Benton County Fair Alive

If you don't think the Benton County Fair is alive,

you should see the activity on the day before the fair opens.

It's buzzing with volunteers setting up for all of the entries

 into categories of  competitions and commercial exhibits.

As I walked through the commercial building today to 

volunteer for the set-up of a booth,

I realized the impact this community event has had on my life.

As a native of Northwest Arkansas, I have participated in the 

Benton County Fair in a variety of ways.

As a child, I rode Girl Scout floats in the fair parade, participated in the 

Miss Benton County Fair Pageant,served as a volunteer 4-H adult leader, 

worked with our sons showing dairy cattle during their 4-H experience

  and  served in  the  Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo.

I've got great memories of not just the fair, but the people that 

work to make the fair a success for our community.

This year's fair theme says it all:

Making Memories and Celebrating Community

If you've never been to the Benton County Fair, I hope you will come to 

celebrate with our community and make your own memories.

Sponsors have made it possible to offer free admission to the fair.

The Benton County Farm Bureau  Free Petting Zoo is open each evening

 from 5-9 p.m Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

You can find the schedule of events at:

https://www.bentoncountyfairar.org

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It was  a date with the farmer...

the Sunday afternoon crop check.

Our date time was spent driving 

to different fields that are growing the crops 

our dairy cows will be enjoying this fall and winter.

With so little rain in the days after planting the crops,

we were happy to see this field of healthy hay-grazer 

that will be baled and wrapped in a few short weeks.

As Ryan walked through the middle of the field checking 

for bugs that might be grazing on the crop,

 my thoughts turned to the unique life we lead.

It's not  everyone  that  goes on a bug finding date!

                                             
                                             I'm thankful for the rain that we have received
                                                in the last two weeks to save our crops and
                                         for the farmer with unwavering faith and optimism.
                                             

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

In the first week of June one of our cows gave birth to a very small bull  calf.

He didn't breathe well and couldn't stand up.

Although we didn't really have a lot of hope that he would live, 

it was decided to put him in the barn instead of a hutch to care for him.

Each day he drank a little more milk and with help stood for brief moments.

In just a few days, he was the favorite calf!

He became known as "Big".

To Hattie's delight, 

Big loves being fed grain by hand

and 

sharing a kiss.

                                             
                                     I'm thankful for these sweet experiences with my family
                                                                down on the dairy farm.
                                                                         

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Rain or shin, hot or cold, calf feeding is an everyday chore down on the dairy farm.

I'm thankful that my day begins with feeding our baby calves their milk.

It's an experience that always brings a smile when you watch 

their tails wag in appreciation for their nutritious milk.

We transition them from a bottle to a bucket after three

 days in their private calf hutch but milk is fed twice daily for eight

 to ten weeks with the addition of grain and water.

As I  approached the calves this morning, I think I heard them say,

"Got Milk?"

Happy Thursday!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Before I married a farmer,

a rain gauge was just  one of those free items you received from 

the local bank or insurance company. 

My how time and experience change 

what we think and what we value.

We no longer seem to be offered the free rain gauge

but the rain gauge has become an important and valued tool in my 

farm wife toolbox.

Emptying the rain gauge during a drought 

has become my favorite job!

It's one of those happy heart moments 

down on the dairy farm.

I'm thankful for the two inch rain we received this past week,

for the fact that the rain allowed  time in the shop for machinery repair,

for the slightly cooler temperatures for our cows to enjoy

 even though it was a brief cool-down,

                                                   
                                                                              and
                                             for refreshing our thirsty land and farmer souls.

Happy July 4th!

We've got the best of both worlds...

the freedom to farm 

and 

to celebrate our freedom and love of country

all in the same day on this July 4th!

                                                           
                                                              Happy July 4th 
                               from down on the dairy farm!

July's Favorite Flavor

What's so great about July?

It's Ice Cream Month!

I can't think of a better way to transition from celebrating 

all things dairy during  June Dairy Month to enjoying

 a variety of  very dairy ice cream flavors.

According to  The History of Ice Cream 

by the International Dairy Foods Association,

 "the first official account of ice cream in America comes from a letter 

written in 1744 by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen. 

Manufacturing of ice cream became an industry in 1851 by a 

Baltimore milk dealer named Jacob Fussell. Like other American 

industries, ice cream production increased because of technological 

innovations, including steam power , mechanical refrigeration,

the homogenizer, electric power and motors, packing machines, 

and new freezing processes and equipment.

Today's total frozen dairy annual production in the

 United States is more than 1.6 billion gallons."

What's your favorite ice cream  flavor?