Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Rain and chilly weather lingered most of today in Northwest Arkansas.

Wearing coats and gloves this afternoon while feeding calves was  a  sure sign of "blackberry winter"  on the dairy farm.

 

I'm thankful for the late afternoon sunshine  and the  spring rain that we so desperately needed

 

 

to refresh  our grass for the  cows to enjoy

and 

 

lift our spirits with new surprises of   color in the garden.

Rollin' On the Dairy

We're rollin' on  the dairy...spring harvest of rye and wheat has begun!

Part of the crop is being chopped and hauled from the field to the silo but the rest of it will be wrapped in plastic and allowed to ferment for feeding later in the year.

 

 

I was called to field duty late Saturday afternoon to assist in getting the last few bales hauled home to be wrapped.  Once we got to the wrapper, my job was to stand by the wrapper and be ready to push the STOP button if needed. Fortunately, everything worked properly and I did not get in trouble for doing the wrong thing!

 

 

It wasn't a bit hard to enjoy the afternoon sunshine with a thankful heart for this crop that will provide nutritious feed for our dairy cows.

 Working with my family while we're Rollin' on the Dairy is just one of the perks for living and working on our family dairy farm.

Happy Mother's Day

 

My life has been blessed by  this experience called motherhood--

make that double blessed!

It's hard to believe I've had twenty-six years of these blessings!

 

The older I grow, I  also realize how lucky I've been to have a Mother that has loved and nurtured me, supported and encouraged me, guided me with wisdom and patience and shared her faith in God every step of the way.

 

                                                               
                                                         Happy Mother's Day!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We're on duty around the clock during spring calving season to make sure that our dairy cows have a healthy delivery. I'm thankful for this "special delivery" that happened without any complications  in the middle of a hectic day  down on the dairy farm.

 

 

Mother Nature always has perfect timing!

Sustainable Dairy Farming

 

For the last few days, we've been harvesting (also known as "green chopping")  the spring crop of wheat and rye grass that will be included in the balanced diet for our cows to enjoy this summer.

It's a perfect example of how we recycle on the farm and protect the environment.

 

Cow manure is recycled as fertilizer for crops by following a farm plan designed specifically  for our farm that guides the amount, source and placement and timing of manure on fields.  Utilizing cow manure as fertilizer adds organic matter to the soil and helps the soil hold moisture. Manure nutrients are absorbed by crops and not groundwater which fits perfectly with federal, state and local clean water laws.

 

 

It's true...Earth Day is Everyday on the dairy farm!

Slide into May with Dairy

No matter what the occasion you're celebrating--Derby Day,graduations, weddings or just welcoming warmer weather--Beef Sliders with Chipotle Yogurt Sauce and Cheddar Cheese is a perfect recipe  for kicking off  the May grilling season.  You can find this recipe highlighted at Dairy Makes Sense.


Beef Sliders with Chipotle Yogurt Sauce and Cheddar Cheese


Ingredients:
For Sauce:
1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 to 2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce,chopped
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
For Sliders:
1 pound ground beef chuck
6 whole wheat slider buns
1 1/2 slices mild Cheddar cheese,quartered

Preparation:
For sauce, in a medium bowl, combine yogurt, chipotle pepper(s), adobo sauce, and cumin. stir until well blended. cover and chill to allow flavors to blend.

For slicers, shape beef into 6 patties about 3 inches in diameter. Cook beef on an outdoor grill or a grill pan over medium heat until center registers 160 degrees with a quick-read thermometer, turning once during cooking. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 tablespoon,divided, Chipotle Yogurt Sauce, on top and bottom of each bun. Transfer each beef patty onto a bottom bun. Add a cheese quarter and top bun to each slider. Serve warm.

                                                                                   

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It doesn't seem possible it's been 26 years since we brought home this 9 pound baby!

I'm thankful for the joy Cody brings to my life, that he always requests chocolate cake for his birthday,

 

 

the fact that we're  celebrating his last 'single' birthday,

 

 

and

 

 

                      that birthdays are celebrated  working  together on our family dairy farm.
                                                                 Life is dairy good!