Evergreen Easter

                                        Although  COVID-19 has disrupted our normal way
                                                   of living down on the Arkansas dairy farm,
                                      what hasn't changed is our Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
                                                         

He Lives

He lives, He lives!

Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

along life's narrow way.

He lives, He lives, 

salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives?

He lives within my heart.

--Alfred H. Ackley

From down on the dairy farm,

Happy Easter!

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

 Saturday afternoon was the perfect example of farmer flexibility.

You can have all kinds of plans but when the neighbor calls

to report a wandering heifer  running down the road, all plans change.

We jumped in the truck and drove up and down the road looking

for the same heifer that has been out of the pasture more than once.

After she was located in the neighbor's yard, Cody arrived with the

4-wheeler and we drove her back to the pasture. 

Of course,the heifer had no thought of going through 

the gate we had opened.She ran back to the spot where the fence

 was down and jumped over it with the grace of a deer. 

It certainly made it easy to find where the tree had

 fallen on the fence that   needed repair!

While Cody and Ryan fixed fence, all of the curious 

heifers moved in to check things out.

I loved seeing this group of bred heifers gather around 

through the timber. Each of these beauties have been raised by us

 and will give birth to their first calf in a few months.

I'm thankful that there was only one heifer that found the

way out, for our neighbors that  care enough to call

when a cow or heifer may be found wandering in the neighborhood

and for the dedicated dairy farmers committed to taking good care 

of their cows and heifers.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

We've had new babies in the pasture every day this week, in fact,

some days it has been 3 or 4.  Calving heifers, those first time mamas,

are often a little more challenging but I'm happy to report all have 

calved without any problems that required  assistance.

This heifer calved yesterday. She happens to be one of the "horned heifers"

in the group that are calving this month.  Somehow these heifers did not

get dehorned  when they were small calves. 

 Dehorning is done to decrease the risk of injury to other cows, 

 farmers or other humans. "Disbudding " of non-developed horn 

buds is a fairly simpleprocedure that is typically conducted

 the first few weeks after a calf is born.

Any dehorning at this point will be done by the veterinarian using

best industry practices to ensure the comfort and safety

 of the animal through sedation or anesthesia.

                               
                                 I'm thankful that we have had no injuries to calves or farmers
                                  and for  the interesting conversations about horned heifers!

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!

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.
           
                                         

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for...

Beagle, our crazy four wheel riding farm dog,

                                             '
                                                                    a new fall calf,
                                                                              and

                                           
                                                to hear the  word "cow" from the youngest
                                                        member of our dairy farm family.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Foggy mornings on the dairy farm  make chore time a little more difficult 

but

                                         
                                          I'm thankful for the beacon-like white spots on our
                                          black and white Holsteins that assist us in finding a
                                                       sweet new overnight addition.
                                     

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Did you ever get the "look" from your mother when

 your behavior was less than perfect?

This new mama was giving the "look" to the family dogs that followed

 me to the pasture and  wandered just a little too close to her new baby. 

                      Watching the behavior of our cows and thinking about my own experiences
                          of mothering and being mothered, I'm thankful for the God given gift
                                      of maternal instinct that protects our young  and the "look"
                                           that often provides a boundary of safe behavior.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last week when parts of Arkansas received several inches of snow, 

we had a light  dusting in Northwest Arkansas 

but we did experience some bitter cold days.

While I add another layer of clothes to stay warm, 

our dairy  cows increase the amount of feed they eat during extreme weather.

It's our job to make sure their nutritional needs

   are met everyday.

                                                 
                                                 I'm thankful we missed that chance of snow
                                                                                    and
                                                 that we are in the last few days of January!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

There's only one thing sweeter than a newborn calf

and that, of course, is twins!

                                            After laboring with no result, this momma received
                                            a little delivery assistance from the Anglin brothers.
                                         
                                       I'm thankful for these two heifers that we welcomed to the
                                    dairy farm this morning and the teamwork that made it possible.
                                                                       

Marketing Farming

Benton County Farm Bureau provided a little bit of fun and information about Benton County agriculture to   hundreds of people at the Bentonville Farmer's Market this past Saturday. 

Basically, we were marketing farming.

Consumers of all ages enjoyed the beauty of this antique tractor and a lot of 

tractor talking from Benton County farmer Bob Shofner,

milking the cow that never goes dry,

and

petting the  chicks.

It's not a hard job to market farming because 

we have a great story to communicate at every opportunity.

 It's obvious that the look of the family farm and the technologies

have changed but we have the same values of caring for the land 

and the animals to provide safe,healthy food for America's consumers.

Dairy Q&A

Question:

 How long do a dairy  cow and calf stay together?

Answer:

On our farm, the calf is usually with the mother for the first 12 hours after birth. The time varies depending on the time of birth.

The mothers will join the milking herd  and the calves are placed in an individual calf hutch to be fed and closely monitored.

Calves are separated from their mothers to ensure the best individual care and monitoring of both animals, especially in the first 24 hours.

Our calves grow up to become the cows that produce milk on our farm, so we make it a priority to get them off to a healthy start.

Dairy Q&A

Question: 

How long is a cow pregnant?

Answer: 

9 months

FYI: A pregnant dairy cow that is being milked will be removed from the milking herd at 7 months so she can rest, enjoy a special diet  and prepare for the birth of her calf. We commonly  call this the "dry" period. In human terms, this is maternity leave!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last week while I was working at the computer on farm records, the lights flickered and a wind gust brought two stories of a six story sycamore tree crashing down in front of the house. From the sound of the crash and the vibration I felt in the house, I ran upstairs to see if I might see the sky! 

Although I was sad to see this old,beautiful  tree broken, I am very thankful that no damage occurred to the house and that my family, our employees, and our cattle were safe during this unexpected wind storm.

Winter Weaning Down on the Dairy Farm

Is it spring yet?

 

I'm sure that's what these babies want to know--they've tolerated some really cold and snowy days this winter in Northwest Arkansas.

 

 
 
 
It won't be too long now (hopefully within the next two weeks)  before these babies will be weaned and  moved from their individual hutches into a small pasture where they can romp and play together in a group as they continue to grow into our future milk cows.

To make this transition to the pasture  less stressful, we've already  started the weaning process of changing them from    milk to water and adding grain that meets their nutritional requirements for continued  growth and development.

 

 

I'm sure we've still got a few more weeks of winter but I began weaning myself from winter this weekend by planting a few pansies by the back door!

Happy November from Down on the Dairy Farm

Just before the evening milking, I noticed these cows lingering around the water tank, enjoying a cool drink before their walk to the milk barn. Looking at the sky behind and above them, it was a perfect view of God's artistic abilities.

 

 

I'm thankful for these everyday moments down on the dairy farm.

 Today's sunset seemed the perfect beginning for a month of thankfulness.

 

Happy November!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

It was a bit foggy this morning when we fed calves and found this  mama with her new baby in the pasture. New life is always a celebration on the dairy farm.

 

                                                                   
                            I'm thankful for these early morning  life- on- the farm pictures I
                                                   experience  every day with my family.

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?

 

 

 

 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Am I watching the cows or are they watching me?

I'm thankful for the everyday  enjoyment I have from watching these beautiful cows and heifers  that are  waiting to give birth in just a couple of weeks.