Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

You know the farmers are still making hay while the sun

shines during these beautiful fall days.

No doubt this will be the last cutting of hay for this field

for the season but these last cuttings  are

 still good quality hay  that can be fed to the beef and

 dairy cows during the winter months.

I'm thankful for the rain we received last week that gave the 

fields the desperate drink that was needed to finish the season and

fill the ponds as we get closer to winter weather,

for the days Breck and I spent talking about how Daddy's

working on the farm and farming together  in the play room,

and

for the magic appearance of Casey's long lost

Dudley who just happened to show up at the Centerton

Animal Shelter after being gone for more than a year.

                                               Happy fall from down on the dairy farm!
 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Our spring wheat harvest has been delayed due to rainy weather.

It has been our plan to have the wheat chopped for silage but

with the rainy weather, that has not been possible.

We did have a couple of days that allowed us the opportunity

to cut, bale and wrap  a few acres of wheat before more rain 

made it impossible to drive on these fields.

It's a Wrap!

                                        I'm thankful for the wrapping process that allows

                             us to harvest our crop when  weather conditions interfere

                                                              in our best plans

                                                                        and

for these May babies that stand out in a field

of Buttercup blooms

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Fall has arrived!

Just in the last few days, we are wearing jackets 

in the morning and sweating in the late afternoon.

That's how it is in Arkansas!

The grass is mostly brown with a twinge

of green but it will still provide a tasty

treat this winter for our cows to enjoy!

As the hay harvest season is winding down,

the calving season is speeding up!

I'm thankful for these  new healthy 

babies

that are arriving in the perfect 

days of fall

and

for the changes of the season

that remind us to count our

many blessings down on the 

dairy farm.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

In a year of extreme rain during the spring that delayed planting

and growth that has occurred in a  drought, we are thankful for this corn 

crop that will be enjoyed by our dairy cows in their daily feed ration.

A twelve row corn harvester certainly speeds up the job compared 

to our smaller chopper.

                                Even though we decided to hire the chopping done,  it was still a 

                                                   family affair to get the crop harvested. 

                                  Ryan and Casey  hauled chopped corn  from  the field to the 

                                  new silage pad while Cody was kept busy packing  each

                                                  delivered load from all the silage trucks.

                                                     The women of the family provided

                                                 love, support and food during the long day.

                                 It was dark when we moved the last truck home, shut gates and

                                 moved cattle back to the pastures but there was a joy and feeling

                                      of  accomplishment that only a farmer understands from 

                                                                 down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Thanksgiving has come and gone but

it has left a great appreciation for all the blessings 

we enjoy on the ordinary days down on the dairy farm.

Enthusiasm for eating is obvious at the feed wagon

or the family table!

I'm thankful for the crop growing season and harvest 

of the crops  that has produced 

the silage and hay that our dairy cows are enjoying each day.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We were happy to see Gittlein's custom chopper pull into the first corn field yesterday. 

Harvesting of any crop is a big deal but our corn crop is especially

 important to our dairy cows diet   through the winter and early spring.

All the corn we raise is chopped and hauled from the field to the 

silo on the dairy farm.The chopped corn will go through a

 fermenting process and become the silage that our  dairy cows 

will enjoy eating with other grains and hay.

It was my good fortune to be offered a ride around the field 

with my oldest son Cody.This was our view  of the chopper as 

we drove down the field side by side so the corn could be

 blown from the chopper into the truck.

With three trucks running to haul the corn to the silo,

it gave us opportunity to catch up on a little mother-son communication

 as we waited for our turn to pull up to the chopper.

                                              I'm thankful for the harvest of a good corn crop,
                                      the unexpected opportunities to spend time with my family,
                                                                                  and

                                                           
                                                     to share  life down on the dairy farm
                                                              with multiple generations.

Fall Harvest

Even though we had our first freeze of the season, we're still working

 to finish cutting hay in a few fields. 

It will take a few days of drying before it's ready to bale but it 

will still be good quality hay  that we can feed this winter.

                                Brown fields with a hint of green underneath are signs of the fall
                                season and also a reminder of how close we are to celebrating
                                the end of harvest for this year's crops down on the dairy farm.
                                                          Bring on the hot chocolate!
                             

