Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Today I met with a group of  dairy friends to plan events for the Four State Dairy Days  that is held in our county during June Dairy Month.  I'm thankful for all the 4-H leaders and dairy friends that have worked together for many years  to promote dairy, provide a fun educational experience for kids and the great family memories made at Dairy Days.

Rural Meets Urban On the Farm

Rural met urban tonight at a Benton County Quorum Court meeting. It's neither the first nor the last time for situations to occur in our rapidly growing county that will have a great impact on our agricultural community. Tonight's issue is the small farming community of Hiwassee fighting against the proposed annexation of their community into the larger city of Bella Vista.  This annexation would take in approximately 6000 acres of agricultural land.

As I listened to a member of our Benton County Farm Bureau Board present reasons we oppose this annexation for this agricultural community, I thought about the rich agricultural history of Benton County. In the 1920's, we  were listed as the number one apple growing county in the nation. When the apple industry declined, the poultry industry began with a farmwife raising a backyard chicken. Today Benton County is second in the state in poultry production and Arkansas ranks second nationally in poultry production.

More than 100 farm families make their living from raising poultry and cattle in this proposed area of annexation. After reviewing the proposed annexation, Arkansas Farm Bureau states that it believes the new regulations placed on this small agricultural community by the city would be detrimental and quite possibly devastating to their ability to maintain or expand their current farm while potentially decreasing the value of their land. Landowners and farmers will also be faced with additional costs to improve their land because of a more restrictive and expensive permitting process.

It's my hope that the citizens of Bella Vista will consider the importance of this agricultural community to our county and the long range plan of food production for our nation. The question  for all of us--rural and urban--where will our food be produced?

Food and Drug Safety

Even though we've been having the most beautiful,not too cold January weather, we have had a couple of calves become very sick with pneumonia in the last few days. Young calves require daily consistent monitoring because they are susceptible to respiratory illness when we have erratic or unusual shifts in temperatures or changes in humidity.

Our commitment to providing high-quality milk begins with taking good care of each dairy calf that is born and raised on our farm.  Each dairy heifer calf is a future milk producing cow on our farm.  As each animal grows and matures, we are providing a nutritious diet,good medical care and healthy conditions.When a calf  develops a respiratory illness, we treat them with an  antibiotic that is prescribed by our veterinarian. The list of medications that are approved for use in food animals is provided by the Food and Drug Administration.  Every drug has its own particular dosage rates,  number of treatment days  and specific instructions for its use. We follow directions for treating a calf  with an antibiotic just as you would treat  your self or your child.

I'm very grateful for the science that provides medications to treat illness in humans and animals.  I can't imagine living in the days of no penicillin or aspirin!  On the farm, we count on using sound science and best management practices in providing the safest,most affordable food for consumers. Responsible use of any medication used for treating illness in food animals is an important key to providing safe food.

Razorback Dairy Snack

Today's the big game all Razorback fans have been waiting for--Arkansas at the Cotton Bowl!  Even if you aren't sharing the Arkansas excitement, you might still enjoy a nutritious dip recipe for your next party.  Thanks to Missouri Dairymom Shannon Squibb for sharing her family's  favorite  snack recipe.

Cashew Chicken Dip 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups Greek style plain nonfat yogurt

1 (12.5 oz)can white chicken,packed in water

     (97%f fat free),drained

1 cup water chestnuts,chopped

1/2 cup roasted and unsalted cashews,chopped

4 green onion,chopped(about1/4 cup)

2 teaspoons soy sauce,low sodium

Preparation

In a decorative bowl, mix together all ingredients,saving 2 tablespoons of cashews and 1 tablespoon of green onions. Top with remaining cashews and green onions for garnish. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with raw vegetables (like carrot sticks,cucumber slices,pea pods and red pepper slices) or whole wheat crackers.

You can find other delicious and nutritious recipes at http://www.dairymakessense.com/.

                                                               Go Hogs Go!!!!!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last June these unique Egyptian Geese were born on our farm.

  Just a few days ago, I found the young geese perched on one of the cattle shades in the pasture with the dairy cows. Caring for the land,air and water is a responsibility dairy farmers take seriously because we live and work on our farm and strive to preserve the land for the next generation.   I'm thankful that our dairy farm provides a natural habitat for a variety of birds and wildlife for all of us to enjoy.

Power Snacking with Dairy

Snacking has become a way of life in our multi-tasking world.  According to statistics reported by the National Dairy Council, snacks,on average, contribute 24% of our daily caloric intake.  That's about 421 calories per day for the average woman! For me,personally, that would be about one third of my daily calorie intake.  Including snacks in our daily diet plan is not  a bad habit if we are choosing nutrient dense foods. Snacks can provide energy and can be selected to increase intake of essential cravings, take the edge off hunger and prevent overeating at meals. Healthy snacks can help power you through the day!

To improve my daily diet plan and make every calorie count, I'll be including nutrient dense foods on my snack list.  Nutrient dense foods are  foods that provide substantial amounts of  vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories.  The National Dairy Council offers these tips for Smart Snacking:

• Choose a variety of nutrient-dense snacks from the MyPlate food groups--fruits,vegetables,grains,protein,and low-fat and fat-free dairy
• Limit intake of foods high in solid fats,added sugars and salt
• Make snacks count toward food group servings
• Keep your daily calorie limit in mind when choosing snacks
• Pay attention to serving sizes and avoid oversized portions of snacks
• Plan ahead. Pack grab and go healthy snacks such as fruit,vegetables,nuts,whole grain crackers and cheese for your lunchbox,backpack or briefcase, and have perishable snacks such as milk and yogurt for at home snacks
• Avoid mindless snacking on nutrient poor foods and beverages (i.e.,eating or drinking  while doing something else such as watching TV)

A wealth of information  about healthy snacks,nutrition and great recipes  can be found at http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/ or http://www.midwestdairy.com/.  Power snacking with dairy can be a strategy to help meet the recommended  three daily servings of dairy and the nutrients provided by dairy.

                                                             Happy Power Snacking!

Nutrition Tips for 2012

While packing up the Christmas tree and decorations and thinking about the possibilities of the New Year, I decided that health would be at the top of my personal improvement list.  We work diligently everyday on the dairy farm to make sure that our dairy cows are provided with a nutritious and balanced diet to produce high quality milk, so why would I not strive to improve my own personal  nutritional health habits?

In the past few months, the USDA has provided a new nutrition guide called MyPlate. The Choose My Plate tip sheet can help guide food choices for a healthy lifestyle by balancing calories, choosing foods to eat more often and to cut back on foods to eat less often. You can find more detailed  nutrition  information  at  http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.

10 Tips to a Great Plate

1. Balance calories
2. Enjoy your food,but eat less
3. Avoid oversized portions
4. Foods to eat more often: vegetables,fruits,whole grains,fat-free or 1%milk or dairy products
5. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
6. Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk
7. Make half your grains whole grains
8. Foods to eat less often: foods high in solid fats,added sugars and salt
9. Compare sodium in foods
10. Drink water instead of sugary drinks

                             I'm already getting started on my 2012  improvement plan.  How about you?