Zoom goes Virtual

Have you ever been on a virtual dairy  farm tour?

I have watched a few and now I can tell you that

we have hosted one  with the technical help from Midwest Dairy

  to highlight dairy and  celebrate  the Arkansas  Farm to School 

program  during October.

As stated on the Arkansas Grown  website:

" Arkansas Farm to School activities improve public health, 

strengthen the local economy and communities, improve food access

 and food abundance for all, and protect the environment."

As Arkansas dairy farmers we were honored to share  from down on the

 dairy farm where nutritious milk and dairy products

are produced for our Arkansas students and their families.

Here's the link for the virtual tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbthCIWw0Lk

It's been my experience through the years, the favorite 

part of the dairy farm tour is visiting the baby calves in the hutches.

It was also true for the virtual tour!

On the day of the tour, this baby was two days old and drinking milk

twice a day from a bottle. The students actually named her

Zoom!

What a perfect name!  We thought it would be fun to 

share how she will grow and change over the next two months.

Just like all of our baby calves, Zoom received her mother's milk in

a bottle for the first three days. That first milk is so important because it

contains colostrum that provides antibodies to aid her immune system in

fighting illness. After those three days, we taught her to 

drink milk from a bucket.  She was a fast learner!

Zoom is now  two weeks old.

She drinks milk twice a day followed with a small

handful of sweet grain. 

If you look close, I think she's smiling at you!

                                                         

                                               The highlight of my virtual farm experience was 

                                                the gift of thank-you letters from Sheridan,AR 

                                                    written by Ms. Caldwell's 1st grade  class.

                                                       I'm so happy that Zoom went virtual!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

November has become a season of Thanksgiving as we 

pause to think of the many people in our community that

serve us throughout the year and in situations that 

we never expect  such as the pandemic.

This week it was my pleasure to present these 

community helpers with Undeniably Dairy stocking caps

and a Subway gift card provided by Midwest Dairy

 as a way to say "Thank-you" and 

express to them how much we appreciate their service.

 

I'm also thankful for the celebration of

36 years of marriage to the dairy farmer

                                       

                                          who brought me to the farm to build a life together,

                                             raise a family  and live in the   place we call home.

                                          Happy Thanksgiving...

                                from down on the dairy farm!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

School nutrition is serious business.

I saw it first hand   last weekend when I was invited to 

attend the Missouri School Nutrition Conference  as part of a

presentation with Midwest Dairy and Domino Pizza.

Before our "My Plate,My Pizza,My Farmer"  presentation, I was awed by the food 

trade show that included a wide variety of available 

foods that schools can choose to serve.

The trick is to choose foods that fit the requirements for dietary 

guidelines, stay within the school budget and most importantly, that  the 

students will eat.

As a dairy farmer, I'm proud of the nutritious milk 

and dairy foods that we produce and for the support of

 companies like Domino's that not only love our product

 but have developed a food that meets dietary guidelines

 and tastes good. Domino's Smart Slice Pizza  is made 

fresh where local franchise stores participate in

 providing it for schools.

I had my own slice of Smart Slice and it was delicious!

I'm thankful for the support Domino's has shown to dairy farmers,

for the opportunity to share how we work on the dairy to produce 

high-quality milk, and 

for the convenience of foods that make life a little easier

when the dairy farmer takes a day off from the farm 

and a day out of  the kitchen!

Storytelling Celebration

A little more than nine years ago  with the urging of

 Midwest Dairy, I stepped out of my comfort

zone into the world of blogging and social media 

 to tell our dairy story.  Spotted Cow Review 

has been my dairy storytelling place ever since. 

I celebrated my  storytelling adventure this past weekend

by attending the Megaphone Summit 2019 that was held in

my hometown of Bentonville.

Sponsors of the conference made it possible for a wide variety 

of speakers that presented  on all things blogging and social media

 and what I would call "self improvement".

A very big Thank-You to each sponsor and the host 

of the conference Soapbox Influence!

Over the last nine years, I have attended several blogging 

conferences hosted in Arkansas. For me, the very best part of each

conference is the people I have met and the inspiration

I feel by listening to others' stories.

                                           
                                                        Cheers to Storytelling!
                                                                        #Megaphone19

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Farmer

Ever heard of Action Jackson?

Well, this is the Arkansas Farm Bureau version of  Action Jackson,

that is, Matt Jackson, Agriculture Educator!

Kindergarten students at Pea Ridge Primary School

listened intently to all that Mr. Matt shared with them about

 the dairy cow and how to milk her. 

     My job was easy--I was the local dairy farmer

who brought Cow hats,coloring books and crayons provided by

Midwest Dairy!

