Lyle Branstner has been working the same farm in eastern Iowa for the better part of 40 years.
“There’s no question that it’s a hard life–you always got something to worry about. Might be weather. Might be prices. It really doesn’t much matter–worry is gonna find you in this job.”
Visibly uncomfortable in this moment of self-disclosure, Lyle Branstner tugs on the bill of his CASE Tractor baseball cap and looks off into the distance.
“If you really want to get down to it, I can tell you that to be happy in this job you got to love simple things.”
Reaching down to scratch his dog behind both ears, there’s little question that Lyle Branstner is sincere.
“For me, it’s this dog.”
“I don’t usually say things like this out loud, but this dog’s important to me. Together, we pretty much run this place. Rain, snow, heat–it really don’t matter to either one of us.”
“Sometimes I think I’m working hard, but this damn dog works all day–everyday. She just knows what to do without me asking–my cows don’t stand a chance against her.”
“And here’s the best part–she doesn’t bitch a lick.”
Looking away, Lyle Branstner reaches for the bill of his cap.
“It’s hard to find a better deal than that.”
Dusty, a three-and-a-half year-old Australian Shepherd, is the unchallenged second-in-charge on the farm of Lyle Branstner. Like Branstner, she has yet to miss a day of work.
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