Century Farm Barn Preservation

More than one hundred years ago, this barn was the hub of the everyday

farming operation.  Ryan's grandfather Grover milked cows

 in this barn and used it to store hay and grain.  During World War II, 

Ryan's mother milked cows in this

same barn while his father was stationed in Japan.

Even though  the everyday activity of this barn has changed,

it is still used for storage and provides a reminder

of its history on  our century farm. 

  

It seemed the right thing to preserve this part of our 

farm history by adding new tin and new doors to 

this important part of our family and farm history.

The barn certainly dresses up my calf pictures!

More importantly, the barn can continue to

be used daily and preserved for others to enjoy

as our  rural farming area in Benton County

continues to blend  into city life.

 

 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

For more than 50 years, corn and other types of grain or grasses have been

harvested and stored in the pit silo.  We have two of these

pit silos  located on the corner of the dairy farm where trucks can back up and unload.

Granddad Grover dug out the first silo on the corner and with the addition of 

more dairy cows, Ryan built the second silo. 

Everyday of the year, our tractor and feed wagon drive to the silo to load silage

that is mixed with other ingredients to provide a nutritious diet

for our dairy herd.

This past week a new chapter for our farm was begun with the 

design of a new concrete slab that will take the place of our pit silos.

Closing of the pit silos is necessary for the proper design of the road  that 

will accommodate the increased traffic of the development just across from

the dairy.  

Even though change is never easy, I am thankful that this change will actually

provide a safer place for us to load silage into the feed wagon and decrease the

chance of a traffic fatality as we strive to work on the farm in an urban environment.

Best of all, our cows will never miss a delicious bite that produces 

the high-quality milk for you and your family!

 

Urban Farm Girl

After a lifetime of city living in Bentonville, my mother has moved to the farm with us. 

We're providing her with a lot of new experiences in this transition from urban to rural living.

This afternoon, Mother  took her  first ride in the  big tractor  while Cody

 was preparing the field for planting the fall silage crop. 

                                                                                 
                                    Although she has heard us talk about what we do on the farm,
                          there's no substitute for experiencing it first hand from the cab of the tractor!
                                                                     

The smiles say it all...

life is good down on the dairy farm!