It isn't "Big Milk's" Fault, it's the "Big Picture"

NPR posted an article 2 weeks ago "As Big Milk moves in, Family-Owned U.S. Dairy Farms Rapidly Fold." This article highlighted a Vermont dairy farmer who was selling his cows, exiting the industry like so many other farms in the country.  The article goes onto to describe from the farmer's perspective that large dairies are producing more milk, more economically and forcing smaller family farms out of business.  It took me some time to come up with an adequate response to this article because my first reaction was a heart wrenching, blood boiling one.  "Big milk" isn't the issue in this story, it is more of a "Big picture" issue for U.S. dairy farmers, no matter the size or scale. 

It's no secret that dairy farming is a capital intense industry but what does that REALLY mean?  It means that in order to produce any amount of milk, there are so many large and expensive purchases that need to be made.  Everything from cows that cost $1500 or more each to vacuum pumps that make it possible to milk cows and move milk to the cooling tanks that cost over $5000.  Add a new barn for 150 cows that might cost over $400,000 and a parlor that is also $400,000.  These prices aren't top of the line either.  If a dairyman wants to add technology to his farm, those prices go even higher.   To try to control these costs, often, brothers, sisters, parents, cousins, uncles, and grandparents are joining to form farm family companies.  This means that the over all cost of the farm can be spread over more family members and allows for younger family members to have a chance to farm like their elders.  97% of all dairy farms are family own and operated. 

Another way to stay in the business is diversification.  Many dairy farmers have a spouse that has an off farm job that pays for family expenses and health insurance.  Some dairies are diversifying into producing other agricultural products like beef, sheep, and pigs.  Maybe those farms are making their own cheese and yogurt.   I know locally many farmers that are raising vegetable crops to make extra income to survive.  Many others are capitalizing on markets for organic milk, noting that all milk is milk, safe and nutritious but that there are consumers willing to pay more money for organic milk and these farmers are willing and able to produce it. 

Dairy farming is very difficult to start and it is even harder to continue doing, especially with the volatile milk prices and consumers that are demanding more from already stressed farmers.   Consumers demands are a good thing in most cases, encouraging sustainable practices and improved efficiencies but these demands often come in the form of expensive regulations that make paper work a full time job for most dairy farmers.  Innovation is expensive and often in order to implement innovations a dairy farmer will have to increase his milk production either through adding more cows and/or increasing the amount of milk produced per cow.  The great news is that dairy farmers are producing more milk with less resources, leaving a smaller carbon footprint than our predecessors but this increased milk is also keeping milk prices low. 

Another factor is that the average American is falling short on getting their 3 servings of dairy each day and we are also seeing continued decreasing in consumption of fluid good old fashion white milk.  Truth is that consumers are no longer having meals as families and as a result they are not drinking milk with their dinners but soft drinks and water instead.  If each American had 3 servings of dairy the impact on family dairy farmers would be huge!  So the question becomes, as a consumer, what can you do to save these family dairy farmers???

• Drink Milk! 3 servings each day for your health! It's local, traveling within a 200 mile radius of the store you buy it at and from cow to table in 48 hours!
• Understand the issues of sustainability and environment that face farmers.  In order to achieve these goals there has to be extra income to pay for these innovations and that income usually comes in the form of more milk. 
• Understand that technology that makes the quality of life better for a dairy farmer costs a lot of money and that makes it very difficult for smaller farmers to add technology to their farms.
• Advocate for your local farmers by telling your friends about how great and local milk is!  It takes all sizes of farms to feed the world, we need all farms!
• Understand that multi-generational farms allow for small farms to be packed into larger farms, which provides technology and innovation.   We're doing more with less!
• Spread the word that all farms are reducing their carbon footprint and making a real impact on the environment, which is good for everyone!!!

It's not "big milk" as much as it is the "big picture" so pour and glass of cold milk and support your local dairy farmers!!!  Help keep them in business for their next generations of dairy farmers!

Passion becomes a Career

My love for cows and farming runs deep.  A good friend of mine told me that I was the most "dairy-centric" person he knew, and I took that to heart.  I am not currently farming but love of dairy farming has only strengthened.  A few months ago I was presented with the opportunity to apply for a new job, a potential long term career, working for the dairy farmers of Minnesota.  I took the chance and applied and it is with great joy that I start today on my first day as the Industry Relations Program Manager at Midwest Dairy Association/Minnesota Milk Producers.  This job is really the sum of my passion put into a career, one I can definitely see myself doing long term as long as I don't let Minnesota farmers down.  This new job not only is my passion wrapped up into a career but it is also the sum of so many small choices made over my lifetime.  I can see God's hand in the road that I have traveled to get to this place, and I can see his plan coming to light. 

I look back to the moment I made the choice to be a county dairy ambassador at 15 years old.  I remember the choice to attend college at South Dakota State University where I would encounter one of the greatest professors I would ever know, Dr. Arnold Hippen.  I remember 2002 as a finalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way, an opportunity of a lifetime to represent my county and the dairy farmers of Minnesota.  I remember my choice to go into dairy farming with a full heart after graduation and the first few pictures I posted on Facebook of new calves or field work.  I remember Sherry Newell reaching out to me to ask me to start posting some short blogs for a summer series for Midwest Dairy Association.  I was so excited for the opportunity to reach a larger audience!  Following that summer, Sherry encouraged me to take it one step further, "How about you start a blog?"  In 2009 I started this little blog, took advantage of every training opportunity I could get, and you have this, my own little outlet to the world.  Every step of the way I took a small chance in making what seemed like a small decision, which brought me to this place.  From the people that I met: my dairy woman strong role models including my best friend Annie, my roommates and classmates from college, my peers Carrie and Laura, and countless others who have been instrumental on this journey.  Each one gave me a little bit of encouragement and a pat on the back to keep on going.  Each risk followed God's plan to make good choices and put me where I belong.  Yes, I absolutely lost faith in his plan several times and I became full of anxiety and discouragement but I stayed the course (even when I went off course) and here I am with this exciting news!!!

