Yesterday we experienced, what I would call a "surprise blizzard" in MN. The previous week we had been enjoying some wonderful temperatures-30's. We even had rain at the farm, but yesterday we were rudely greeted with snow (2 inches) and 45+ mph winds from the northwest. These conditions combined to make driving practically impossible. Visibilities were down to zero and the Department of Transportation in MN decided to shut down the roads. Yep, everyone was stranded, except us. We had to make it to the farm to milk cows and feed everyone, so on the road we went. Jonathan and I found only a few drifts, and took our time driving through the "white outs". We made it to and from the farm safely twice yesterday. All of the girls needed to be bedded in (to stay dry and warm) and fed. Just because the weather doesn't cooperate with farming, doesn't mean that the farming stops on a dairy farm. We find a way to continue to take excellent care of our cows.
Today, we mainly focused on cleaning up the tall drifts (some over 6 ft tall) in the yards, on the roads, and around my calf huts. I even had one calf hut, mostly full of snow-except for the area where the little one was sleeping over night. Needless to say that little girl was happy so see me this morning with the shovel =) She's much happier with no snow in her room. Cold temps have moved back in (and wind chills too) so back to wearing insulated everything to work outside. We are definitely looking forward to spring at Orange Patch Dairy!
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I write this blog to share my passion for my cows and farming, please be respectful of that. I reserve the right to delete those comments which portray hate, call names, and are out right disrespectful. If you have an honest question, I will respond, to explain what we do on our farm, why we do it and how we do it. Please read with an open mind. My time to blog is short, as most of our days are spent caring for our beloved cows. Thank you!