Epic Winter Flashback

Today in my newsfeed there was a story from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources about the 20th anniversary of the epic winter of 1996. If you're interested in the details check out the article! That year I was 13 years old and willing to do whatever it took to have a snow day.  Snow days were a special treat in my younger years, not that it meant that I got a day off but that I got to spend the day with my dad and family.  The special treat of a snow day was helping care for our livestock (dairy cows and pigs) with my family in the inclimate weather. 
The winter of 1996 was especially wicked.  I remember the days when the temperature, not the wind chill, but the actual air temperature was lower than -25!  Not just for a date but several days.  The governor called off school for us.  Thanks Governor Arnie Carlson!  We had mountains of snow in the yard in front of our house and in the yards where the cows went out of exercise.  I remember shoveling out the drive way to house. We worked hard to shovel out the snow around the calf huts and to the pig barns.  My dad used a snow blower on the tractor to clean out the rest of the farm.  My brother and I worked with dad all day feeding the animals, bedding them all in to stay warm, thawing out water lines, and of course milking cows twice that day.  Winter is difficult for livestock farmers because the animals still need to be fed and cared for.  Epic storms of winter are where stories are made and told.  This is my story.  The air hurt my face. I remember walking into the house that night.  It was almost 10pm and the world was silent.  Snow stacked piles high, the moon shown onto the drifts and stars had a special luster.  I will always remember that night.  So beautiful and amazing.  Even in the epic winters there is so much beauty.  Cold, calm, still.  God does amazing work, even in the dead of winter.
Minnesota has a long history of this winter beauty.  Minnesota is known for its epic blizzards.  My mother tells the stories of the January blizzard of 1975. During that blizzard, my mother's family worked tirelessly to feed and care for their cows but they had an exceptionally hard time because they had no power for several days.  During this time there was no water for the cows because it takes power to pull water from the well.  My grandfather and his children had to go through extraordinary means to care for their livestock and during that storm over 15,000 head of livestock perished.  My mom's family did not lose any animals even without power.  My mom tells stories of using candles to light and heat their house as well as cooking with fire.  We have been raising livestock in the Midwest for centuries even through our epic storms.  I used to joke only the tough survive, but truthfully we innovate, we stay and we keep on working to make life better for ourselves and our livestock.  Here's to Minnesota and the rugged farmers that have lived here, currently live here and will live here.

An Occupation of Faith

Spring time rains are here!  We’ve been pretty dry here in Southern Minnesota, so much so that they put us in a “Moderate Drought” category.  Last week strong winds were blowing top soil everywhere, but this morning I awoke to the gentle sounds of rain drops hitting my window pane.  Praise be to God!  I know there are lots of happy farmers, because their prayers are being answered.  Weather is something no farmer has control over and they are at complete mercy to it.  Because of this, I believe in order to farm you have to have a deep sense of a higher calling or a higher power.  Farming is an occupation of faith. 

So often farmers place their hope and trust in something bigger than themselves.  Farmers have faith; it is a requirement.  They have faith that there is a plan, that God will provide, that if they do their best on Earth to be care takers of the land, water and animals, that they will be rewarded.  Sometimes though, life doesn’t as planned.  Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate.  Sometimes the cards that farmers get dealt make no sense.  But at the end of the day, farmers are resilient, they know their calling, and they have faith that they will be able to try again; they keep trying again. “Maybe we’ll get it right next time or next season.”

In my heart, I am a farmer, I have faith.  I know my calling in life and I trust in God’s plan.  I am so blessed to have grown up on a farm, to have first-hand knowledge and experience in God’s glory.  I have seen my parents struggle through difficult times in farming history, wondering if we would have money to feed our family or pay the bills, but they never lost faith.  They have been great examples of resilience and the important of dedication and passion.  But when you boil everything that they went through to keep on farming, it came down to having faith, and I have faith in God’s plan for me and my farming future!

Heat Wave 2011: Staying Alive.

Sprinklers, critical to keeping our cows cool, but in our record heat, also alive.

