Arkansas Dairy Supports Ditch the Rule

 

After little rain in the month of April, mud puddles and water standing in the pastures and fields is a welcome sight. This has always been a very expected outcome after a good rain in Northwest Arkansas!

Normal Arkansas weather outcomes  could become costly if the Environmental Protection Agency, lovingly known as the EPA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps)  get there way in proposing the rule to change the definition of "waters of the U.S." and expand the range of waters that fall under federal jurisdiction.

 

Can you imagine needing a permit for a mud hole? Sounds silly, but under the proposed rule change, it's not impossible. It goes deeper than just water--it would impact common farming practices that have existed for years. The rule change would make it more difficult for private landowners to farm and ranch, build homes or make changes to the land--even if the changes that landowners propose would benefit the environment.

 

Even if you live in the city, you can be affected by this rule change because cities and counties would be subject to new rules or standards that will increase the cost to citizens by requiring increased  permitting of more ditches  that will be more time-consuming and expensive for local and state  governments. 

 

You can learn more about the impact of this law change and how you can help oppose this law   at Ditch the Rule.

 

 

We already follow rules enacted by the Clean Water Act and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and  use best management practices that help us to protect our natural resources for our cows, our family and our community. 

 

I support Ditching this Rule!

 

                                                                     #DitchTheRule

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.