Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

There's been a lot of love down on the dairy farm for a very long time.

Ryan's parents would have celebrated 72 years of marriage this week.

I'm thankful for this pair of in-laws that raised a farmer just for me, 

 welcomed me to the  family farm,

and

made a lifetime of precious  memories

 for me and my family

                                                                     
                                                                 down on the dairy farm.

Sharing the Love

Valentine Day seemed the perfect occasion to share a little unexpected love from the kitchen not only for my family but a couple of friends that needed a little heart warming sweetness. It's a simple recipe that brings a smile to any age cookie lover, especially when in the shape of hearts,tractors and cows.

Deluxe Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter,softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
Granulated sugar

Mix butter,confectioners sugar,egg,vanilla and almond extract. Blend in flour,soda and cream of tarter. Cover and chill 2-3 hours.

 Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough in half. Roll each half 3/16 inch thick on lightly floured  board. Cut into desired shapes. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope your day is happy and spent with the ones you love!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last Saturday I participated in the first  Benton County 4-H Food Safety Workshop 

It was a great example of teaching our youth an invaluable  life skill. 

I'm thankful for the dedication of our 4-H leaders 

and Benton County Extension agents who continuously strive to

 "make the best better"  

in the classroom,

at the Farmer's Market,

or 

connecting the past to the present.

I'm  thankful for these friends!

                                                                     

Cow Taters

Fried potatoes,baked potatoes,scalloped potatoes,potato soup, potato casserole--

let me count the ways we love to  eat potatoes with cheese and sour cream.

My family loves potatoes but this semi-truck pile takes it to a whole new 

level for my  tater-lovin' farmers!

Now this is a lot of potatoes.

It was unfortunate that freezing weather created havoc for the truck driver trying to get

 these Russet potatoes delivered to the potato processing plant in Oklahoma. 

When the load was refused due to freeze damage , he was looking

 for a place to deliver this nutritious

 product  rather than take it to a landfill.

It's not unusual to feed byproducts of corn or cottonseed to our  dairy cows

 but potatoes are not commonly available to us in Arkansas. 

Potatoes are high in energy, very palatable, and can be used to replace corn in the diet.

Fortunately for us, our cows will be enjoying potatoes in their feed ration 

as soon as our dairy nutritionist gets the feed ration designed for

 just the right amount  to include in the daily feed ration.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

While working to promote Farm Bureau membership this week in our county, 

I've been thinking about all the fun I've had  in a variety of settings with consumers of all ages. 

I consider the Farm Bureau Cow part of my family!

                                        I'm thankful to be a Farm Bureau member and  for the
                                                 opportunities I've had to share our dairy story.

Dairy Nutrition Proud

Last week Ryan and I attended  a national nutrition conference

  in Little Rock sponsored by the National Dairy Council

 and the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, one of  six national human

 nutrition centers in the United States.

The Arkansas Children's Nutrition  Center is a partnership between

 the Arkansas Children's Hospital, USDA-Agricultural

 Research Service and the University of Arkansas Medical Center with a mission to 

conduct cutting-edge research to understand how maternal-child nutrition

 and physical activity optimize health and development.

Ryan and I  were invited   to give our dairy farmer perspective

 on our role in dairy nutrition and health and wellness  from down on the dairy farm.

It's an honor and  always fun to be invited to share our passion for dairy!

Best of all, we listened to these two Arkansas  students describe

 the impact of the  dairy farmer funded  Fuel Up to Play 60 program.

You couldn't help but be dairy proud!

Not only are dairy farmers improving the nutrition of students, 

we are providing lifelong skills in leadership and health and wellness.

And to top it off, we enjoyed beautiful and nutritious dairy products!