Over a month since I have blogged, but I have a perfectly good excuse for it: we were working to keep our cows alive. Minnesota experienced much like the rest of the nation, record breaking heat and humidity. It was that darn humidity that was our biggest challenge in July. Cows are not built for warm climates, but thanks to technology and advances in animal husbandry, we are able to make them comfortable. Cows like 65˚ and so do I. Instead of our usual summer weather we endured an endless series of weeks with temperatures above 85˚ and dew points above 70˚. At times our heat indices reached almost 120˚! It was these extremes that put our cows in danger.


Our milking cows spend summers indoors, in the shade, under sprinklers, in fans, with plenty of cool water and fresh feed. Our dry cows and heifers spend summers out in our yards, with some shade, natural breezes and lots of cool water and fresh feed. Our calves have huts, which are placed in the shade of our groves, and receive extra cool water each day. During this extreme weather we worked daily to cool cows. First, we added additional fans to critical areas of the milking barn. We spent time each day hosing down our dry cows and heifers. Our calves had multiple feedings of cool water each day. We monitored our fresh cows (20 cows had calves during July) even more closely than before, checking their vitals not just once each day, but twice. These efforts helped to keep our cows well, but we did lose the fight with 2 cows and 3 calves, and we may see further challenges in the months ahead.

Heat is the most dangerous for the most vulnerable of our herd: fresh cows, sick cows, and calves. It was these 3 groups that received the most additional attention. 1 cow we lost was sick and the other was not only sick, but had also just calved. There was literally nothing we could have done for them, and that was the hardest thing to accept. Both cows spent most of the day parked under the sprinklers, staying as cool as possible, but the heat was too much and stressed them out too far. The 3 calves also had the same fate, sick and too hot. It was not only frustrating but emotionally exhausting to handle. There were days when both Jon and I worked ourselves so hard in the heat that we were both physically ill.  Heat sickness is serious, and it is very painful.  While our milking herd only lost 12% of their milk production due to the heat, the next few weeks could provide more problems. Heat stress of this magnitude can cause laminitis (cows with sore feet due to infection or sores), prevent pregnancy (bad ovulations) and possibly induce miscarriages.

As of right now, thanks to the cooler and less humid temperatures, the cows have rebounded in milk production. So far, feet on our cows look good and we seem to have cows in good reproductive health. We are praying that the heat wave of 2011 doesn’t have lasting effects into the fall. Excellent care of our cows helps to minimize the impacts of stress on their lives….hopefully we did a good job.

Saturated & Muddy!

Saturated & Muddy!  That's how I would describe the "environment" on Orange Patch Dairy, these days.  There are so many things to be done on the farm, but there's literally too much mud, rain, slop, and muck to get it done.  I would take pictures to share our misery, but it's almost embarrassing.  Just when the weather clears, and the soil finally starts to dry, and it might look like we can get back in the fields (we have corn to finish planting, soybeans to start, and alfalfa to chop) we receive another 1/2 to 1 inch of rain.  This morning we were "blessed" with another 1+ inch of rain.  The forecast has more rain predicted for tonight as well as Thursday night.  The sun might actually come out this weekend, but that's just in time for my brother in law's graduation party....which means we can't be in the field. 

Then there's the cows.  It's so muddy in the cow yards right now, it has become impossible to get bedding to the cows.  Thankfully the sand corners of the pens are drying during the day, so the cows can rest on dry "islands" in the sun.  It looks bad though.  I was out fixing fence in our yards today, and sank into the mud as I stood still, like in quick sand.  I nearly lost my boots twice, stuck in the mud as I tried to walk out.  I've never been more grateful for the concrete portions of our yards, where are animals can find additional reprieve from the mud, as well as eat and drink in mud-free peace. 

Even if we get into the field, the mud is so severe by our silage bags, we will not be able to make our new 2011 haylage bags in the yard.  We will be searching for the highest, driest location on the farm.....it's crazy to think about not being able to put a silage bag on our pad for weeks.  So please wish us well...these soggy dairy farmers could really use a dry break for the next 2-3 weeks, then we'll take some more rain.

