Attributes of an Ayrshire

Last week, Roxanne,Cody's Ayrshire cow, gave birth to a beautiful red and white heifer calf. Roxanne is special to all of us because she is the daughter of an Ayrshire heifer that Cody purchased the last year he was in 4-H as part of his dairy herd project. Roxanne was born and raised on our farm and is now the fourth Ayrshire to be milking  in our mostly black and white Holstein herd.

Here are some facts about the Ayrshire dairy breed:

• originated in Scotland
• brought to the United States in 1822
• reddish to brown mahogany color with white
• average cow weighs 1000-1300 lbs.
• easy calving and longevity
• strong
• adapt to all management systems
• have vigorous calves
• produce moderate butterfat and relatively high protein milk
• efficient grazer
• adapt to less than ideal conditions

Roxanne was enjoying resting in the pasture this afternoon when I went to take her picture.  I would add photogenic to her list of attributes!

Chocolate Milk--Trick or Treat?

Chocolate milk is stated to be the official drink of Halloween but low-fat chocolate milk is a nutritious treat any day of the year.  Low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk and strikes a balance between good nutrition and good fun. It's a fact--Milk provides nutrients essential for good health, and kids drink more when it's flavored.

Many parents have concern about the sugar content of flavored milk but on average, flavored milk contributes only 3% of total added sugars and only 2% of total calories to the diets of children ages 2 to 18 years.  In the last five years, the dairy industry has responded to these concerns by reducing the added sugar of flavored milk.  According to information from the National Dairy Council (http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/), research has shown that kids that drink flavored milk:

• drink more milk overall and have better quality diets
• meet more of their nutrient needs
• do not consume more added sugar,fat or calories
• are not heavier than non-milk drinkers

You can find more information about flavored milk at http://www.midwestdairy.com/. 

                   I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween  and enjoy dairy treats all year long!

Happy Halloween Holiday Salad

Holiday Salad is a recipe that my Dad made  for every holiday meal. The original recipe uses wild strawberry jello but since Halloween is Monday, I substituted orange jello.  I like this recipe because it's easy and can be prepared ahead. 


Holiday Salad

1- 15 oz. crushed pineapple
1 - 3 oz. orange jello 
1 -small carton small curd cottage cheese
1 -8oz. Cool Whip

Heat pineapple to boiling; stir in jello until disolved. Let partially set in refrigerator. Add cottage cheese and Cool Whip,stirring till mixed well.  Place in serving dish and chill.


Hope you have a safe,fun Halloween!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

As I watched the yellow and orange leaves falling from the maple tree outside my kitchen window  this afternoon , it definitely looked like fall. Even though life on the dairy  farm is always busy, we have managed to enjoy fun times together. One of my favorite fall and Halloween memories with our boys was  pumpkin carving. From selecting the pumpkin to cleaning up the mess, I'm thankful for fun times together as a family and the memories that will last a lifetime!  Are you making some fun fall memories with your family?

Responsible Environmental Protection

Responsible manure management protects the environment for us and our neighbors.  I felt like the dairymom  paparazzi when I jumped into my vehicle and followed the tractor and manure spreader to the field this afternoon to take a few nutrient management pictures. My sons think I'm a little crazy and when I called Casey on the phone to tell him I was behind him, he didn't seem a bit surprised!

Recycling cow manure is important to the sustainability of our farm economically and environmentally.  Our cows provide natural fertilizer that adds nutrients to the soil for crop and pasture land and decreases the amount of commercial fertilizer that might need to be purchased. Our farm is regulated and monitored by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. The  permit from this agency allows us to have storage areas for both liquid and dry manure. A manure nutrient management  plan designed for our farm guides the   amount,source,placement and timing of manure on our fields.

Today's manure was loaded into the slinging spreader from the dry manure stack at the end of the feed barn and applied to this field where we chopped corn last week. Conserving our natural resources and protecting the environment  by responsible manure management are part of  our everyday life on the dairy farm as we work to provide high quality milk.

Celebrate Food Choice on Food Day

Although the goal of Food Day is to change the food habits of American citizens, dairy farmers celebrate Food Day everyday by our commitment to provide the choice of nutritious milk and contributing to research and development of dairy products that meet the nutritional needs and choices of consumers.

Milk is a nutrient rich food that provides nine essential nutrients.  It is the number one food source for Vitamin D,calcium, and potassium--three of the four nutrients that Americans need to consume more of according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. Dairy farmers have funded research and development of dairy products to provide milk choices that include low-fat,fat-free and lactose free varieties, and cheese and yogurt products to meet individual taste and nutritional goals.

Ninety eight percent of all United States dairy farms are family-owned and operated. Our sons are now the fourth generation to live and work on our farm. We take great pride in the product we produce and are committed to providing high quality milk by taking good care of our cows and being good caretakers of our land for the next generation. By utilizing sound science and technology, dairy farmers are reducing the amount of feed, water and space needed while increasing the amount of nutrient-rich dairy products for a growing population.  It's no mistake that United States dairy farmers are producing almost three times more milk with about half the number of cows compared to 1960. More information about dairy farming and sustainability can be found at http://www.midwestdairy.com/.

Celebrating Food Choice on Food Day is possible because of dairy farm families working everyday to provide that choice.  Dairy farm families truly celebrate Food Day everyday by working together to produce safe,nutritious milk!

4-H--Makes the Best Better

I pledge : My Head to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty, My Hands to larger service,My Health to better living for my club, my community,my country and my world.

4-H members recite this pledge at the beginning of every club meeting. It  describes the purpose of 4-H perfectly. October is 4-H promotion month and even though my boys are no longer in 4-H, I will always be a strong advocate for the 4-H program because I have witnessed first hand how involvement in 4-H helps to nurture and teach children how to develop into model citizens while learning life skills.

As I looked through several stacks of pictures of the many 4-H activities that Cody and Casey were involved in over a ten year period of membership, I realized how thankful I am for the privilege I have had to see their growth and development in a unique way while being involved as a family in every activity.

Even though  my sons'  main 4-H projects were related to dairy and agriculture, each enjoyed learning a variety of skills like cooking and sewing. We still laugh about the largest cookie baked by Cody and the cake batter that was spattered all over the walls of our county extension office during a cake baking demonstration activity by Casey and friend Beau. One of my favorite activities was helping our club members sew Christmas stockings each year  for a local children's shelter and then filling them with gifts.

I look forward to attending  the  annual Benton County 4-H Achievement Banquet in just a couple of weeks to celebrate the successes of  4-H members. It is a rewarding experience to see the difference 4-H is making for the future of our community and fulfilling the motto to "make the best better".You can find  information about 4-H in Arkansas at http://www.kidsarus.org/go4it/4HArkansas.