I still don't know my final destination or where this journey may take me but I have faith that if I keep making these small choices to do God's will, I know it will be a beautiful ride, with amazing people and experiences!  I have so much gratitude for everyone that helped me get to this place!  The positive feedback from everyone has been overwhelming and I hope that I won't let you down! Wish me well, I'm off to help grow the Minnesota Dairy community in any way that I can! Go Dairy!!!

Happy People First, then Happy Cows

The Dairy Community has been preaching for years about how we put the cows first.  We have done amazing things on our farms making sure our cows and their well-being come first, but there is a personal consequence for this: marriages, families, friendships, mental health, and so much more.  As a dairy community we need to make sure we put people first, then the cows, because if it wasn’t for the people we wouldn’t have the cows.  More important are the selfless owners/farmers/managers of these dairies.  So many stories have been popping up in my newsfeed of dairy farm families in so much hurt, sacrificing everything they have for their cows, but losing so much of what makes life worth living. 

Wonderful women are sharing heart breaking stories about how they are doing it all.  They are taking care of their kids, milking cows, managing employees, pulling extra milking shifts, driving tractor, taking care of harvest meals for their husbands, cleaning their house and at the end of the day they feel guilty that they didn’t do enough.  They didn’t make the fancy crafts with their kids, they didn’t deep clean their fridge, they missed a night out with the girls, all for the sake of the cows.  These women wear their sacrifices like a badge of honor on their sleeves but show the signs of being drained and destroyed.  Just the thought of doing something for self-care, like an hour to take a bath, enjoy a book, or spend some prayer time immediately spawns feelings of guilt and selfishness.  Some of these women even cast judgement on others who do take time for themselves and let something else in life slip.  Ladies, we are not in competition with each other!  Stop it right now!  There is no pride in cleaning your house instead of spending time with your kids.  There is no pride in working yourself to a thread all for the last 5 pounds of milk.  There is so much more to life than cows and milk production.  We can’t do it all and we shouldn’t.

Humans were meant to be in community with each other and help each other.  If you’re a spiritual person, you know we were meant to need something other than people and ourselves, we need God.  We were not meant to be independent, but interdependent.  Ask someone for help, share responsibility with your husband.  Take an oxygen mask ladies and help yourself out.  If you don’t take care of yourself first then how can you possibly take care of anyone else?  And men do this too! (but they aren’t willing to talk about it because heaven forbid they sacrifice their male pride)  I will never forget the relief I felt when a friend shared with me that she was hiring a housekeeper to clean her house 4 times a year! Wow! Did I ever feel better about my dirty house after that!  Or when I discovered that a family made the choice to play with their kids instead of chopping silage on a Sunday.

Personally, I did it.  I tried to do it all.  I tried to be the farm manager, herdsman, calf feeder, heifer breeder, accountant, the HR manager, the social media specialist, all for the cows and the last 5 pounds of milk.  Was I successful?  You know I was, I’m determined.  Did my cows come first? Definitely! But what did I lose?  I lost my marriage, I lost my sanity, I lost my health, I lost myself.  My friends tried to hand me an oxygen mask but I didn’t take it.  I didn’t take it until I hit rock bottom.  It was then I realized how much I was missing out and how much more I could accomplish if I just took even one hour a day for myself.  If I said no to some activities and volunteer work.  If I let employees do their jobs and trust them to do their jobs.  I made time for God, for exercise, for reading.  I made time for family and friends.  My own niece was scared of me because I spent so little time with her.  My house was a mess, I lost our farm, but I salvaged what was left of me and rebuilt what I have now become.  Ladies, please do yourself a favor and take the oxygen mask!  There is no pride in working yourself to death!  Do something for yourself, take a nap, spend some time just playing and laughing with your kids.  Call a friend for coffee and help.  You matter! Because at the end of the day there will be no cows and no farm if it wasn’t for you and your drive and passion.  And gentlemen, please take note as well, because you matter too!  Ask for help and take care of yourselves!  I’m cheering for you!

Battle of the "-free's"

There has been much discussion lately about various pulls from consumers for "antibiotic-free", "rBST-free", "GMO-free", and whatever kind of "-free" you can come up with.  Whether grounded in science or not, these demands from consumers are becoming increasingly louder and more prevalent.  If you ask me, it is the result of social media and companies capitalizing on fear marketing, but my opinion doesn't matter, at least not yet.  I have had several conversations with various farmers over the past few weeks that are facing some serious demands by the processors that they sell their milk to.  While most processing companies are dairy farmer owned and a board of dairy farmers serve and lead those companies, consumers and marketing are now in the driver's seat for the products and quality that farmers must produce.  Rather than premiums being paid for higher quality products dairy farmers are being asked to make changes on their farms or be forced to take a penalty for their milk.  Let me provide a couple "real life" examples of the costs that a dairy farmer faces with these challenges.

One cooperative is forcing its farmers to produce milk with lower bacteria counts and not use any chemicals or cleaners on farm that contain a certain chemical in order to meet the demands of their foreign export markets.  In order to avoid this chemical, dairy farmers now have to buy more expensive cleaners from a smaller pool of possible choices.  In order to lower their bacteria counts, milking equipment has been upgraded, which is also expensive.  Those dairy farmers do not see a pay increase for their milk, it is just another hoop that they jump through in order to have a market to sell milk to.  Is that the price they pay to have a market to sell to? It appears that way.  Were these changes good for the farmer?  Most were, but they were expensive at a time when milk prices are low.  Did the farmer get paid more for their milk because of the benchmarks met? No.  Most people resist change, dairy farmers are no different, but the milk produced from these farms is no safer than the milk they produced last year, before these changes.  They just jumped through another hoop, spent some more money and didn't get paid any more for their efforts, however they did appease the standards to ship dairy products abroad.

