Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Watching the school bus pass by this week reminded me of the many transitions that we watch on our farm and in our family life. This is the first time that both boys will be working on the farm together since Cody started school in 1994. I'm thankful for all the milestone moments with my family and for the transitions that we see daily on the farm as we care for our dairy cows and work to produce a delicious healthy product.

Dairy Farm Full of Transitions

As I walked across the pasture tonight to check on our dairy cows that are due to calve any day, I heard the loud chorus of the crickets proclaiming the end of summer. It seems like life around us right now is full of transitions--school starting,seasons changing,county fair finished,both sons home on the farm for the first time in four years. Even the cows are in transition! These cows that I'm checking tonight have been moved close to the house within the last two weeks so that we can monitor them frequently and provide assistance with calving if needed.

Dairy cows experience a transition period from sixty days prior to calving until forty days after calving. During this transition period, known as the dry period, the cows are removed from the milking herd and allowed to rest in the pasture until they give birth. A carefully managed dry cow diet that contains adequate protein,vitamins and minerals, medium quality forage, and a small amount of grain will prepare the cow for a smooth transition into the milking herd, provide optimum milk production in early lactation and reduce the incidence of metabolic disorders.

Caring for our cows during this important transition time in the cow's life leads to high quality, wholesome milk. Tomorrow we have three more cows that will begin their transition into the dry period and be removed from the milking herd. One thing is constant in life and on the dairy farm--transition!

Detour To A Healthy Dairy Snack

Our county fair is rich in tradition and one hundred seven years of history. What makes each fair special are the families and individuals that are involved in all of the fair activities. Friday at our county fair has always been "Kids Day" which allows all children to come into the fair for free. Today as I watched all the 4-H members in the livestock barn preparing their animals for these special guests, I couldn't help but feel a measure of pride in the dedication of these 4-H members that are devoted to making our county fair a great success. One of my favorite groups of course is the Benton County 4-H Udder Dairy Club. This morning club members used a theme of "Body Under Construction" to draw kids to the dairy area. As children walked through the barn to watch the cows being milked in the parlor, dairy club members were sharing information about their 4-H dairy projects and dairy nutrition,exhibiting their dairy animals and providing a squeezable yogurt for every child attending Kids Day.

Yogurt is a healthy snack choice for any time--at the fair,after school or at work. It provides a package of nine essential nutrients that improve overall diet quality,keep hunger in check, and help provide energy through the day. Besides squeezable yogurt, you might try these yogurt snack ideas:

-Tropical Smoothie: Blend fresh orange slices with strawberry yogurt and ice.

-Freeze squeezable yogurt for a quick and creamy popsicle.

-Parfait Pleaser: Layer granola and fresh fruit with your favorite lowfat yogurt.

You can find other healthy snack suggestions at http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/. Think I'll go see if I can find any yogurt on my way back to the fair to work in the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Today was the first day of our Benton County Fair. Benton County Farm Bureau began sponsoring the petting zoo at least fifteen years ago. I've been the zoo keeper for ten of those years. Kids and adults can pet two baby pigs,chicks,a dairy calf, a goat , a lamb and milk Sophia, our special milking cow. I'm thankful for all the volunteers who willingly help to make the petting zoo a great experience for thousands of kids and their families.

Connecting with Consumers at the Petting Zoo

Rural makes connection with urban this week at the Benton County Fair in Northwest Arkansas. It's a gathering place that preserves our county's rich agricultural history and educates the public about agriculture in our now urbanized area. The fair actually begins its 107th year tomorrow but the fairgrounds was buzzing with activity late this afternoon as trucks and livestock trailers pulled up to the barn to bring the assortment of animals that will be shown by 4-H and FFA members through the week. You could feel the excitement in the air and the anticipation of that possible blue ribbon as the kids moved their animals into the barn!

My sons were kind enough to help me this afternoon to get ready for the fair by setting up the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo. I'll be unloading my livestock tomorrow in the petting zoo. Our zoo will include baby chicks,a dairy calf, a baby pig,a lamb and a goat. Because most consumers are three generations from having any connection to a farm, providing the petting zoo is a great way to share information about agriculture while having a fun family experience. It's up to the two percent of us who work in agriculture to share how we care for our animals and work to produce safe,affordable food.

More information about our fair can be found at http://www.bentoncountyfairar.org/. I'm looking forward to all those smiles I will see this week and the chance to talk a little about Benton County agriculture!

Fueling Up with Health Habits

Eat Healthy. Get Active. Make a difference. Those are the messages dairy farmers want to impress on our youth through the Fuel Up to Play 60 school program. It is our hope that this dairy farmer funded program will help combat childhood obesity and help our children to make lifelong healthy choices. Fuel Up to Play 60 utilizes years of nutrition and physical activity experience to focus on the whole picture of healthy living. In the 2009-2010 school year, the program reached thirty six million youth in 60,000 schools. Look on the map provided at http://www.fueluptoplay60.com/ to see which schools in your area are participating in Fuel Up to Play 60.

The unique feature of this program is that the kids actually take ownership and responsibility for the decisions they make to create lifelong healthy habits. The program encourages the consumption of low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and 60 minutes of physical activity daily. When a school signs up to participate, a team of students will be chosen to begin selecting goals for their school and plan programs and activities to meet those goals. Utilizing the NFL star power provides initiative for students to work towards their goals while the National Dairy Council provides the nutrition information based on sound scientific research.

You can find more detailed information about the Fuel Up to Play 60 program at http://www.midwestdairy.com/.

As a dairy farmer and mother, I am very proud that we are working for the health of our youth. Can you make the pledge: Eat Healthy-Get Active-Make a difference? Our youth are watching us!

Are You A Breakfast Champion Mom?

Did you eat your breakfast? That was a pretty standard question each morning before my boys left for school. Milk was and still is part of the usual breakfast menu at our house. Breakfast is essential for fueling the brain for learning. Research has shown that breakfast eaters will experience increased physical energy,creativity and memory, improved attendance, higher math and reading scores and overall better mood.

Midwest Dairy council registered dietitian Bridget Sheehan suggests three simple strategies for making breakfast a habit:

• If you're pressed for time in the morning,take advantage of school breakfast programs.
  




• Be a role model parent. Eat breakfast yourself and with your children when possible.
  




• Keep easy-to-serve breakfast foods or grab-and-go options on hand:

-Mom-approved "breakfast bowl" filled with yogurt tubes,string cheese

-Cup of yogurt with animal or graham cracker sticks for dunking

-Trail mix or dried fruit with a plastic re-sealable container of milk

You may want to try this easy breakfast recipe shared by Dairymom Jennifer Gross of South Dakota:

Oatmeal Yogurt Breakfast Blend

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1/2 cup diced apple

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

2 teaspoons brown sugar

dash of cinnamon

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together and serve. For best taste results, prepare the night before and store in refrigerator. Serves:1

More information about dairy nutrition,recipes and tips to help you be a successful Breakfast Champion Mom can be found at http://www.dairymakessense.com.

I'll be thinking about you as your new school year begins and I hope you have a great start to the new school year!