It's been a little while since I've blogged, but I have a good reason, like I always do. Exactly one month ago our only full time employee, who had been with us for almost 2 years, didn't show up for work. In fact he not only stopped coming to work but we were not able to contact him or his family. It was a complete shock to us that with no notice he would basically disappear! We've been working together 5 days a week for almost 2 years. We knew his family and he knew ours. How could he do this to us? We tried to encourage him in his job, offer him opportunities to learn new skills and educate himself. He was genuine interested in our cows and cared for each of them. A person, an employee, that ACTUALLY cares about our cows is priceless to our team. It takes a team of people to care for cows, but more importantly, over time, each employee becomes a member of our family....that cares. We were so hurt by this action at first. We were frustrated. We were angry, also, but now we're just disappointed and feel let down. But...like in all things in dairy farming and life...we move on...
So taking a really bad situation, where Jon and I were the only ones here caring for our cows, we decided take the opportunity to make some changes to our family. We have since hired 2 full time employees and have also added another part time employee. With our growing herd comes some serious increases in the time required to give each cow the care they deserve. We decided that we need an even bigger team to care for our cows. In the past month we have evolved our team to be more like a close knit family...and we think we have the right people in place to do a good job providing our cows the very best.
My cows are my babies, and I really have to trust an employee to leave them in charge of my girls...just like a member of my family. We're working on teaching the right skills to move our cows calmly, milk them gently, and feed them correctly. We're also working on teaching responsibility, so we have people in place to save Jon & time during the day...so we can do other things, like play with my calves ;) Wish us luck as we keep on building our family!
Showing posts with label dairy farm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dairy farm. Show all posts
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Welcome 2012!
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| Happy New Years from Orange Patch Dairy!!! Bring on 2012!!!! |
Saturday, October 29, 2011
2011 Construction Update
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| Our cows, looking longly at the new construction...their new home! |
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wordless Wednesday: Antibiotic Tests
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| Did you know dairy farms test for antibiotics on farm? Shown here are 2 samples from 2 cows in our herd. The yellow sample is a cow that is negative for antibiotics, and will return to the milking herd, producing milk for consumers. The purple sample is a cow that tested positive for antibiotics and will NOT return to the milking herd. She will remain in the sick cow pen, where her milk is dumped and NEVER used for human consumption! Milk is tested 17 times before it reaches the consumers! |
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Networking with Fellow Dairy Producers
Today I had the honor of speaking at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin's Business Conference, and let me tell you...it's been a blast! How awesome to see so many producers excited about milking cows, caring for cows, and communicating to consumers! It's been great to see many producers taking advantage of the great seminars with awesome topics...like how to handling our cows better or how to communicate with consumers more effectively. Dairy farmers are always striving to do a better job. We are always looking for new methods to make our cows more comfortable or increase the level of care they receive. New innovations are also displayed in the "Hall of Ideas", where I am looking forward to searching tomorrow...great new products from dairy companies that help us care for our cows! The other great thing about this conference, besides the education is the networking with fellow dairy farmers...
Let me tell you, it might not seem like it, but we dairy farmers are VERY social people. When we do get off of our farms we LOVE to talk with other dairy producers about what's working for them, what's working for us, new ideas with dairy industry representatives, and latest current events. It's great to share with producers from across the country your common frustrations and joys, because those are what bonds us together. It's been an awesome experience to share with fellow farmers the joys I have writing this blog, posting on Facebook and Twitter, as well as our YouTube channel. I hope many of those I spoke with today are as inspired as I am to continue sharing our stories...because dairy farmers have such GREAT stories! Thanks to all dairy farmers for the hard work that you do everyday! You are greatly appreciated!
Let me tell you, it might not seem like it, but we dairy farmers are VERY social people. When we do get off of our farms we LOVE to talk with other dairy producers about what's working for them, what's working for us, new ideas with dairy industry representatives, and latest current events. It's great to share with producers from across the country your common frustrations and joys, because those are what bonds us together. It's been an awesome experience to share with fellow farmers the joys I have writing this blog, posting on Facebook and Twitter, as well as our YouTube channel. I hope many of those I spoke with today are as inspired as I am to continue sharing our stories...because dairy farmers have such GREAT stories! Thanks to all dairy farmers for the hard work that you do everyday! You are greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Animal Activisits are an Important Part of our Future
Below was a comment recently posted on one of my previous blogs, and it really made me think about animal agriculture and how our relationships with consumers have evolved in the past few years thanks to HSUS and PETA.....check out the comment:
"I've been reading through this blog (is this called a thread?) with interest, and glad to see that after some initial emotional arguments, an intelligent exchanging of views was achieved - we don't all have to agree with each other, but we do need to stop branding every person the same way - not all dairy farmers are cruel, not all animal activists are raving vegan extremists. Good to have respect for someone elses point of view....