Another couple of cooperatives are discussing only buying milk from dairy farms that do not use rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin).  In several states already (Michigan for example) this is already commonplace.  rBST is a growth hormone used to increase metabolism activity and feed efficiency in dairy cows.  rBST has decades of research proving that there is no difference between milk that comes from a treated cow and milk from a non-treated cow, however there is an implied understanding from consumers that any added hormones are bad.  I will note that as a dairywoman I did not use rBST and found I was better off without it BUT I do see a place for it on our farms.  I see where it can help a farmer keep a cow healthy and productive.  I also see where it helps a farmer be more efficient converting feed into milk (which is really good for our environment!).  rBST is another tool that is available to dairy farmers to help them do what's best for their cows, their families and their resources.  Eliminating rBST from the toolbox is fine but again there is no premium paid to the dairy farmers for having one less tool to use.  Instead these farmers will have to spend money increasing their management and care of their cows to hopefully recoup the lost milk production and efficiency.  These farmers will also potentially have to sell cows for slaughter that they would have been able to keep with the aid of rBST.  I know with the advancement of management skills and facilities rBST is becoming increasingly outdated, but to completely remove it from the toolbox does have me concerned.  Yet another hoop to be jumped through with no premium paid to the dairy farmer to make those changes.  Farmers are forced to keep swallowing the costs instead. 

My proposal: let's meet in the middle.  Consumers have concerns and dairy farmers have costs to make those changes.  Admittedly some dairy farmers won't change, there's always someone like that.  I know as a dairy farmer I would have no problem meeting those demands as long as we can reach agreements that make sense for everyone involved.  I want a future market for milk because I want another generation of dairy farmers. I want to be able to send our dairy products to foreign countries and reach consumers who have never had dairy products before.  But I also want changes in standards and benchmarks to make sense for the dairy farm families involved.  Right now, with record low milk prices yet again, these challenges are a hard sell to farmers.  Consumers want transparency and believe it or not dairy farmers want to give that transparency.  We're proud of what we do every day and we love the milk that we produce and the cows that we care for.  Just ask us!!  Instead of battling each other over the "-free's"  let's have a conversation, respect each other, and meet in the middle for what makes sense for everyone involved!

Proud Daughter/Sister Moment!



Dairy Star reported the state list, including my family, Autumn Breeze Dairy.

I can’t even begin to express how excited and proud I am of my dad and brother!  This week they received their notice that they were among the top dairymen and women in the state of Minnesota for milk quality, producing milk with a SCC below 100,000 for the year. 

Here’s a little science education on milk quality:  every time the milk truck comes to a dairy, the milk truck driver collects a sample of milk to be tested for a variety of quality measurements, including SCC (somatic cell count).  Somatic cell count is a measure of the white blood cells in milk.  Yes there are white blood cells in milk.  All of the nutrients that a cow needs to make milk in the milk making cells of her udder need to get carried to her udder via blood.   Contrary to popular belief by the anti-milk crowd, milk does not contain actual blood because there is a blood/milk barrier in the udder (milk making cells filter out the nutrients that they need to make milk proteins and fats and send the blood back to the heart) but the occasional white blood cell will slip through because it is a protein based cell.  These somatic cells are an indicator of overall cow health and levels of mastitis (infection) in the cows’ udders.  When the measurement is low, the cow herd is healthy and when the level of SCC is high, this is an indication that there is a problem with the cows, environment, equipment and management.  Healthy cows in a good environment will produce milk with a SCC of 200,000 or less.  Milk produced at a high level of SCC is considered illegal and processors will not accept this milk.  Stress like a cold or flu can cause SCC to rise in addition to poor animal handling or bad ventilation.  SCC quickly becomes the measure of overall quality care of the cows.  It doesn’t matter which type of housing, whether grass fed, organic or conventional all of these different management styles are capable of producing safe, wholesome, high quality milk.  So now you know the science….here’s why I am so incredibly proud of my family……

It wasn’t always this way.  It wasn’t always easy to produce high quality milk and give cows the best that they deserve.  These things cost money, take time and planning, and they take patience.  Things like new barns, concrete to keep cows out of the mud, better education and management, testing individual cows, and yes culling out cows that just couldn’t produce high quality milk (some of SCC is definitely genetic).  Decades ago, I remember when my dad was producing the occasional tank of illegal milk, we had to dump milk, and we were at risk of not having a place to sell milk to.  It wasn’t dad’s fault the cows went swimming in the mud after a rain but it was dad’s responsibility to make sure that milk that he sold was safe for consumers.  It was then that my dad made a commitment to improve his milk quality and keep working on that.  I would say my dad became down right anal.  “If it wasn’t perfect, we pitched it.” 

The first steps were improving cow comfort in our tie stall barn, adding more bedding and making stalls larger.  Dad poured concrete in the yard to reduce mud and he made sure that cows didn’t go out to pasture unless it was dry out.  My brother went off to college and came home to farm in partnership with my dad.  My brother took it one step further by implementing DHIA (Dairy Herd Improvement Association) testing, where each month each individual cows were sampled and checked for SCC. 

DHIA testing monthly helps my family make sure each cow gets individualized care.

 

 

Cows with high SCC were sold, while others were treated with antibiotics and allowed to heal.  My brother added milking detachers to make sure cows were never overmilked, which can cause damage to cows’ teats and increase SCC.  Within a couple years the cows were housed in a much more spacious state of the art sand bedded free stall barn.  Those cows went from a cozy Super 8 to the Hilton.

 

Cows rest comfortably in the new sand bedded free stalls.

Finally this winter my brother completed the last step in improving milk quality and cow health: the milking parlor.  With new equipment with a better design, cows are able to milk out quickly, comfortably and completely.

The new double 8 parlor helps milk cows gently, completely and quickly.

