Rain-filled mud puddles in August--what a blessing! After last year's drought, I've pretty much celebrated every rainfall this year. With rain in the last few weeks of July and now 2 inches of rain on the third day of August, our crop fields and pastures are spring green.
The cows didn't seem bothered by the rain--they went to the barn to be milked and then headed straight for the feed barn to get their breakfast like usual! It's obvious by their behavior that this is part of the everyday dairy farm routine--rain or shine.
Even though we don't usually receive a lot of rain in July and August, we are always working to protect the environment by utilizing our nutrient management system to recycle the manure from our cows. Nutrient management plans guide the amount, source, placement and timing of manure on fields designated by our farm plan. Federal, state and local clean water laws regulate how manure is applied on cropland, so nutrients are absorbed by crops, not groundwater. One of those rules is: No manure spreading on rainy days!
You won't find anyone on our dairy farm that is too upset to give up one job on a rainy August day!
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