....I could go on and on, but in the end, I am not a vegetarian, well not full time anyway, I have my moments, but I do stand strongly for the ethical treatment of animals, and I do believe that animal activists are an important part of our future, as they help to keep improving our systems and educating the public, and work with us as producers to make the world a happier place for animals. All I would ask of animal activists is that they do actually do their homework before launching personal attacks on people - I think the wider population would actually take them more seriously if this was the case."
This reader really hit home on those 2 points...thanks to animal activists we have worked to make our farms and ranches better and we have a total industry of agriculture, really begun to educate consumers about where their food comes from. I know on our own farm we work hard to give the best care to our animals, but I will admit there are probably places for improvement that an activist might be able to see, that we might miss. In addition, I might not have this blog if it wasn't for activists who make consumers acknowledge that they really don't know where their food comes from anymore. Thanks to activists I have the honor and privilege to share with consumers and readers alike about the daily happenings on our farm, and that's awesome! So thank you animal activists for allowing me to have this great blog!
"I've been reading through this blog (is this called a thread?) with interest, and glad to see that after some initial emotional arguments, an intelligent exchanging of views was achieved - we don't all have to agree with each other, but we do need to stop branding every person the same way - not all dairy farmers are cruel, not all animal activists are raving vegan extremists. Good to have respect for someone elses point of view....
....I could go on and on, but in the end, I am not a vegetarian, well not full time anyway, I have my moments, but I do stand strongly for the ethical treatment of animals, and I do believe that animal activists are an important part of our future, as they help to keep improving our systems and educating the public, and work with us as producers to make the world a happier place for animals. All I would ask of animal activists is that they do actually do their homework before launching personal attacks on people - I think the wider population would actually take them more seriously if this was the case."
This reader really hit home on those 2 points...thanks to animal activists we have worked to make our farms and ranches better and we have a total industry of agriculture, really begun to educate consumers about where their food comes from. I know on our own farm we work hard to give the best care to our animals, but I will admit there are probably places for improvement that an activist might be able to see, that we might miss. In addition, I might not have this blog if it wasn't for activists who make consumers acknowledge that they really don't know where their food comes from anymore. Thanks to activists I have the honor and privilege to share with consumers and readers alike about the daily happenings on our farm, and that's awesome! So thank you animal activists for allowing me to have this great blog!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Babies, Babies, Babies!!!!
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| One of our many baby calves, this is Hauney. |
- 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!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
DMI is Farmer Funded NOT Government Funded!
Well, looks like they've done it again! Yet again, the major media sources (this time newspapers) have decided to run a story without checking all of the facts! This time, while it's not a direct attack on dairy farmers, it is an attack on our promotion group, Dairy Management Inc (DMI). DMI is under fire for promoting the consumption of cheese in partnership with Domino's. If you would like to see all of the misinformation corrected, please check out Year of Plenty Blog, where the truth is reported. I am instead going to talk about the most important "false" fact of the news story: DMI is NOT funded by tax payer dollars, but instead by hard working dairy farmers like us!
As a dairy farmer, we proudly pay $.15 per every 100 pounds of milk that we sell for the Dairy CheckOff. With 100 cows, averaging 85 pounds each day, 365 days a year, we produce about 3 million pounds of milk, thereby contributing over $4600 each year to national and local advertising, research, promotion, and nutrition education. About 1/3 of this goes to national (DMI) and about 2/3's stays local (Midwest Dairy Association). We are confident that our money is being spent carefully, because each of these organizations are managed by boards composed of dairy farmers, elected by dairy farmers. Each year, area dairy farmers volunteer their time to work (for those of us who don't have the time) developing and approving new ideas. These boards and organizations are also responsible for making partnerships with restaurants, schools and even the NFL! Recently, DMI partnered with the NFL to develop Fuel Up to Play 60....a program that targets childhood obesity through nutrition education (yes, diets rich in low fat dairy products!) and physical activity.