 

Keeping SCC low is easier, cows are more comfortable, and making perfect milk is almost effortless, but it didn’t come easy.  This was years of dedication to achieve this goal.  This was never losing sight of the fact that cows’ health is important and making sure the consumer deserves the very best dad could offer.  This was the result of tough decisions and trying times.  This achievement didn’t come easy.

I hope dad can look back and see how far he’s come.  I hope he knows how proud I am of how hard he worked to achieve this.  I hope my brother knows how much I respect him as a dedicated dairyman and peer.  But most of all this Father’s Day Weekend, I hope they both know how amazing they are as dairymen, husbands and fathers!  #prouddaughter #proudsister

 

4 generations of my family: my dad, my nephew, my brother, my grandfather, celebrating 100 years of farming on the same farm as well!

 

Dropping Milk Prices, Emotional Stress

If you don’t know by now, consider this your notice, milk prices on-farm have been dropping for months and currently are at the lowest point they have been in almost 7 years.  The last time financial impacts like this hit the dairy community there was a mass exodus of producers, many of which wish they didn’t have to sell their cows but they couldn’t provide for their families anymore.  This is our current reality.  Today I read articles about record cheese inventories in the United States putting pressure on milk price to drop even lower.  I heard from fellow dairy farmers that the exodus has started again, dairy farmers are being forced to sell their herds and even land in order to pay off debt and save themselves.  This dip in prices will have long lasting effects on the dairy community, no matter the size of the farm.  It does not discriminate.  So as a reader, why should you care?  What is my purpose in sharing this with you? 

These dairy farmers work tirelessly for their families, their cows, their farms, and yes you the consumers.  They are experiencing emotional stress that you can’t even describe.  These dedicated farmers wake up every morning fully aware that they are literally paying admission to milk their cows.  They are not receiving income from their farms, but paying just to keep them.    Many farms are accumulating thousands and even millions of dollars of debt just to feed and care for their cows.   But it isn’t the financial situation that concerns me the most.  What concerns me the most is the emotional and mental health of these amazing people.

These men and women will most likely sacrifice everything they have to give to keep doing the one thing they know and love, milking cows.  I talked to a dear friend in Ohio who has a small herd.  He told me he will farm until he’s completely broke and go to a food bank for himself and his wife before he sacrifices his cows.   That’s right, he would sacrifice for his family before he would sacrifice for his cows.  He’s not alone, I know many just like him.  I know of farmers trying to make cuts to the budget, but they refuse to compromise their soil, water, and cows’ well-being.  These passionate men and women believe in a hope that is impossible to describe, because many believe if they keep pushing forward through the hard times that good times will soon follow.  Their perseverance pushes them to keeps them fighting for their calling.   Crops were planting this spring and hay is being harvested, farmers’ optimism continues, but at what price?  I can see the stress on their tired faces.  The worry is in their eyes: how will they feed and clothe their families, how will they pay even part of their monthly bills, how long will this last and can they make it that long? 

What can you do to help farmers?  Keep drinking milk, eating cheese and enjoying yogurt.  Dairy foods are some of the most local foods we have available, with the average gallon of milk traveling no more than 100 miles to the grocery store from the nearest dairy farm.  By drinking milk, you are helping your neighboring dairy farmers.  Please help these amazing farmers provide for their families and yours, by doing something as simple as making sure you and your family enjoys 3 servings of dairy each day.  And while you’re at it, please pray for these hard working heroes, they need all the love and support they can get!  Thank you!

What's Your Ideal Size?

A close friend of mine asked me a very personal question about my fitness and health. “Through your exercise, what size or weight are you aiming to reach?”  You should never ask a lady her weight or size, it’s just impolite.  But this was a good friend and I laughed because I had fought with this issue for several years.  In my short lifetime, like many other women, I have battled with what my “ideal” size and weight should be.  I have had the years where I went into healthy overdrive and shrank to an unhealthy weight and I have had the years where a change in lifestyle and stress level caused me to rise to an unhealthy weight.  I know as women we change sizes so much and let’s face it, it effects our self-esteem and our confidence.  It’s ridiculous what women will put themselves through in order to try to gain back their self-esteem.  Then one brilliant day, I came to terms with one outstanding revelation: no matter my shape, size or age, I will always be ME, and I love ME, so why not just keep on being ME. 

So, what’s my ideal size or weight? ME!  I want to be a healthy ME.  I want to be able to physically play sports that I enjoy or go on a long walk without getting winded.  I want to be able to eat chocolate cake guilt-free but also make a healthy dish with vegetables and fruits.  I want to go to the doctor for my yearly physical (yes, I do those) and not fear my blood tests and heart checks because I know I am in good health. I want to be able to run after the cows when they get out of the pen, to stop them from going onto the highway.  I don’t want my lifestyle to revolving around my workout schedule or feel like I am in competition with other women.  I want to have the freedom to go on a leisurely Friday night walk with a friend but also veg out on my couch and watch movies on a Saturday.  I want to be able to put in my ear buds and enjoy a podcast and nature while out on a hike on a beautiful Tuesday night, after work.  I want to use this time to collect my thoughts and get back in touch with my soul.

I have been doing a little bit more running since it is finally nice outside again, and this is what I am after.  I want more of this!  I have lowered my resting heart rate 10 beats per minute, to 52 beats per minute and I’ll bet my blood test is awesome.  Have I lowered my weight or a pant size? Nope, and that’s ok, because I want to like exercise and I want to look forward to eating.  Health is about balance.  It is a balance of nutrition, fitness, mental, social, and spiritual.  Here’s to your health journey, and finding an ideal size or weight for yourself!

How to Fit Exercise into you Busy Life Schedule?

The follow article was published in the Dairy Girl Network March Newsletter, be sure to check out all of the great articles in their amazing newsletter and their resources!

How to Fit Exercise into your Busy Life Schedule?

