Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

In our days of nothing seems normal,

it is comforting to watch the cows relaxing and enjoying

the end of  a hot summer day in the cool of the evening.

Rest  is part of the care plan for these soon to be

mamas. To prepare for the big event of birth, each cow is  removed

from the milking herd and brought to the pasture to rest for the  60 days prior 

to calving. This is more maternity leave than most human moms enjoy!

Our commitment to ensuring high-quality milk begins with 

taking good care of our cows and treating them with respect.

I'm thankful for these visual reminders that every job on the farm

and in nature is important in making a difference to our   life down on the 

dairy farm.

 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Dairy farmers support practices that make economic sense,

 help the environment and are socially responsible to our

 communities and our world. 

 A great example of this farming  practice statement is the hay crop that

 we are cutting this week has been fertilized with the manure produced

 by our cows. Utilization of cow manure increases the water retention of 

the soil, adds needed nutrients for crop growth and protects

the water quality of our farm by following our farm plan 

designed for environmental protection.

I'm thankful for the hay crop that not only feeds the cows but

for the dairy farmers that work everyday using best management 

 practices to  insure that our land will be left in better shape for the

next generation of  family farmers.

 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Summertime cattle working is not always so pleasant when the sun is

 beaming down but the job was much easier when we all worked together.

 Lucky for us the clouds gathered up and provided relief for us and the calves. 

The  job included applying pour on fly deterrent,giving a dose of wormer 

and checking for pink-eye that is usually caused by those pesky flies.

As we wrapped up July, August began with a pleasant surprise of 

record breaking cool weather. Even though we haven't suffered with

100 degree days this summer,I am thankful for the cool mornings

and evenings that are bringing refreshment to us as we continue 

our summertime journey down on the dairy farm.

   Even the butterflies have been appreciating the cooler weather!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Early this year I became aware that Benton County was seeking

 to develop a Benton County Quilt Trail that would become a part

 of the Arkansas Quilt Trail. Benton County will be the 24th county

 in the state to join the state trail.

Quilt trails have become a sightseeing and destination movement

 across the U.S. inspired by quilt making, storytelling and local history.

With the disappearance of so many farms in our county,

I couldn't think of a better way to share our rich local 

farming history while also celebrating my 65th birthday!

Since I'm not a quilter or an artist, 

I am thankful  I was introduced to a maker

of barn quilts through a mutual friend.

My  Rising Star Barn Quilt was painted by

Holly Duck of  Duck Hollow Barn Quilts.

We had the hanging of the Barn Quilt this week!

It was so much fun to watch the long awaited 

completion of the project.

It was obvious from the beginning that 

a tall ladder just wouldn't work.

Milford Crane Service made the job look easy

and a whole lot safer than my vision of

family members on a ladder!

In preparation to be accepted to be a part of the quilt trail, 

 the application asks the participant to write a little bit about the history of the barn.

This is what I submitted:

The Rising Star barn quilt block brightens up the hip roof style barn built with

 oak lumber  handpicked by owner Bill Anglin in 1957. If barns could talk,

 it would tell you that it has been a place for milking cows, 

storing machinery, providing housing for calves and hay storage. 

Before the introduction of big round hay bales, 

the barn stored over 8000 square bales during summer harvest. Even on those

 hot August harvest days, stacking hay in the Anglin Barn was not all bad 

when you were treated to a late night supper and homemade ice cream 

prepared by Bonnah Lyn Anglin.

 The barn continues to be used by the fourth generation of the Anglin family

 as part of their Triple A Farms dairy and beef operation.

I'm thankful for this gift from my family that 

celebrates our rich Benton County agricultural history

and the legacy of our farming family.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

When we have visitors to the farm we often get the

question about how many times do we milk everyday.

Our cows are milked twice a day beginning at seven in the 

morning and seven at night. Between milking times, 

the cows are eating their balanced feed ration that is made available 

in the barn and pasture , drinking water and resting in the pasture.

All the procedures for both milking times are the same but

the evening milking does have a more calm atmosphere with

less people working outside,the setting of the sun and the cool of the

evening bringing a refreshment from the heat of the day.

I'm thankful for these dairy barn night lights

 that are a sign that the milking of cows 

continues  on our family farm 

                                                                                 and

                                              that even in the year of a health pandemic in
                                                   our communities and across our nation,
                                        dairy farm families like us are working day and night
                                                to provide nutritious, high-quality milk.

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Resting in the shade  on a hot July afternoon is the routine for 

these  cows that  will be calving within the next two weeks.

It's hard to find a cool spot in the month of July,

 but  if you follow the cows during the day, you will find yourself 

moving to where ever the shade is found in the pasture.

It's our job to make sure they have access to  fresh water

and shade and monitor them closely for signs of calving.

We also provide a special formulated feed that meets their

nutritional needs while they are resting from milk

 production and  preparing  for calving.

When I watch the cows resting in the shade by the yard, 

I'm thankful for the memory of planting these pine tree 

twigs nearly thirty years ago with Cody and Casey playing

 in the yard, for the beauty of each tree and the shade

 that is so appreciated by our beautiful Holstein cows 

down on the dairy farm.

Dairyfarmer's Thankful Thursday

The calves don't seem to be a bit concerned with the

prediction of a thunderstorm. Each calf eagerly drank their milk and

began eating grain as soon as we delivered it to each bucket this 

morning under a slightly threatening set of storm clouds.

We are not always good at guessing what happens with the weather but

neither is the weatherman!

Although the calves tolerate the heat well, I am watching each one carefully

for signs of dehydration or lack of appetite that can be early signs of

 heat stress or illness.

These babies will grow to become the cows that produce milk, so we are 

committed to getting them off to a healthy start with daily consistent care.

I'm thankful when the rain holds off long enough

for the calves to eat their grain,

the hay to get baled,

                                       
                                    and for the fact that we can celebrate  eating and making
                                         ice cream during the predictably hot month of July!