Drought Damage Control

In a normal year (whatever that is) , we would be chopping corn for silage and baling hay like crazy,but drought, exceptional drought in our case, is demanding change and flexibility in all of our farming decisions for this time of the year. Even though we have received a little bit of rain that has greened up the pastures, at least one third of the grass in our pastures is dead. In times like these we are relying heavily on the information and advice from our Cooperative Extension Agent and the Natural Resource and Conservation Service technicians to help us make the best decisions for farming practices under these drought  conditions.

Maintainence of grazing pastures is important to the nutrition of our dairy cows and calves and the sustainability of our farm. For fall and winter pasture grass, several pastures have been reseeded with rye grass by using a no-till drill. With diesel fuel edging closer to five dollars a gallon, it is very sustainable and cost effective to no-till plant because it reduces soil erosion,retains soil moisture and conserves fuel needed to cultivate.

 

Drought is challenging every aspect of our farming operation but in looking for the silver lining to the drought cloud, I would say that for me it has grown my faith and given me an even deeper appreciation of the science and technology that we rely on every day to care for our animals and land and to produce high-quality milk for your family and mine!

Lightning Safety Tips

Late Friday afternoon a severe thunderstorm moved through our area bringing cooler temperatures and a half inch of much needed rain. I was shocked and saddened to learn later that six of our Holstein dairy cows that were eating at a feed wagon in the pasture had been struck and killed instantly by lightning. Although there was nothing we could have done to prevent this for our cattle, it is a reminder of unexpected danger and injuries that can occur from Mother Nature's power.

After two major lightning strikes on our farm within the last two weeks,I am reminding myself and sharing these lightning safety measures found at http://www.nfpa.org/education.

For outdoor safety:

• If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance of lightning. Look for shelter inside a building or a hard-topped vehicle.
• Do not go under tall trees for shelter.
• If caught outside away from a building or car, stay clear of water bodies or tall objects. Find a low spot or depression and crouch down as low as possible, but don't lie on the ground.
• Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before leaving your shelter.
• If you are in or on open water, go to land and seek shelter immediately.

For indoor safety:

• Unplug appliances and other electrical items.
• Stay away from windows and door.
• Stay off corded phones,computers and other electronic equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity or plumbing.
• Avoid washing your hands,bathing,doing laundry or washing dishes.

                                      It's a fact that we can't stop Mother Nature but we can    
                                      follow safety tips to protect ourselves and our families!

Dairymom's Duck Tape Tool

How many ways can you use Duck Tape? I'm pretty sure the number is limitless if you have any imagination! Sponsors of the Arkansas Women Bloggers Conference gave us a treasure bag full of useful and fun products. I was so excited to see that one of those treasures was a new roll of black and white zebra stripe Duck Tape. A farmer can never have too  much Duck Tape and baling wire for those unexpected emergencies!

Actually, Duck Tape is a tool I use every day raising baby calves. As soon as we bring a new calf to the calf raising area, we place it in an individual hutch. Each hutch is marked with a number as part of my record keeping system. After years of trying to keep wooden boards painted and updates with numbers, I decided to try using Duck Tape and a permanent marker for writing numbers. It works perfectly!

 With so many colors of Duck Tape to choose from, it was a hard decision but it seemed obvious that the girls (heifers) should have Funky Flamingo pink and the boys(bulls) would have Island Lime  green.Girls are always pretty in pink--and these calves are no exception!

I haven't decided how I will use my zebra stripe Duck Tape, but I'm sure it will be something useful and fun and it will stay in my dairymom tool box!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                 
               Hurricane Issac  blessed us with three inches of much needed rain last week    that added water to our  ponds and provided relief to our drought stressed land. I'm thankful to see these green sprouts of newly planted milo that will become a feed source for our dairy cattle.

Tale of an Arkansas Woman Blogger

Just a little more than a week ago, I traveled to Mountain View to attend my first Arkansas Women Bloggers Conference. From the Foodie Friday afternoon session, where I was given my very own Spotted Cow Review apron, till we departed for home on Sunday morning, it was jam-packed with useful information about sharing our passion through blogging and providing tools to improve that sharing ability--whatever the subject.  Nestled in north central Arkansas into the hills and around the curves, the Ozark Folk Center gives you a view of life about the heart of Arkansas--it's people. It was the perfect setting for the gathering of women from across our state and beyond  the state borders.

One of my favorite sessions on the Friday afternoon schedule was the tour of the herbal garden located in front of the Center. Herbalist Tina Marie Wilcox gave us a quick overview of the herbs growing in the garden and descriptions of how each can be used and grown for a variety of culinary and medicinal purposes (http://www.ozarkfolkcenter.com/herbs/yarb_tales.aspx).

 Even though it was a steamy afternoon, Tina moved through the garden with the speed of a jack rabbit  sharing her enthusiasm and passion for herbs. Her knowledge about herbs was amazing but what really caught my attention was her ability and desire to share her passion and knowledge with others.

Now that I'm back on the dairy  farm with my apron hanging  proudly in the kitchen, my mind  is full of lessons learned and I've been   inspired by these  Arkansas women I met that are  sharing their passion with others.

 Most of all, I'm thankful for the fact that you stop by Spotted Cow Review to let me share my passion about life on and off the farm!

Sweet September!

Just when my frustration reached the "I'm leaving home and not coming back" level this week after lightning burned the telephone lines and killed the electronics, I took a deep breath and gave thanks for the rain that did follow that lightning!

To celebrate the rain, the first day of September,the first Razorback football game of the season, and the fact that I now am back to full plugged in status with telephones,computer,fax and printer back in working order,I baked a new cake recipe found in my Jim Graham's Family Cookbook for City Folks!

Honey Bun Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Topping:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix cake mix,oil,eggs, and milk until well blended. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan or dish. Mix together the nuts,brown sugar, and cinnamon. sprinkle over batter, and swirl into batter with a spoon. bake for 50 minutes.
Prepare topping: Blend ingredients well, and spread on cake as soon as it is removed from oven. Delicious served warm. Serves 12 or 15.

 

Happy September!!

Lightning Rod Computer

We got RAIN!! In the process,lightning blew up my computer but if that's what it took to get rain--it was worth it!Computers must make great lightning rods! I'm not sure how long my computer will be recovering but I hope not too long.Blogging on my phone doesn't work very well for me or my battery challenged phone. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a very dairy good week!