*Disclaimer: I am not a trainer or coach, just a dairy girl offering some practical advice to help make exercise a part of your daily life. www.dairywomanstrong.blogspot.com

We all know exercise is important to healthy living but let’s be real it takes time and commitment and we’re all very busy women.  A few weeks ago a post on the DGN page shared some favorite ways to de-stress, many of those comments included physical activity.  Personally, for years exercise was not a priority and I paid for it dearly in my mental, emotional and physical health.  I let the craziness of the farm dictate my diet and lifestyle choices which yielded very poor results.  I had no energy, even with sleep I felt tired.  Slowly, small changes really started to change my attitude, self-confidence and physical health.  For me the actual act of unplugging from the hectic schedule at work and the farm forces me to relax, think, recharge and heal my body and soul.   Besides the physical benefits of exercise there are many social, psychological, mental and spiritual benefits.  So we know it’s good for us, how do we fit exercise in?

·       Write down your goal to have physical activity at least 5 times a week, giving yourself a couple days to “cheat” and take a break.  We all know writing down goals is an important first step.

·       Pick a time of day that you can consistently commit to, for me it was right after feeding calves in the evening.

·       Start small and light, perhaps 30 minute walks or biking around your neighborhood (be sure to wave hello to the neighbors when you pass by!).

·       Sign up for a local 5k, thereby setting a deadline and a goal to train for.  Represent Team Dairy while you train by refueling with chocolate milk!

·       Choose a variety of activities: I do everything from running, walking, hiking, biking, and even dance cardio in my basement.  Mix it up!

·       Play with your kids!  This totally counts!  I don’t have children but I will gladly go running with my nieces! Plus this makes some great memories for your kids!

·       Schedule time to work out with your friends.  Some of the best workouts I had were when I helped a friend train for a marathon.  My friend ran while I rode bike with her.  It was almost effortless to workout with someone, plus we had time to talk to each other and we had each other to keep accountable.

·       Bring tunes or your favorite podcasts!  I love my phone and ear buds!  Walks and runs are the perfect time to catch up on your favorite podcasts, audiobooks or even listen to some spiritual music to get in the right state of mind.

·       Make sure you are getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water and making moderate food choices.  All of these factor into your energy level and total health.

·       Give yourself permission to take time for yourselves.  When we are better versions of ourselves we are better wives, mothers, friends, co-workers, bosses, and women.  Be sure to give yourself permission to take care of yourself, because you are worth it!

Enjoying a beautiful day for a hike/run in the woods, complete with my favorite podcasts for meditation time.

The Bad Asses of Farming

“People who wade into discomfort and vulnerability and tell the truth about their stories are the real bad asses”  Brene Brown, Rising Strong.   I love this quote.  I just finished this book and I love it!  This quote has got me thinking about all the bas asses I know, especially right now in farming. 

Milk prices are low, crop prices are low, and farmers are facing difficult financial times, yet again.  Seems like we “just” went through a rough patch not that long ago, basically every 3 years.  Traditionally, farmers have generations of history proving their stoic personalities.  During the Great Depression, the Farming Crisis of the 1980’s, every drought or flood, and every time the prices come down there are proud stories about how farmers tightened their boot straps once again and made it through.  As a group, farmers will be proud of how they made it through times like this, but I think they’re missing a key part of their successes.  What about the suffering and failure?  I see it happening more often, but maybe not enough: farmers being honest with themselves and others about how difficult times like now can be.  I’m not even talking about the financial woes or making the hard decisions about what is getting cut out of the budget.  I am referring to the emotional, physical, psychological, and mental stress that happens to these farm families during times like this.  I don’t think enough of us are honest about what other issues come from this intense stress and anxiety.  But to the bad asses that are honest, God bless you! 

I am blessed to have groups of great farming friends where we have a safe place to talk about the stress.  It is in these safe places that the real bad asses of farming are born.  Here, farmers, male and female alike, share their stories about how they worry.   Will they have enough money to take care of their families?  Will they have enough money to pay their employees fairly? Which employees will they have to lay-off in order to keep afloat and how will those employees’ families handle that?  Can they handle the financial stress of another expensive repair bill on a critical piece of equipment (tractor, mixer, etc.)?  How far will they fall behind on their farm payments?  They are forced to work harder and longer: who will suffer more their spouse or their children?  Can they find time to take care of themselves?  How will they find time to stay active or eat health meals?  Can they even talk to their non-farm friends about how they feel right now?  Will we continue to have a place to sell our milk and crops to?  What if consumers ask more from me and I can’t afford to make those changes? Can I pass my farm onto my sons or daughters, and if I can do I even want to?

These are heavy topics, with real and intense emotions.  Low prices are so much more than financial issues.  Low prices are just the start of a lot real problems that farm families face.  To the bad asses I know right now that are digging deep and being honest about how they feel: YOU ROCK!  God bless you for sharing your struggles and fears with us, with the consumer, and with yourselves.  You are showing so much courage in your vulnerability!  To those of you too scared to talk about it, please find a trusted friend or peer that you can vent to.  It is not healthy to keep this stuff in.  Be a bad ass and talk about your struggles and fears.  We might not be able to fix our pricing issues just yet, but we can at least know we don’t have to wade through these murky waters alone.  Stand tall! I’m cheering for you!    

Stopping to Take it All In

This Christmas I found myself being more reflective than I have been in the past.  I think so often, especially on livestock farms, we get so caught up in the tasks of farming and getting stuff done just to spend a little time with family during the holidays that we neglect to stop and take it all in.   I found myself noticing my nieces’ smiles, laughing with my goddaughter as she played hide and seek with Nana, and smiling when I watched my 93 year old great grandfather just watch his family around him.  I also took some time in the barn to take it all in.  I was asked by my brother to milk cows and do chores so that he could visit his in laws for Christmas.  Since I have a more flexible schedule I decided to help him out.  For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I was at my family’s farm working with my parents and sisters.  This year, more than ever before I needed to stop and take it in.  This is the last Christmas Eve and Christmas morning that I will ever milk in my great grandfather’s original barn, as in the coming months my family’s herd will be moving into a new parlor that my brother is building.  I am overjoyed at the farm’s progress but I can’t help my smile and tear up a little bit thinking about the memories in that old barn.

