Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

In the first week of June one of our cows gave birth to a very small bull  calf.

He didn't breathe well and couldn't stand up.

Although we didn't really have a lot of hope that he would live, 

it was decided to put him in the barn instead of a hutch to care for him.

Each day he drank a little more milk and with help stood for brief moments.

In just a few days, he was the favorite calf!

He became known as "Big".

To Hattie's delight, 

Big loves being fed grain by hand

and 

sharing a kiss.

                                             
                                     I'm thankful for these sweet experiences with my family
                                                                down on the dairy farm.
                                                                         

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Rain or shin, hot or cold, calf feeding is an everyday chore down on the dairy farm.

I'm thankful that my day begins with feeding our baby calves their milk.

It's an experience that always brings a smile when you watch 

their tails wag in appreciation for their nutritious milk.

We transition them from a bottle to a bucket after three

 days in their private calf hutch but milk is fed twice daily for eight

 to ten weeks with the addition of grain and water.

As I  approached the calves this morning, I think I heard them say,

"Got Milk?"

Happy Thursday!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Before I married a farmer,

a rain gauge was just  one of those free items you received from 

the local bank or insurance company. 

My how time and experience change 

what we think and what we value.

We no longer seem to be offered the free rain gauge

but the rain gauge has become an important and valued tool in my 

farm wife toolbox.

Emptying the rain gauge during a drought 

has become my favorite job!

It's one of those happy heart moments 

down on the dairy farm.

I'm thankful for the two inch rain we received this past week,

for the fact that the rain allowed  time in the shop for machinery repair,

for the slightly cooler temperatures for our cows to enjoy

 even though it was a brief cool-down,

                                                   
                                                                              and
                                             for refreshing our thirsty land and farmer souls.

Happy July 4th!

We've got the best of both worlds...

the freedom to farm 

and 

to celebrate our freedom and love of country

all in the same day on this July 4th!

                                                           
                                                              Happy July 4th 
                               from down on the dairy farm!

July's Favorite Flavor

What's so great about July?

It's Ice Cream Month!

I can't think of a better way to transition from celebrating 

all things dairy during  June Dairy Month to enjoying

 a variety of  very dairy ice cream flavors.

According to  The History of Ice Cream 

by the International Dairy Foods Association,

 "the first official account of ice cream in America comes from a letter 

written in 1744 by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen. 

Manufacturing of ice cream became an industry in 1851 by a 

Baltimore milk dealer named Jacob Fussell. Like other American 

industries, ice cream production increased because of technological 

innovations, including steam power , mechanical refrigeration,

the homogenizer, electric power and motors, packing machines, 

and new freezing processes and equipment.

Today's total frozen dairy annual production in the

 United States is more than 1.6 billion gallons."

What's your favorite ice cream  flavor?

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Farmers from across the United States gathered in Grand Rapids, Michigan

this week to attend the National Commodity Conference hosted by Michigan Farm Bureau.

It's an opportunity for different commodity groups to share information, 

discuss issues that impact their farming operations,

 and develop potential policy ideas to present during the grassroots

 policy development process of Farm Bureau.

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall gave us an overview 

of issues we are facing in agriculture. Things are tough in agriculture but 

President Duvall has the ability to tell the truth and

 season it with hope for our future.

I  met with the dairy commodity group for information and discussion

about trade,immigration, and milk price.

You don't find all the answers at any meeting, 

but

 we can gain strength and insight from talking

 with others on shared problems and concerns.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to work with others on behalf of dairy farmers,

to experience  the beauty of other places,

to learn about agriculture in other states,

and

                                             to be home  down on the Arkansas  dairy farm.

Dairy Pride

My dairy farm family takes great pride in working everyday to produce high-quality,nutritious milk. 

Dairy products are an important part of a healthy diet for children and adults but it has been found that most Americans are not meeting  the recommended intake for the dairy food group.

I would love for milk to be your first choice but I know that is not realistic.

 However, I do want you to have the correct information in making healthy

 choices for you and your family.

It's a fact, all milk labeled products you find in the dairy case are not created equal in nutritional benefits.

 

   Marketing of any product can create myths and misconceptions but it is 

hard to deny the truth of dairy nutrition science and research.

                             Dairy farmers are supporting the Dairy Pride Act "to protect the
                      integrity of dairy products by enforcing existing labeling requirements."