If Barns Could Talk

Ryan's mother milked in this barn during World War II when his dad was serving in Japan.

In a day of no instant communication like we have today, I can only imagine the thoughts and concerns of a young bride as she milked the cows every morning and evening.

If barns could talk...

can you imagine the stories we would hear?

It's a simple reminder to me of the sacrifices made by the

 men, women and families of the past to ensure the freedoms we enjoy today.

Thank-you to all Veterans!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

In a field of black and white spotted Holstein cattle, 

the red and white Ayrshire definitely stand out!

New babies are always welcome on the dairy farm but these red and white ones

 are reminders of the great learning experiences we have had through

 our past  involvement with our  sons'  4-H dairy projects and club activities.

                         
                                      I'm thankful for the expansion of Cody's Ayrshire herd 
                                      and for the outstanding 4-H program in Benton County.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

When I saw Casey riding on the back of the square baler, I couldn't resist

 calling him to ask if he was just joy riding around the field.  I was lucky 

he didn't hang up on me but he nicely explained that he was making 

sure the bales kicked out so Cody wouldn't have to stop baling and 

correct the problem that had been discovered earlier.

It was the first time the small square baler has been used this year and 

we were fortunate that the mechanical problem was an easy fix.

We appreciate problems easily repaired!

I'm thankful for the way our sons can work together,  

for the cow that calved easily and waited for us at the gate,

and 

                                                  for the sweetest Halloween visitor that
                                          brings new meaning to "there's no place like home"!
                                       

Fall Harvest

Even though we had our first freeze of the season, we're still working

 to finish cutting hay in a few fields. 

It will take a few days of drying before it's ready to bale but it 

will still be good quality hay  that we can feed this winter.

                                Brown fields with a hint of green underneath are signs of the fall
                                season and also a reminder of how close we are to celebrating
                                the end of harvest for this year's crops down on the dairy farm.
                                                          Bring on the hot chocolate!
                             

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Farm tours are a great way to meet consumers of all ages  to share how

 we work everyday on the farm to produce safe,affordable food.

This week I was privileged to be one of the host farms for the  12th tour

 of Moms on the Farm.   Janeal Yancey, my favorite University of Arkansas 

meat scientist ,organized the first tour in 2012.  Each tour day  includes

  a visit to dairy, poultry and beef farms located in Benton or Washington County.

The finishing touch to the tour is a delicious lunch hosted by 

Arkansas Cattle Women preparing delicious beef recipes.

I'm thankful for the Moms and the few men that braved a 

chilly and windy day to learn about Arkansas farming and food production.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It's milo chopping time down on the dairy farm.

I made it to the field just in time to see  today's last load of chopped milo head to the silo.

As you can see, it has grown well above my head this year.

It is a drought resistant grain  crop so with adequate rain it grows like crazy!

I'm thankful for this year's milo crop that will be used 

to feed our dairy cattle this winter 

and

                                                             
                                        for the perfect fall weather for harvesting our crops.

Dairy Q & A

Question:

What is homogenization?

Answer:

Homogenization is a mechanical process that breaks up fat globules 

to a smaller size.When this process is used with milk, it distributes

 the smaller sized fat globules through out the milk producing a 

uniform consistency.  It's basically mixing the cream into the milk.

Homogenization makes the milk whiter  and more appetizing color,

 provides a more full-bodied flavor and better mouth feel and gives milk 

and other cultured milk products increased shelf stability.

Milk began being homogenized in the early 1930's when Dr.Malcolm Trout, 

a nutrition professor at Michigan State, linked the process of pasteurization

 and homogenization together. He found that homogenized milk needed

 to be pasteurized first to have an appealing taste.

While it's possible to have pasteurized milk that hasn't been homogenized and

 homogenized milk that hasn't been pasteurized, most milk found in 

 United States markets has undergone both processes.

Milk is pasteurized first to kill bacteria,

 then homogenized to give us that consistent taste.