Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The ordinary days down on the dairy farm become extraordinary when 

viewed through the eyes of an inquisitive nearly  2 year old.

The blandness of winter scenery becomes more vivid as Hattie Claire and I 

talk about all that we see looking from our perch on the windowsill. 

We're not talking in great detail about all the ways we manage cow manure to

 help improve air and water quality or how we care for our cows everyday but 

we share an appreciation of all the activities and the farmers working at every task.

This week ,when looking to the left, our conversation was about the big tractor

 working to spread cow manure for anticipated green spring grass. 

To the right we saw  the cows busy eating their daily grain .

Tractors and cows just couldn't compare with the excitement of 

seeing the bright red headed woodpecker in the tree by the window.

                                   I'm thankful  for the opportunity we have to share life down
                                    on the dairy farm with the next generation and to enjoy the
                                                      spark of color in the dead of winter.

Dairy Farm Magic

As I was watching the hay mowing cutter go across the field yesterday, 

I thought back to late last fall when Hattie and I were watching the 

manure spreader go in a similar pattern spreading  liquid cow manure.

From brown to green...a little dairy farm manure  magic!

 Cow manure is a nutrient used to fertilize fields that are 

part of our dairy farm's nutrient management plan.

Utilizing our  cows' manure is  an important part of our farm's

 sustainability because it adds organic material to the soil, 

increases the water holding capacity of the land and

decreases the amount of commercial fertilizer that is purchased.

                                             A perfect picture of a farmer working his magic!

Dairy Farm Recycling

It's a fact--if you have cows, you have manure. 

Recycling cow manure is an important part of our  dairy farming operation.

Hauling manure  doesn't happen every day but it's on the weekly

 to do list.  In between hauling events,  the manure that our cows

 produce is stored in a large concrete pit by the dairy barn or in the

 dry stacking area  in the feed barn. 

All of our storage areas meet the requirements of the 

Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.

Nutrient management plans  are designed specifically for our farm by

 engineers and technicians. The plans  guide the amount,source, 

placement and timing of manure  to fertilize the soil and

 improve the water holding capacity for crop fields and pastures.

                                                                       

Storing and hauling manure is all about protecting the environment

 for our cows, our farm, our family and our neighbors and is important

 to the sustainability of our farm.

               

Dairy Sustainability

With silage harvest complete, it's off to the next farm task---planting for spring crops! It was a perfect weather day for getting started and with more rain predicted later  this week, there's  no time to waste.

 

 

Part of the preparation for planting today started several weeks ago when cow manure was spread on the fields for fertilization of the soil in the fields that will be planted. Cow manure is a great nutrient for the soil and also increases the water holding capacity.

 

Our dairy is licensed   by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (often referred to as ADEQ) to store and utilize the cow manure produced on our farm. Manure is spread on designated fields on our farm with limits of how much can be applied. Following these regulations and best management practices protect the health of my family, our cows and the environment.

 

 

Recycling the manure produced by our dairy cows makes economic sense, helps the environment and protects our water quality.

 

That's what I call sustainability down on the dairy farm!

Rainy Day Dairy Rule

 

 

Rain-filled mud puddles  in August--what a blessing! After last year's drought, I've pretty much celebrated every rainfall this year. With rain in the last few weeks of July and now 2 inches of rain on the third day of August, our crop fields and pastures are spring green. 

 

 The cows didn't seem bothered by the rain--they went   to the barn to be milked and then  headed  straight for the feed barn to get their breakfast like usual!  It's obvious by their behavior that this is  part of the everyday dairy farm  routine--rain or shine. 

 

 

Even though we don't usually receive a lot of rain in July and August, we are always working to protect the environment by utilizing  our  nutrient management  system to recycle  the manure from our cows.  Nutrient management plans guide the amount, source, placement and timing of manure on fields designated by our farm plan. Federal, state and local clean water laws regulate how manure is applied on cropland, so nutrients are absorbed by crops, not groundwater. One of those rules is: No manure spreading on rainy days!

 

You won't find anyone on our dairy farm that is too upset to give up one job on a rainy August day!