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It's milo chopping time down on the dairy farm.

I made it to the field just in time to see  today's last load of chopped milo head to the silo.

As you can see, it has grown well above my head this year.

It is a drought resistant grain  crop so with adequate rain it grows like crazy!

I'm thankful for this year's milo crop that will be used 

to feed our dairy cattle this winter 

and

                                                             
                                        for the perfect fall weather for harvesting our crops.

Rolling Up October

We're rolling up October in the hay field.

Even though we haven't had a killing frost yet, 

the grass has stopped growing and much of it has already

 turned pale green or brown due to  the seasonal changes but

 it can still be harvested for feeding our beef and dairy cattle.

                                                                     
                                   After rolling up  the hay from this field, we will apply
                                 a measured amount of cow manure (what we call nutrient)
                                                                 to fertilize the field.

                                     Nutrient management plans guide the amount,source,
                                              placement and timing of manure on fields.

                                     Rolling up October  is a sustainability  win for the
                                                 environment and  the dairy  farmer.

                                 

Dairy Farmer Olympics

It's a race to the finish when you are raising a crop that will be fed to your dairy cows. 

The cows are counting on us! 

Each phase of crop production

--soil preparation,planting,harvesting-- 

is part of the relay race.

We began the harvest relay of our corn crop yesterday. 

It's being chopped and hauled to the silo so that it can ferment and

 be fed to our dairy cows  as corn silage.

  Sometimes the farmer  loses the race for 

no fault of his own because of  uncontrollable  factors like weather but  

like the Olympians we've been watching this week, 

farmers don't quit till the end of the race.

                                         My dairy farm Olympics experience tells me that we
                                          will have a few slow starts during  the harvest relay
                                                                 but like true Olympians,
                                    we can enjoy the rewards of hard work at the end of the race.
                                         

Harvest Marathon

Harvest  sometimes feels like a very long marathon...

we wait to plant,

we wait for the crop to grow,

we wait for harvest.

Like all silage crops,this  sorghum  silage crop is being cut

 and hauled to the silo where it will ferment before being fed to the dairy  cows.

You might think of this as cow candy!

I often wonder if our cows know how hard we work to make sure

 they have a good supply of nutritious feed to enjoy through the winter.

It's a marathon of ups and downs,

starts and stops,

but

once you've experienced the harvest of any crop,

you know why it is celebrated!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                         Happy Fall,Y'all!

                                                        

                                        I love these seasonal transitions down on the dairy farm.

                                          Even though  there's a little bit of farmer frenzy as they

                                   work to finish harvesting the hay and silage crops before winter,

                                                   

                                              I'm thankful for the abundance of hay that will

                                                     feed our cows and calves this winter,

the cooler weather for our calves,

and

                                         the beauty of summer flowers that brighten the fall days.

Happy Harvest

A lot happens from the beginning of harvest until the last load of chopped sorghum  crop is on the way to the silo. Weather changes  and mechanical challenges are constant  reminders of the need for a dairy  farmer to find his happy button and bucket of patience.  Weather conditions definitely stood out on Saturday afternoon as the last round was made by the chopper for  the 2014  harvest season. 

 When we began harvest, the days were longer and much warmer--at least 40 degrees warmer!

Although freezing temperatures over the last couple of weeks   changed the sorghum from green to brown, 

it will still make great nutritional silage for our dairy cows to enjoy this winter.

With the prediction of snow and colder temperatures, 

I'm pretty sure the chopper is happy to head to the shed 

 and settle in for a long winter's nap!

Happy Harvest from down on the Arkansas  dairy farm!

Dairy Farmer's Labor of Love

As the days grow shorter and cooler, the fields of sweet sorghum  (also called sorgo)  are calling the dairy farmer to prepare for  harvesting  this sweet tasting silage crop for the dairy cows to enjoy this fall and through the winter months.  

Growing a crop is a labor of love for my  third generation dairy farmer husband. I love seeing the smile on his face as he looks across the sorghum field.