My favorite mornings and nights to milk are during Christmas.  I love the calm in the barn, the calm in the moonlight and star light at winter time, the calm in the morning at sunrise just as the sun shine hits the frozen Earth.  I love the gentleness of the cows as they pass into the barn, a soft nudge while I lock them into their milking stalls, and a wet kiss with their scratchy tongues as I pet their heads.  I love the smell of cows, their feed, the fresh bedding, and I even think freshly fallen Christmas snow smells.  I will always remember the years we put Christmas lights on the pasture fences, the silo pipes and the milk room, and how they made the whole farm glow in the snow.   I love the memories of working as a family to get chores done in time to make it to Grandpa’s house and the stories told by my father and mother of Christmas’s past.  I can’t help but feel connected to my past when I’m in that old barn.  I bet those walls have some amazing stories from Christmas when my dad was a little boy, or even when my grandfather was a boy!  I bet there was lots of laughter, as my dad’s family is filled with pranksters and story tellers.  I can’t even begin to imagine how much wisdom and lessons learned happened inside those walls!  The good news is that my family doesn’t plan on tearing that old barn down.  It will remain a pillar of the farm for the future.  The barn will be used for calving in fresh cows and taking care of newborns, but it won’t be the same life it had as a milking barn with a vacuum pump firing up in the morning and lights on late at night.  So as I reflect on my last Christmas milking in that barn, I can’t help but feel blessed to have an experience that only a few are blessed to have. 

 

My 2015 Christmas Card

My 2015 Christmas Card Letter, too all of my readers, I wish you the most blessed Christmas Season! 

 

Tis the season for Christmas Cards and well wishes once again!  What a year it has been!  This year I thought I would use my 2015 Christmas letter to highlight some of the things that I have been so grateful for during this year of growth and renewal. 

1.       I am so grateful for the family who reached out to me and helped while I was moving.  Thank you to all of you who were generous, who allowed me to land while I waited for God’s plan for my life to unfold.  Thank you for the family who loves me unconditionally and have shown me what unconditional love looks and feels like.  I hope I can return your love.

2.       I am so grateful for my friends that have been there through everything with me.  What a blessing you have been to share my journey, to listen, to send me a text just saying hi, and it is an even greater blessing it is to be able to listen to you and share in your journeys.  I am so blessed to be able to see your vulnerabilities, to see your strengths, to watch you grow.  I had some of the best times with friends at concerts, events, girls’ weekends, a Friday night out, or just enjoying the company of you and your families!

3.       I am grateful for the opportunities that I took this year to go to conferences, growing my leadership and personal skills, reading more books, and meeting more people.  I am so blessed by the opportunity to live in the moment and experience life to the fullest, to have conversations with new people I meet, and marvel in how great these people are.  I am blessed to have attended several Women in Agriculture events this year, and each time I went I came home with so many more ideas to apply to my personal and professional life. 

4.       I am grateful for the job I have as a dairy specialist.  I get the pleasure of working with dairy farmers, some of the greatest, kindest people I have ever known.  I get to help them make their farms better, and while I don’t have a farm of my own it still allows me the chance to still be involved in making food for people and providing the best care possible for cows.  I am also being challenged to learn new skills like welding and plumbing, while working with our team.

5.       I am grateful for my nieces, nephew, goddaughters and “adopted” nieces and nephews (my friends’ kids).  While I don’t have children of my own, it is such a blessing to see life through these innocents’ eyes.  It is a blessing to be a part of their lives, make play dates and watch them grow into awesome people, just like their parents.  I try to never take their little hugs and kisses for granted.

6.       I am grateful for the house I now call my home: for its cute rooms and DIY projects, its bountiful vegetable garden in the back yard, the beautiful flower beds in the front yard and the kind neighbors I now enjoy.  I am so blessed to live in New Ulm, a city with a lot of history and charm as well as amazing people and even though I miss my country living, this will keep me happy for now.

7.       I am grateful I have more time to use social media and my blog to educate others about what is happening in agriculture.  It is priceless to open the eyes of just one consumer to the importance of agriculture and the value of avoiding fear tactics in marketing.  It is a blessing to make these connections with others as well as connect with other farmers who are striving to do the same.

8.       I am grateful that I have my health and I was able to participate in several 5K runs with friends this spring and summer.  More importantly I was able to go on bikes rides, walks, and runs with friends and family.   

9.       And Most of all I am grateful for our Lord and Savior, who during this Christmas season reminds us of his selfless sacrifice.  How blessed are we that God sent his only son as an infant to die for our sins, to love us unconditionally!?!  I pray that when you gather with your families this holiday season that you too, can reflect on the many blessings in your lives, how even the hardships and the suffering can be blessings in disguise and then be sure to express your gratitude to God, for through him all things are possible.

God Bless You, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

 

 

Generations that came before Me



Doing calf chores on my family's farm.

I had the pleasure of milking cows with my dad last night.  I took advantage of the situation and asked him about his memories of his dad and grandfather.  He started sharing stories from the past. The stories that are so awesome that you hope you can remember them forever.  While dad was talking about his family, I asked him what his grandfather, my great grandfather, would think about the happenings at the farm (new parlor being constructed).  My dad smiled with a big grin, “I think he would be proud.  I think he would say to me, ‘That’a boy! Way to go!’” I smiled.  I know dad would be right but what I didn’t expect was the reason dad thought his grandfather would be proud.  My dad smiled again, “Your great grandfather would be proud because we are still working and milking cows, in fact almost 130 cows in the original barn that he built when he started farming here years ago.”  It was the idea that we were still using something that my great grandfather built and that through the generations has become a legacy of farming for my niece and nephew.  I couldn’t help but smile and be proud also.  It has been such a blessing to be the collection of the generations that came before me: the ideas and dreams that they had, the hard work that they did, and everything that they strived for.  If it wasn’t for certain decisions at a certain times by these ancestors, I might not be who I am today doing what I am doing.

