Thursday, February 3, 2022

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Snow days down on the dairy farm are just as busy
as the days without snow but our focus is a little
more narrow in making sure that we do everything
possible to feed, water and provide comfort for
the animals during the snow event. 
 
The day before the  snow and colder temperatures hit,
we bedded calf hutches and rolled out hay
for the cows and calves in the pastures to lay on.

During feeding time for the calves this morning,
I made sure that everyone drank their warm milk.
There always seem to be one or two that may not 
come out of the hutch without a little coaxing.
You know, snow is a little scary if you 
have never seen it!


Although I'm not a big fan of these single digit
temperatures, I am thankful for the layers of
warm clothes that make the cold weather tolerable,
for the fact that all the calves
drank their milk and  appeared to be adapting to
the frigid temperatures,


all the milking cows walked to the barn without
any issues walking on snow and ice,


 and 
for my constant companion, Bea
that just enjoys being with us
regardless of  the  weather!





 

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Zoom's Transformation



Last October during a virtual farm tour on our dairy farm,
the students found out how we raise  baby calves that are born
on our farm.  One of the students thought the name ZOOM
was a perfect name for the youngest calf on the farm 
that particular day.   Of course, we agreed!


She's been called Zoom ever since tour day but
she is also identified with her ear tag number of 3381.
That number identifies her in our computer records that
document information about her growth and development
and assist us in making management decisions as she grows
and develops into a milking cow.


At three weeks after the tour, I could tell that 
Zoom was growing  but


changes are very obvious at three months!
Zoom no longer looks through the wire panel--

                                                                   she's looking over it !

                               Over the next couple of weeks, we will be getting 

                               Zoom ready to leave her calf hutch and enter life in

                                   a small pasture with a few of her herd mates. 

                                    I'll miss the everyday interaction with Zoom

                                    but I will love  watching her continued growth

                                      and development  into a healthy dairy

                                  cow that produces  nutritious   high-quality milk.

                                           

                                               

                                               

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Farm Snow Days

What do we do on snow days down on the dairy farm?
The same as we do on a summer day!

Feeding the calves and milking the cows are chores that we
do every day of the year regardless of the weather or the 
holiday schedule.
I will say that snow days serve to remind us to enjoy 
the beauty of nature  and remind me of how blessed
we are to live and work on the farm  and experience
God's creation everyday.

I'm not particularly fond of cold weather but snow days
do alter the schedule to  doing the absolutely necessary chores
and sometimes allow for unexpected  time together with our family.


Snow days are always good days for enjoying 
a little chocolate cream pie
 (made with real whole milk, of course),


 a cup of coffee made from this week's family  find
of an antique coffee percolator,


and a few family  stories about the good old days
 down on the dairy farm!


                               
 

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

So far, January weather has just been teasing us with skiffs
 of snow and frigid temperatures that blew in from the north after
 seventy degree temperatures during the holidays.

These extreme changes of weather are a stress on all of us.
It becomes even more important to closely monitor the cows 
and calves for any sign of illness during stressful events and
provide comfort and protection as much as possible.

Blanket coats for the calves and hay rolled out for the cows to rest
on during frigid temperatures are ways we can reduce the stress 
created by  weather conditions beyond our control.


I'm thankful for the healthy calves that have been born during 
challenging weather conditions,



for our devoted farm dogs that provide entertainment
for us and the cows,


and for the warm blanket coats  for the calves and
the farmers that care for all the animals down on the
dairy farm.


                                          

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday




In October we hosted a virtual farm tour for school age
children. During the tour,  we were asked if this new baby calf had
a name. Since we were using the Zoom platform for the tour,
one of the students stated that we should call the calf, Zoom.
We thought that was a perfect name and that is what we
call her. She also has her number name 3381 attached 
to her ear.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to share how Zoom is 
growing and changing and for the new ways
we have learned to use technology to provide
learning opportunities  for all of us.


I'm pretty sure Zoom knows she is a movie star!


                                  Zoom and I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas!
                                       
 

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

                           

                            It's been a week of wild weather changes from balmy

                          70 degrees  down to the  low thirties .   To go with 

                           the changes,  we have welcomed five new calves

                            this week.  I don't know   if it is scientific or just 

                            coincidence,   but full moons and   barometer

                           changes  often bring   calving action in the pasture!


One of my favorite jobs is to be the Uber driver for
picking up calves and delivering them to their calf hutch.
I am a good driver going forward but watch out for those 
trailer back up skills!


Our calves will  spend the first three months in
an individual calf hutch where they are closely monitored
and fed milk and grain twice daily.
A healthy calf is the beginning for high-quality milk.


                                       I'm so thankful to live and work down on the dairy

                               farm with my family and for the opportunity to    share 

                                         with my friend just where milk comes from. 

                                                        

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Thanks from Down on the Dairy Farm

                                                Before November slips into December,

                                      I wanted to share a little bit of  thankfulness

                                                     from down on the dairy farm.  


                          I'm thankful for the new calves that we welcomed to the farm

                                              during this season of Thanksgiving,


for celebrating 37 years of marriage to an 
Arkansas dairy farmer,


for the opportunity to take my Mother to visit
her 93 year old Uncle Max in Alabama,


to watch my grandchildren lick their ice cream bowls clean,


to celebrate the beginning of Advent with my family,


and 
to share with you  about life
down on the dairy farm.