DMI supports nutrition, health and wellness with over 50% of their annual budget. Research is being done at various universities across the country innovating new products to promote wellness. I remember while at SDSU, 5 years ago, research was being done on making low fat cheese more taste appealing (obviously fat in cheese helps give its flavor, and as an industry we are working to improve the flavor of low fat cheese as an alternative for consumers). Research is also being done to improve sustainability on dairy farms just like ours, through management practices. Some of the local funds also support the Minnesota Dairy Princess Program....Princess Kay of the Milky Way; Not tax payers, but dairy farmers, funding all of these excellent projects.
DMI is a source of pride on our farm. As a farmer, we are also busy working to care for our cows and land, leaving little time in the day for promotion....that's where DMI steps in to fill that void! We appreciate their efforts on all fronts involving dairy. As a local dairy princess coordinator, I am greatly appreciative of funds to help educate kids and adults about dairy farming and products. But, yet again, DMI is funded by the dairy check off...not taxes. So....tax payers can rest easy, your money isn't funding DMI, dairy farmers are funding DMI!
As a dairy farmer, we proudly pay $.15 per every 100 pounds of milk that we sell for the Dairy CheckOff. With 100 cows, averaging 85 pounds each day, 365 days a year, we produce about 3 million pounds of milk, thereby contributing over $4600 each year to national and local advertising, research, promotion, and nutrition education. About 1/3 of this goes to national (DMI) and about 2/3's stays local (Midwest Dairy Association). We are confident that our money is being spent carefully, because each of these organizations are managed by boards composed of dairy farmers, elected by dairy farmers. Each year, area dairy farmers volunteer their time to work (for those of us who don't have the time) developing and approving new ideas. These boards and organizations are also responsible for making partnerships with restaurants, schools and even the NFL! Recently, DMI partnered with the NFL to develop Fuel Up to Play 60....a program that targets childhood obesity through nutrition education (yes, diets rich in low fat dairy products!) and physical activity.
DMI supports nutrition, health and wellness with over 50% of their annual budget. Research is being done at various universities across the country innovating new products to promote wellness. I remember while at SDSU, 5 years ago, research was being done on making low fat cheese more taste appealing (obviously fat in cheese helps give its flavor, and as an industry we are working to improve the flavor of low fat cheese as an alternative for consumers). Research is also being done to improve sustainability on dairy farms just like ours, through management practices. Some of the local funds also support the Minnesota Dairy Princess Program....Princess Kay of the Milky Way; Not tax payers, but dairy farmers, funding all of these excellent projects.
DMI is a source of pride on our farm. As a farmer, we are also busy working to care for our cows and land, leaving little time in the day for promotion....that's where DMI steps in to fill that void! We appreciate their efforts on all fronts involving dairy. As a local dairy princess coordinator, I am greatly appreciative of funds to help educate kids and adults about dairy farming and products. But, yet again, DMI is funded by the dairy check off...not taxes. So....tax payers can rest easy, your money isn't funding DMI, dairy farmers are funding DMI!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Got it DONE!!! Making Hay when the Sun Doesn't Shine!!
We have successfully finished out 2nd cutting of alfalfa! It was a challenge and if I ever meet a weatherman in person I might have to ask him the following: "How can you still have a job after being wrong so many times?" Our weather forecast for Thursday was for rain, which we missed, thank goodness as those storms were filled with wind, hail, and tornadoes. We pray for those who were hurt by these storms. On Friday it was supposed to be about 80 degrees and light breezes, but we had mid-80's and a strong dry wind....which accelerated the drying of our alfalfa, much faster than we anticipated. As a result our hay was dry sooner than expected, and we had to move faster. At midnight on Friday, Jon, I and my brother in law Marcus decided that we were going to keep on chopping alfalfa until we saw dew, which would make the alfalfa too wet to chop. But as long as there was no dew we were able to keep on chopping.....and we kept on chopping alfalfa until 9 am Saturday morning. Yes, you just read correctly, we chopped through the night and finished right before morning chores. That means that Jon and I worked about 35 hours straight without any sleep. We finished chopping and jumped right over to milking, feeding and our morning chores. At 2pm we made it home, and took a well deserved nap for 5 hours! We were very happy that we finished our 130 acres of alfalfa even if we had to work that hard to get it done. Unfortunately since we worked so hard and in the dark, I don't have any pictures of 2nd cutting alfalfa, but if you saw the 1st cutting, it's pretty much the same thing all over again.