A path was laid out for me before I was born, this I know and I have complete faith in.  A perfect example of this path is when my father was a graduate from high school.  My grandfather asked him what he wanted to do with this farming career, there was no doubt my dad was coming home to farm it was just a matter of what was he going to raise and grow.  My grandfather had a variety of crops: corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, alfalfa and he even grew peas for the local canning factory.  My grandfather also raised dairy cows, beef steers, hogs and in his younger years, horses.  When my dad was a senior in high school my grandfather was moving towards having only pigs and beef cattle.  He had built a hog barn and he was breeding his Holstein milking cows to Herefords, starting his beef herd and transitioning out of dairy.  When my dad was faced with the question of what he was going to raise, he couldn’t get himself to have a farm without dairy cows.  My dad and my grandfather went on a shopping trip for Holstein heifers which resulted in a replenishing of the dairy herd as well as breeding all of the dairy cows back to Holstein bulls.  If dad had not made the choice to have dairy cows on our farm, my siblings and I would not have had the opportunities that we had growing up.  Sure, we would have had beef cows and pigs, as well as crops, but there is something special about dairy cows, something special in all of our hearts.  Without dairy I would have never had the opportunity to show cows for 4-H or be a finalist for Princess Kay and have my head carved in butter at the Minnesota State Fair.  Perhaps I wouldn’t have gone to college for dairy production, had the opportunity to operate a family farm or work in a career where I am able to help other dairy farmers.  Based on that single choice that my dad made, because he wasn’t ready to have a farm without dairy cows, I am who I am.  I am the collections of all the generations that came before me and that is just cool!  It’s this very reason that I enjoying spending a little time asking my dad these questions and learning more about those who came before me.  I have so much to learn from them. 

Disappointed in Subway; Caving into Fear

Subway announced today that it will serve meat without antibiotics in its restaurants.  As a loyal Subway customer, this crushes me.  Here's a little secret: all meat is antibiotic free.  I feel very passionately that Subway made a rushed choice that fed into fear tactics from radical minority groups rather than searching for the facts about the farmers that raise their food.  Moving to antibiotic free is nothing more than a marketing ploy to raise prices and draw consumers through the door under false pretenses.  Ask farmers about what they are doing on their farms and you will quickly learn how ridiculous these claims of antibiotic abuse are.  Advocate Ryan Goodman does an excellent job in his blog to give resources and information to better tackle this topic but I really feel that I need to share my personal experience about this issue as well as a snap shot into the possible outcomes of fully removing antibiotics from farmers' toolboxes.

I have been blessed with experience in several facets of animal agriculture.  First as the daughter of a dairy and pork producer.  Yes my dad raised milk cows (sold milk and beef) as well as raised pigs.  I learned at a very early age that prevention was the key to disease control.  My dad worked hard to make sure his animals were in clean environments, under minimal stress, and vaccinated.  Antibiotics were a measure of last resort when animals became ill.  In fact, I seldom remember dad using medication in the feeds for our pigs.  Even today my dad will try several other methods of health care before using antibiotics.  Antibiotics are expensive, especially when prevention is the best choice.  Even 25+ years ago my dad was worried about antibiotics in the food supply.  I remember him dumping milk from cows that were treated and holding pigs back from sale until they were healthy.  You see, farmers have an intense pride in the animals that they raise, they only want the best for their consumers and their families (yes we ate meat from the animals on our farm). 

In college I worked on the campus swine research farm.  During my 3 years we did many experiments for graduate and PhD students involving feed medication and using organic or natural options to help pigs stay healthy.  The take home message from those experiments was that antibiotics will always be a method of last resort for farmers.  They are expensive and they need to be carefully used with the strict advisement of a veterinarian.  The natural and organic additives, such as oregano and garlic did yield some positive results as well, which helped open my eyes to the fact that we can learn much from our organic farmer friends.  There are other alternatives to help improve animal well being, and sometimes it is as simple as a good environment and good care. 

After graduation I worked at a local feedmill which sold feed to livestock farms ranging in size and scale, raising everything: sheep, beef, dairy, swine, goats, chickens, turkeys, and even llamas.   At that time we were beginning to see the start of increased regulations for feed additive antibiotics (2005-2009).  I remember the paperwork required to give feed grade antibiotics to a group of pigs or cattle.  The veterinarian needed to sign off on the medication with the reason it was being given.  At the mill we needed to keep samples of all feed manufactured and equipment used to mix and make treated feed needed to be flushed clean before being used to make untreated feed.  Every day we did a detailed inventory of all medication at our mill, documenting how much was used, when it was delivered, what truck delivered it, and where it was delivered to.  Every year the list of medications that we could use became shorter and shorter, as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) removed them.  Each year farmers lost tools in their tool boxes.  Feed additive antibiotics needed to be removed from the feed weeks and sometimes months before animals could be sold for meat.  Why would these farmers use feed grade antibiotics?  The answer is easy when you have an illness going through a population of animals.  It becomes easier to treat the whole herd via feed rather than stick each animal with a needle every day, and it's definitely easier than watching the animals die needlessly.  Truth be told, our organic farmers also used antibiotics, but that was the method of last resort, and obviously those animals were sold in non-organic markets.  But when it comes to humane animal care, even organic producers know that they might need to treat an animal, for the animal's best interests.

