Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It doesn't seem possible it's been 26 years since we brought home this 9 pound baby!

I'm thankful for the joy Cody brings to my life, that he always requests chocolate cake for his birthday,

 

 

the fact that we're  celebrating his last 'single' birthday,

 

 

and

 

 

                      that birthdays are celebrated  working  together on our family dairy farm.
                                                                 Life is dairy good!

Dairy Spring Green

          Spring brings a wide variety of green colors for us to enjoy. On the dairy farm, I would say                            that the color of a field of spring wheat is one of my favorite shades of green.
                                                       I call it Dairy Spring Green!

 

It's amazing to see a crop grow daily and we are thankful to know that our dairy  cows will have good feed that provides part of their balanced nutritious diet  to produce high-quality milk.

 

 

You can tell that harvest of the spring crop is not too far away

 when you see this other shade of green!

Busy Day Dessert

A couple of years ago, one of our  creative church members took the time to collect favorite recipes  frequently shared at our church dinners. This recipe collection is truly a labor of love and a cherished keepsake.

 I've enjoyed Coconut Cream Cake many times but last weekend was my first time to bake this cake. It is quite a delight and perfect for a hectic schedule that doesn't allow much time in the kitchen. My cooking time was limited last weekend, so for Easter dinner it was the perfect dessert recipe   and from the family reviews, it will be on our list of favorites!


Coconut Cream Cake

1 White Cake Mix
1 can (15oz) Cream of Coconut
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1-8oz. Cool Whip
1 cup flaked coconut

Bake cake according to directions on box in 13x9 inch pan. While cake is baking, mix cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk together; set aside. Remove cake from oven when done and poke holes with fork all over; pour liquid mixture over the cake while hot. Place cake in refrigerator to cool; after cake has cooled, top with cool whip and sprinkle flaked coconut on top. It gets better everyday. Store in refrigerator.

                                                                           Happy Friday!!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

You never know who may show up for calf feeding chores!

 

 

I'm thankful for Angus,(Cody's  puppy)  the newest member of our family farm team!

Dairy Farmers Celebrate Earth Day Everyday

Earth Day isn't just a one day celebration on our  dairy farm--it's an everyday experience   as we work to produce  high-quality milk by caring for our animals and conserving natural resources for future generations.

 It's a fact that dairy farms today produce a gallon of milk using 95 percent less land and 65 percent less water while producing 76 percent less manure compared with 1944. It's the modern science and technology that make it possible to produce more milk today with only 9 million cows than with 26 million cows in 1944.


In looking to reduce our carbon footprint and operate as sustainably as possible, we completed an energy audit  in 2012 with the help of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and its partners EnSave and USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Services. The audit provided potential areas for saving energy use and improving long-term efficiency and profitability.





Last year after completion of the energy audit,  we  chose to install equipment in the milking parlor that would reduce the amount of electricity used to cool the milk. By installing this equipment we saw immediate results in efficiency and a reduction in the farm's carbon footprint. The change saved more than 26,000 kilowatts in electricity and  reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 6 tons annually.

 In addition to saving electricity, the plate cooler provided additional water that can be recycled for our cows to drink. We installed two rubber tire water tanks  for the cows to enjoy drinking from  year-round.  A win-win for us, the environment   and the cows!





We'll be using our energy audit to provide direction for other changes we can make to operate as sustainably as possible and continue to celebrate Earth Day Everyday down on the dairy farm.

 

How will you celebrate Earth Day?

Earth Day Dairy Spin

Although it's Earth Day Everyday on the dairy farm, I was an invited guest to the  early  Earth Day celebration with Bentonville students at Old High Middle School. Students enjoyed a variety of activities related to protecting and caring for the earth that are important  to   everyday living.


Sharing information about dairy farming is important to me   because caring for the environment is a responsibility dairy farmers share with our local community. Good environmental practices are  essential to a dairy farm's success and for  future generations. You can find more dairy facts and information about sustainability and environmental protection practices   at Midwest Dairy.

                       My display included information about dairy nutrition and dairy farming.

 

It was my day to be the Vanna of Dairy--passing out string cheese for every spin of the Dairy Wheel of Knowledge!

 

 

                                      I had fun  giving my own dairy farmer spin on Earth Day!

Happy Easter!

 

Even though it's a typical day on the dairy farm with milking the cows and feeding calves and cows, it's also a special day of celebration with family and friends recognizing the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

It's no coincidence that we are experiencing the beauty of nature at the same time we celebrate the fact--He's alive!

 

                                                    When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

                                                       When I survey the wondrous cross,
                                                       On which the Prince of glory died,
                                                        My richest gain I count but loss,
                                                        And pour contempt on all my pride.

                                                        Forbid it,Lord, that I should boast,
                                                         Save in the death of Christ, my God;
                                                        All the vain things that charm me most,
                                                         I sacrifice them to His blood.

                                                         See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
                                                         Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
                                                          Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
                                                         Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

                                                         Were the whole realm of nature mine,
                                                          That were a present far too small;
                                                          Love so amazing, so divine,
                                                          Demands my soul, my life, my all.

                                                                                            ---Issac Watts,1674-1748

                                                                     Happy Easter!!