Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

It was special in every way down on the dairy farm.

Although we worked our usual schedule of milking the cows

and feeding and caring for cows and calves on Christmas Day,

at the end of the day, we gathered as a family for a 

meal and exchange of gifts. That may seem like a 

very ordinary event, but to me, 

the gathering of those I love is a precious gift.

I'm thankful for the new dairy heifer that we welcomed 

on Christmas Day,

 for all the gathering of family during this Christmas 

season, loving memories of past  family Christmas times

and

 the opportunity to make memories for the next generation.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Thanksgiving is a holiday of  giving thanks for our bounty of blessings and

gathering around the table with family and friends. Like most families,

we will take the opportunity to tell family stories and reminisce about

those who we are missing around the table.

The woman in this picture is my Great Grandmother Harral holding my 

grandmother. Their farm was just a little over a mile from where I live 

today. I would imagine that they enjoyed a home raised turkey for

their Thanksgiving dinner in the early 1900's.

By the time I met my Great Grandmother, the turkeys and apple

orchard were gone but she always had marshmallows in the 

cookie jar waiting for little hands to pick for a sweet snack!

I'm thankful for the memories we have to share with others

and the opportunity to make new memories for the next generation.

Happy Thanksgiving 

from down on the dairy farm!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Just as we do everyday, we're starting our July 4th celebration with feeding our calves

and getting the cows milked.  It's what we do everyday of the year but

that's not to say we won't be having fun later!

July 4th is a very special remembrance of the freedom we have 

to farm and do what we love.

I am thankful for the life we enjoy everyday on the farm and

to be involved in an occupation that provides nutritious milk

 for your family and mine.

I hope you have a very happy and safe July 4th!

                                                                         Happy July 4th!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

I come from a long line of homemade ice cream eaters.

When I was small child, it was my delight to fight with the 

visiting cousin on who would sit on the ice cream freezer 

while our Papa (our Grandpa)  turned the crank.

The next best memory was helping to clean the paddle 

that was full of creamy ice cream.

Our electric ice cream freezer has changed the work 

that goes into making the ice cream, but our 

 memory making continues with the next generation.

As you can see, this was serious business for my Mother

and my granddaughter Hattie!

                                                   
                                          I'm thankful for the holidays that bring us together
                                              as a family and  these special milk memories
                                                         made down on the dairy farm!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

"Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the people.

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him,

talk ye of all his wondrous works."

I Chronicles 16:8-9

As a child I only thought about Thanksgiving as   the one day of eating at Grandma's 

house and the few days out of school but thankfully,

I have lived long enough to understand and enjoy 

this  season of Thanks that brings me to be more aware

 of all the blessings

in my life, many that I easily take for granted.

.

I'm thankful for our home,

the dairy cows that provide nutritious milk for my family and yours,

                                                                   
                                                                             and
                                                    for family life down on the dairy farm.

                                                       Happy Thanksgiving!
                                                           

Happy July 4th!

We've got the best of both worlds...

the freedom to farm 

and 

to celebrate our freedom and love of country

all in the same day on this July 4th!

                                                           
                                                              Happy July 4th 
                               from down on the dairy farm!

Freedom to Farm

My Country,'Tis of Thee

My country, 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing: 

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the Pilgrims pride.

From every mountainside

Let freedom ring.

                                          --Samuel F. Smith

                                                                   
                                     Words are inadequate to express my thanks and gratitude
                                       for the men and women who have given their lives to
                                                          insure our  American freedoms.
                                         

May we never forget.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                          I'm thankful for the blessings of

                                                                         
                                                              the first winter snow,

sparkling holiday lights of my hometown,

the wonder and sweetness  of  children,

                                                                               and

                                                         
                                                             new life down on the dairy farm.

Labor Day Celebration

Our Labor Day celebration started early this morning with 

the arrival of three new calves.Welcoming new life on the dairy farm

 is always  a great way to start the day!

New babies are taken to their individual calf hutch where we can monitor 

them closely, make sure they receive good nutrition and are protected from 

other members of the herd and bad weather.

                                                   
                                              Caring for these babies is my daily labor of love.
                           It's a priority to make sure these calves get off to a healthy start because
                                  they will grow to become the cows that produce nutritious milk.

                                                              From down on the dairy farm,

                                                              Happy Labor Day!

Holiday Helper Recipe

As I was thumbing through my recipe file this past week, Sausage Breakfast Casserole from Simply Recipes  was the perfect holiday helper  recipe for my Christmas morning schedule that included calf feeding and making it to church on time.

I heartily recommend Sausage Breakfast Casserole for anytime you need a holiday helper recipe or trying to feed a hungry family!


Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb pork sausage, (cooked,drained,crumbled)
4 1/2 cups cubed day old bread
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs slightly beaten
4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/2 cup peeled, chopped tomato (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet on medium high. Break up the sausage into chunks and cook, working in batches if need be, until browned all around. Make sure the chunks of sausage have some space around them or your meat will steam and not brown. Remove the cooked sausage from the pan and let sit on paper towels on a plate to soak up the excess fat. Crumble into smaller pieces.

2. Place bread in a well buttered  9 x 13  inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, onion powder and pepper. Pour evenly over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle sausage and optional ingredients over the top.

3. At this stage you can cover and chill overnight, if you want to prepare ahead. If not, let sit for 10 minutes before putting in the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about one hour. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.

Dairy Family Tradition

Our July 4th celebration begins like every day down on the dairy farm...

with our dairy cows. 

We will be feeding calves and cows 

 and milking long before the fireworks begin.

Our  family  holiday fun  and  our family tradition begins  

  when we retreat to our July 4th picnic spot after all the chores are done.

 It's where 4 generations of farmers  have enjoyed picnic

 suppers  together, paddling across the pond to throw a fishing line 

and  setting off a sack full of fireworks.

       

We're adding a few more fireworks to our celebration 

to welcome Hattie Claire into the family tradition!

Happy July 4th!

Memorial Day

Even though we're working down on the dairy farm today like every day,

it's a special day...Memorial Day.

It's the opportunity to pause and  celebrate those who have given the 

ultimate sacrifice that has provided the freedom we enjoy each day.

"We don't know them all, but we owe them all."

That sentence says it all.

Happy Memorial Day!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Labor Day,like all the other days of the year, 

 found  us busy with the daily chores of feeding calves,

                                                                   
                                                            milking and feeding the cows,

and

welcoming a new calf to the farm.

I'm thankful for the opportunity we have to labor everyday together as a family

down on the Arkansas dairy farm.

Freedom Rings Down on the Dairy Farm

My Country,'Tis of Thee

My country,'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing:

Land where my fathers died, 

Land of thy Pilgrims' pride.

From every mountainside,

Let freedom ring!

                             ---Samuel F. Smith

                                                     Freedom rings down  on the dairy  farm!
                                  Like dairy farm families across America, we'll be working today to
                                               care for our animals and  provide high quality milk.

                                       At the end of the day, we will be enjoying a picnic supper and
                                              the fireworks display from surrounding communities.
                                                              From our family to yours,

                                                             Happy July 4th!

Holiday Dairy Delivery

Although UPS,FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service stopped delivery on Christmas Day, we had three special  holiday deliveries on the dairy!

Santa's dairy elves (also known as dairy farmers)  were on duty to make sure each delivery was a healthy one with no complications. 

                                                                             
                             I  love and appreciate  these dairy elves everyday down on the dairy farm!
                             

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Before we have our traditional Thanksgiving gathering with our family, we'll be

caring for the baby calves,

milking and feeding the cows,

and making sure the new babies arrive safely.

I'm thankful for America's dairy farm families, just like mine, that are committed to providing safe, high-quality milk and dairy products for your family to enjoy not only on holidays but everyday of the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Labor Day Dairy Diversion

Labor Day is always a day of labor on the dairy farm. Our dairy cows would not understand if we didn't show up at the milk barn at milking time or make sure their feed was mixed and served   in the barn on time!

Our Labor Day  holiday did begin with

a gentle rain this morning that  brought cooler temperatures and created the opportunity for a diversion of our planned silage chopping activity to vaccinating a couple of our herd bulls. 

That's how holidays on the  family dairy farm are created...

                                                                           
                                       they happen when least expected and  are  always unplanned!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It's very unusual for all of my family to be away from the farm together  for more than one day, but I'd say that Christmas came early for me when the Arkansas  ice and snow storm was delayed and allowed our plans to happen. 

Although we didn't travel to Chicago together, I did get to spend one full day with my sons  and my Mother enjoying the sights and sounds of the big city  

 

 

                                                                             and

                                                                                
                                   one snowy evening walking around Chicago with Ryan.

 

                                                                     

                                                                                 
       I'm thankful for  these special times with my family and for each day down on the dairy farm.

Holiday Highlights on the Dairy Farm

This is how we're spending Memorial Day on the dairy farm.....

 

feeding the calves,

 

milking and feeding the cows,

 

 

feeding young calves around the farm,

 

 

continue harvesting the  spring crop of rye grass  that will feed our cows,

 

enjoying lunch with my family before they return to work in the field,

                                enjoying a spin to work off some of that ice cream I plan on eating!
                                                                             
                                                                 Happy Memorial Day!   

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

After I drag all of the boxes out of storage,

one of my favorite Christmas traditions  is to decorate our tree with ornaments that have been given to me through the years by loved family and friends. It seems fitting that one of my favorite ornaments is the Swiss Cheese Lane lighted ornament that was a gift from Ryan's mother in 1985.  I'm thankful for every sweet  memory that is associated with the people and traditions of the Christmas holiday season.