Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

A trip to the Washington County Fair is a perfect way to begin September!

Where else can you see...

blue ribbon watermelons,

a variety of pumpkins,

beautiful dairy cattle,

or

                                          hear the laughter of families on the Ferris Wheel?

                                    I'm thankful for the people that participate in making any
                                                  county fair possible for all of us to enjoy.

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! 

County Fair Show and Tell

While 4-H and FFA members and their families were proudly exhibiting their livestock at the 108th Benton County Fair this week, we were also providing a mega show and tell for consumers. My favorite county fair show and tell (besides the petting zoo) is the milking parlor. What better way to teach a child or adult where milk comes from than to show a dairy cow being milked!

Cows are milked twice a day at the fair just like at home on the farm. As you watch the milking procedure, you witness that no human hands touch the milk--once the milking machine is attached to the cow, milk flows directly from the cow, into the glass jar and then to the refrigerated tank.

This year's dairy show and tell also included a display showing that one cow can produce 60 gallons of milk in a week and the type and amount of feed and water that she needs to produce high-quality milk every day. Can you imagine drinking 50 gallons of water every day!

Although county fair show and tell only occurs once a year, dairy farm families like mine are working hard every day to provide you with safe,high-quality milk and dairy products as we care for our cows and the land we call home.  I'd love to answer any questions you have about dairy farming or you can find information at http://www.midwestdairy.org or http://www.dairygood.org.

Detour To A Healthy Dairy Snack

Our county fair is rich in tradition and one hundred seven years of history. What makes each fair special are the families and individuals that are involved in all of the fair activities. Friday at our county fair has always been "Kids Day" which allows all children to come into the fair for free. Today as I watched all the 4-H members in the livestock barn preparing their animals for these special guests, I couldn't help but feel a measure of pride in the dedication of these 4-H members that are devoted to making our county fair a great success. One of my favorite groups of course is the Benton County 4-H Udder Dairy Club. This morning club members used a theme of "Body Under Construction" to draw kids to the dairy area. As children walked through the barn to watch the cows being milked in the parlor, dairy club members were sharing information about their 4-H dairy projects and dairy nutrition,exhibiting their dairy animals and providing a squeezable yogurt for every child attending Kids Day.

Yogurt is a healthy snack choice for any time--at the fair,after school or at work. It provides a package of nine essential nutrients that improve overall diet quality,keep hunger in check, and help provide energy through the day. Besides squeezable yogurt, you might try these yogurt snack ideas:

-Tropical Smoothie: Blend fresh orange slices with strawberry yogurt and ice.

-Freeze squeezable yogurt for a quick and creamy popsicle.

-Parfait Pleaser: Layer granola and fresh fruit with your favorite lowfat yogurt.

You can find other healthy snack suggestions at http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/. Think I'll go see if I can find any yogurt on my way back to the fair to work in the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Today was the first day of our Benton County Fair. Benton County Farm Bureau began sponsoring the petting zoo at least fifteen years ago. I've been the zoo keeper for ten of those years. Kids and adults can pet two baby pigs,chicks,a dairy calf, a goat , a lamb and milk Sophia, our special milking cow. I'm thankful for all the volunteers who willingly help to make the petting zoo a great experience for thousands of kids and their families.

Connecting with Consumers at the Petting Zoo

Rural makes connection with urban this week at the Benton County Fair in Northwest Arkansas. It's a gathering place that preserves our county's rich agricultural history and educates the public about agriculture in our now urbanized area. The fair actually begins its 107th year tomorrow but the fairgrounds was buzzing with activity late this afternoon as trucks and livestock trailers pulled up to the barn to bring the assortment of animals that will be shown by 4-H and FFA members through the week. You could feel the excitement in the air and the anticipation of that possible blue ribbon as the kids moved their animals into the barn!

My sons were kind enough to help me this afternoon to get ready for the fair by setting up the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo. I'll be unloading my livestock tomorrow in the petting zoo. Our zoo will include baby chicks,a dairy calf, a baby pig,a lamb and a goat. Because most consumers are three generations from having any connection to a farm, providing the petting zoo is a great way to share information about agriculture while having a fun family experience. It's up to the two percent of us who work in agriculture to share how we care for our animals and work to produce safe,affordable food.

More information about our fair can be found at http://www.bentoncountyfairar.org/. I'm looking forward to all those smiles I will see this week and the chance to talk a little about Benton County agriculture!