It's great to be able to work with my brother in law as well. He's an excellent worker and never stops until he finishes a job~which is great for chopping alfalfa! We worked that hard to chop our alfalfa because we know from years of experience that high quality feeds make healthy cows which in turn make healthy nutritious milk. Focusing on quality has helped us gain so much in milk production, but more so in cow health. As cows are ruminants, forages and forage quality make a huge impact on health.
We also had a successful morning on Friday taking our 6 day old calf Fuji to New Ulm for the KNUJ Dairy Day at the Glock. Fuji visited with many adults and kids, celebrating June Dairy Month for a good cause: area Food Shelves. Now that she's home, Fuji is spoiled and looking for a head scratch almost every hour! She's so darn cute though, neither Jon nor I can say no to her...so we give in and she's getting even more spoiled. I have some pictures of her that I hope to post soon!
It's great to be able to work with my brother in law as well. He's an excellent worker and never stops until he finishes a job~which is great for chopping alfalfa! We worked that hard to chop our alfalfa because we know from years of experience that high quality feeds make healthy cows which in turn make healthy nutritious milk. Focusing on quality has helped us gain so much in milk production, but more so in cow health. As cows are ruminants, forages and forage quality make a huge impact on health.
We also had a successful morning on Friday taking our 6 day old calf Fuji to New Ulm for the KNUJ Dairy Day at the Glock. Fuji visited with many adults and kids, celebrating June Dairy Month for a good cause: area Food Shelves. Now that she's home, Fuji is spoiled and looking for a head scratch almost every hour! She's so darn cute though, neither Jon nor I can say no to her...so we give in and she's getting even more spoiled. I have some pictures of her that I hope to post soon!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Kids Ask, I Tell, Part 3...final installment!
I saved my favorite question for last!
5. Girls can't drive tractors?!?! Can they?!?!? (as I was jumping up onto our AC 6080 to pull our hay ride to the calf farm)
Haha! This one made me laugh, I get it every year! There's always one little boy or girl who has grown up with the notion that only men are farmers, that they should be wearing bibs and flannel, and walk around with a piece of straw in their mouths, but guess what?!?!? Women can drive those darn tractors too! I have many friends (females) that are hard working farmers. They no longer fall under the discription of "farm wife", staying in the house, making meals, tending the gardens, and feeding the calves. Farm women for the past few decades have been moving out of the kitchens and gardens and into the offices of large dairies, the parlors, the fields, and yes, even the tractor cabs. It's empowering to see women taking charge of their family businesses and making decisions. So, yes...Girls can drive tractors too!
This is going to busy weekend, so if I am not around much, I apologize, we are prepping to get cutting alfalfa and we are also working so that Jon can do his hobby (playing drums in a local rock band!). I hope to have pictures and video of both to share!
5. Girls can't drive tractors?!?! Can they?!?!? (as I was jumping up onto our AC 6080 to pull our hay ride to the calf farm)
Haha! This one made me laugh, I get it every year! There's always one little boy or girl who has grown up with the notion that only men are farmers, that they should be wearing bibs and flannel, and walk around with a piece of straw in their mouths, but guess what?!?!? Women can drive those darn tractors too! I have many friends (females) that are hard working farmers. They no longer fall under the discription of "farm wife", staying in the house, making meals, tending the gardens, and feeding the calves. Farm women for the past few decades have been moving out of the kitchens and gardens and into the offices of large dairies, the parlors, the fields, and yes, even the tractor cabs. It's empowering to see women taking charge of their family businesses and making decisions. So, yes...Girls can drive tractors too!
This is going to busy weekend, so if I am not around much, I apologize, we are prepping to get cutting alfalfa and we are also working so that Jon can do his hobby (playing drums in a local rock band!). I hope to have pictures and video of both to share!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Small Farms vs. Large Farms~Labor & Family Time
Often times I hear people talking about small farms vs. large farms, or family farms vs. corporate farms. I think it is funny that people think that there is a distinction between the two. In fact 99% of all farms are family owned. In the dairy indsutry a small farm is categorized as any farm with "less than 300 milking cows". Imagine that! Everyone of the farms in our county is a "small farm", but I would bet that if you drive by our farm or others you might think to yourselves that we operate a "large farm". I also find it interesting that large farms are thought of as having poor management, unhealthy animals and bad milk, but I know so MANY large farms with a high standard of excellence. But I should get back to my main point.....labor issues and family time on a "small farm".