We drove to several of the fields this afternoon to see how the sorghum  is maturing and make a plan which field we will begin harvesting first.  Most of the sorghum is seven to eight feet tall and the tops are beginning to change from yellow to a reddish brown  color as it matures. 

He thought he was hiding from me, but I could still see his smile!  

Harvest of this labor of love begins next week!

                                                                         

Harvest Harmony Down on the Dairy Farm

Watching the boys chop the silage for our dairy cows when everything goes well  is much like listening to three part harmony--it's harmonious!

 

Harvest harmony includes:

 

 

Crisp,cool October weather,

 

 

No machinery breakdowns,

 

Perfect delivery!

 

Three part harvest harmony results in high quality milk!

Sunday's Harvest Cake

I decided after this week of perfect October weather down on the dairy farm, it must be time to fill the kitchen with the aroma of fall. After flipping through a shelf full of recipe books,  I found  Fall Harvest Cake in Sassafras, The Ozarks Cookbook from the Junior League of Springfield, Missouri.  It seemed to be the perfect fall  recipe  choice  with ingredients of pumpkin, apple and cinnamon!


Fall Harvest Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger (optional)

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups flour,sifted
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup nuts,chopped

ICING
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar,sifted
1/2 cup butter,softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese,softened
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a Bundt pan. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix sugars, cinnamon, soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Mix  in pumpkin. Stir in apple and nuts by hand. Pour into prepared Bundt pan. Bake 70 minutes. Cool 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan and spread with icing prepared by blending all ingredients until smooth. Store in refrigerator. Serves 12.

 

I'm pretty sure a  slice of this cake with a big dip of vanilla ice cream

 will be a perfect harvest treat down on the dairy farm!

 

Happy Sunday!

Moovin' Into Fall

 We've been moovin' into fall for the past week...


                           as we harvested  a field of Bermuda hay for small  square bales to
                                 feed our young calves  and moved it to the barn for storage,

 

added new cows to the milking herd and new babies to the calf hutches,

 

 

 shared a little  dairy love with young consumers during a farm tour,

 

 

 

and watched the flowers breathe a sigh of relief  with the rain and cooler temperatures.

 

 

Just signs of the season down on the dairy farm.

 

Happy Fall, Ya'll!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

During last year's drought, we were praying for rain and  irrigating this Bermuda grass field located close to our dairy barn lagoon.

 

 

I'm thankful for every drop of rain, the perfect amount of sunshine and my family of farmers that enjoy working hard to harvest this  feed for our dairy  cows!

 

Season of Thanksgiving

After last week's freezing temperatures, I'm sure this is probably the last rose of summer in my garden. It's a perfect reminder of God's faithfulness  in bringing each season for us to enjoy. As summer becomes a memory, we're enjoying the harvest of crops and the anticipation of winter rest to prepare for spring growth. I find thanksgiving in each season.

 

 

The second verse of the old hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness says it all:

 

Summer and winter,

and springtime and harvest,

Sun,moon,and stars in their

courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness,mercy and love.

 

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Lord,unto me!

                                                                                 
                               Blessings to you and your family in this season of Thanksgiving!

Harvest Round-Up

This year's drought has created a severe shortage of hay and pasture grass for our dairy cows and calves. Harvesting every bit of hay available is vital to our farm.  With the weather man predicting a hard freeze and the chance of rain, we seemed to be going in every direction to complete the hay baling and crop planting last week. I knew oldest son  Cody was desperate when he asked if I could help him get the bales loaded on the trailer in the field.

 

 My job was to drive the tractor and trailer to each group of bales in the field so that he could load them on the trailer.

 

 

 In the olden days (that would be before I married the dairy farmer), small square bales were picked up by hand and thrown onto a truck and stacked. It was then the hay crew's job to unload them by hand and stack them in the big hay barn.  I have a great appreciation for modern machinery when I think about hauling hay by hand in 100 degree weather!

 

As you can see, these bales are loaded by a skid loader with a grapple and stacked on the trailer.

 

 

Once the trailer was full, the hay was taken to the feed barn for storage.

 

 

I love watching Cody unload  and stack the bales --every move is made with precision!

I was also feeling pretty proud--he smiled really big and thanked me for my help!