Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

                               No matter how many times we find a new baby in the pasture,
                                      I still love to welcome each one to the farm and give
                                          a congratulations  to the mama for a job well done.

                                      Yesterday we had two new babies for the welcome party.

A double delight for a day during June Dairy Month.

Each of these mamas was raised by us. 

From the day of delivery, we are caring daily for each

one for an average of two and a half to three years before  

 the heifer will have her first calf.

High quality milk begins with a healthy animal and

that's where our job begins on day one in caring for each new calf.

                                                 Even though we have challenges every day,
                                I'm thankful for the joys of our job  down on the dairy farm
                                as we work to produce high-quality milk for my family and yours.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

It's June Dairy Month!

Hope you have been eating all the dairy foods you can!

We appreciate all the ways you and your families 

support us.

Down on the dairy farm, the calves celebrate

everyday with milk in the morning and evening.

Just like us humans, calves and cows must have

good nutritious food for growth and development.

Grain, a mixture of sweet corn that is pelleted,  

is added to their diet gradually to meet their nutritional needs.

Providing good nutrition and monitoring the growth and 

development of our calves is how we insure that we will

have healthy cows to produce milk.

As you can see, between the lines of barbwire, 

these beauties in the pasture will soon be

having calves and entering the milking herd.

Growing the milking herd is approximately a three

year project of love and dedication.

I'm thankful that even in tough times we can  

celebrate all that we love and care for each day.

We are blessed.

Happy June Dairy Month!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

We kicked off  the 2020 hay  season down on the

 dairy farm this week. I felt like we should be having a 

hay party to celebrate this season of hay production that 

has been delayed with cool, rainy weather all spring.

Hay is used in feeding our dairy cows everyday.

It is part of the special diet that is formulated by

our dairy nutritionist to make sure the cows are provided 

all the nutrients needed to produce milk and maintain health.

I'm thankful that the sun kept shining while this hay

was cut and baled before the next rain shower

and 

                                                         
                                                     that we did celebrate our first hay day
                                                 with the birthday of our head farmer and
                                                             his candle blowing helpers!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

From the minute we bring a newborn  calf into 

their own private hutch, it becomes our priority

to monitor the calf for any health issue and to 

make sure it is drinking milk  twice a day and

adding grain at the appropriate time.

Care in the hutches continues for approximately three months.

The hutch protects from weather and the pens surrounding

 them provide ample space for the calf to freely move about 

while protecting them from other members of the herd.

When the calves are transitioned out of the hutch into a small 

pasture, the training begins for living as a group,

 eating together from a grain trough and drinking at

the water tank.

My job last week was to stand in the gate and direct

 them to follow Ryan to the feed manger at feeding time.

It doesn't take very long for the calves to know

it's time for dinner!

  

I'm thankful for the opportunity we have

each day to care for our calves that will  assure a future 

of producing high-quality milk

                                                                                  and

                                                         for the little surprises down on
                                                                       the dairy farm!

A Tradition of Remembrance

As a child I only associated Memorial Day with

a holiday that brought our family together for a picnic or

 the beginning of summer with the first trip to  the swimming 

pool.  Perhaps I was born a little too close to the end of World War II

 for anyone ready to talk about our fallen heroes.

I can't imagine what our country would be like today were

it not for all the men and women that have served our country 

to protect our freedoms.

Memorial Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate

their devotion to our country.

Fortunately for our family, my father-in-law

did make it home from his experience in Japan during

World War II.

Because of men like Bill, 

we have the freedom to farm and  live free.

                                                               We pause on Memorial Day
                                           to give thanks for those who have given their all.

Memorial Day...a tradition of remembrance.

Dairyfarmer's Thankful Thursday

Milking our dairy cows twice a day is part of the 

daily routine down on the dairy farm.

During a pandemic, it is comforting in a crazy kind 

of way to be able to continue  a daily routine.

You may notice our employee, Jonathan, is wearing gloves.

Glove wearing has been part of our milking procedure

for a very long time to help decrease any spread of bacteria

from cow to cow.

I'm thankful that the COVID19 pandemic has 

not disrupted or changed our  daily activities and procedures,

 that our employees continue to be healthy,

the cows are being milked everyday,

and that farms and farm employees  are considered  essential 

so that we can continue to provide high-quality milk for 

my family and yours.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

                                       It's obvious from looking at the relaxation of our farm dogs,
                                       we need a little more excitement in these crazy COVID days!
                                       Feeding the baby calves twice a day has just worn them out.

  I'm thankful for these three dairy farm dogs that 

                                        do nothing but bring us joy on the gloomiest days,

the laugh from the son who put up with the wrong candles on 

his birthday cake,

                                         

for the opportunity to celebrate a belated birthday and 

Mother's Day with most of my family 

and

the beauty around us during these challenging 

days down on the dairy farm.