Thursday, July 14, 2011

Cow Candy



Before I married the dairy farmer, quite a few of my first summer time dates were spent riding on the tractor with the dairy farmer as he chopped green hay grazer grass to feed the dairy cows. Late this afternoon just before the sun was setting, Ryan and I jumped into the truck and went on a farmer date to drive to the field and check on the hay grazer crop that was planted several weeks ago.






Even though we have only received about an inch of rain since this seed was planted several weeks ago, it has grown waist high--perfect cow candy time! This grass can be harvested by green chopping or baling. When it is green chopped, it is actually chopped up and blown into a truck or wagon that will transport it to the dairy and be fed fresh. If it is baled, it is mowed and baled like hay. Either way it is harvested, the cows love this cow candy! Our dairy nutritionist will formulate a diet that adds cow candy with all the other feed ingredients to make sure that the cows are receiving a completely balanced diet. With the drought that we are experiencing, we are grateful for any crop that we will harvest.






Cow candy and dates with the farmer are all about how we work everyday on the dairy farm to care for our animals and produce quality milk!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday



Working in this triple digit heat to care for our dairy cows and calves has been a challenge this week. Ryan's new dog,Jute, found the perfect solution--just jump in the water tank! I'm thankful for the joy and the smiles that our farm pets bring to us everyday as we work on the farm.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Chocolate Lover's Healthy Snack



I tend to work up a sweat while feeding calves or working in the garden and I'm finding that water doesn't always quench my thirst. Hot weather also tends to decrease my appetite so it is important that snacks provide good nutrition. Chocolate milk is a perfect nutrient-packed thirst quenching snack that offers the same nutrients as regular milk and will help keep me hydrated. Milk contains protein,carbohydrates and is about ninety percent water. If you compare chocolate milk to other beverages such as juice,fruit punch,cola or diet cola,bottled water or sports drink, milk is the only beverage that contains nine essential nutrients. You might want to consider chocolate milk as a choice to offer your family after sporting events,exercising, or outdoor family activities to refuel healthy muscles and quench thirst.






Yesterday I returned from the grocery store with my favorite chocolate candy bar. When I compared the label of the candy bar with an eight ounce serving of 1% low-fat chocolate milk, it's pretty easy to see the nutritional bang I can get from chocolate milk plus help to quench my thirst. You can find more dairy nutrition information at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ or http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/.






Our weather man is predicting another scorcher today---think I will have that big glass of cold chocolate milk now! Will you join me?

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Trait of a Farmer



Weather patterns everywhere have been unusual this year. In May our crop planting was delayed because we had thirty inches of rain with flooding. In the last thirty days, we have had less than an inch. Every year we grow one hundred acres of corn that will be made into corn silage for our dairy cows. This corn silage will be added to all the other feed ingredients that we purchase to make a completely balanced diet for our cows to enjoy throughout the year. High quality milk from our dairy cows occurs because of the nutritious ingredients in their diet.



One of my jobs yesterday was to help move spray equipment to the corn field. It was at least one hundred degrees,humid and steamy in the corn field.
Spraying a corn field for weed eradication usually happens earlier and in cooler weather but one of the lessons I have learned with farming is that the conditions or circumstances that we work with are not always perfect. Weather is definitely a condition beyond our control.



As I watched Ryan moving through the field on the old John Deere spray rig, I thought how amazing the American farmer is in the best or worst conditions. Farmers are dedicated to protecting the land,air ,and water while producing the most abundant,affordable and available food for Americans and the world by using sound science and modern technology and if you need a dose of optimism, find a farmer to talk to--he's got it!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Routine Commitments



Our daily routine on the dairy farm includes milking 300 Holstein cows at seven thirty in the morning and seven thirty at night,twice a day, three hundred sixty five days a year. We are committed to providing quality milk which begins with consistent routine daily care of our dairy cows. Routine daily care includes activities such as feeding the dairy cows,milking the cows and making sure the cows are comfortable. The word routine might sound dull and boring but I can tell you that when working with cows, there is never a dull moment. In everyday's schedule we must have flexibility to deal with the unplanned events such as delivery of a calf,repairing equipment, mending fences,or driving to town for an item that we didn't plan on needing. The intense heat that we have had in this past week also adds increased monitoring of the water supply and comfort of the cows.






As I walked back to the house tonight from a trip to the dairy barn before the evening milking, I noticed about half of the first herd of cows were already standing at the gate, ready to enter the parlor to be milked. Cows are very much creatures of habit and when time to be milked, you will often find the same cows at the head of the line. Routine makes the cows happy! Just like the dairy cows, I find a certain amount of comfort in following routine and schedule--it's one of the reasons I do like living on the dairy farm and working every day with my family!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday





In the middle of the afternoon these dairy cows enjoy the shade provided from trees in our yard. I am thankful for the rain we received this week that cooled our triple digit temperatures and provided a much needed drink for our crops,pastures,flowers, and trees.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Youthful Cheese




While preparing for our 4th of July picnic, I was looking for an easy dessert that would go well with homemade ice cream and be easy to pack up with the picnic food. Deep in the back of the recipe drawer that contains everything that I can't find, was the perfect recipe --Black Bottom Cupcakes. The ingredient that makes this recipe stand out is cream cheese. Cream cheese is considered a fresh or unaged cheese. Its mild,fresh tasting and sweet flavor makes it one of the most widely-consumed cheeses used in a variety of recipes.








Here are a few tips for storing youthful or unaged cheese:


-unaged cheese is highly perishable, keep refrigerated


-the fresher the cheese, the better the flavor


-open within the package dating code and use within one week after opening


-keep tightly wrapped or sealed until gone


-if mold forms on any part of cheese, discard all of the cheese


-freezing is not recommended due to change in texture when thawed







Black Bottom Cupcakes





Filling:


1 package (80unces) cream cheese,softened


1/3 cup sugar


1 egg


1/8 teaspoon salt


1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Cupcakes:


1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour


1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa


1/2 teaspoon salt


1 cup sugar


1 teaspoon baking soda


1 tablespoon white vinegar


1/3 cup vegetable oil


1 teaspoon vanilla




Topping:


Sugar


Chopped almonds,if desired



Combine cream cheese,sugar,egg and salt in a small mixing bowl;blend until smooth. Stir in chips. Set aside. Sift toether flour,cocoa,salt,sugar,and soda. Add egg,water,vinegar,oil and vanilla; beat until well combined. Fill paper-lined muffin tins half full with chocolate batter. Drop a heaping teaspoon of cheese mixture in center of batter of each cupcake. Sprinkle with sugar and chopped almonds, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate any leftovers. Yield: 20-24 cupcakes




You can find more delicious cream cheese recipes at http://www.midwestdairy.com/. Hope you find the perfect recipe for youthful (unaged) cream cheese!