Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

No matter what size farm you may visit, according to the USDA, 

97 percent of U.S. dairy farms

 are family owned and operated, often by multiple generations of the family.

Our son Cody is the 4th generation to live and work on our family dairy  farm. 

It's hard to believe that today  he's the one driving the tractor and working

 on the farm instead of sitting on the lap of his grandfather

or being pulled in the wagon.

                                 
                                           I'm thankful for the news we received that we will be
                                            welcoming another generation to the farm in April!
                                                    Congratulations to Cody and Margaret!
                                                (WOW--I'm going to be a Dairy Grandma!)

On Call Dairy Farmer

What's not to love about a new fall  baby?

                                                             Like most of our calves,
                                          this baby was born in the pasture next to the house.

                                          During calving season we keep a close eye on the

                                                      cows to ensure a healthy delivery.

                                                    If a mom-to-be does need assistance, 

                                         we walk them to the maternity barn for assistance.

                                           It's the on call dairy farmer  that makes the difference

                                                   in the  outcome of  difficult deliveries.

                                       

                                         
   

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The fog thickened as we were feeding calves this morning.

 As I looked at the cows resting in the pasture, it was beautiful in an odd way.

For me it was  a  moment of peace in a crazy week.

                                            I'm thankful for the peaceful God-given moments
                                                                down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                                         Happy Fall,Y'all!

                                                        

                                        I love these seasonal transitions down on the dairy farm.

                                          Even though  there's a little bit of farmer frenzy as they

                                   work to finish harvesting the hay and silage crops before winter,

                                                   

                                              I'm thankful for the abundance of hay that will

                                                     feed our cows and calves this winter,

the cooler weather for our calves,

and

                                         the beauty of summer flowers that brighten the fall days.

Kick Off Fall With All-Star Breakfast

Last month at the Arkansas Women Bloggers Conference,  I received a gift box filled with a variety of rice products from  Riceland Foods. All that rice in my pantry has given me the perfect reason to enjoy and celebrate  National Rice Month and the fact that Arkansas is the number one producer of rice in the United States!

 You can find a wealth of information about rice production, how to use the different rice varieties and a great collection of rice recipes at Riceland.com.  

One of our favorite ways to eat rice is with milk and sugar either for breakfast or as a sweet treat.  Milk and rice make a great nutrition team. All-Star Breakfast Rice  is perfect for fall's  kick-off during National Rice Month!


All-Star Breakfast Rice

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 cup cooked rice
Fresh blueberries,raspberries or strawberries*

*Or use sliced peaches or bananas if desired

Directions:

Combine rice,milk,brown sugar and cinnamon in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Spoon into serving bowl; let cool 3 minutes. Top with fresh fruit.

Serves: 1

                                    Thank-you  Arkansas Rice Farmers!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

As I watch  these beautiful Holstein cows grazing in the pasture, I am also reminded that

 my dairy farm  family and I are working everyday

 to produce nutritious food for hungry people.

 Food security is a shared responsibility 

that dairy farmers commit to seven days a week.

I'm thankful that dairy farmers across the nation partner with Feeding America,

 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the National Dairy Council to help

 fight hunger in America and promote healthy food choices

 not only during Hunger Action Month but throughout the year.

Marketing Farming

Benton County Farm Bureau provided a little bit of fun and information about Benton County agriculture to   hundreds of people at the Bentonville Farmer's Market this past Saturday. 

Basically, we were marketing farming.

Consumers of all ages enjoyed the beauty of this antique tractor and a lot of 

tractor talking from Benton County farmer Bob Shofner,

milking the cow that never goes dry,

and

petting the  chicks.

It's not a hard job to market farming because 

we have a great story to communicate at every opportunity.

 It's obvious that the look of the family farm and the technologies

have changed but we have the same values of caring for the land 

and the animals to provide safe,healthy food for America's consumers.