Winter's Slap in the Face

Oh Old Man Winter decided he wasn't done yet with us hard working dairy farmers in Minnesota.  Last week we were spoiled with warm sunshine and 40+ degree afternoons.  In those days, we felt as though a weight was lifted from our shoulders (physically-we were wearing a few less layers!)  We were able to finish daily chores quickly and we were actually able to work on a number of "projects" around the farm!  It was great to actually be accomplishing something!

But these past couple days Old Man Winter slapped spring back a few more weeks!  Yesterday we were in a Blizzard Warning, bracing for 12+ inches of snow with 25+ mph winds.  It was a snowy day, but we had a break in the snowfall at the perfect time to blow out and push out enough snow to feed, milk and bed our cows.  Today was a little more unforgiving....

We had a moderate/heavy snowfall through the morning and into the afternoon.  I believe that our storm total was 14 inches of snow, but it's hard to tell since most of our snow is still moving yet....yep, those Southern Minnesota winds are still pushing our snow around like sand in the desert.  It looks pretty, until you have to work in it.  I believe Jon and I worked an additional 4 hours each today, just moving snow!  I shoveled out my calf huts twice to feed my little girls, and then again tonight after the snowfall stopped to bed them in.  Jon used the snow blower to find our corn silage and haylage bags.  He also had to blow out the snow in the farm yard, to make sure the and the milk truck and tractors didn't get stuck.  Finally, he blew out the snow in the heifer and dry cow yards.  With this much snow we had mountains of snow for the animals to trudge through on their way to the feed bunks, before Jon moved it.  The disheartening part was that within hours of removing the snow, more of it was ready to take its place!  At least tonight, even though the snow is moving (slower now) the snowfall has stopped....so digging out tomorrow will actually last hopefully until spring, or at least for a few days!  So....we continue the fight against Old Man Winter....spring will be here before we know it!

Babies, Babies, Babies!!!!

One of our many baby calves, this is Hauney.

So it's been a little while since I posted a blog, and it's not from lack of trying, but from lack of sleep.  I think we have spent the entire month of January on "Baby Watch".  We knew we were expecting a large number of calves this month, but you never realize how many there are until they are all born and ready to eat!!!  So our tally (so far...I have one more cow due with a set of twins for this week)...

• 33 calves since Christmas from 29 cows.
• 18 heifer calves (girls)
• 11 bull calves (boys)
• 4 loved baby calves still born (I always miss my lost ones!)
• Currently feeding 27 calves on milk!!!  Lots of hungry babies to play with!

Even though we have so many calves, I can assure you that we are not skipping over our chores or doing a poor job.  Each calf is important, just as important as their mothers.  We strive to give each of them the best care possible, even if that means some short sleep nights and early mornings for us.  I have been doing the 3am checks for calves this entire month.  I am certain that I am checking my dry cows (expectant mothers) at least 10 times a day, waiting for the next little blessing.  Cold Minnesota weather has also offered a challenge.  It is critical that we move the calves quickly to get them into the warm nursery.  It's also equally critical that we get our cows to the milking barn after calving.  Both cows and calves are moved to prevent them from experiencing frost bite in these frigid temperatures (-10 to -20's last week).  February looks to be a lighter calving month, and a much needed break for this active dairy farmer! Stay tuned for more pictures and videos from the calf barn!

Update: Cows are back on track!

It's been a little bit since I blogged about our cows and how they have been doing, so I thought I would take this chance to post an update.  Well as you read in CSI: Dairy Farm Investigation, we had a little bump in the road.  After that post we had all of our forages tested.  We test our silage, haylage, hay and straw about once a month to make sure that we know exactly how much protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins are in each.  We build our diets around those forages, and supplement with grains to fill out the rest of our cows' nutrient needs.  The tests came back in a couple of days and we learned that not only had our corn silage increased in energy, but our haylage was more digestible, and our alfalfa hay had more protein in it.  All 3 factors caused our cows to get upset stomachs.  Too many treats for them, and their diet was out of balance.  So we fine tuned the diet once again, and after about 2 weeks on the new diets, we can say the the cows are back on track!  They haven't gained back all of the milk they once had, but that's ok with us, their health is far more important!  It's great to walk into the barn in the morning and see them all chewing their cuds so diligently! (we know we made the right choices then!)