Jonathan and I operate a "family farm" that is "small", and ALL of our labor is family labor. We currently have no employees, but hire neighbors to help us on the weekends when they don't have to go to work, when we have a wedding or want some time off. This puts us in a tight spot when something happens during the week, which was what I was thinking about tonight as I hosed down the milking parlor. I wished that we had an employee or 2 tonight. This past Saturday, Jon's grandfather from Southeast Minnesota passed away, and the funeral was planned for Tuesday. We would have both liked to attend the funeral, but since we are the ONLY employees at our farm and those cows need to be fed and milked each day, I volunteered to stay home and "man the fort". I am in charge of milking for tonight and tomorrow morning as well as heifer chores and feeding calves. I am comfortable with working solo, but it's nice to have Jon around to help. We have an awesome neighbor that is coming over to feed the cows for me~I am not a big fan of mixing TMR in the mud. If we had a larger farm we would have employee that would be trained and dependable. They would have been able to fill in for me in my absence. Other times during the year, we would be able to have time off for other family events as well. Often times, families decide to milk more cows so they can afford to hire employees or in some case install robots to milk their cows. But in either instance, its about making sure that the care of the cows comes first, so the care of the family can be increased.
I can honestly say that I am looking forward to have an employee or 2....making them part of our "dairy farming family".
Jonathan and I operate a "family farm" that is "small", and ALL of our labor is family labor. We currently have no employees, but hire neighbors to help us on the weekends when they don't have to go to work, when we have a wedding or want some time off. This puts us in a tight spot when something happens during the week, which was what I was thinking about tonight as I hosed down the milking parlor. I wished that we had an employee or 2 tonight. This past Saturday, Jon's grandfather from Southeast Minnesota passed away, and the funeral was planned for Tuesday. We would have both liked to attend the funeral, but since we are the ONLY employees at our farm and those cows need to be fed and milked each day, I volunteered to stay home and "man the fort". I am in charge of milking for tonight and tomorrow morning as well as heifer chores and feeding calves. I am comfortable with working solo, but it's nice to have Jon around to help. We have an awesome neighbor that is coming over to feed the cows for me~I am not a big fan of mixing TMR in the mud. If we had a larger farm we would have employee that would be trained and dependable. They would have been able to fill in for me in my absence. Other times during the year, we would be able to have time off for other family events as well. Often times, families decide to milk more cows so they can afford to hire employees or in some case install robots to milk their cows. But in either instance, its about making sure that the care of the cows comes first, so the care of the family can be increased.
I can honestly say that I am looking forward to have an employee or 2....making them part of our "dairy farming family".
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Celebrating Ag Week!
This week we celebrate National Ag Week and Ag Day! This week focuses on celebrating the great industry in our nation that supplies us an affordable and safe food supply. If you had a meal today, you should probably thank the farmers that made it possible. Everyone from the corn and soybean growers, cow milkers, beef ranchers, fruit and vegetable producers, pork farmers, and poultry farmers had a hand in making your dinner, supper, lunch and breakfast a wholesome, nutritious and safe meal.
At Orange Patch Dairy we focus on making safe, wholesome products everyday. We eat and share those products (cheese and milk) with others. I know that I am truly grateful for the great farmers that we have had in the past. Farmers like my grandfathers and my husband's grandfathers who worked tirelessly starting their farmsteads, to be handed onto the next generations. I am also thankful for the next generation of farmers who are starting now. The times and seasons that a young starting farm face right now are sometimes unimaginable to the generations of past. As young farmers, we have faced some of the worst years in agriculture, only in the past 5 years. Our drive and determination to continue in the great occupation that our grandparents did helps us to push on to better times and greater success. I am truly thankful for my fellow young farmers-thank you for your strength, determination, inspiration, and support! I know that if we can make it through these hard times, the years that come will be all the more fruitful for ourselves and for all people who eat.
Happy Ag Week-Thank a Farmer!!!!
At Orange Patch Dairy we focus on making safe, wholesome products everyday. We eat and share those products (cheese and milk) with others. I know that I am truly grateful for the great farmers that we have had in the past. Farmers like my grandfathers and my husband's grandfathers who worked tirelessly starting their farmsteads, to be handed onto the next generations. I am also thankful for the next generation of farmers who are starting now. The times and seasons that a young starting farm face right now are sometimes unimaginable to the generations of past. As young farmers, we have faced some of the worst years in agriculture, only in the past 5 years. Our drive and determination to continue in the great occupation that our grandparents did helps us to push on to better times and greater success. I am truly thankful for my fellow young farmers-thank you for your strength, determination, inspiration, and support! I know that if we can make it through these hard times, the years that come will be all the more fruitful for ourselves and for all people who eat.
