Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

                                             
                                                                     
                                              No matter where you spend Thanksgiving,
                                                       I hope eating will be a part of it!          
                                                         

We'll be working all day to make sure our dairy  calves and cows 

have plenty to eat just as we do everyday of the year.

I'm thankful for the season of Thanksgiving 

and wish you and your family a very

 Happy Thanksgiving!

A Dairy Passion Pledge

When we were planning our wedding thirty one years ago, I didn't think it was too

 unusual for the dairy farmer to want to toast our special day with a glass of milk.

After all, producing milk is a dairy farmer's passion.

Turns out, that milk toast was just the beginning

 of my  lifetime pledge for dairy passion.

November 24,1984

                                       We feel blessed to be able to share our love for life down
                                               on the dairy farm with consumers of all ages.

How could I not love this smiling dairy farmer?

I took the dairy passion pledge.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Even though the calf was on the wrong side of the fence,

 these mama cows never left this new baby alone.

                                                   It's that motherly instinct that often draws
                                                        another cow to claim a new baby.

                                               I'm thankful for the opportunity to experience

                                                      life and love down  on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Veteran's Day reminds us of the sacrifices being made

 today and in the past to provide the freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis.

I love this 1944 picture of Ryan's dad.

Bill and Bonnah Lyn were married in  Tyler,Texas 

before he was sent to Japan during World War II.

We can only imagine what he experienced as an ambulance driver and medic.

because he  never talked about the war when he returned  home.

I do know that we can never say thank-you enough to all those

 who served in past wars and those who are serving today.

I'm thankful for the  recognition given to all veterans on Veteran's Day

and 

to live in the United States.

                                                                God Bless America!

Harvest Marathon

Harvest  sometimes feels like a very long marathon...

we wait to plant,

we wait for the crop to grow,

we wait for harvest.

Like all silage crops,this  sorghum  silage crop is being cut

 and hauled to the silo where it will ferment before being fed to the dairy  cows.

You might think of this as cow candy!

I often wonder if our cows know how hard we work to make sure

 they have a good supply of nutritious feed to enjoy through the winter.

It's a marathon of ups and downs,

starts and stops,

but

once you've experienced the harvest of any crop,

you know why it is celebrated!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Foggy mornings bring surprises!

                                             
                                                      I'm thankful for the weather changes
                                            that paint pictures of peace down on the dairy farm.

Licking Fear Down on the Dairy Farm

We don't usually think of a dairy farm visit as a life changing experience but that

 was what we witnessed on a recent farm tour with middle school students.

 This young man in the wheelchair had a fear of animals.

When he cried at the sight of our friendly farm dogs, 

I was concerned that this trip to the dairy farm  might not be a good experience.

His teachers were kind but firm and continued to comfort him as they explained to him 

that the animals would not hurt him. The other students would hold his hands

 and talk to him as we traveled around the farm.

The miracle really unfolded by the time we reached the baby calves. 

He continued to cry at the sight of the calves, but as his teacher talked to him and pushed

 him closer to one of the baby Holsteins and 

other students were showing him how the baby calf would lick their hands, this frightened boy,

 reached out for his own experience.

One lick from a baby calf brought the biggest smile.

 The expression of sheer joy on his face was priceless.

Licking  fear of an animal  was a milestone for this special student.

Miracles do happen when we least expect it.