Other than working with the new feed changes, we have also been busy welcoming a number of new calves to the farm.  Be sure to stop by our Facebook Page to see new pictures of our new baby calves!  The mother cows are doing great, and the baby calves are thriving.  I checked the calving list tonight, and we have 14 more to be born this month, including 2 sets of possible twins!!  I can't wait to meet them all!

Minnesota's Winter Weather has also been a challenge for us.  We have been constantly bedding in our cows....to keep them warm and insulated from the cold.  We have also been working move and remove as much snow as we can, since it snows here almost twice a week.   Needless to say, we are experiencing a traditional Minnesota Winter, and all the joys it brings with.  The forecast for the coming week doesn't sound too much more promising, but we can look forward to March....and thawing! 

New YouTube Video-Making of a Butterhead!

With all of my upcoming Holiday baking, I realized I never posted this video, so for everyone to enjoy...the making of the famous Butterheads at the Minnesota State Fair.  It was a great experience for my sister (and for me too back in 2002!)! 

Liberty also means Responsibility

I have always intended this blog to highlight the good work that dairy farmers do everyday for their animals and land.  I have never intended it to be a place for talk of politics, but today, while driving tractor and listening to the radio, I was prompted to include a little politics in my blog.  So here's my story...

Here in Minnesota our media has been filled with so many political ads!  Yesterday, in the mail, we received mailers about our Republican candidate for US House of Representative.  The flier was printed by the Minnesota DFL, and they reported that the Republican candidate had received thousands of tax payer dollars but, if elected, would vote to end government funding to the "poor" and "middle class".  After further inspection of the flier, I discovered that the tax payer dollars that this candidate received were from various Farm Programs for his farming enterprise.  Some of those same funds were distributed to our neighbors and my in laws.  This definitely was a shock to me, to see a simple fact found on the Internet to be skewed in such a way to portray a candidate as an abuser of the system.  I will definitely acknowledge that each political party is guilty of this practice, but that doesn't make it right.  Even more angering was to find out today on the radio, the millions, yes millions of dollars being pumped into the political machine built to confuse and persuade voters. 

As a voter, I take this liberty seriously!  We are so blessed to live in a country that give us a say in how our government operates.  I don't care what political party you vote for or with, but what I do care about is that you take time to seriously consider the responsibility that comes with the liberty of voting.  In my Agricultural Policy class in college we often talked about how ill informed the voters have been in the last few years, and how this has been accelerated through the media.  Instead of researching the issues, voters will vote based on the letter D or R behind a name, or even with the more popular commercials on TV.  As we draw nearer to the election in a few days, I ask each of you to take the time to review the issues that are important to you.  Please vote on those issues instead of voting on the R or the D.  Please take the time to consider issues that are important to you before you vote....and make the best decision for your communities, because voting carries a great responsibility with it, make wise decisions.

More Videos from the Princess Kay of the Milky Way Coronation!

In addition to celebrating a Princess Kay Finalist from our county, we also celebrated 2 finalists that were from the neighboring, Nicollet County.  Ashley Swenson and Megan Herberg were great canidates for Princess Kay as well!  While they did not earn the title of Princess Kay, both accomplished young women were awarded 2 of 3 scholarships for leadership in the dairy industry.  These young women are examples of all that is good and wonderful about growing up on a dairy farm!  Check out the videos from their big introductions!





Also, finally...the big coronation, which announced Katie Miron as the 57th Princess Kay of the Milky Way!  We wish Katie a great year promoting the Minnesota Dairy Industry, and we also look forward to bumping into her at various dairy events this coming year!  Check it out!!!

Videos from the Princess Kay of the Milky Way Coronation

Me and My Sister Angie!

Angie and Princess Kay of the Milky Way Katie Miron, of Hugo MN

Our family, gathered to support Angie!

