Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

It's beginning to look a lot more like spring with sprigs of green grass and weeds,

 new calves and daylight savings time!

Just the mention of daylight savings time brings smiles

to the farmers because it allows them to work so much later

as we begin spring and swing into summer.

After all these years on the farm, I still need at least a 

week to adjust to the dark mornings and the attitude adjustment

that comes with giving up that hour of sleep!

I've had a few friends ask how the cows adjust to daylight savings time.

Honestly, the cows are champions of adaptation!

 Over the years,

we have tried different ways to adapt to the time change and none

have seemed to really make a difference in how the cows adjust in their daily

activities of eating and producing milk.

If you get down to the real rub, it's probably a bigger

 adjustment for the humans on the farm!

Calves don't even consider daylight savings time when

it's time to be born!

I'm thankful for the joy I see from the farmers with the time change 

that begins  the new season of spring activities down on the dairy farm.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

What happened to our snow?

I was hoping for at least enough to cover up the mud

that we have been dealing with this winter!

The cows weren't a bit impressed with the big snow either.

We have had 2 new calves born in the last 24 hours and both are

doing well. It's obvious that weather conditions are not

a factor in delaying activity on the farm.

Due to the muddy conditions experienced all winter, 

we have unrolled hay in the pasture where cows are calving. 

These expectant cows are always

monitored closely for the anticipated birth of a calf but

with changes in temperature and weather conditions, we 

become even more alert to the need for rapid response

 to provide for a safe delivery.

                                         I'm thankful for just the little bit of snow down on the
                                  dairy farm and for the opportunity to be a part of this new
                                  beginning that is part of  our farm's sustainability in producing
                                                         milk for your family and mine.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Don't you just love a new baby?

Through the month of December we've 

welcomed twenty new babies to the farm. 

Each new heifer will be raised to be the next

generation of dairy milking cows on our farm.

This development occurs over a 2 to 3 year period 

as each animal matures and gives birth to their first calf.

You might say Christmas gifts are given  year round

down on the dairy farm!

                                   I'm thankful for the gift we receive of watching each calf
                                     grow  and develop into a milking cow that will provide
                                             high-quality milk for our family and yours.
                               

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

We experience new life on the dairy  farm year round, 

but there's nothing like seeing new calves born in the spring

on a carpet of new green grass and the beauty around us. 

Our expectant mothers have been watched closely 

   to insure a healthy delivery.

 It's always exciting to meet our new baby!

Our days are filled with routine chores and common every

day challenges but I'm thankful for the blessings of new life,

for the smiles and laughter of children

and

                                                           the Hope of the Easter season.

                                                             From down on the dairy farm,
                                                               Happy Easter!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Tractors are used every day down on the dairy farm for a variety of jobs.

Although we have more than one tractor, the little Ford tractor 

serves to bring the dairy  cows to the milking barn twice each day.

No doubt it's  a priority to repair the wheel. 

Unfortunately, we don't plan on these common events

but it does teach us about being flexible and making the most 

of every day--good or bad.

I'll admit, I'm still a student on handling being flexible.

When we are most discouraged or hit with an unexpected event,

I'm thankful for the signs  and  gifts God

freely provides to us on a daily,moment by moment schedule.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Happy National Agriculture Day!

March 14,2019

Arkansas Governor Hutchinson proclaimed Arkansas Agriculture Week and

Farmers Day at the Legislature on Tuesday.

I felt honored to stand with farmers from across Arkansas to celebrate 

Arkansas agriculture. 

It was also our opportunity to speak with our legislators on issues that impact

our family farms and the agriculture industry.

I'm thankful for my farmer friends and the

organization of Arkansas Farm Bureau

that strive everyday to advocate for agriculture

                                                                 
                                                                              and
                                                         protect our farm family values.

Dairy Farmer Olympics

It's a race to the finish when you are raising a crop that will be fed to your dairy cows. 

The cows are counting on us! 

Each phase of crop production

--soil preparation,planting,harvesting-- 

is part of the relay race.

We began the harvest relay of our corn crop yesterday. 

It's being chopped and hauled to the silo so that it can ferment and

 be fed to our dairy cows  as corn silage.

  Sometimes the farmer  loses the race for 

no fault of his own because of  uncontrollable  factors like weather but  

like the Olympians we've been watching this week, 

farmers don't quit till the end of the race.

                                         My dairy farm Olympics experience tells me that we
                                          will have a few slow starts during  the harvest relay
                                                                 but like true Olympians,
                                    we can enjoy the rewards of hard work at the end of the race.