Happy Ag Week-Thank a Farmer!!!!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Spring is in the air!
The concert was AWESOME! I can't wait to post some videos of Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, but no time tonight. Oh Spring is in the air at the farm! I know spring is right around the corner for many different reasons....
New Ulm Farm Show: This weekend is the Farm Show. Farmers and businessmen alike were wandering around the show floor today with a "spring" in their step: planning purchases for seed for the coming crop season, planning new building projects as soon as the mud disappears, and planning "warm" weather projects. Everyone had smiles on their faces even though the fog and mist smothered out the sunshine.
Disppearing Snow Drifts: 2 weeks ago we had over 18 inches of snow at the farm, now, thanks to some major temperature changes we have only 6 inches left and a lot of mud! It's a nessesary evil when it comes to season changes in Minnesota. Snow melts...mud comes. Heifers LOVE the mud! Silly heifers always run in the mud-making themselves dirty and disgusting. If PETA drove by they would probably want to film those darn heifers, covered in mud, and put it on ABC news, but even though they are muddy-it's only temporary. Once the sun comes out and the mud dries up, those heifers go back to being clean and beautiful, almost picture perfect. Heifers and cows are independent animals and even if they were in the "wild" they would be muddy and dirty this time of year. Ironically it's their choice to be muddy. They're healthy even if they are temporarily dirty.
Thunderstorms: Yes, we had our first thunderstorm of the year on Thursday morning. It was amazing to see lightning and hear thunder again! The rain (almost 1 inch) was warm and wonderful...but also made the mud that was the result of the melting snow even more "muddy". We moved a new fresh cow during this thunderstorm, I was soaking wet, but I enjoyed feeling rain instead of snow.
Flooding: Yes, we have flooding now. Rapidly melting snow with added rain makes for a LARGE volume of water that needs to go somewhere. The frost layer (layer in the soil where the ground is frozen) prevents the water from soaking in...so there is run off. The water runs off into the streams, ponds, slouges, and into the fields. Our fields are all home to small lakes. Thanks to the work that we do with our local NRCS (National Resources Conservation Service) we have built filter strips (sections of grass that we planted to filter run off water) and drainage ditches (grass filled ditches that store and filter water, in addition to move it away from the farm and feedlots). We have taken steps to make sure that we protect our natural resources (land, water, air). We need to have these resources for our generation and the generations to come.
Frost Layer is Coming Out: That darn frost layer, which had been there all winter is now thawing. This means that we can no longer take tractors out into the field. Tractors can cause compaction, which is bad for the soil. Compaction is terrible for crops-they can't develop good root systems. Tractors also get stuck. Mud without frost underneath means those darn tractors will sink right through-making for an even bigger mess. So what do we do with our manure?...we stack it. We have a section of land where we pile manure until the fields are safe to be in again (hopefully soon). We are hoping to build a larger storage area for manure, which means we can haul manure less often during the year and not have to stack it. Hopefully milk prices increase soon so we can make this wish a reality.
Robins and Green Grass: Yep, we sure did see our first robin this week! I was so excited to see that red chested bird! The grass is also greening up under the snow, which makes me hopeful that the long range forecast is correct and warmer weather is on the way!
Wishing you a Happy Spring!!!
New Ulm Farm Show: This weekend is the Farm Show. Farmers and businessmen alike were wandering around the show floor today with a "spring" in their step: planning purchases for seed for the coming crop season, planning new building projects as soon as the mud disappears, and planning "warm" weather projects. Everyone had smiles on their faces even though the fog and mist smothered out the sunshine.
Disppearing Snow Drifts: 2 weeks ago we had over 18 inches of snow at the farm, now, thanks to some major temperature changes we have only 6 inches left and a lot of mud! It's a nessesary evil when it comes to season changes in Minnesota. Snow melts...mud comes. Heifers LOVE the mud! Silly heifers always run in the mud-making themselves dirty and disgusting. If PETA drove by they would probably want to film those darn heifers, covered in mud, and put it on ABC news, but even though they are muddy-it's only temporary. Once the sun comes out and the mud dries up, those heifers go back to being clean and beautiful, almost picture perfect. Heifers and cows are independent animals and even if they were in the "wild" they would be muddy and dirty this time of year. Ironically it's their choice to be muddy. They're healthy even if they are temporarily dirty.