I know I haven't been blogging much lately, but I have been recovering from a whirl wind of activity surrounding the Minnesota State Fair.  We, in Minnesota, lovingly call the State Fair the Great Minnesota Get Together...and for good reason, it is a great opportunity to connect with many fellow farmers and also with consumers.  There were so many opportunities to connect, and I did partake in a few of these events.  So, to highlight these events, I will be blogging the next few entries about all that I was part of or observed.  First on deck, is the Princess Kay of the Milky Way Coronation.  This year, my youngest sister served as a finalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way.  She was not chosen for Princess Kay, but she did have a blast serving the dairy farmers of Minnesota at the State Fair.  She also had the opportunity to have her likeness carved in a 90 pound block of butter (more about that to follow). 

So to start out my blogs, below is a video from the beginning of the coronation, which showcased each finalist, sharing a valuable message about dairy products and dairy farmers.  Here's Angela's message:



Next up, a video of introductions from fellow SDSU student Brittany Morse, of Lyon County and Angela Sellner:

Raw Milk: Drink at Your Own Risk

Before I go into this topic, I think I should give a little background about myself.  I was raised on raw milk.  In fact I was known for bringing raw milk from the farm to college for my first year there.  I had a difficult time adapting to milk that was not as thick or creamy as raw milk.  BUT, I did in fact adapt to drinking pasteurized milk and drink about 1-1.5 gallons each week.  I can also confess that I do occasionally drink raw milk from our own tank at our farm, but I really don't need over 3.5% fat milk, but I would prefer 1% fat for my health.  The reason while I feel safe drinking milk from my own tank is that I live and work in the same environment as my cows.  I am exposed to the same bacteria, good or bad, as my cows.  I believe that this exposure makes it possible to drink my raw milk without incident of illness, however I would NEVER serve my milk to someone not from my farm.  I believe that they should be drinking pasteurized milk.  When I drink raw milk I take a risk, there is probably a one in a million chance that I could get a bacteria that would harm me. BUT I would never allow another to take that risk, pasteurization is insurance that harmful bacteria are not present in our precious milk.  There is no proven health difference between pasteurized and raw milks.  Safety first.  We don't eat meat without cooking it completely, or fruits and vegetables without washing them, why would we drink milk without pasteurization?

Recently a dairy farmer in Minnesota was associated with an e-coli breakout, resulting in 5 ill children, 3 of which were hospitalized.  This farmer was selling his milk to many families, some with children who are most at risk for illness.  Today, this farmer had a press release where he denounced his link to this outbreak, even though Minnesota Department of Health Officials have found e-coli on the farm and in a sample of cheese from the farm.  I am sure this farmer never intended for others to get ill, but the fact is that someone did.  Raw milk consumption is dangerous.  Midwest Dairy Association has an excellent link describing why raw milk is dangerous.  Also a great resource is the FoodSafety web site by the USDA, which highlights myths about raw milk that are false.  Claims that raw milk will reduce lactose allergies, help fight pathogens, or help digestive disorders are all false. 

So if you drink raw milk, please consider pasteurization for your safety...whether organic or conventional milk, just make sure it is pasteurized for your safety.

Honoring a Leader in the Dairy Industry

I still remember the first time I had the honor of meeting Brant Groen.  I had decided to visit Jonathan at college in Willmar, MN (Ridgewater). I made the 2 hours drive swiftly, and arrived to find out Jonathan was still at school working in the Ag Shop on a tractor.  I stopped into visit him and Jon gave me my first tour of the Ridgewater Dairy/Ag Department.  I met all of his instructors and then I finally met the "famous" Brant!  Oh how many late night phone calls with Jon, would I hear about how Brant taught them a new skill or concept at class~he made learning interesting and exciting.  Brant was Jonathan's Dairy Management Instructor and well, a mentor.  Brant greeted me with a smile and a joke to Jon about how I was too good for him.  I laughed.  He asked me how long I was staying.  I was going to stay through the next day, and he invited me to class the next day.  Needless to say it was not my last class with Brant....he always invited me to join when I visited (only a handful of times) and everytime that I went to class with Jon, I would learn something new.  I admired Brant's teaching style.  He was a hands on teacher and I know that we can credit him for teaching Jon (and me too) everything that he knows. 

