Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Teamwork is part of life down on the family  dairy farm.

While Ryan and Casey moved straw bales off the fields,

Cody was preparing to spray the fields before planting 

hay grazer and millet seed.  

Once the fields were sprayed, it was another  picture of teamwork

as Cody and Ryan added seed to the planter.

With the spring rains delaying our wheat harvest  and crop planting,

the race is on to get the crops planted while we can still

hope for a few rain showers and moderate growing temperatures.

The donkeys even seemed to be working as 

a team as they strategically moved 

close enough  to make sure we didn't have 

any feed with us!

I'm thankful for the teamwork we  experience

down on the dairy farm and for the cutest surprises  

when we least expect them!

 

Earth Day is Everyday

Everyday is Earth Day down on the dairy farm. 

We celebrate Earth Day by how we provide everyday care

 for the land by utilizing science and best management

 practices that make economic sense, help the environment

  and are socially responsible to our community.

Everything we do makes a difference  such as:

protecting air quality by following proper manure storage practices,

recycling manure to fertilize crop and pasture land,

growing crops with recycled manure that builds the

organic materials in the soil and improves water retention,

and

reducing the carbon footprint of milk by 63 percent due to 

improvements in animal feeding,animal health programs

and overall farm management practices.

                                             
                                                           When you get right down to it,
                                                      we celebrate Earth Day Everyday,
                                                            for the next generation.
                                                             

Happy Earth Day Everyday!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Can you believe it's August?

That was my very thought as I walked down the driveway and noticed 

these soon to be mama cows resting in the thick green grass.

In June when the pastures looked like we were in August,

I would never have believed that we would have any 

grass going into late summer.

I'm so thankful for the rains we have enjoyed these last two weeks,

for green pastures and growing crops that will feed our 

dairy cows this fall and winter, 

and

 the  cooler temperatures that are enjoyed by cows and farmers.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Even though our July 4th picnic plans were 

changed due to unusual  weather,

I'm thankful for the rain we have received in the last few days

that will help our crops grow  

and for the special July 4th babies born

down on the Arkansas  dairy farm!

It's dairy style fireworks!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Cow manure may not look like it has any value, but to a farmer, it's liquid gold.

To protect the environment, the liquid manure produced by our

 dairy cows is collected in a cement pit at the dairy barn. 

Our  permit from the Arkansas Department of
Environmental Quality  allows us  to store it in this pit 

and haul it to fields for fertilization.

                           
                                             I'm thankful for this recycled liquid gold that
                                                         is used to sustain our dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

When you look at our tall corn crop and the green pastures,

 it's hard to believe August is just around the corner. 

I'm thankful for the blessing of rain we have received in July 

for our crop  fields and pastures

and

for our crop of sunflowers.

down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                           After a few rainy gloomy days.
                                            rays of sunshine were a welcome addition in the
                                                     late afternoon down on the dairy farm.

                                   I'm thankful for the  rainy days that watered our spring crops,
                     refreshed the pastures and encouraged the iris in the flowerbeds to bloom!