Thunderstorms: Yes, we had our first thunderstorm of the year on Thursday morning. It was amazing to see lightning and hear thunder again! The rain (almost 1 inch) was warm and wonderful...but also made the mud that was the result of the melting snow even more "muddy". We moved a new fresh cow during this thunderstorm, I was soaking wet, but I enjoyed feeling rain instead of snow.
Flooding: Yes, we have flooding now. Rapidly melting snow with added rain makes for a LARGE volume of water that needs to go somewhere. The frost layer (layer in the soil where the ground is frozen) prevents the water from soaking in...so there is run off. The water runs off into the streams, ponds, slouges, and into the fields. Our fields are all home to small lakes. Thanks to the work that we do with our local NRCS (National Resources Conservation Service) we have built filter strips (sections of grass that we planted to filter run off water) and drainage ditches (grass filled ditches that store and filter water, in addition to move it away from the farm and feedlots). We have taken steps to make sure that we protect our natural resources (land, water, air). We need to have these resources for our generation and the generations to come.
Frost Layer is Coming Out: That darn frost layer, which had been there all winter is now thawing. This means that we can no longer take tractors out into the field. Tractors can cause compaction, which is bad for the soil. Compaction is terrible for crops-they can't develop good root systems. Tractors also get stuck. Mud without frost underneath means those darn tractors will sink right through-making for an even bigger mess. So what do we do with our manure?...we stack it. We have a section of land where we pile manure until the fields are safe to be in again (hopefully soon). We are hoping to build a larger storage area for manure, which means we can haul manure less often during the year and not have to stack it. Hopefully milk prices increase soon so we can make this wish a reality.
Robins and Green Grass: Yep, we sure did see our first robin this week! I was so excited to see that red chested bird! The grass is also greening up under the snow, which makes me hopeful that the long range forecast is correct and warmer weather is on the way!
Wishing you a Happy Spring!!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Family Comes First
So sorry that I haven't been blogging much lately. I have been dealing with some family issues. My mother had surgery this week, nothing major, but she needed some help with dinners and household chores and then we have a close relative that is ill. So our minds and our hearts are with those that we love that are hopefully healing and getting better.
Other than that, it is business as usual at the farm. We only have one cow due to calve this week, so it's a breath of fresh air. We have blowing and drifting snow, which is getting old FAST! I am so tired of shoveling out calf huts, all I can think about is spring, flowers, and hay season. I can't wait for corn to be planted and alfalfa to be sprouting...so I am leaving with some positive thoughts and a great picture of things to come =)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Why do you take the calves from their mothers?
I had a comment on one of my earlier posts where a concerned vegan had an issue with dairy farmers removing calves from their mothers. I thought about this practice and how misunderstood it actually is. So, since we had a brand new baby heifer calf born Sunday morning (which made us late for church-it was a good excuse) I thought it was a perfect example of this practice.
#663, otherwise known as Ruth Anne gave birth early Sunday morning (at about 5 am, when we weren't at the farm) to a little heifer calf, who is #814 in our records, but Ruthie to me. When we arrived at the farm for morning chores, I headed immediately to the dry cow pen, where I found Ruthie running around the pen and Ruth Anne keeping a watchful eye on her. Ruthie was making friends with the other dry cows, and needed to be moved. Healthy calves are able to stand and run at an hour old! Ruthie was loaded up in the wheel barrow and brought inside the calf barn, or nursery. Here Ruthie received an oral vaccination for scours, her navel was clipped and dipped with iodine. All 3 of these steps are done to assure that each calf born has a good start. Ruthie was placed in a freshly bedding stall, where she could be clean and free of pathogens. Just like babies born at a hospital and placed in a nursery. After making sure Ruthie was nested in, we headed outside to walk Ruth Anne to the milking barn. We walk our cows, it's the simplest way and the calmest method to move cows. Ruth Anne is a 2nd lactation cow, so she knew where she was headed. We ran Ruth Anne into the parlor and milked her. Ruth Anne then headed out to our fresh cow pen where she had free choice fresh warm water and all the nutritionally formulated feed she could eat.
Here Ruth Anne gets time to focus on taking care of herself, instead of worrying about her calf. Fresh cows require a lot of special attention. In the barn we check a variety of things every morning for ALL fresh cows, for their first 20 days. We check their temperatures (checking for infections), their rumen fill (how full their stomachs are), their ketosis level (liver health), and their bright eyes (overall health). If any of these items are off, we immediately work further to treat our cows, most of the time without antibiotics, but with probiotics. But enough about cows....back to Ruthie....
