Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

 

Who would of thought we would still be working

on this wheat crop!  The boys are wrapping it up this week 

with hauling and storing  straw bales in the barn.

Making room for the straw in the barn was a great 

incentive to clean out old hay and make it handy when  

straw is needed for use on the farm or to sell.

We  also have welcomed a few new calves

in the last couple of weeks.  It's always a treat

to find a red one! 

The Ayrshire cattle in the herd belong to Cody.

His first one was purchased for his 4-H dairy project.

I love it when Hattie and Breck spot these red cows and

calves because they instantly know they belong to them!

I'm not sure their daddy has given up ownership!

                                              I'm thankful that July is winding up and

                                      we are looking to what August has in store 

                                                 for us down on the dairy farm.

                 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

                                                   Not all birthdays are celebrated with cake,

but

August is a celebration of  life down on the dairy farm.

This new baby was born after midnight and was taken to 

its own clean hutch, fed colostrum from its mother

and monitored   for  any health issues. Calves grow up to 

become the cows that produce milk, so we are committed 

to getting them off to a healthy start.

I'm thankful for the healthy calves born this month, 

the unexpected help bottle feeding the new August calves

and

                                      for the opportunity to celebrate  life down on the dairy
                                                        farm with the next generation.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

When I spotted this new calf lying next to the fence in the 

 early evening,she was all alone. It was only a few seconds

 before Mama joined us to make sure I was not a threat.

  I thought it was a perfect example of how the mothering instinct

 kicks in to protect her baby.The sun filtering through the trees

 seemed to put her in the spotlight!

I'm thankful for a healthy new calf  born on one of the 

hottest August days without any complication to the mother's health!

August Hay Day

It looked like Saturday morning was the day,

an August Hay Day.

I could see the determination on  my son's face as he prepared 

the machinery and moved to the field.

No matter what, hay cutting was happening.

If you drove across Northwest Arkansas on this August Hay Day,

it was obvious that many farmers were feeling that same determination

 with hay fields mowed or in the process of being mowed.

We've been waiting for nearly two weeks for the prediction of 

scattered rain showers to move out so hay harvest could begin.

Drought conditions during April and the usual hay cutting 

months of May and June, have created a hay shortage for

 farmers across Northwest Arkansas.

It's the unexpected rain in August that has made our

makin' hay when the sun shines  possible.

It's even possible that August rains will produce enough hay to 

replenish what was lost in our  first cutting.

That calls for a celebration down on the dairy farm

--an August Hay Day!

                               
                                                   

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for the August rain that has made  this second cutting 

of hay grazer forage possible,

brought a smile to the farmer's face when  finding filled out corn ears

 that will soon be turned into feed for our dairy cows,

and

                                                   
                                 provided the opportunity to hear one of Hattie's new words,
                                                                          " rainin' "!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We're not so happy about ninety plus degree weather in August even

 though it's expected , but  the farmers are smiling about all the green grass.

I'm thankful for August green and the supply of hay our

 cows will enjoy this fall and winter.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We met more than a little bit of fog this morning in the pasture...

                                                                     I'm thankful for...

                                      the cool August weather that makes life more comfortable

                          for us and our cattle, the Ayrshire heifer that gave birth to a new heifer

                                                                           and 

                                            for these beautiful scenes that are part of our

                                          everyday  life down on the Arkansas dairy farm.

                                                         

Happy Birthday August!

While families are thinking about the last days of summer vacation and taking advantage of tax-free weekend school shopping, we're celebrating birthdays on the dairy farm!

In the middle of the afternoon on this first day of August, this heifer gave birth to her first calf.  

I'm naming this baby...August,of course. 

We try not to have too many calves born in the month of  August due to the heat and humidity we experience in Northwest Arkansas   but as you see, we often adjust our plans on the dairy farm.

August and her mother are doing great! 

Happy Birthday August!

Don't you just love August?

August Green

                               Did you ever see a color in the crayon box called August Green?

 If I were naming a crayon color for this school season, the green of our pastures and fields could be  called August Green. The normal  farm August color  in Northwest Arkansas is typically a burnt to the crisp brown color so--- it's easy to love August Green!  As I watched our Holstein  cows walking through the pasture to the milk barn for the evening milking, it was quite a beautiful sight.

 

Even though I won't get to name any color in the crayon box, I do have the awesome privilege of working every day  to produce high-quality nutritious milk for you and your family to enjoy at home and at school!