Saturday's Sweet Treat

If you're needing a quick, easy and delicious fresh fruit recipe for a busy schedule, I suggest Berry Brownie Pudding.  What better way to enjoy fresh local fruit and nutritious milk!


Berry Brownie Pudding

Ingredients:

4 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 packages (4 serving size each) vanilla pudding mix
1 cup of 1-inch low-fat brownie pieces
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries

Preparation:
Add milk to pudding mix and prepare according to directions on box (instant pudding may be substituted).

Place half of brownie pieces on bottom of a medium glass bowl and layer with half of vanilla pudding, 1 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of blueberries.

Repeat layers with remainder of ingredients. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Substitution Idea: If fresh berries are not in season, you  can also use frozen berries, thawed.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee brought Farm Expo to Russell Jones Elementary in Rogers on Monday.  Students rotated through stations to learn about Arkansas agriculture  from  farmers, University of Arkansas  extension agents, Arkansas Farm Bureau and Arkansas Beef Council staff.

I'm thankful for the students and teachers who allowed us to share about...

 

how seeds germinate and farmers raise crops,

 

the life cycle of a water drop and the importance to agriculture,

 

 

how farmers raise healthy chickens that included

 

 

 poultry terminology bingo,

 

 

how dairy farmers work to provide high-quality milk,

 

the benefits of beef and beef by-products we use every day,

 

safe food handling,

 

cotton farming and ginning,

 

 

rice production,

 

 

including milling the rice.

 

It was a win-win day for students and volunteers---

the students had a fun learning experience and the volunteers passionately  shared how agriculture  impacts our everyday lives!

Chick Whispering

It was all in a day of fun learning about Arkansas agriculture that Russell Jones Elementary fourth and fifth grade  students turned into chick whisperers! 

 

 

As the students held the chicks, we provided information about how  farmers care for the chicks  to provide food for our families.  It's pretty amazing that even though we don't have any formal education for chick whispering, the students are experts!

 

 

 

 

One observation about chick whisperers--they always smile when holding a baby chick!

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!