Taxi Calves

Did you know we give taxi rides on the dairy farm?  Our baby calves get a taxi ride on their first day on the farm! We pick them up in the field or in the maternity barn where they are born and deliver them to the calf raising area. The taxi they ride in, of course, is actually a wire enclosed wagon with a non-slip rubber floor pulled by a small tractor. Today's taxi calves are twins--one boy and one girl. We don't even charge extra for two riders!

The mother of the calf will follow the taxi to the first stop which happens to be the milking barn . Once the mama cow enters the barn, the calf taxi continues on to  the calf raising area. The taxi pulls up and stops in front of an individual hutch that the calf will call home for the next six to eight weeks.  The end to this taxi ride is where my work begins to provide good nutrition for the calf and monitor closely during these first weeks of life.

Our commitment to provide high-quality milk begins with the care each calf receives because healthy animals produce a healthy product.

   These two boys (now grown up) are my favorite taxi drivers and
                     we're looking forward to a lot of taxi calves
                                    in the next few weeks! 

County Fair Show and Tell

While 4-H and FFA members and their families were proudly exhibiting their livestock at the 108th Benton County Fair this week, we were also providing a mega show and tell for consumers. My favorite county fair show and tell (besides the petting zoo) is the milking parlor. What better way to teach a child or adult where milk comes from than to show a dairy cow being milked!

Cows are milked twice a day at the fair just like at home on the farm. As you watch the milking procedure, you witness that no human hands touch the milk--once the milking machine is attached to the cow, milk flows directly from the cow, into the glass jar and then to the refrigerated tank.

This year's dairy show and tell also included a display showing that one cow can produce 60 gallons of milk in a week and the type and amount of feed and water that she needs to produce high-quality milk every day. Can you imagine drinking 50 gallons of water every day!

Although county fair show and tell only occurs once a year, dairy farm families like mine are working hard every day to provide you with safe,high-quality milk and dairy products as we care for our cows and the land we call home.  I'd love to answer any questions you have about dairy farming or you can find information at http://www.midwestdairy.org or http://www.dairygood.org.

Boots and Blogs

In just a week, I'm going to step out of my dairy  farm comfort zone and head to Mountain View, Arkansas to "meet-up" with women bloggers from across the state to fulfill the mission statement of Arkansas Women Bloggers to 'Gather,Grow,and Connect.'

Blogging is all about connecting and sharing with others what we love and feel passionate about. While I'm hoping to improve how I share my passion about life on the farm with writing tips and techniques, I can't wait to connect with other women that have been sharing their creativity and passion so well on a variety of blog subjects!

Although I will be stepping out of my dairy farm comfort zone, I will be stepping into a pair of beautiful boots--compliments of Country Outfitter,one of the fun and generous conference sponsors (http://countryoutfitter.com/?utm_campaign=Sponsorship_Post_AWBU_2012_07_24_).    How  did they know I have a passion for boots!  With so many boots to choose from, it was not an easy decision.
Here's the pair I selected:

What I really love is that not only do I get a pair of boots for attending the conference, Country Outfitter is donating a pair for me to give away on my blog after the conference!! Don't worry,  I'll be sure and get the giveaway instructions so that one of ya'll can be the proud owner of a new pair of boots,too!

If you're curious about other fantastic sponsors of this event and  what happens at a "meet-up" of bloggers, you can check the conference agenda at http://arkansaswomenbloggers.com.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Northwest Arkansas has a rich agricultural history that includes 108 years of the Benton County Fair.  Although the petting zoo has only  been a part of the fair experience for the last 15 years, it ranks at the top of the list for things to do at the fair!

Come on over and ...

 milk  Betsy,

 the Farm Bureau cow that never goes dry,

                                                     love on some baby chicks,        

and

get a kiss from a calf.

As one of the zookeepers, I'm thankful for all the Farm Bureau and 4-H members that make this farm-city connection possible!  

Drought's Silver Lined Cloud

It's difficult to see any positve opportunity from drought when you look at our tinderbox pastures and damaged or dead crops but there is a silver lining to the rainless drought cloud! Drought creates the perfect condition for cleaning out ponds that have filled up with silt or dirt that has drained into the ponds over several years. Drought dried ponds in Northwest Arkansas are calling all bulldozers and wheel loaders into action!

This Deere loader was delivered to the farm by a local equipment rental business this morning. It's true--boys never outgrow their love of toys or playing in the dirt! During this week,unless it rains, Ryan and our  sons,Cody and Casey,  will take turns playing in the dirt to clean ponds on our farm and a few of our neighbor's ponds.

Dirt is being removed from the dry pond and moved to either side of the pond. Eventually the  piles of dirt will be smoothed out and packed down to  make a slight slope that cattle can walk on without difficulty when coming for a drink of water.

Cleaning out the ponds is a conservation practice that will allow more storage space for water collected from rain events and runoff from the fields and pastures and increase water availability for our cattle.  

                                    Drought or no drought--
             we're committed to caring for our land and animals
                        as we work to provide high-quality milk!

Drought Grazing

Although  we were fortunate to receive a little rain this week, it was barely enough rain to cover the bottom of the rain gauge. Thankfully, the rain was accompanied by cooler temperatures and a reprieve from the oppressive heat of last week.


Just after the rain, I watched the cows reaching through the yard fence to snatch a bite of the green grass that had grown in the shade. A perfect picture of that saying--"the grass is always greener on the other side"! Drought has turned our pastures crispy brown.  Even though large round bales of hay are provided in hay mangers in the pasture, the cows are missing the green grass to graze that is usually available.  Drought conditions and what I call drought grazing,  have created a lot of fence building in many pastures this summer due to the cows reaching out for available green grass.

While we continue to wait for more rain and the return of green pastures for our cows, we are  making sure that all of our  dairy cattle are eating a nutritious diet and drinking plenty of clean water.

Drought or no Drought,

               we're  committed to providing high-quality milk!

                                            -----------------
                          
For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
                                           Philippians 4:11

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Even though the drought is creating hardship and stress to

the birds,

my garden friend,

and our cows,

I'm thankful that cool, clean  drinking water is available for us to provide for all the animals.