Dairy Recycling Fights Drought

Even though winter isn't over yet in Arkansas,   it's easy to feel a touch of spring fever when I look across the lush green rye grass that our cows will be enjoying in a few weeks as part of their nutritious balanced diet. This crop is extremely important to our dairy farm's sustainability as we work to recover from last year's devastating drought.

 Dairy recycling is managed year round on our farm by a  plan designed specifically for the amount of cow manure produced on our farm. By utilizing the cow manure produced on our dairy farm to fertilize crop lands, the water holding capacity of the soil is increased,   the groundwater is protected  by   the crop absorbing  the manure  nutrients and  the amount of commercial fertilizer that would be needed is decreased.

    Our commitment to producing high-quality milk means taking good care of our cows and the land!

Rain Ready

Just in case the weather man is right and it starts to rain tonight as predicted, we've been getting rain ready by loading, hauling and applying cow manure from the liquid and dry manure storage areas  to  cropland and pastures today.  Since 1985 our farm has been permitted by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality allowing us to build holding areas for both liquid and dry manure and to follow a nutrient management plan that determines how to utilize the manure on our farm. 

Land applying liquid or dry manure on rainy days is a no-no due to the possibility of runoff pollution.  Because we live and work on our farm, we take our responsibility to protect the land and water seriously by carefully using best management practices that are outlined in our farm plan and by following the rules and regulations of the permit.  Caring for the environment protects the health of my family, our cows and the environment.

Manure is a natural nutrient that builds the soil, increases the water holding capacity of the soil and also fertilizes.  Utilizing  every bit of natural manure nutrient will help save money by decreasing the need to purchase more commercial fertilizer.  Now that's a dairy deal-- an all in one economic product naturally from the cow and rain ready!

Responsible Environmental Protection

Responsible manure management protects the environment for us and our neighbors.  I felt like the dairymom  paparazzi when I jumped into my vehicle and followed the tractor and manure spreader to the field this afternoon to take a few nutrient management pictures. My sons think I'm a little crazy and when I called Casey on the phone to tell him I was behind him, he didn't seem a bit surprised!

Recycling cow manure is important to the sustainability of our farm economically and environmentally.  Our cows provide natural fertilizer that adds nutrients to the soil for crop and pasture land and decreases the amount of commercial fertilizer that might need to be purchased. Our farm is regulated and monitored by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. The  permit from this agency allows us to have storage areas for both liquid and dry manure. A manure nutrient management  plan designed for our farm guides the   amount,source,placement and timing of manure on our fields.

Today's manure was loaded into the slinging spreader from the dry manure stack at the end of the feed barn and applied to this field where we chopped corn last week. Conserving our natural resources and protecting the environment  by responsible manure management are part of  our everyday life on the dairy farm as we work to provide high quality milk.

Perfect Dairy Project for Drought

Instead of making hay while the sun shines, we've been digging in the lagoon during the dry weather.  Our lagoon is basically a large pond that sits at the end of the dairy cow feed barn.  Its purpose is to provide protection for our land and water quality by capturing any water or manure from the feed barn.  Since being built in 1988, the lagoon has never been completely emptied or cleaned out.  Drought conditions this summer made this the perfect time for cleaning out the lagoon and refurbishing the banks under the technical guidance of the Conservation District. 

Because milking the cows and caring for our dairy animals takes priority, it has taken several weeks to complete this project. The project began in July with pumping the water and progressed to scooping out the solids in the bottom. Labor Day weekend was the grand finale of the lagoon cleaning with a bulldozer operator sculpting the sides of the lagoon bank to allow us an easier angle for mowing and maintainence.

Caring for our natural resources is a responsibility that we take seriously because we live and work on our land.  The lagoon is an important part of our manure management system that meets the requirements of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and allows us to recycle the water and manure that is produced on our farm to fertilize the soil for  our crops and pastures while protecting the  land and water for us and our neighbors.

We celebrated the completion of this project with a steak dinner, a tall glass of milk,   and a big sigh of relief.
Now--let it rain,let it rain,let it rain!