Hugs and smiles from a child definitely give you star power.

                                       
                                            I'm thankful for the portion of our Farm Bureau
                                            membership dollars that are spent for educating
                                             children and  adults  and for the opportunities
                                                            to share our agriculture story.
           
                                         

World Milk Day 2018

Have you heard...

It's World Milk Day!

Well, it's more than that. 

We also are celebrating the start of June Dairy Month! 

According to Midwest Dairy,

National Dairy Month  

is the perfect time to celebrate foods made from milk.

 From pizza to parfaits and chocolate milk to cheese plates,

 dairy is a part of all the things you love to eat. 

After all, the best memories are made over milkshakes! 

Down on the dairy farm, 

we celebrate every day with our cows 

and today we raise our glass to them!

                       
                                                    Happy World Milk Day!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Farm tours are a great way to meet consumers of all ages  to share how

 we work everyday on the farm to produce safe,affordable food.

This week I was privileged to be one of the host farms for the  12th tour

 of Moms on the Farm.   Janeal Yancey, my favorite University of Arkansas 

meat scientist ,organized the first tour in 2012.  Each tour day  includes

  a visit to dairy, poultry and beef farms located in Benton or Washington County.

The finishing touch to the tour is a delicious lunch hosted by 

Arkansas Cattle Women preparing delicious beef recipes.

I'm thankful for the Moms and the few men that braved a 

chilly and windy day to learn about Arkansas farming and food production.

Cafe-Au-Lait Kind of Day

                                       Although winter won't begin until December 21st,
                                    Sunday afternoon calf feeding chores  must have been
                                     a trial run just to see how many layers of clothes we can
                                                               get on under the rain suit.

Midwest Dairy's Hazelnut Cafe-Au-Lait was a perfect beverage

 choice after feeding calves on a damp and chilly Sunday afternoon. 

                            

Hazelnut Cafe-Au-Lait                           


Ingredients:

3 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 cups brewed coffee
3 tablespoons hazelnut-cocoa spread*
Dash ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons whipped cream


Directions:

Microwave milk,coffee and hazelnut spread in a large,heat proof glass bowl on high for 2 minutes or until mixture is hot,not boiling. Whip with a hand mixer or whisk until frothy. Pour into 3 serving cups. Top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.


Yield: 3 servings


Helpful Tips:

*Nutella was used for this recipe
To save time, use a can of pressurized whipped cream to top the drink.

Dairy Q&A

                                                                Question:

     What does the label "Best By" mean on top of the milk jug?

                                            Answer:

According to Midwest Dairy,"Best By","Best if Used By" and "Use-By" dates  indicate  the recommended timing for the best flavor and optimal quality of the milk or milk product.  Even if the product date expires, it may still be safe to use if handled properly. 
Discard dairy products that develop an off flavor,odor or appearance.

Dairy 3 for Me

June Dairy Month is the perfect time to get serious about making sure 

that your daily diet includes the recommended three daily  servings 

of dairy to ensure a well balanced diet.

By taking the Dairy 3 for Me Pledge you are committing to getting the three 

servings of dairy daily and promising to enjoy your

 favorite dairy products like milk,cheese and yogurt every day.

Consider these Midwest Dairy tips for including  dairy in your diet:

                             -Substitute syrup on pancakes and waffles with flavored yogurt

                             -Top sandwiches and salads with your favorite cheese

                             -Prepare oatmeal and other cooked cereals with milk instead of water

                             -Make milk your mealtime beverage

                             -Use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream or mayonnaise

                             -Recover from a tough workout with a tall glass of chocolate milk

Contestants and judges from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods 

Contest took the Dairy 3 for Me Pledge last week.

Will you take the pledge?

Have you taken the Dairy 3 For Me Pledge?

I took the pledge not just because I'm a dairy 

farmer but to re-enforce my commitment to improving my health and following

 the 2015 Dietary Guideline's nutritional recommendation. I'll admit, it's probably

 the easiest pledge I can make since there is such a large variety of  dairy to choose from!

Including dairy in the recipes I prepare for my family is one of the best

 ways to keep my pledge and make sure we're all getting the needed servings of dairy.

  Fiesta Rice Skillet Dinner  will be on the menu this week. 

Fiesta Rice Skillet Dinner

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup diced onion

2 1/2 cups cooked turkey,chopped

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 (15 ounce) can black beans,drained,rinsed         

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes  with green chilies,drained

1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels

1 cup mild picante sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and cook onion until soft (about 10 minutes). Add turkey,rice,beans,tomatoes, corn,picante sauce and chili powder. Stir to mix well. Heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese. Serve hot.

