Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Even though it's been chilly in the mornings, 

the calves always happily greet us to drink their

warm milk  and wait on their grain feeding.

If they don't come out to meet us,

we soon find out if they are not feeling well.

It's  part of our everyday dairy farmer job to monitor the 

health of each calf and to make sure regardless of the 

weather changes that each calf eats and drinks. 

Weather is an environmental stress that can definitely

impact the health of a newborn calf.

These twenty degree temperature changes within

a few hours is rough on all of us!

 

I'm thankful for the health of our animals,

for the good health of my family and our employees

during this crazy pandemic

and

for the smiles we have had  watching

our new truck driver haul his load

of toilet paper left under the 

Christmas tree at his house.

                                                       
 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

November has become a season of Thanksgiving as we 

pause to think of the many people in our community that

serve us throughout the year and in situations that 

we never expect  such as the pandemic.

This week it was my pleasure to present these 

community helpers with Undeniably Dairy stocking caps

and a Subway gift card provided by Midwest Dairy

 as a way to say "Thank-you" and 

express to them how much we appreciate their service.

 

I'm also thankful for the celebration of

36 years of marriage to the dairy farmer

                                       

                                          who brought me to the farm to build a life together,

                                             raise a family  and live in the   place we call home.

                                          Happy Thanksgiving...

                                from down on the dairy farm!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

If you didn't   have a watch or a cell phone to give you the time, you

could still   estimate  time down on the dairy farm  by

 watching the cows standing in the pasture. It's obvious that like us,

the cows are creatures of habit.  

The feed wagon with silage rolls into the dry cow pasture  every

morning  around 8:30.  Today was no different and you can

see the cows are eagerly watching and  waiting  to get 

their first bite.

Dry cows receive a pellet feed that is formulated for their

metabolic needs during this time of resting and preparing to

give birth. The silage on the wagon is like dessert to the cows.

It's no wonder that there is a lot of mooing if the wagon is late!

                                     I'm thankful for  the simple daily reminders to 

                                   appreciate the predictable  and the unpredictable

                                            like an iris blooming in  November!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Even though our daily routine stays the same,

there is never just a "normal " day.

Today we welcomed a new calf to the herd.

How we care for this new calf  prepares the

way for the production of  high-quality nutritious milk.

                              

                               Later in the afternoon, Ryan participated in a  virtual "Cheese Chat"

                             sponsored by Midwest Dairy. This was a new way to bring a variety of

                            consumers together to talk about the sustainable production of dairy

                            products, learn about cheese from the expert cheese monger

                                 and experience the taste of a  variety of cheeses produced

                                 in the midwestern states of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma,

                                               Minnesota and Iowa.   

                                  

                                                  I'm thankful for this dairy farmer that was 

                                              willing to participate in a new experience that promotes

                                              dairy products and shares how dairy farms and families 

                                              work everyday to produce nutritious milk sustainably.

                                   

Thank-you Veterans

Veterans Day, also known as Armistice Day, pays tribute to all American veterans.

Living or dead, we pay tribute to all American Veterans and give thanks

to those who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.

President Woodrow Wilson declared "Armistice Day" on the first

anniversary of the end of World War I on November 11,1919.

Ryan's dad, Bill, served during World War II.

Fortunately for our family, he returned to our family farm

 after serving in Japan.

Ryan's Mom and Dad married before he left for his

service in Japan.

It's hard to imagine the sacrifices of the men

and women just like Ryan's parents who

left farm and family to fight for the 

freedoms we enjoy everyday.

During the years when Bill was serving,

Bonnah Lyn continued to farm with

her father while waiting on Bill's return.

Words seem totally inadequate when you think of 

the sacrifices made by families across America

during times of war but these days of

celebration give us the opportunity to

stop and give thanks for every Veteran.

From down on the dairy farm,

Happy Veterans Day!

 

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Voting is such a privilege.

Standing in line last week during early voting, I 

was inspired by the number of people that 

were standing in line with me to cast their vote.

Regardless of the outcome of any election,

I am thankful to be an American farmer that enjoys 

the freedom to live and work

everyday down on our Arkansas dairy farm

caring  for the land we call home

                                              and for the beautiful cows that provide healthy

                                                  nutritious milk for your family and mine.

           

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for the  little bit of rain that allowed

the wheat planting to be completed this  past week.

The  last bit of seed left in the drill was just enough to plant into

the Bermuda and mixed grass  hay field next to the house. 

It will be harvested before the grass begins to grow in the spring.

This is commonly called a cover crop. 

Utilizing the manure from our cows to fertilize both crops is

one of  the ongoing sustainable practices down on the 

dairy farm.