Brant did an excellent job of using real life farms and professionals to teach important skills needed to be a good dairy farmer.  A dairy farmer that is knowledgable and caring.  His retirement made Jonathan and I so sad.  Brant has influenced so many MN dairy farmers, his leadership will be incredibly hard to replace....and we will miss him dearly :( 

Best wishes Brant as you start your next venture in life, and know that you have helped to develop some of the best dairy farmers in the state of Minnesota!

Dear March

Dear March:

I was wondering if you could bring back a couple of my favorite things these coming days. Please bring back sunshine-we miss its warm rays to melt the snow. Please bring back mud, yes I said mud, because at least I don't have to move mud on a daily basis if the wind blows. Please bring back the rain-I love how it smells, snow doesn't really smell, and rain doesn't need to be moved. Please bring back dirt....I forgot how wonderful it smells after a warm rain and once its freshly tilled. Please bring back temperatures over 35 degrees, I forgot how freeing it can be to walk around without our almost 10 layers of clothing on, every day. I yearn to wear only a light sweatshirt and jeans once again.

You can kindly take back the 2 feet of snow that still blankets the ground, we don't need it anymore, Christmas was done months ago. You can take back the wind chills, we got it, it's cold in Canada...they can keep it. You can send back the clouds, unless they bring warm rains, since we really need the sun to dry out the ground.

We are looking forward to flowers (please see the picture attached below for reference), spring tillage, planting peas, and watching the alfalfa start to grow. And yes I am even looking forward to hay season.

If you could kindly meet my requests, I would greatly appreciate it,
Thanks,

One VERY Tired Dairy Farmer in Minnesota

Frosty Pics from the Farm

Purple cone flowers that made it through the winter.

Pretty vines on the trees in the grove.

Frosted round bales of grass hay.

Winter view of the heifer lot.

Dry cows, relaxing in the dry cow lot on this frosty winter day.

Meet AC/DC, our heifer who is 16 months old and expecting her first calf this fall.

Yevette!!! (our preemie calf from this summer) She's doing so well! She loves it outside, even if it's frosty. She's almost as tall as the other calves her age, but has so much more attitude.

Kittens like to snuggle up with the bulls calves in the calf barn.

Frosty trees in the yard.

Silver Bells, checking out the frost covered shrubs in front of her calf hut.

Our Dairy Barn, almost 5 years old already. View from the road.

Komanche, our heifer, checking out the birds in the tree out in the yard.

It's so cold, but we have such a pretty view outside!

Which one of these doesn't belong? Yep, it's Glencoe, she was our "day care" calf this summer, who visited area day cares. She thinks she needs to be spoiled and is completely immune to electric fences-she goes where she wants to and we just let her.

What a great view from the dairy barn!

Cows eating in a very foggy barn. Yummy! TMR! (total mixed ration-containing alfalfa, corn silage and so many other great feeds!)

Congrats for surviving this Week of Winter!

Oh I couldn't be more excited for warmer weather than what I am right now! In case you didn't notice, I haven't posted a blog in over a week. There's a GOOD explanation for that-we were taking care of our cows the best that we could in some pretty miserable Minnesota weather. At last count we put in 3 16-hour days, 2 15-hour days, and 3 12-hour days. It's been tough, no lie about that. Our biggest challenge was just making sure that all of our cows, heifers and calves were protected from the wind and snow. Frost bite is just as dangerous to cows as it is to humans....we take the winter very seriously. We bedded in all animals everyday with lots of extra straw, thereby keeping them dry and clean. We moved cows that were due to calve in the coming days, into a heated pen to assure us that any calves born would be warm and frost-free. Accidents do happen, where cows are not smart enough to stay out the wind and decide to have their calves out in the open, in a snow bank, and in the wind-those calves usually die. Knowing this fact-we didn't want to take any chances-we want all live calves, so mothers got moved inside. We used special teat creams/lotions in the milking barn to protect teats on cows and heifers that could be at risk of freezing as well. The temperatures dipped below -30 a couple of times over night, but wind chills were out biggest enemy: -45! Add some fluffy, fresh snow and we had a good mess on our hands. One night we were even unsure if we could make the 7 mile trip from the farm back to our home since most local roads were closed...but we made it.