Dairy Q&A

                                                                      Question:

                                Do you pasteurize the  milk on your farm?

                                                               
                                                                     Answer:

No, milking equipment delivers milk directly from the cows to a refrigerated holding tank to preserve freshness and safety. The milk is then quickly transported to processing plants for continued freshness and safety. 

A dedicated "milk hauler" picks up our milk on the farm every other day, regardless of the weather or holiday,  and transports it to the Hiland milk plant in Fayetteville for pasteurization,packaging and delivering to consumers in our area.

                                    

                                                       
        

A Dessert for Moovelous Mondays

                          We don't have marvelous Mondays on the dairy farm--they are mooo-velous!

                           Creamy Vanilla Rice Pudding is a perfect dessert  choice whether you're
           celebrating a regular Monday, a moo-velous Monday or the fact that it's   National Rice Month !
                            It just happens to be one of the great recipes shared at DairyMakesSense.



Creamy Vanilla Rice Pudding

Ingredients;
3/4 cup white rice,uncooked
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk,divided
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 (3.4 ounce) package Jell-O vanilla flavored instant pudding mix
Cinnamon,optional

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, add 1 1/2 cups water and rice; bring to a boil. Stir once and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Add 2 cups of milk ,egg yolk and pudding. cook on low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Serve warm.

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!

Where Will You Celebrate National School Breakfast Week?

                                            Winter just won't give up in Northwest Arkansas!
                                 It's been a day of sleet, snow and extremely cold temperatures.

 

Even though our local schools are closed tomorrow, I'm sure other students across the country will begin celebrating National School Breakfast Week, March 3-7,2014.

 

School breakfast is important for every student because research  states that feeding a child's mind with a nutrient rich breakfast supports better performance in school.

 

 As a dairy farmer, I'm proud to support activities that encourage good nutrition and physical activity through the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. Encouraging school breakfast is one component of this program. School breakfast is convenient,healthy, and a timesaver for families with busy schedules.

 

 

 

 

 

While our cows will be getting a nutritious breakfast on the farm, I hope students in your family or neighborhood are enjoying a nutritious breakfast at school!

 

 

 

 

"The Gift of Dairy"

 

It's not too early to be thinking about giving gifts--so why not a dairy gift? 

 

 During this holiday season, Midwest Dairy is sponsoring "The Gift of Dairy" Holiday Pinterest Contest to help dairy fans share ideas and recipes about gifting dairy during the holidays. The gift of dairy can be a variety of things, like a holiday recipe, entertaining idea or a tangible gift.

 

You can pin to win   a $250  grocery gift card to provide the gift of dairy to your family and friends! 

  

 

Calm Cows Prepare for June Dairy Month

Just before dark I stepped outside to see if the sky was billowing up with the dark storm clouds that are predicted to appear in the next few hours.  The air is heavy and after several windy days this week, it seems strange that  there is hardly a leaf stirring.

 The pregnant cows in the pasture next to the house are resting and don't seem bothered by the impending storm. It seems like they may know that it's the calm before the storm and  time to take this opportunity to rest.

 

After two months of rest, these cows are ready to give birth and a stormy night might be the perfect opportunity!

 

Wouldn't a new dairy calf be the perfect way for these calm cows  to kick-off  June Dairy Month?

 

 

 

 

Double Fun Milking

What can be more fun than watching 500 kids milk Sophia, the Midwest Dairy cow? My answer would be to take a dairy farmer to talk with the kids milking Sophia! I wasn't counting on having a case of allergy related laryngitis when I volunteered for this event, so asking husband/dairy farmer Ryan to assist was a true necessity. Students at the school were learning about Arkansas history and Sophia had an important role in educating students about MILK-the Arkansas state drink!
We arrived at the Apple Glen Elementary in Bentonville at 8:30 to set up and be ready for our students by 9 a.m. As the students arrived, we had sheer organized chaos. Ryan talked with the children briefly about what cows like to eat, how much they drink and then proceeded to assist those that needed help or instruction on how to milk the cow. My job was to give the I Milked a Cow sticker to each child. With each group of children, our dairy talking and milking procedure began to flow with ease.
We had some great conversations with these children and their teachers about how we produce milk on our farm. Sophia was the hit of the day! As we loaded Sophia on the truck and headed for the farm, the dairy farmer decided that a day of milking real cows was a lot less tiring. Can you still see that I'm smiling about my double fun day with the dairy farmer? You can find more information about Arkansas dairy farming and the nutritious product we produce at http://www.midwestdairy.com/.