June Dairy Month

Dairy farm families have been celebrating June Dairy Month since 1937.  

It has become our opportunity to promote our delicious nutritious milk 

and dairy products and to share how we work to care 

for our cows and the land we call home.

I'm kicking off my June Dairy Month in Little Rock judging  the 

Arkansas  Farm Bureau Dairy Foods Contest. I can't think of a better way to 

celebrate than tasting delicious recipes loaded with dairy products!

How will you celebrate June Dairy Month?                                                     

Memorial Day

Even though we're working down on the dairy farm today like every day,

it's a special day...Memorial Day.

It's the opportunity to pause and  celebrate those who have given the 

ultimate sacrifice that has provided the freedom we enjoy each day.

"We don't know them all, but we owe them all."

That sentence says it all.

Happy Memorial Day!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Did you ever get the "look" from your mother when

 your behavior was less than perfect?

This new mama was giving the "look" to the family dogs that followed

 me to the pasture and  wandered just a little too close to her new baby. 

                      Watching the behavior of our cows and thinking about my own experiences
                          of mothering and being mothered, I'm thankful for the God given gift
                                      of maternal instinct that protects our young  and the "look"
                                           that often provides a boundary of safe behavior.

Dairy Farm Test Day

Once a month our cows have a test day. I'm pretty sure  it's a lot easier and 

less stressful  being a cow on  test day than it is for students taking final 

exams at the end of the semester!

All our cows have to do is come to the barn and  be milked on their regular schedule.

 The real work for test day  is done by our  MidSouth Dairy Herd Improvement 

Technician Greg. He arrives before milking  to place his measuring meters

 in the barn, organizes his milk vials and  prepares to collect each sample.

When sampling is finished, information is typed into our computer system 

and   the samples will be shipped  to the lab for analysis.

 In  less than a week we will have information at our fingertips via email.

The test results provide us with an analysis of the milk volume and

 components of each cow's milk  and are used  as part of the record keeping 

 system to guide us  in the  management of our dairy herd.

Greg provides dairy herd improvement  service to dairy

 farms in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky.

It's dedicated people like Greg that work with us down on 

the dairy farm to produce high quality milk. 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Before Casey was in sight of the pasture with the feed wagon, these pregnant  cows 

 were ready and waiting for their morning treat. They weren't a bit 

bothered by the chilly,rainy weather that's been

 hanging around for the last few days.

                              I'm thankful for the routine of our everyday life on the dairy farm.
                                     No day is the same because of the things we don't control
                                               and  yet it's our routine to care for our cattle
                                            and the land we call home everyday of the year.

Dairy Q & A

                                                                 Question:

                              Why do we drink cow's milk?

                                               Answer:

                  Because we can. Milk has been an important
             source of human nutrition for thousands of years.                                 According to Dr. Greg Miller, " milk drinking is
                    not just a practice of Western culture, but a
              shared part of human existence around the world,"

               It not only tastes great but provides nine  essential
           nutrients including calcium, vitamin D and potassium.

             Milk provides dairy foods that are nutrient rich,
                  affordable, readily available and versatile. 

Celebration Cake

If you are looking for a special occasion cake that is pretty, tastes delicious, has lots of calories and will disappear quickly, The Best Strawberry Cake Ever is the cake for you! It was the perfect choice for our Mother's Day celebration and I certainly want to give credit to World-Recipes for sharing it on Facebook. The only thing I would add is a big dip of vanilla ice cream to make the celebration complete!


The Best Strawberry Cake Ever

Ingredients:

1 box (18.25 ounce) white cake mix
1 (3 ounce) box strawberry -flavored instant gelatin
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,softened
1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
1/2  teaspoon strawberry extract
7 cups confectioners' sugar,sifted
 Optional: Freshly sliced strawberries for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9 inch) round cake pans
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries,eggs,oil and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the strawberry extract. ( Use the leftover puree in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat). Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries if desired.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Frannie, the Arkansas Farm Bureau cow, 

 was on her best behavior today as Westside Elementary students  milked for the first time. 

It's always fun to watch the kids try their hand at milking the cow and give them first hand information about dairy farming and Arkansas agriculture.

                                      I'm thankful for the opportunity to share how we work
                                      on the dairy farm to produce high-quality milk and the
                                             importance of agriculture to our everyday lives.

Dairy Truth Telling

My mother-in-law never gave any farm tours. It wasn't necessary

 because in her generation, every one she knew lived on a farm or had family

 that grew up on the farm and knew where food came from.

 Her generation didn't have fears about how their food was produced,

In fact,  many of her generation  were happy and grateful  to just  have food.

It's quite a change ninety years later.

We now have at least three generations of consumers with no direct 

connection to a farm or family that were connected to a farm. 

Opening the barn doors and inviting consumers to the farm  is now an 

important way we   farmers can share

 how we produce food for  all of our families.

It's a great opportunity for dairy truth telling!

When it comes to food,we have a lot in common, no matter what age:

We love to eat!

As I prepare for a  dairy farm tour this week, it's my hope that our visitors

 will learn the truth about dairy farming  and experience the commitment 

we have to providing high-quality milk and dairy products by taking good

 care of our cows and the land we call home.

If you can't make the tour, you can find more dairy truth telling

 at Midwest Dairy and DairyGood.

Happy Mother's Day

A Mother's Love

A mother's love is special 

It's present every day.

A gift that came from heaven

That God has sent our way.

Her job is never ending

She's there all day and night,

To be there for her children

And be their guiding light.

Her thoughts are with them always

Even if they are apart,

Her children have a special place 

Deep down inside her heart.

Mother's are a special gift-

A gift from up above.

The world would seem so empty 

Without a Mother's love.

                       --T. Entzminger

Happy Mother's Day!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Having a new baby in the family has brought a new dimension to family birthday celebrations.

There is no shortage of someone to hold the baby!

Hattie Claire slept through most of the celebration for her Daddy's 28th birthday but it was the sweetest moment when Cody said that she was the best present he could have for any birthday.

I'm thankful for these sweet memories of my son and his new daughter.

Dairy May Day

What's not to love about the month of May?

That was my thought as I stepped out the back door 

this morning  on my way to feed calves. 

Although the  air was chilly and crisp, it was evident that the

 dairy cows were loving the weather and the green pasture as

 they slowly moved towards the barn to be milked. 

.

Framed by the blooming iris, it was a perfect picture 

of a May day down on the dairy farm.

For 95 years, a member of our family has been 

 opening the  same back door into the month of May. 

We take pride in caring for our dairy  animals, growing crops

 to feed our animals and most important, 

producing healthy high-quality milk for you and your family.

Happy May!