It's days like those that I really wonder how animal rights activists can accuse us on "not caring" for our cows!?!?! Seriously!?!?!? If I didn't care for my cows, I would have stayed at home, wrapped up on the couch with a warm blanket instead of sporting 5 layers of clothing and a ski mask to care for my animals. Those days were really hard on us mentally. Jon and I asked ourselves often-"Why is it that we are doing this?" We do it because we love our cows, and we strive everyday to give them our very best-they deserve it! Farming is not easy, but we do it because we know how important it is to grow, raise, and produce safe, quality, wholesome food for the world. So, I guess to rest my case....say thanks and congrats to a dairy farmer today....especially if they survived a week of winter like we did.

And, be grateful for the +30 temps coming this week!

Another Minnesota Winter

Oh Geeze, looks like another Minnesota winter has arrived at the farm. We tried to hold it off as long as we could, but it turns out we ran out of time. Needless to say this wet fall has made for a major delay in our "to do list". We are still trying to finish up fall work and some fall work will have to go undone. But winter prep also was left behind.

These last 2 days we have been dealing with frozen hoses and water pipes. If we had enough time, we would have "winterized" these items, but we were busy doing "fall" things. As a result we spent at least 30 minutes these last 2 days thawing out the hoses and pipes to make sure that the cows and heifers have adequate water. The cold weather makes for difficult starts for all of the tractors. Some tractors, critical to our daily operations couldn't be started today. The cold weather makes everything twice as difficult, and that's not fun when we are calving many cows.

Today we welcomed 3 new calves! 2 heifers and a bull calf. All of them healthy and happy. Because of the cold weather we had to work fast to get the calves dry and warm. Once they are warm, filling their stomachs with warm milk from their mother's (colostrum) is very important. All of our calves drink at least 1 gallon of colostrum in the first hours of life. The cooler temps and weather also make life more stressful after birth, so we make sure that each calf is vaccinated for any possible disease and feed additional milk during the day to ensure that they have adequate calories to stay warm. For some calves that are struggling, we will cover them in a calf blanket and/or use a heat lamp to warm them. Making sure that their mothers are inside and protected from the elements is also important. Cold air and wind chills can cause skin on cow's teats to freeze and crack. The cold weather also stresses the mother, so we make sure the 2 months before the birth that they consume enough calories and protein to grow a healthy calf as well as care for her needs. Nevertheless, cold weather makes for extra work, but we love what we do. Just, grateful for insulated coveralls, heavy sweatshirts, and stocking caps!!!

Uuufda!

Uuufda! A phrase used in Minnesota-kinda like a sigh.

This is the best way to describe the last 2 weeks at the farm. Uuufda! We have been so busy making hay. We thought we were done last week and then the neighbor came over on Monday night to offer his alfalfa to us. We took it, so yesterday we were busy in the fields again, chopping another 30 acres of alfalfa. We have been dealing with the 3rd driest May in history in Minnesota, and a windy one at that. Last week were making hay with 50 mph winds and 97 degrees...this week it was 80 degrees and NO WIND. As a result we cut alfalfa yesterday morning at 8 am, and we were not able to start chopping it until 10 pm. We finished at 2 am this morning. We are finding that 4 hours of sleep is not enough to function well...so nap time was taken today ;) Uuufda! Makes for a long night and an even earlier morning.

We are looking forward to working on some summer time project tomorrow...getting our sprinkler system up and running for the lactating cows and hauling out the last of the calf manure in the calf barn.

Also an update on Joey...she's growing so well! I hope to have pictures up soon....she's eating about 1.5 pounds of calf starter (calf feed which contains corn, oats, and a protein pellet, all coated with mollasses for a special treat) a day.

1st cutting Alfalfa Video! FINALLY!!!!

Seifert Farms making 1st cutting hay (alfalfa) on May 20th, 2009 in Southern MN. We cut 100 acres of hay and chopped it as alfalfa haylage in less than 36 hours, at about 355 tons in a 250 ft. silage bag. Definitely a little windy though, up to 50 mph winds, amazingly the moisture, which is critical, never got any lower than 55%, most averaging 60%. Alfalfa was about 175 RFV (Relative Feed Value) a measure of the quality of a forage.