Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We're a little behind on the wheat harvest due to heavy rains last week.

Fortunately, the cooler temperatures kept it from maturing 

too fast while we waited for the soggy fields to dry.

                             
                                             I'm very thankful that the crop is not damaged,
                                              our cows are loving it in their feed ration,
                                                                                and

the family is happy to be working 

to finish the spring harvest.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Dairy farmers in Northwest Arkansas can be found celebrating

 June Dairy Month in the hay field!

Today's hot,sunny weather  was perfect for cutting,baling and 

wrapping hay for our dairy cows. 

I find it amazing to watch this process...

                                                                                and
                                I'm thankful for the two sons who work on our Arkansas dairy
                                  farm  to make sure we  have quality feed for our dairy cows.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The plans for early  spring chopping to make grass silage  were pushed almost into summer with  unprecedented May and June rain.  When the rain stopped long enough for the fields to  dry  and allow  heavy tractors and trucks to enter the field, you might have wondered about our sanity!

 Harvesting a crop has challenges but it is an amazing process to see the organization and expertise of the farmers getting the job completed.

Mowing and raking were done by Ryan and Casey, 

followed by the custom chopper and semi-trucks that hauled it to the silo,

and 

packed into the silo by Cody.

                                          I'm thankful for the blessing of a full silo that will be fed

                                to our dairy cows through the summer and for the dedicated farmers

                                                          that made the harvest possible.

Rollin' On the Dairy

We're rollin' on  the dairy...spring harvest of rye and wheat has begun!

Part of the crop is being chopped and hauled from the field to the silo but the rest of it will be wrapped in plastic and allowed to ferment for feeding later in the year.

 

 

I was called to field duty late Saturday afternoon to assist in getting the last few bales hauled home to be wrapped.  Once we got to the wrapper, my job was to stand by the wrapper and be ready to push the STOP button if needed. Fortunately, everything worked properly and I did not get in trouble for doing the wrong thing!

 

 

It wasn't a bit hard to enjoy the afternoon sunshine with a thankful heart for this crop that will provide nutritious feed for our dairy cows.

 Working with my family while we're Rollin' on the Dairy is just one of the perks for living and working on our family dairy farm.

Sustainable Dairy Farming

 

For the last few days, we've been harvesting (also known as "green chopping")  the spring crop of wheat and rye grass that will be included in the balanced diet for our cows to enjoy this summer.

It's a perfect example of how we recycle on the farm and protect the environment.

 

Cow manure is recycled as fertilizer for crops by following a farm plan designed specifically  for our farm that guides the amount, source and placement and timing of manure on fields.  Utilizing cow manure as fertilizer adds organic matter to the soil and helps the soil hold moisture. Manure nutrients are absorbed by crops and not groundwater which fits perfectly with federal, state and local clean water laws.

 

 

It's true...Earth Day is Everyday on the dairy farm!

Dairy Spring Green

          Spring brings a wide variety of green colors for us to enjoy. On the dairy farm, I would say                            that the color of a field of spring wheat is one of my favorite shades of green.
                                                       I call it Dairy Spring Green!

 

It's amazing to see a crop grow daily and we are thankful to know that our dairy  cows will have good feed that provides part of their balanced nutritious diet  to produce high-quality milk.

 

 

You can tell that harvest of the spring crop is not too far away

 when you see this other shade of green!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

For the first time in forty-one years of dairy farming, every bit of feed for our dairy cows was being purchased due to last year's drought. We are more than a little bit excited as we start to harvest this spring crop of rye and wheat!

 

Making adjustments to the chopper is part of the preparation for harvest.

 

The rye is tall and thick and takes at least a day of drying in the field after being cut before it can be chopped.

 

 

The chopper pulls the rye into the knives,chops it into small pieces,

 

 

 

 

and blows it into the silage truck.

 

I'm thankful for this crop and for the smiles I've seen on the farmers faces this week!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Rows of mowed wheat are just waiting to be spring cleaned from the field.

I'm thankful for the spring harvest  cleaning of our fields that will feed our dairy cattle,care for our land and sustain our family farm.

Dairy Farmer Flexibility

Spring harvest for our farm began  Friday when the first field of wheat was mowed by my youngest son Casey.

 After last year's extreme heat and drought that caused poor yield of our hay and corn crops, we are anticipating a great spring crop.   Wheat silage will make a nutritious addition to our dairy cow's diet and is part of our plan in producing high quality milk. Every bit of this spring wheat crop is crucial to the sustainability of our family farm.

When the silage chopper and truck pulled into the field Saturday afternoon, it appeared that everything was working as planned.  After taking a few pictures, I returned home to do my own chores.  When I heard the chopper returning to the shop, I had a sinking feeling that all was not right. Sure enough, major mechanical problems  required shop work the rest of the afternoon.

With the possibility of rain in the forecast, the chopper still broke down  and the importance of harvesting every bit of this wheat, farmer flexibility kicked in.  Instead of chopping the wheat, it would be baled and wrapped. Thank goodness for multi-tasking,flexible farmers!