Dairy Stimulus Package

As a volunteer for Farm Bureau I have been involved in activities this past week promoting Food Check-Out Week which celebrates the fact that farmers and ranchers are committed to providing safe,abundant and healthy food. As a dairy farmer I am proud to produce a healthy economical food product. Milk is a nutrient rich food providing four of the seven nutrients Americans are missing the most in their diet--calcium,potassium,magnesium and Vitamin A. Milk, at about 25 cents per 8oz glass, is one of the best beverage bargains. In these tough economic times, we are all looking for ways to stretch our food dollars and provide healthy diets for our families. As a dairy mom and consumer, my dairy stimulus package includes banking on the basics by purchasing more nutrient rich foods, like fruits,vegetables,whole grains, lean meats and dairy. As part of your dairy stimulus also consider yogurt, flavored milk and cheese. The best outcome of this stimulus will be the benefits from a healthy diet and a very happy family!

Kansas City Style

I traveled to Kansas City this week and enjoyed a little bit of city life. Every region of the United States is known for its own particular delights. Kansas City is known for its great steaks and BBQ. Cattle and Kansas City just go together when you learn about the history of the stockyards in the downtown area. It's hard to imagine those droves of cattle in the streets as you are driving around looking for the right hotel! I enjoyed some of that famous BBQ and couldn't help but think for how long the American farmers and ranchers have been providing quality meat for us to enjoy. Thanks to the farmers for doing such a great job in providing safe,affordable and abundant food for all of us!

The Farm Team

Getting ready for the Superbowl entails thinking about the food we are going to consume and the friends and family we will enjoy being with as we watch this great American tradition. It brings to mind that farmers are the team that produce the food,fiber and fuel for consumers to enjoy. Our team enlists a variety of players such as veterinarians, animal nutritionists and the consuming public. Our playbook uses scientific knowledge and technology to provide the best product for consumers while caring for animals and the environment. Farmers are playing by the rules to provide the safest and most affordable food for our consumers and those across the globe. Agriculture has a connection to everyone. Enjoy your Superbowl experience when you reach for that slice of pizza and marvel that even the football came from agriculture! I'm rootin' for the Farm Team!

THE REAL DEAL

The Real Seal is a logo you find on products that contain real dairy ingredients. Dairy farmers and dairy farm families are also the real deal behind the seal. As a dairy farmer I want to give you some real truthful information. Caring for our animals is real important to our farms sustainability. Proper and humane treatment of our cows is a real committment. As a cooperative member of Dairy Farmers of America, we have attained the Gold Standard Dairy Program Certificate. This is an on farm audit that assesses,analyzes and provides feedback regarding on farm practices, encourages continuous improvement and recognizes achievements. Dairy farmers are the real deal---real people, real values,real love of animals,real contributers to society, real lovers of the land,real American values and real belief in God. We are the Real deal with the Real Seal with a Real story--REALLY! Just ask a dairy farmer for a real answer to questions about what we do on the farm.

Childhood Obesity

According to the federal Center for Disease Control, thiry two percent of American children and teenagers are classified as overweight or obese. Obesity puts children and adults at high risk for developing serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure,heart disease or stroke. Over a period of years there are a collection of factors contributing to our national obesity problem. Think about all of the conveniences of our everyday life. How far do you walk everyday? How many times do you walk to the TV to change the channel? How many hours do you spend on the computer? How often do you eat meals at home? Good nutrition and physical activity go hand in hand for good health. As a dairyfarm mom, registered nurse and a consumer, I am very excited about the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. This program is a partnership between dairy farmers, the NFL and the USDA. Dairy farmers have committed $250 million over the next five years for this program. Dairy farmers contribute money from the product that we produce through the National Dairy Check-off Program. Dairy Check-0ff dollars are spent on research and promotion of dairy products and this is a great win for the consumer and the dairy farmer. As I go to take care of my calves tomorrow morning, I am going to hope that you are hugging your children and setting a good example for them by teaching them and showing them about a healthy lifestyle which includes good nutrition and 60 minutes of exercise every day!!

Farmer's Holiday

A farmer's holiday would be a day without any problems!! We do not typically get a holiday off because there are always chores to be done and animals to be cared for. We do get to enjoy being together as we work and that is not all bad. We can enjoy the beauty that God provides in our natural surrounding. On Christmas day as we were enjoying our lunch together with family, I thought about all the people like us that are working on the holidays for service to others. Our milk hauler picked up our milk to take for processing at the plant in Fayetteville. Milk reaches your supermarket shelf only 2 days after leaving the farm. Thanks to the milk hauler! Policemen,firemen,doctors, nurses,and our military men and women come to mind in other professions that work to serve others. Although we face many issues in agriculture and our society--we have much to be thankful for and need to celebrate the great country we live in and the blessings we enjoy. Make a resolution for 2010 to be thankful and think of ways to serve others.

Home for the Holidays

The boys (my two college sons) are home for the holidays. Loads of laundry and more meals to prepare but it is so nice to have the nest full again even though for a short holiday time. As we are anticipating special time with our families during this holiday season, I can't help but be reminded that we are so fortunate to live on a family farm. In spite of the misperceptions about agriculture in the United States, 98 percent of all farms are family farms. Family farms can be all sizes of operations but they are still run by families. We have 7 full time employees to help us take care of our animals and get all the chores done on a daily basis. We will be working extra hard during the holiday season to make sure that our animals are cared for and that we will all get to share in the great celebration of Christmas. If you are needing some great recipes for the holidays-check out dairymakessense.com and have a Dairy Christmas!