By Steve Wilcox

The Burns Farm in Boone County, near Alpena, is all about hard work, hard-won victories over the weather, and getting the most out of its 1,400 acres in a cow / calf operation. And then there’ s that multi-generation thing.

“ We have about 350 head of mama cows( Angus) we take care of and

everything that’ s associated with that – hay, crops. We have to do a little of everything,” said Billy Jack Burns, proprietor of the family operation.

The farm is in its fifth generation, likely more than 100 years in the family tracing back to around the World War I era. Family records are a little unreliable, but no one in the area doubts the farm hasn’ t been in the Burns family forever.

“ We do rotational grazing, raise a lot of our own winter feed,” said Burns.“ Just whatever we can do to make things go a little easier. It’ s all about controlling those margins.”

According to Burns, and most people who know something about farming will agree, it’ s not a profession for the faint of heart. It is a business, and a diverse one at that.

“ I was raised on the farm, I love the farm, but it’ s a hard business to be in to make money,” he said.“ Extremely hard. I left and my dad got sick, and then I came back to take it over. The work’ s not the problem, I don’ t mind working. No matter what I’ ve done, I’ ve always worked long hours. I’ ve always owned my own business. People don’ t have any concept of what we have to do to make