Value Added Investment for Dairy Farmers

While waiting to attend our Dairy Farmers of America cooperative summer information luncheon meeting, I was gathering information provided by different vendors about new products we can use on the farm, dairy promotion materials, and newly developed dairy products. As a dairy farmer that produces milk for consumers, I find it fascinating to learn about new products that our dairy cooperative is developing to meet consumer needs and requests. With no breakfast and just before lunch, I enjoyed sampling the new cheese spreads that are being introduced into markets across the country!

Janine Smiley,who works in the Global Dairy Products Group division of our cooperative, kept busy as she gave explanation about the new products and provided samples for us to enjoy. Developing and testing new food products, manufacturing and marketing consumer brand name products and marketing ingredients such as nonfat dry milk powder are handled within this division. You can find more information about our cooperative and our products at http://www.dfamilk.com/.

Dairy Farmers of America products are sold in every state and exported globally. Those products represent a farmer owned cooperative with 16,000 members across America. As one of those members, I appreciate what our cooperative is doing to develop,manufacture and market dairy products for all of our members and consumers.

True Dairy Gals

Yesterday we traveled to Springfield,Missouri, to attend our Dairy Farmers of America Cooperative summer information meeting. Members from Arkansas,Missouri, and Oklahoma met to receive updates about our cooperative's business and the challenges we face in the dairy industry. It is also a very social and fun time for the entire family. The minute you walk in the door, you can find all kinds of free ice cream bars and milk mingled with information booths about dairy promotion,new dairy products and services that are available from our cooperative.

We look forward to this event because it allows us an opportunity to visit with other dairy farm families that we don't see at any other time. For the last thirty years, Mrs. Betty Clark from Arkansas has been attending these summer information meetings with her daughters and granddaughter. It is definitely a family affair for three generations of true dairy gals that have grown up on the dairy and continue the family dairy tradition on their own farms. Each year the gals wear shirts with the True Dairy Gal label. After the meeting, you may find them together at the Ozark Fair or shopping at the local mall. Where ever you find them, they will be having a good time!

These True Dairy Gals represent not only the commitment that it takes from the family farm to produce safe,high quality milk and dairy products, but also the importance of family to each farming operation for multiple generations!

Summer Time Activity Snack Pack

Just a few days ago, I was sitting close to this statue of King Neptune on Virginia Beach just enjoying the Atlantic sea breeze and watching families as they were playing in the sand,swimming or riding bicycles and skating on the boardwalk. I found it fascinating to observe the items that families were carrying to the beach for their day in the sun. Most of them had small ice chests, beach towels, and lounge chairs. Many of the children had beach balls,Frisbees and volleyballs. Everywhere you looked, people were enjoying activities with their families. It wouldn't be too long before the ice chest was opened for a snack and drink. All this activity made me thirsty and hungry just watching.

Whatever outdoor activity you choose to enjoy this summer, it is imporant to make sure that you stay hydrated and have plenty of healthy snacks. Milk is 90 percent water and is a great choice for replacing fluids and preventing dehydration after exercise. Here are some other dairy good suggestions for on-the-go nutritious snacks that will restore nutrients and refuel tired muscles:

-Snack cheese cubes,sticks and slices

-String cheese

-Flavored yogurts

-Portable yogurt in a tube

-Yogurt smoothies

-Drinkable yogurt

-Fat free flavored milk

I'm back to my outdoor activities on the dairy farm--think I'll have a big tall cold glass of milk when I get through with farm chores! Have a dairy good day!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Last week members of Arkansas Farm Bureau gathered in Hot Springs for the summer Officers and Leaders Conference. As an organization and individually, we were deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our past leader Stanley Reed. During Stanley's leadership, Arkansas Farm Bureau adopted a mission statement that defines our organization perfectly. Using this statement, Stanley guided and encouraged each of us to move forward for agriculture as we:

• Advocate the interests of agriculture in the public arena
  


• Disseminate information concerning the value and importance of agriculture



• Provide products and services which improve the quality of life for our members

I'm thankful for the privilege to have known Stanley and for the difference he has made for Arkansas Farm Bureau, the citizens of Arkansas, and to me personally.

Challenges and Opportunities of Drought

Many of the old timers in our area believe that one weather extreme follows another. This year is proving them right. After receiving thirty inches of rain in May which delayed our crop planting and hay harvesting, we are now in a drought. Our corn is still growing but if it doesn't receive rain at the right time, it will not make enough feed for what our dairy cows will need in their diet plan. Looking ahead at the possibility of needing more corn, we found another farmer in the area who is willing to sell his corn crop now that he had intended to be picked later in the season. Due to the drought his corn crop will not make enough corn for picking. Farmers work every day to make the best of what ever challenge is presented.

Our corn chopper and trucks pulled into the field late this afternoon to get started on the chopping. It was 100 degrees in the shade. The corn is chopped into small pieces and blown into the truck. The truck will haul it to our silo at the dairy where it will be stored and go through a fermentation process that changes it to silage.

No farmer is happy with this dry weather, but farmers try to make the best of every situation. In my opinion, that must be a special trait that God has given them!

Peach Ice Cream

Enjoying a bowl of homemade peach ice cream that my Mother made to celebrate my Uncle Carl's seventy seventh birthday was a perfect end to one of the hottest days on the dairy farm. The secret to the great flavor of this ice cream is to make sure you have juicy ripe peaches.

Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 quart fresh crushed peaches (juicy ripe!)

juice of 3 lemons

dash salt

1- 12 oz. can evaporated milk

3 cups of sugar

whole milk

1 gallon ice cream freezer

Crush peaches and mix with lemon juice and salt. Add evaporated milk and sugar to peaches and mix well. Add whole milk to fill line on freezer. Freeze.

Yield: 1 gallon

What ever you might be celebrating--homemade ice cream is the perfect summer treat!

Dairy Farm Water Tank Patrol

During a typical Arkansas summer, heat and humidity make a very uncomfortable environment for our dairy cows. Milk production may decrease by as much as fifty percent. While we can't control the weather, we do strive to reduce heat stress by providing plenty of water. Water is the primary nutrient needed to make milk and aids in the cow's digestive process. On an average day a milking cow will drink a bathtub full of water but with increased temperatures and humidity, the cows may drink up to fifty percent more water.

It is critical for our cows' health to make sure that water is readily available. Our cows have easy access to water tanks located in the feed barn and in the pastures close to shade. Additional water tanks have been placed in pastures to make sure that the cows have enough water to drink during the extreme hot weather we have been experiencing in these last couple of weeks. Our cows are monitored closely during the day and water tanks checked frequently. If water should become unavailable due to power outage or a malfunction in the well pump, we have an emergency plan in place for how we will haul water to the cows. We are on high alert to make sure that our water system is working properly and water tanks remain full.

Patrolling the water tanks is an important job in making sure that our cows stay healthy during these stressful hot days. Quality milk begins with healthy cows!