Finally, as a dairy farmer I have first hand experience every day working with dairy cows whose milk is sold and the occasional cow is sold to be beef.  All milk is antibiotic free.  Do you know what happens if we treat a cow with antibiotics?  We dump that milk for days, sometimes weeks; if it's not perfect we pitch it!  The cow's milk never reaches the tank until she has been tested for antibiotics.  We take antibiotics so seriously on dairies that we test every tank, tanker, and silo of milk.  Yes, we do sell cows for meat and guess what?  We take our meat sales just as seriously.  We usually go above and beyond the regulations to make sure our cows are antibiotic free when sold for meat.  Often we keep cows up to 3 months past their last treatment of antibiotics, first to ensure they are in good health, secondly to make sure they produce high quality beef and thirdly to ensure for a fact they are free of antibiotics.  We are terrified of getting caught selling a positive cow, so much so that we test urine on cows (antibiotics can be detected just like a drug test at work!).  Food safety is on the forefront of our goals. 

Antibiotics are a tool on our farms, but a tool to help ill animals heal and recover.  Prevention has always been a priority for farmers, but to remove antibiotics from our arsenals would put us in a very difficult position.  As consumers continue to buy into the fear, I am very concerned livestock producers will lose a tool and be forced to watch animals die from simple illnesses which a couple days on antibiotics could have saved.  Livestock farmers don't take dead animals lightly.  I can confess to crying on numerous occasions when I lost a cow or calf.  We take our jobs very seriously.  Please, get the facts from farmers before buying into the fear.  It's in everyone's best interests to keep diversified tools to help farmers achieve the best practices possible for their animals.  Meat has always been antibiotic free, and it always will be. 

Removing "I can't" from my Vocabulary

A friend of mine were catching up this week and it was cause for reflection.  As I was discussing the accolades of my job this week I had a "pinch me" moment where I couldn't hardly believe what I have been involved in.  When I was hired, my job was specifically as a specialist to help advise dairy farmers in area of milk quality (making milk even better than it already is and improving cow comfort).  What changed recently was that I found myself working more as a team player.  Instead of doing the usual parlor visits and farm evaluations I am now assisting in construction and all that comes with the start and completion of construction.  My dairy farming background and team player attitude makes me willing to jump in when needed.  Some days I am just a helper or a grunt woman, other days I have been the site manager with a group of co-workers.  Today I was an advisor, providing my expertise on important layout decisions for 2 different projects.  Yesterday I was a welder, but I have never welded until this week.  We have worked hard to install plumbing, in floor heating, parlor structures, mount posts, install fencing, and building structure for pouring concrete.

I turned a personal "I can't" into a "I can". In fact I have turned several "I can't"s into "I can and I will".  A little over a year ago I made a personal promise to myself to start eliminating "I can't" from my vocabulary.  Wow what a change that made in my life!  I have been a fairly confident woman for most of my life but there are so many moments when I froze because of fear and walked away from a possible great opportunity.  Fear is crippling.  Fear steals your joy.  Fear is a wall to hide behind, preventing yourself from being vulnerable.  It was during this time of reflection this week that I realized how much my life had changed both personally and professionally.  I have always operated with a commitment to do my best no matter what.  I have strived for excellence and fallen far from the goal.  But in so much of life it is better to have tried and failed than never tried at all.    I have a new found passion for life and all that I have been able to experience.  Have you tried to eliminate "I can't" from your vocabulary?  I dare you to give it a try!  The only thing standing between you and a new goal or skill is yourself.  Try a new skill, set a higher goal, explore new ideas.  Get out there and live life without "I can't"!  Stare fear in the face and let the walls come down!

Some of structure we welded to pour concrete for the parlor.

Family Farming at its Best!

As I get older I find myself stopping and reflecting on the many blessings in my life.  Over the Labor Day weekend I had the great opportunity of working on my family’s farm, helping to harvest corn silage. While I was waiting for loads to haul I couldn’t help but smile and thank God for how blessed we are to have our family and our family farm.  We were able to keep moving with the help of a good family friend who helped us for 2 days when he could’ve been relaxing with his friends.  This weekend both of my younger sisters were home helping do chores, feed calves, milk cows and delivering new calves (we had 3 new calves this weekend!).  My mom was busy with her job in town but still made time to cook meals for us and bake us treats.  My sister in law did the same, making us a delicious meal for supper one night and bringing my niece out to the field to watch her daddy chopping corn.  I love my niece, watching her farm girl personality just get ignited by the activities in the field was amazing.  The girl really loves her farm implements.  My 93 year old grandfather drove out into the field on Labor Day.  Watching him smile with pride and joy as his son and grandson farm the very land he and his father farmed together, well frankly that expression on his face was priceless.  I will always remember Grandpa's smile and his wave as I cruised past him.  I will also remember how proud my dad was to make his dad proud, dad was grinning from ear to ear.   Very few professions are linked with this type of legacy and the connection to the generations past, present and future.  It was so great to see everyone working as a team to accomplish the goals of the day. 



Putting silage into long bags for storage for the year.

I love helping at the farm! Watch me haul silage home!

Another great blessing for the day was the beauty of watching the growing crops being harvested for food and feed for the growing dairy cow herd.  Corn silage is the main ingredient in cow diets.  Not to be confused with corn grain, corn silage is the complete plant (stem/stalk, leaves, and corn grain/cob) chopped up into small bite sized pieces for cows.  My brother and dad did an excellent job to get the corn harvested at the correct moisture, and then set the chopper for the correct cut length.  The result is a feed that smells amazing and will help supply very important nutrients for the cows.  Working with nature is such a blessing: planting seeds and watching them grow through the heat, rain, wind, and storms; reaching full maturity to be harvested for nutrition for cows, which produce milk, a nutritious food for humans; it’s a beautiful cycle. 

During our harvest my brother has been an amazing farmer.  He made sure to take breaks for church and rest on Sunday.  He has been planning ahead to have everything ready for the people helping him.  He also made sure that everyone is well fed and caffeinated. Even through breakdown my brother kept his cool, fixed the broken parts and we kept on moving.  It’s been fun watching my brother grow into a really great farmer, and I am very proud of him.  Family and farming is what it is all about and I am so blessed to have been and still be a part of such a great profession!  97% of all farms are family owned and operated just like ours!