Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Can you believe it's August?

That was my very thought as I walked down the driveway and noticed 

these soon to be mama cows resting in the thick green grass.

In June when the pastures looked like we were in August,

I would never have believed that we would have any 

grass going into late summer.

I'm so thankful for the rains we have enjoyed these last two weeks,

for green pastures and growing crops that will feed our 

dairy cows this fall and winter, 

and

 the  cooler temperatures that are enjoyed by cows and farmers.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Sitting in the petting zoo last Saturday watching the kids and adults holding 

the chicks and milking the cow, I thought a lot about the evolution 

of the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo.

Benton County Farm Bureau has sponsored a free petting zoo 

at the Benton County Fair since the 1990's.

Janice Shofner, our Women's Committee Chair at the time,

had the great idea of providing a petting zoo to educate kids and adults about

Benton County agriculture.

Our first zoo was in a tent under the big old tree at the

 fairgrounds in downtown Bentonville. 

Our current petting zoo at the Benton County Fair is under

 a tall red-iron structure with plenty of room for chicks,

calves,pigs, a couple of cows

 and a lot of kids!

I'm thankful for dedicated Farm Bureau members

 that continue to  see the value of the petting zoo in educating 

kids and adults about agriculture.

                                                     Even our Benton County Fair Queen
                                                                      loves  the chicks!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Have you ever grown your own carrot?

It was a first for  Hattie and me.

Mother planted a short row of carrots early in the summer.

We thought they had washed away in one of our unexpected

 rain showers soon after planting but to our pleasant surprise, 

five plants survived.

It was a proud carrot picking day for Hattie and my Mother!

I'm thankful  for these life lessons 

we are being allowed to share with Hattie

and

                                                             
                                                  the joy a grandchild brings to the family.

Benton County Fair Alive

If you don't think the Benton County Fair is alive,

you should see the activity on the day before the fair opens.

It's buzzing with volunteers setting up for all of the entries

 into categories of  competitions and commercial exhibits.

As I walked through the commercial building today to 

volunteer for the set-up of a booth,

I realized the impact this community event has had on my life.

As a native of Northwest Arkansas, I have participated in the 

Benton County Fair in a variety of ways.

As a child, I rode Girl Scout floats in the fair parade, participated in the 

Miss Benton County Fair Pageant,served as a volunteer 4-H adult leader, 

worked with our sons showing dairy cattle during their 4-H experience

  and  served in  the  Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo.

I've got great memories of not just the fair, but the people that 

work to make the fair a success for our community.

This year's fair theme says it all:

Making Memories and Celebrating Community

If you've never been to the Benton County Fair, I hope you will come to 

celebrate with our community and make your own memories.

Sponsors have made it possible to offer free admission to the fair.

The Benton County Farm Bureau  Free Petting Zoo is open each evening

 from 5-9 p.m Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

You can find the schedule of events at:

https://www.bentoncountyfairar.org

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

It was  a date with the farmer...

the Sunday afternoon crop check.

Our date time was spent driving 

to different fields that are growing the crops 

our dairy cows will be enjoying this fall and winter.

With so little rain in the days after planting the crops,

we were happy to see this field of healthy hay-grazer 

that will be baled and wrapped in a few short weeks.

As Ryan walked through the middle of the field checking 

for bugs that might be grazing on the crop,

 my thoughts turned to the unique life we lead.

It's not  everyone  that  goes on a bug finding date!

                                             
                                             I'm thankful for the rain that we have received
                                                in the last two weeks to save our crops and
                                         for the farmer with unwavering faith and optimism.
                                             

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!