Steidle has seen farming change significantly. When the family first moved to Cobleskill, there were more than 300 farms in the area, with fewer cows producing about 40 to 50 pounds of milk a day. Farm machinery was not as widespread or advanced, and a much larger percentage of the American population were farmers.
Today, less than 2 percent of the U.S. population claim farming as their occupation and 40 percent of American farmers are over the age of 55. But as the number of farmers has declined, the demand for their products has only increased.
Mr. Steidle told The Evangelist that there are only 68 farmers in his area today, "but the farms are bigger now to meet the demand."
Mrs. Steidle said that her family has dabbled in everything from vegetables to sheep, chickens and pigs. Today, they still grow sweet corn to sell at the local farmer's market, but the only other animals you'll find on their farm are their two dogs, Rufus and Riley - plus a llama, a donkey, two workhorses and a noisy goose.
"The donkey and the horses don't do much; they're just here for retirement," Mr. Steidle joked. As for the llama, he was a gift from a friend and now spends his days "just hanging out with the cows."
The Steidles' farm produces approximately 100 pounds of milk per day, which is sold to Agri-Mark, a dairy farmer cooperative, and is then used for Cabot Cheese.
Of course, the couple keep some for themselves; they're accustomed to raw unpasteurized milk. After decades of fresh milk and meat, anything store-bought just tastes off to them.
Division of labor
"It takes two to run a farm; you can't do it on your own," Mr. Steidle opined, Mrs. Steidle nodding next to him. "And you need a very understanding wife."
Mrs. Steidle, now retired, once worked for the New York State Department of Agriculture and is originally from Millertown, N.Y. She takes care of the books and records for the farm. The couple's three children - Raymond, Kevin and Mark - are all grown with their own families.
Although none of the children decided to follow in their father's footsteps, two stayed in the world of agriculture: Raymond works in artificial insemination and Mark drives a milk truck.
Grandson Mark, 14, has been helping around the farm all summer and seems to love it already. The Steidles said that growing up on a farm is a wonderful way to raise children: "They learn about nature; they're outdoors; they learn the value of hard work; and we spend a lot of time together."
However, the daily needs of the farm and the cows themselves haven't allowed much down-time for the farmer and his wife.
"If a cow is calving, I can't leave her alone," explained Mr. Steidle.
Moove over
Sometimes, that means setting his alarm for 3 a.m. or having to miss Mass at his parish, St. Thomas the Apostle in Cherry Valley, to help the cow through labor.
"We haven't had a family vacation in 20 years," Mrs. Steidle added, "because the cows are really just like babies. They're needy, messy and they can't be left alone."
Mr. Steidle's daily schedule proves that: At 6 a.m., he wakes up and immediately feeds his cattle. They're milked and the calves are fed; then he cleans the barn and lets the herd out to graze for the day. Only then, at around 9:30 a.m., does Mr. Steidle enjoy breakfast himself.
The afternoon is spent getting fieldwork and planting done before 4:30 p.m., when the cows are fed and milked again and the barn is cleaned out.
At around 8:30 p.m., Mr. Steidle heads home for a shower, supper and sleep.
God in nature
A farmer's work always depends on the weather. Mr. Steidle and his hired hands have little to do on rainy days and must wait for drier weather to harvest and bale hay to have enough to feed the herd.
Last week's rain slowed the farmer's workload down enough that he was able to take a small afternoon break. He drove his four-wheeler across his land to check up on his hay and cornfields.
Stopping on a hill overlooking his herd and farm, he asked: "How can anyone say there's not a God?"
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