Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

During the drought of 2012, feeding hay on the ground was a common scene because there was absolutely no pasture for dairy cows to graze.

Even though we're having our usual hot,dry August weather,

                                     I'm thankful for the hay we baled this week, and   for the fact
                             that our pastures and fields look lush for August in Northwest Arkansas!

Dairy Filled Labor Day

Although we'll be working everyday on the dairy  farm during the Labor Day weekend, I'm thinking of a few ways to have less labor in the kitchen!  Fortunately, Midwest Dairy  has a great assortment of recipes that are easy, nutritious and of course, use delicious dairy products.
 I can just taste Roasted Pimiento Cheese Spread on a croissant roll or as a toasted sandwich topped with a fresh garden tomato!

Roasted Pimiento Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

1 tub (8 ounces) reduced fat cream cheese,softened
1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 package (8 ounces) finely shredded Colby-  Montery Jack Cheddar cheese
1 package (7 ounces) 2 % milkfat finely shredded  Sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup roasted red peppers in water,drained and chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

Combine cream cheese,Greek yogurt, and onion in a medium food processor. Pulse process until blended. Add shredded cheeses to mixture. Process until well blended. Add roasted red peppers. Pulse process only until stirred into mixture. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Optional: Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Dairy Squares

               If baling hay is done best on a hot August afternoon in Arkansas, yesterday was perfect!

Most of our hay is baled into large round bales to feed our dairy and beef cows  but we always need small bales to feed our young calves as they grow and mature.  

Ryan and Cody worked all afternoon  raking,baling and hauling  these dairy squares from the field  to the barn for stacking.

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They also found that sometimes those square bales don't stay stacked!

Re-stacking dairy squares  was pretty simple with a 

little farmer muscle and his assistant with the  hay moving equipment.

So simple, in fact, that I made my way back to the house before getting put to work!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

For the last couple of years,we've been buying corn silage from a southwestern Missouri grain farmer who lives about 70 miles from our Arkansas dairy farm.

Since the new corn crop is being chopped now, we made a quick trip to get a sample of the silage to send to the lab for analysis. Our dairy nutritionist will use this information  to design a balanced diet  to keep our cows healthy and productive.

I'm thankful for grain farmers who provide  a nutritious food for our dairy cows !

Put Some Cheese On It!

Can you believe it's been six years since Midwest Dairy provided this car to the winner of the 'Put Some Cheese On It'  promotion?  

The car is driven every day around Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas by the owners of Cooper's Cafe in Anderson, Missouri. In fact, it's been promoting cheese for  more than 100,000 miles!

We happened to be in the Anderson area tonight and stopped in to have one of the famous Cooper cheese covered burgers. Actually, just about everything on the menu includes cheese or other dairy products.

Coopers' knows how to bring a smile to the dairy farmer!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Dairy cattle  of all ages are cared for everyday on our family dairy farm.

The high-quality milk you and your family enjoy begins with taking good care of our cows by

providing a nutritious diet,good medical care and healthy living conditions.

                                  I'm thankful for each new arrival on the farm and the opportunity
                     to care for them as they grow and develop to become part of our milking herd.

Wireless Dairy

Even though I've been frustrated by the lack of internet access  this week due to a "migration issue  with a new server " (that's  internet provider lingo), it never interferes with

Caring for the calves,

Feeding the cows,

Or

Getting the milking done!

                                                It's a good thing our dairy cows are wireless and  
                                    don't rely on internet access to  give us high-quality milk!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

There's nothing prettier or more peaceful than to watch cows grazing in a field at dusk. This group of young Holstein heifers were the perfect example of  "pretty as a picture"!

                                                  I'm thankful for the green grass of August 

                                                                                and

 for the opportunity to work everyday with my family to raise healthy cows that produce high quality milk!

Farmers in the Zoo

Next week, you won't find the farmers in the dell, but you can see them working  at the  new Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo  when the Benton County Fair kicks off it's 109th year!  

Benton County Farm Bureau has sponsored the Petting Zoo at the Benton County Fair for more than twenty years to give children and adults an opportunity to learn a little about animals and  Arkansas agriculture.

 In the beginning, the zoo was a big tractor tire filled with baby chicks covered with a tent for protection from the rain that seemed to be a normal part of the fair.  We graduated to a carport awning structure that we actually moved to the new fairground facility. It was obvious after last year's fair, that our petting zoo would probably not stand up to another season of stormy,windy weather.    I'm so  thankful and excited to see this new structure that will serve not only as a petting zoo, but will be large enough for other events on the fairgrounds  during the year.

 I invite you to visit our Farmers in the Zoo   next week at the Benton County Fair, August 12-16.

Pigs and Chickens, and Farmers--oh my! 

Saturday Night's Calf Bath

A Saturday night bath given by a new mama down on the dairy farm is always a special event!

 I was actually surprised to find that the arrival of this new baby happened so quickly. After  watching this pregnant  mama all afternoon trying to claim another cow's calf,  we  made the decision to move her to the maternity barn in anticipation of  needing to assist with  delivery.  Removing her from the distraction of the other calf, obviously worked to encourage her to  focus on her job to deliver this new baby. For me, it's always a relief  and a time of appreciation   to watch the natural process of the new mother cleaning her baby as  part of a healthy welcome.

Saturday night baths down on the dairy farm are always exciting!