Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Funnel Fun


                                                  Have you been to a Feed the Funnel Party?


 If not, you really need to put this on the top of your bucket list, especially if you want to make a difference in the fight against hunger. The Pack Shack of Northwest Arkansas provided the opportunity to feed the funnel and pack meals during the Arkansas Women Bloggers Conference this past weekend.

After removing loose jewelry, washing our hands and donning hairnets and gloves, we were assigned to stations on an assembly line to measure,funnel and seal a  bag of  ingredients.  Bags of  Cheesy Rice and Vegetable Soup were carefully boxed for distribution  to our hungry Arkansas neighbors in  Hot Springs and Siloam Springs. With a lot of loud music, unbelievable dance moves from several of our rock star women and organized  assembly  labor,  we packed 10,300 meals in just a little over an hour.

Unfortunately, hunger affects all people  and all ages in the United States. Food insecurity  is defined by the United State Department of Agriculture as the measure of lack of success, at times, to have enough food for an active,healthy life for all household members or the uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate food. Sadly, food insecurity exists in every county in the United States. 

 Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap 2015 Study states:
  •  49 million Americans are food insecure
  • 1 in six Americans are hungry
  • 1 in 5 children are hungry

Arkansas has more than 200,000 children that are considered food insecure. That is reason enough to have Fun at the Funnel!

I challenge you during the month of September--Hunger Action Month--to Feed the Funnel or participate in other activities  in your community to fight against hunger.





Thursday, August 27, 2015

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We met more than a little bit of fog this morning in the pasture...


                                                                     I'm thankful for...
                                      the cool August weather that makes life more comfortable
                          for us and our cattle, the Ayrshire heifer that gave birth to a new heifer
                                                                           and 
                                            for these beautiful scenes that are part of our
                                          everyday  life down on the Arkansas dairy farm.
                                                         

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Birthday Wish

Make a wish...it's your birthday!
 No matter if it's a candle on  cake,pie or just a cupcake, making a wish and blowing out the candle is part of the celebration!
Birthdays are not only  reminders to me  of how fast time flies  but also  how important it is to enjoy and cherish  every moment as your children are growing up! 

We will be celebrating Casey's 25th birthday tomorrow...
as you can see,
he's still got that cute grin just like he did when riding on the back of the tricycle!


Celebrating birthdays is a very important job on the family dairy farm!


Happy Birthday!
                                                         Make a wish...it's your birthday!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

A new baby was born at noon today just as the rain stopped and the temperatures dropped. 
It seemed like the other cows in the pasture were celebrating,too!

I'm thankful for these miracles that we witness on the dairy farm,
the weather change that reminds us a change of season is on the way,


and the beauty that surrounds us for our everyday enjoyment!

                                                                      Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Dairy Going Green in August

It's hard to believe we still have green grass in August!
You won't find any Northwest Arkansas  farmers complaining about the great hay harvest of 2015 but the amount of rain that occurred in late spring and early summer and the intermittent showers through the summer have pushed our normal hay cutting schedule closer to fall harvest time of other crops.

Hay fields are part of our dairy farm recycling plan...
fields are fertilized with the cow manure from our dairy cows.
Once all the bales are removed from the field, we can apply cow manure based on our farm's nutrient management plan that guides the amount,source, placement and timing of manure on fields.
We're not only recycling  a nutrient, we're protecting the groundwater by applying the manure to a crop that will absorb it!


One great thing about August hay cutting--the hay dries very fast!


                                                 August heat doesn't help the farmers' attitude
                                                                            but
                                             you can see a smile when he's counting  the bales!

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Back to School Smoothie

Although the calendar still says it's summer, the relaxed summer schedule is coming to an end  as the first day of school is approaching rapidly for families everywhere.  Even though my boys are no longer in school, I don't think I will ever forget those first of the school year moments of excitement mixed with a little anxiety.

 We often struggled with returning to routine bedtime hours and making sure breakfast was not traded for an extra minute in bed! It's been shown that breakfast is a brain booster and an  important part of the school success equation.   To help ease into the schedule, you may want to offer a Fruity Splash Smoothie as part of the breakfast routine.

You can find more Back to School nutrition tips and nutritious recipes  at DairyMakesSense. 

Fruity Splash Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup fat-free milk
5 to 7 large unsweetened frozen strawberries
1 medium banana,cut into chunks
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in blender; blend until smooth and creamy. Pour in glasses.

Servings: 2

Substitution Idea:
For frozen fruit pops, pour leftover smoothie into small plastic cups. Cover cups with plastic wrap; insert stick and freeze.






Thursday, August 13, 2015

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

One of  the most popular spots at the Benton County  Fair  for the last twenty-five years is the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo. It's hard to believe that I have volunteered with this project for twenty of those years!

I'm thankful for the opportunity to provide a fun  connection to agriculture  for kids of all ages,


to see the smile on a first time cow milker,


to experience the love for baby chicks,


to hear the squeal of a baby pig,

and 

                                                       
                                                          to be a farmer in Benton County!