Farming: A Family Affair

Today was the the announcement of our  2014 Benton County   Farm Family.  It was exciting to see this young family receive this honor for their hard work and dedication to their row crop,beef , and agri-tourism farming operation   and commitment  to   their church, 4-H  and community.

Farming is a family affair. According to the USDA, 97 percent of U.S. farms are family owned and operated, often by multiple generations of the family.  Although the look of the family farm and the technologies have changed, the same values of caring for the land and animals still exist.

For me, today was not only recognizing and celebrating this great farm family's accomplishments, but also  acknowledging the generational impact made by our agriculture and farming community. 

Congratulations to Cody,Carrie and their children Garrett,Emily and Ty!

Peaches and Cream

 We made vanilla ice cream for our 4th of July celebration and topped it with fresh blueberries and strawberries   so I'm now on the look out for some ripe peaches that will be perfect for peach ice cream. Although I don't remember who gave me this peach ice cream  recipe that I found in my recipe collection box , I'm certain  it will be good!

Peach Ice Cream

1 quart very ripe peaches,crushed
Juice of 3 lemons
1 can evaporated milk
3 cups sugar
dash salt
whole milk ( add to fill 1 gallon ice cream freezer)

Mix peaches,lemon juice, evaporated milk, sugar and salt in large bowl; pour into ice cream freezer can.  Add whole milk to fill line of freezer can and freeze according to ice cream freezer directions.

                     
                        There's never a bad time for summer  picnics, puppy dogs or homemade ice cream!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

I went to check on this group of calves that were moved from the hutches to the pasture a few weeks ago. They're all doing great and I laughed to see who was leading the group of Holsteins--our little orphan beef calf, Lucky. 

Lucky will join the beef cattle herd when she gets a little older but for now she seems to be enjoying life with the Holsteins.

I'm thankful to work every day on our family dairy farm 

raising and caring for animals on the land we call home.

Dairy Red Delivers a Firecracker

It seemed fitting since we're still hearing the pops and bangs of the neighbors leftover firecrackers  to extend our celebration with the birth of this red Ayrshire beauty. With our dairy cow herd consisting of mostly black and white Holsteins, it's a thrill to see a beautiful red baby!

Ayrshire dairy cattle originated from Ayrshire in southwest Scotland and are known to be strong, rugged and easily adaptable to any type of dairy herd. An average Ayrshire cow will weigh 990-1320 pounds and produce milk that has moderate butterfat and high protein. 

The Ayrshire cattle became part of our herd when Cody, our oldest son,  purchased his first registered Ayrshire for his 4-H dairy project. His first Ayrshire was named Sunshine and she was full of personality. She always let us know who was boss when getting ready to show at the fair!

 This  baby had plenty of energy while I was feeding her the bottle of milk  this afternoon.

 Firecracker will be a perfect name for this new addition to the herd!

Freedom to Farm

We'll be milking the cows, feeding the calves , baling hay and planting a crop before  we pack up our traditional  picnic supper, load the lawn chairs and head to the pasture where we watch the July 4th fireworks provided by the communities that surround our farm property.  

We don't take our freedom to farm for granted--it's an honor and privilege to be an American dairy farmer working to provide high-quality milk everyday (that includes weekends and holidays)  by caring for our animals and the land we call home. 

                                                                                 
                                                               God Bless America!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

From the rehearsal to the wedding, I'm thankful for the fun we had with family and friends to prepare for Margaret and Cody's special day!

Summer Begins with National Ice Cream Month

Summer has finally arrived in Northwest Arkansas! Although the cows and I don't really enjoy all the heat and humidity, we do like to stand under the shade trees and enjoy the view of the flower bed full of colorful lilies!  

There's only one thing that makes this even better...

                                      thinking about all the ice cream we can enjoy during July!

                             Happy July--National Ice Cream Month!!