Raw Weather Dairy Care

Although we work outside every day in all kinds of weather, when the weather changes from a light jacket day to "can't put enough clothes on" day--that's what we consider, as my grandmother might have said,  a "raw" day.  Today's thirty two degree temperature with wind was a perfect "raw" day in northwest Arkansas! When we scheduled the hoof trimmer for his monthly visit to the farm, we had no idea it would be such a chilly day.  Even though we had several layers of clothes on, the cows actually seemed to enjoy this cooler weather!

Hoof trimming is important to the health of our dairy cows in preventing lameness or correcting problems that create lameness.  On hoof trimming day, the cows walk from the milk barn after being milked to the feed barn into a pen and alley that is connected to the special hoof trimming tilt table that is brought by Ben, our hoof trimmer.  With this special tilt table, Ben is able to secure each cow to keep her safe and comfortable and tilt the table to position the cow for easy access to each hoof.  Ben is like an artist at work as he shapes and trims each cow's hooves with his tools.  Every movement is done with precision and accuracy with the intent to provide cow comfort.

Our commitment to providing high quality milk begins with taking good care of our cows--regardless of the weather!

Sweet Friendship Memories

Holidays bring all kinds of special memories.  Many moons ago during my college days, my roommate shared this cookie recipe with me.  Although it's a recipe that can be made any time of the year, I love to bake these rich,buttery cookies at Christmas and savor the memories of a sweet friendship and fun times. 

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter
4 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat softened butter. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Mix in flour and nuts. Shape into balls. Put on greased and floured cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool, roll in powdered sugar.

Yield: 40 (very small)

Now of course, you need a  cold glass of milk or a cup of hot chocolate to make this memory complete!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Benton County Farm Bureau has sponsored the petting zoo at the Benton County Fair for more than fifteen years.  It's a great way to connect with consumers of all ages and share information about agriculture.

Farmers and ranchers across Arkansas are meeting this week in Little Rock for the annual convention. As a delegate to this meeting, we will be voting on issues that are important to farm and ranch families. I'm thankful for Arkansas Farm Bureau and its mission to advocate the interests of agriculture in the public arena,disseminate information concerning the value and importance of agriculture and provide products and services which improve the quality of life for our members.

Dairy Farmer's Ultimate Goal

It makes no difference how many cows you milk--50,300, or 1000--the ultimate goal of every dairy farmer is to produce safe,high quality milk and dairy products by taking good care of the cows and the land.  On a recent visit to Scott Brothers Dairy located in San Jacinto,California, I enjoyed meeting Brad Scott's family and listening to the information  provided  by Brad during a tour of his family's dairy farm.   Crops are raised on the land that surrounds the 1000 cow dairy.  Every decision in managing the farm requires consideration of   environmental quality.     Innovative methods of using reclaimed water from the nearby urban population is just one of the best management practices in place for protecting the environment and utilizing available water.  Although the landscape is extremely different than Arkansas, it is quite beautiful with the mountains surrounding the dairy.

Scott Brothers Dairy also has its own processing facility located in Chino,California. I loved the art work on their milk transport truck and on one of the trailers that was parked on the farm!  You can find more information about the variety of products that are manufactured by Scott Brothers Dairy  and the history of their family operation at http://www.scottbrothers.com/.

It's obvious--dairy farmers love to promote a great product with a smile!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Before we enjoy our Thanksgiving feast,

the dairy cows will be milked,

the cows will enjoy their special diet,

and the baby calves will be fed. 

I'm thankful for the everyday blessings---faith,family,friends,farm and food.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Turkey Treasures

Thanksgiving brings to mind so many past memories that I treasure and allows a time of reflection about my family and our family heritage.  Just over the hill and across a few pastures from where I live today, is the farmstead of my great grandparents.  Little did I know that I would become a dairy farmer and live so close to my family's roots!

Turkey is always the center of attraction for my family's Thanksgiving meal.  My first turkey encounters as a small child happened when we made trips (seven miles seemed like a long trip on curvy roads) from the city (Bentonville) to see my great-grandparents.  My great grandparents were raising turkeys in the early 1920's when my dad was a baby.  I cherish this picture of my great-grandmother Martha holding my dad in the middle of her turkeys.

Arkansas is the third largest turkey producing state in the nation, led by Minnesota and North Carolina. Instead of roaming freely on the range or in pastures as in past days, turkeys today are raised in modern turkey houses that have controlled temperature and provide safety from predators.  It is possible for us to enjoy turkey on Thanksgiving and a variety of turkey products through the year because of improved genetics,feed formulations, modern farming practices and the dedication of farm families (http://www.eatturkey.com/).

What do you treasure at Thanksgiving?

Whipped Cream Tips

No matter how much we eat  during the Thanksgiving  dinner, the meal won't be complete without the pumpkin pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream.  Is it  the pie or the whipped cream that makes the meal complete?  It could be debatable!

Cream is the higher butterfat layer skimmed from the top of the milk before homogenization. Heavy whipping ceam is 36%  butterfat compared to Half n Half at 18% and whips best because the increased butterfat traps air bubbles when being whipped.  We enjoy many other products that contain cream such as butter,sour cream and  in food ingredients  like ice cream,sauces,soups and drinks.

It is suggested when whipping cream:

• keep cream cold before whipping
• chill the mixing beaters and the bowl that you will use for whipping
• once whipped,refrigerate
• cover and store leftovers in refrigerator for 1-2 days

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

Whip cream until soft peaks begin to  form; beat in vanilla and sugar. Don't overbeat. Refrigerate.

                                                        
If you can't make the whipped cream come out even with the pie, a dollop of whipped cream in a good black cup of  coffee makes a delicious drink for a weary shopper the day after Thanksgiving!