Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Got Milk and Chicks

Deviled eggs are a family favorite any time of the year but it's just not Thanksgiving unless you find them among the many dishes on the holiday table.  I must admit, this year I have a new appreciation for all the chicken farmers--both egg farmers and chicken farmers!

 Back in October when I went to a local elementary school to talk to a first grade class   about dairy farming, I also delivered the Farm Bureau poultry  incubater and a dozen eggs from a local hatchery. And like Paul Harvey, here's the rest of the story: 
 
 
After the kids watched the chicks hatch, the  chicks needed a home--so they came to the dairy farm.
They were kept inside on my front porch in a large box under a heat lamp for a couple of weeks until they began to jump out of the box. At that point, they graduated to the chicken coop outside!
 
 
So far, all eleven chicks are still alive and I am enjoying watching how they  grow and change everyday.  Chicken chores do have their perks!
Maybe someday, I'll even  have a few home grown eggs!
 
In the meantime, I'll be buying eggs produced from egg farmers and thanking them for their dedication to providing eggs for Thanksgiving and everyday of the year!
 
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Deviled Eggs
Halve hard-cooked eggs lengthwise; remove yolks and mash with these seasonings:
For 6 eggs:
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt,
dash pepper
Refill whites and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Fantastic Fescue Survives Drought

 
Fescue is a common cool season grass found in pastures and hay fields  across the United States. It was planted in mass in Arkansas in the early 1940's to increase grass for livestock and soil conservation. Fescue is usually baled and fed as dry hay but in this year of extreme drought that has created a shortage of forage feed, we are harvesting fescue  after frost to add to our dairy cow's diet.   Even though many fields of fescue in Northwest Arkansas  have died due to the drought, we are fortunate to have a few fields of mixed grass and fescue that are being harvested and hauled to the silo.
 
 
A sample of the chopped feed will be analyzed by  a forage testing lab to provide  our dairy nutritionist with information in  designing  the nutritious diet for our cows. High-quality milk begins with taking good care of our dairy cows by making sure they eat a balanced, healthy diet.   Efficient use of every feed ingredient is even more important in a drought  year when  feed availability  is limited.
 
 
We added some of the "green chop" fescue with the other feed ingredients and the cows are enjoying every bite! 

Season of Thanksgiving

After last week's freezing temperatures, I'm sure this is probably the last rose of summer in my garden. It's a perfect reminder of God's faithfulness  in bringing each season for us to enjoy. As summer becomes a memory, we're enjoying the harvest of crops and the anticipation of winter rest to prepare for spring growth. I find thanksgiving in each season.
 
 
The second verse of the old hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness says it all:
 
Summer and winter,
and springtime and harvest,
Sun,moon,and stars in their
courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness,mercy and love.
 
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Lord,unto me!

                                                                                 
                               Blessings to you and your family in this season of Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Dairymom Goes Bananas!

What happens when two lonely over-ripe bananas are found in the fruit bowl at the end of a busy week?  You find a tasty recipe and provide a dairymom goes bananas  experience for the family. I found this recipe on the Dairy Makes Sense website. 


Yogurt and Banana Spice Muffins

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounces) box spice cake mix
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 large eggs
2 ripe large bananas,mashed with fork
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon powdered sugar,optional

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix,yogurt,eggs,bananas and milk until just combined. Fold in walnuts. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup,pour into muffin tins coated with cooking spray. Bake for about 25 minutes or until center of muffin tests clean with toothpick.
Let cool for 5 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove muffins from pan,cool completely. If desired, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of powdered sugar over each muffin before serving.


 
       For an even more special Dairymom Goes Bananas experience--serve with a big glass of milk!
                                                         




 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 
Last week we attended the opening of the Austin-Baggett Park in Bentonville. It is a fantastic honor for two long serving city council members--Ed Austin and my mother,Mary Baggett.
 
 
 
Austin-Baggett park is located in a neighborhood just down the street  from a house my grandparents lived in and the Ice Plant where my grandfather worked.  It has the feeling of home!
 
 
It was a beautiful,sunny Saturday with a park full of family,friends and children enjoying the event.
 
 
I'm thankful for my trail blazing Mother who sets a great example for service to community.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Boots and Blog Share the Love

Before I married a dairy farmer,I had never owned any kind of boots. Thanks to my boot loving husband, I now have all kinds of boots. I have the not fun but necessary boots for the everyday jobs on the farm but my favorite boots are the pretty ones I wear to town! When I decided to attend the Arkansas Women Bloggers Conference in August, I couldn't believe that I had a chance for new boots.

Country Outfitter, a retailer of Ariat boots, gave me these Brown Oiled Rowdy and Sapphire Blue boots to review.
 
 
Here's my review: Love everything about these beauties! They're my first pair of square toe boots and they are super comfortable.
Hugs and Kisses to my Country Outfitter Friends  and Arkansas Women Bloggers!
 
Now for the fun part,Country Outfitter is giving you (my blog supporting friend) a chance to win a $150 gift certificate to go shopping on them! You could pick Ariat boots like mine or something completely different. We are making it sooo simple for you  to enter in just two little steps.
 
1. Click here and submit your email address to Country Outfitter (you may receive occasional emails from them).
2. Leave a comment here on the blog letting me know you submitted your email to Country Outfitter.
 
A random winner will be selected in two weeks (November 28th.)
 

                            It's true---a girl can never have too many diamonds, friends or BOOTS!
 
 

Monday, November 12, 2012

Harvest Round-Up

This year's drought has created a severe shortage of hay and pasture grass for our dairy cows and calves. Harvesting every bit of hay available is vital to our farm.  With the weather man predicting a hard freeze and the chance of rain, we seemed to be going in every direction to complete the hay baling and crop planting last week. I knew oldest son  Cody was desperate when he asked if I could help him get the bales loaded on the trailer in the field.
 
 My job was to drive the tractor and trailer to each group of bales in the field so that he could load them on the trailer.
 
 
 In the olden days (that would be before I married the dairy farmer), small square bales were picked up by hand and thrown onto a truck and stacked. It was then the hay crew's job to unload them by hand and stack them in the big hay barn.  I have a great appreciation for modern machinery when I think about hauling hay by hand in 100 degree weather!

 
As you can see, these bales are loaded by a skid loader with a grapple and stacked on the trailer.
 
 
Once the trailer was full, the hay was taken to the feed barn for storage.
 
 
I love watching Cody unload  and stack the bales --every move is made with precision!
I was also feeling pretty proud--he smiled really big and thanked me for my help!