Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last weekend I was the keeper of Margaret and Cody's  chickens,dogs and goats while they were away for the weekend. It was very entertaining, especially when Mother goat managed to get out of the pen and decided it was more fun to be on the side of the grain sack! 

                                                                                     
                                          I'm thankful  for  the smiles Bonnie and Clyde provide
                                         to me and others just because they are sweet and cute!

Dairy Farmer Taxi

                           When the phone rings at any time of the day  and the dairy farmer  voice

                                       on the other end says, "What are you doing right now?", 

                                        I'm pretty sure my plans   have just been  altered!

                                  This week those calls have been mostly for moving equipment

                                             and farmers to the field for planting our fall crops.

                               Dairy farmer taxi jobs have  also included  delivery of tools or supplies

                                                   that were forgotten or lost along the way.

                                                                 

My job as the dairy farmer taxi driver has a lot of benefits...

I get to see a lot of beautiful sunsets, have  great conversations on the way home from the field,

 and enjoy the farmer's sense of accomplishment after a long, hard day at work!

The dairy farmer has a great deal too ----the taxi  fee hasn't changed in 30 years!

Squeeze Freeze Ice Cream

Even though June Dairy Month is coming to an end, we still have a lot of summer time to celebrate! Squeeze Freeze Ice Cream is a perfect project for the 4th of July  family picnic, any summer camping trip or a day-camp activity. It's  just  one of the many delicious dairy  recipes  found at DairyMakesSense.

Squeeze Freeze Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup whole milk

1 Tablespoon salt

Ice cubes

Other Items:

Small re-sealable plastic bag

Large re-sealable plastic  bag

Measuring spoons

Measuring cup

Plastic spoon

Preparation:

Put sugar,vanilla, and milk into small plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and properly seal. Put salt into large plastic bag. Drop the small bag into the large plastic bag with salt in it. Add 18-20 ice cubes. Remove as much air as possible from the large bag and properly seal. Knead the bag for approximately 10 minutes, making sure ice in the larger bag surrounds the smaller bag.

When a soft ice cream is formed, remove small bag from large bag, open and eat right out of bag with a plastic spoon. For extra fun, add fresh seasonal fruit or other favorite ice cream toppings.

Notes:

It is important to use whole milk. Other types of milk take too long to freeze. Salt is also very important. Without it, the ice cream will not freeze. One pint of half and half can be added to a gallon of milk. This  makes the ice cream richer and freezes faster.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The plans for early  spring chopping to make grass silage  were pushed almost into summer with  unprecedented May and June rain.  When the rain stopped long enough for the fields to  dry  and allow  heavy tractors and trucks to enter the field, you might have wondered about our sanity!

 Harvesting a crop has challenges but it is an amazing process to see the organization and expertise of the farmers getting the job completed.

Mowing and raking were done by Ryan and Casey, 

followed by the custom chopper and semi-trucks that hauled it to the silo,

and 

packed into the silo by Cody.

                                          I'm thankful for the blessing of a full silo that will be fed

                                to our dairy cows through the summer and for the dedicated farmers

                                                          that made the harvest possible.

10 Reasons I Love Dairy

I'm joining a few friends in celebrating June Dairy Month by sharing 10 reasons I love dairy. A lot of my reasons are connected to the work of the National Dairy Council that was founded  in 1915 by dairy farmers.   

10 Reasons I Love Dairy

I=infinite uses of ingredients 

L=leader in nutrition research and  school health and                              wellness programs like Fuel Up to Play 60

O=opportunity for improved nutrition through proven science and         research

V=Value and Variety

E=Everyday effort by local farmers to produce safe,healthy milk

D=Delicious

A=Academics to support the fight against poor nutrition,inactivity         and overweight/obesity among our nation's youth

I=Instruction  for healthy nutrition validated by research

R=Refuel with dairy proven by research 

Y=Yummy  (Dairy Good Cookbook )

                       The reasons to love dairy don't end here.

               Check out more from DairyMakesSense.

Happy Father's Day!

Pictures often tell the story far better than any words.

I love these snapshots of cherished moments of how a father's love shaped the life of the dairy farmer I love.

It's where the commitment for caring for the animals and providing high-quality milk began and now  continues with the next generation of dairy farmers.

 

                                                                   Happy Father's Day 

                                                             from down on the dairy farm!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last week I was invited to give an update on county government issues to the Bentonville Early Riser  Rotary Club. Since it's June Dairy Month, it seemed only natural to include a little dairy info,too! 

Rex introduced me to the group and explained that our  friendship  began when I worked for him in the drug store during my high school years. It was the first time I had the opportunity to give Rex his proper thank-you for being the reason I became a dairy farmer. If I hadn't worked for him in high school, Ryan's mother would never have given me a chance with her dairy farmer son! 

I'm thankful for all the members in my Bentonville community that mentored me  in serving others  such as my piano teacher,Araminta, my Girl Scout leader,Marilyn, that led us   from 2nd grade till I graduated, and for Rex, the local pharmacist, that taught me that the customer is always right !

I'm thankful to be Arkansas Grown!