Importance of Taking a Calf to Town

Glenwood, daughter of Glencoe...scheduled to head to town tomorrow for a visit!

Tomorrow we are taking our little calf Glenwood to town...to be part of a celebration for dairy month and a fundraiser for the local food shelf for June Dairy Month.  I'll be the first to admit that it's a hassel getting ready to take a calf to town.  First I had to pick the best calf to take to town.  It had to be a calf that would be friendly, is in good health, and will behave.  Glenwood was a great canidate for this, she's one of my favorite pets.  Then, today, I had to give Glenwood a bath.  After a little light scrubbing and some suds, she's a sparkling calf!  And she smells good too!  I put her in her own personal pen in the calf nursery, where she got extra bedding (to keep her dry and clean until morning).  I prepped by putting together feed, water, and milk for our trip to town.  Just like a child, she's going to need some snacks for this road trip.  I washed a special halter for her, becuase we want her to look her best.  The trailer needed a little cleaning, so we got that taken care of as well.  I have extra straw in the trailer, for a safe, comfortable and dry ride to town.

It's a lot of extra work, but it's definitely worth it.  To see the faces of the kids tomorrow, lets me know a little hard work makes a HUGE impression.  Talk about a conversation starter with parents!  Last year we had great questions about our calves, their mothers and the care we provide them.  As always, I was willing to answer all questions...and I am looking forward to some great ones tomorrow!  So HAPPY JUNE DAIRY MONTH!  Off to bed, we have a BIG day tomorrow!

Vote for US-Progressive Dairyman Flavor Face Off 2011

Do you love Ice Cream? Would you enjoy $100 in FREE ice cream?!?!  Well, I have a deal for you....vote for me in the 2011 Flavor Face Off for Progressive Dairyman and enter to win!  Who could say no to a delicious serving of South Dakota State University Raspberry Cheesecake?   Little known fact, South Dakota State is credited for the development of Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, now the college has over 50 different flavors, many of which feature delicious treats from South Dakota's hard working farmers. 



Milk from cows like these is used to make delicious Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream.

Milk for SDSU's awesome ice cream comes from cows on the SDSU Research farm.  Milk comes from Holstien and Brown Swiss cows.  Student workers care for these cows everyday.  Once the milk is loaded on to the truck, it moves swiftly to campus, where the plant will be ready to receive it.  At the plant, many student workers and expereinced professionals, work quickly to recieve the milk, to make not only ice cream, but cheese, and fluid milk (bulk only).  Rest assured that these students are greatly prepared before setting foot in the plant.  Now many graduates of SDSU, including me, return for this delicious treat! 

Your vote is greatly appreciated!  So if you haven't, .......

 Click here to vote now!

Who can say no to this cuddly jack rabbit?!?!





Wordless Wednesday: Sprinklers!

During the hot summer days (anything over 76 degrees) these sprinklers run, cooling our cows by wetting their backs while they enjoy their meals.  As the temperatures increase, the sprinklers run more often, and as the temperatures decrease they run less often.  Add some fans, and we have an awesome, inexpensive way to keep cows cool all summer long!  Happy June Dairy Month!

Thankful for St. Anthony!

Meet Trooper a.k.a. Runaway!

I am so thankful for St. Anthony!  I am Catholic, and we have a patron saint that we pray to when we are searching for something that is lost....St. Anthony.  My grandmother taught me that if you lost something very dear, that you should continue your search but make sure to pray to St. Anthony to seek more help from God.  Today I needed St. Anthony. 
We had a VERY busy morning, as a result my usual schedule was a little off.  I was late to the calf barn to feed my babies.  Like always, I started feeding my "kids" only to find that my darling calf Trooper was missing from her hut!  Never fear, this happens from time to time.  When my calves get hungry waiting for me or if they just got fed and want more, they sometime jump right out of our huts, no matter how many twine strings I tie on the cross bars!  Nevertheless, Trooper was missing and it was lunch time!
Knowing that I was there to feed her, I would have expected to see Trooper come running out of the corner of grove (we have a wooded area where the calf huts are located for shade), BUT....Trooper never came for lunch.  Oh No!!!  What to do!  I stated searching frantically for her.  I looked in all of the logical places: in the grove, in the weeds, in the ditch, in the barn...no where to be found!  Oh no!!!!  What to do?!?!  I called Jonathan, he told me that it was no big deal, she'll show up, but I didn't know what to think.
Previous calves have runaway as far as the neighbors yard and Grandma's backyard.  So I searched everywhere, including the CRP (nature reserve/grassland) across the road.  Could someone have come in and snatched her???  We do live close to the road....but that would be crazy in the day light!  I talked to the rest of the family, to find out she was just around the barn an hour before I arrived.  She HAD to be around here!  BUT WHERE?!?!?!  I had to take a break, I was exhausted! 
Jonathan joined me in my search later on.  We decided to think outside the box, search in a larger area.  He took one side of the farm and I took the other.  I looked in the woods, behind the house, around the sheds and approaching the fields, when I got a call....
"I found her!" HE FOUND HER!!!!!  "Oh Thank God! Where in the world was she?!?!" "In the machine shed! Checking out the tractors!" "Oh that little stinker! I could just kiss her!"  We swiftly moved her back to her hut and fed her.  She was starving!  I love Trooper, but I am thinking she's up for a name change, something like "Runaway" seems more fitting.....

Wordless Wednesday: God's great Beauty!

We were greeted with a large amount of rain, yet again (almost 3 inches today!) At least, even though it's wet & muddy, we got to see this little wonder!

Wordless Wednesday-better late than never ;)



Lunch time on the Patio!  Summertime has been a great time for the cows to enjoy our new patio!