Dairy Goes Bananas

I love this month of gathering with friends and family to celebrate and give thanks for the blessings we enjoy on a daily basis.  As I flipped through a new cookbook, 'What's Cooking at Wye', that I picked up on my visit to see the spring daffodils on Wye Mountain, Banana Pudding seemed to be the perfect choice to carry to our Thanksgiving church dinner today. It meets my criteria for using dairy products and serving a crowd!

The recipe didn't have a lot of detailed instruction so I decided on my own to line the bottom of the 13x 9  serving dish with a layer of vanilla wafers with a layer of banana slices on top,pour the pudding mixture  and top it with the rest of the vanilla wafers. I can tell you from licking the spatula--it's mmm... good!

Banana Pudding

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese,softened
1 can condensed milk

Mix ingredients above together and set aside.

1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the above ingredients together; then add to the cream cheese and condensed milk mixture.

8 bananas-sliced
1 large tub Cool Whip
1 package of vanilla wafers

Add to the mixture above: 1 large tub of Cool Whip (fold one big blob of this into the mixture above)
use the rest to top the pudding. Pour into large bowl, top with remaining cool whip...place in the refrigerator.

                                                                          Happy Sunday!

Feelin' the Farmer Love

Dairy farms can be found in all 50 states and even though each farm is unique, we are all working for the same outcome--producing nutritious, high-quality milk by caring for our animals and the land we call home. 

This video thank-you from McDonald's  was shared at the National Milk Producer's Annual Meeting in Phoenix this week.

I  felt the farmer love all the way to Arkansas---thank-you from all of us dairy farmers!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Arkansas Farm Bureau leaders from all 75 counties met in Little Rock last week for the State Resolution Committee meeting  to discuss resolutions for policy changes in preparation for the annual meeting in December. This process is why Farm Bureau is called a "grassroots" organization. Changes or additions  made to Farm Bureau policy start at the county level, are  reviewed by the State Resolution Committee and  then presented at the annual meeting for adoption.

 

 

At this two day meeting, we discussed both state and national policies that are important to our members across the state. I just love talking about chickens and dairy!

 

After review and suggestions for adoption of changes, resolutions are approved for presentation at the annual meeting in December.

 

 

 

I'm thankful for this policy process that serves to fulfill the mission of Arkansas Farm Bureau in advocating the interests of agriculture, disseminating information concerning the value and importance of agriculture, and provide products and services which improve the quality of life for our members.

Dairy Cow Approved Weather

It was a Dairy Cow Approved Weather Day  and I'm going to recommend a bonus for the  weatherman's perfect prediction of today's cold weather in Northwest Arkansas.  As I waddled out the back door this morning  all bundled in my warm coveralls, hoodie, coat and gloves--I wasn't too stylish looking but I was    prepared for that cold north wind!

 

Our dairy cows actually seem to thrive on colder  temperatures.  They embrace and enjoy  the cold weather  by eating more hay.

 

 

 
 From now till spring, one of our daily tasks will be  making sure hay is in the manger to provide good nutrition during cold weather   for these pregnant cows.

 

As I watched the cows enjoying their bale of hay, I couldn't help but think

 we're a lot like cows--eating is the natural thing to do when the weather gets chilly!

 

 

Nutritious dairy products--- always in style and perfect for any weather!

                                                           

                                                       ---Dairymom Approved Statement

 

 

Veteran's Day

 

Ryan's parents ,Bill and Bonnah Lyn, were married in 1944 at Tyler, Texas,  just a few days before Bill was sent to Japan during World War II. Just a day or two after being married, Bonnah Lyn returned home to work on the farm with her father  while Bill was overseas.  

 

 

 

 

While we can never thank our Veteran's enough for their service to our country, 

I also give thanks to the families of these men and women for keeping the home fires burning  during times of war and peace.

 

                                                                                    
                                                                                  

Harvest Wrap-Up

 

We've been enjoying great weather as fall harvest wraps up.   Even though it has frosted and  the days are cooler and shorter, hay can still be cut, baled and wrapped to make silage bales.  

 

 

Today's hay wrapping is  a great example of teamwork that happens on the dairy farm everyday.

Cody baled the hay, Casey moved it from the field onto the wrapper, and

 

 

 

Ryan and his dog supervised!

Harvest wrap-up activities are a part of our  commitment to providing high-quality milk by making sure our cows have nutritious feed. 

 

 

 

 

 

Movember Dairy

 

November is Men's Health Awareness Month and it's the perfect opportunity to share information about the  health challenge of prostate cancer.  

 

Here's the facts:

 



•  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.

 

• One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

 

• There are no early signs of prostate cancer.

 

• Prostate cancer is slow growing but by the time symptoms occur, it is usually in advanced stage and more difficult to treat.

 

That old adage " an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" rings true when thinking about prostate cancer.  It's important for men to have that yearly prostate exam--85% of prostate cancer is diagnosed in the early stage when it  is more likely to be treated successfully.

 

 

You can follow the Movember Dairy or donate to the Movember USA campaign which funds prostate cancer research.