After milking Ruth Anne, we haul a pail of fresh colostrum (mother's first milk) back to the calf barn. We only feed colostrum from animals that we know are healthy and free of disease, if the mother is not free of disease we have frozen colostrum from healthy cows available to feed. Ruthie got fed over a gallon of colostrum, within hours of birth. In nature this is not always the case. Calves struggle to find their mother's milk and may not get the right amount, right quality or a timely feeding. Colostrum fed early in life increases passive immunity. Mothers pass immunity onto their calves through colostrum, but the calf is best able to receive this immunity during the early hours of life versus the later hours of life. Within 24 hours, on our farm, a calf will drink about 1.5-2 gallons of colostrum.
Another issue with letting calves suckle their mothers is an increased chance of infection in the calf and the cow. The calf can receive pathogens from the teats on the cow, since the teats are not properly cleaned. The cow can receive pathogens from the calf's mouth since it is also not clean. By using clean and sanitized equipment to collect colostrum and a clean and sanitized bottle to feed the calf we prevent pathogens from transferring, but still get the advantages of passive transfer immunity.
Other possible issues with leaving the calf with the cow are abandonment and injury. Sometimes there are mothers that are not good mothers. It doesn't come naturally. First calf heifers are some of the best examples of this. Once they deliver a calf, they may walk away, never lick off the calf and move to the feed bunk. The calf would be left to die, cold and wet. Sometimes cows, especially other cows, can hit or push around the newborn calf. They can even step on the calf. I have seen this happen, just after birth a fresh cow got up and swung around and stepped on her calf's leg. Luckily the calf wasn't injured badly.
Farmers care for their calves and fresh cows. Calves are the future of our herds-we want them to have an excellent start in life and cows are our present, and we want them to also have an excellent start. Removing calves from cows is not cruel, its actually in the best interest of both animals, both receive the best care possible. Because our cows always come first!
#663, otherwise known as Ruth Anne gave birth early Sunday morning (at about 5 am, when we weren't at the farm) to a little heifer calf, who is #814 in our records, but Ruthie to me. When we arrived at the farm for morning chores, I headed immediately to the dry cow pen, where I found Ruthie running around the pen and Ruth Anne keeping a watchful eye on her. Ruthie was making friends with the other dry cows, and needed to be moved. Healthy calves are able to stand and run at an hour old! Ruthie was loaded up in the wheel barrow and brought inside the calf barn, or nursery. Here Ruthie received an oral vaccination for scours, her navel was clipped and dipped with iodine. All 3 of these steps are done to assure that each calf born has a good start. Ruthie was placed in a freshly bedding stall, where she could be clean and free of pathogens. Just like babies born at a hospital and placed in a nursery. After making sure Ruthie was nested in, we headed outside to walk Ruth Anne to the milking barn. We walk our cows, it's the simplest way and the calmest method to move cows. Ruth Anne is a 2nd lactation cow, so she knew where she was headed. We ran Ruth Anne into the parlor and milked her. Ruth Anne then headed out to our fresh cow pen where she had free choice fresh warm water and all the nutritionally formulated feed she could eat.
Here Ruth Anne gets time to focus on taking care of herself, instead of worrying about her calf. Fresh cows require a lot of special attention. In the barn we check a variety of things every morning for ALL fresh cows, for their first 20 days. We check their temperatures (checking for infections), their rumen fill (how full their stomachs are), their ketosis level (liver health), and their bright eyes (overall health). If any of these items are off, we immediately work further to treat our cows, most of the time without antibiotics, but with probiotics. But enough about cows....back to Ruthie....
After milking Ruth Anne, we haul a pail of fresh colostrum (mother's first milk) back to the calf barn. We only feed colostrum from animals that we know are healthy and free of disease, if the mother is not free of disease we have frozen colostrum from healthy cows available to feed. Ruthie got fed over a gallon of colostrum, within hours of birth. In nature this is not always the case. Calves struggle to find their mother's milk and may not get the right amount, right quality or a timely feeding. Colostrum fed early in life increases passive immunity. Mothers pass immunity onto their calves through colostrum, but the calf is best able to receive this immunity during the early hours of life versus the later hours of life. Within 24 hours, on our farm, a calf will drink about 1.5-2 gallons of colostrum.
Another issue with letting calves suckle their mothers is an increased chance of infection in the calf and the cow. The calf can receive pathogens from the teats on the cow, since the teats are not properly cleaned. The cow can receive pathogens from the calf's mouth since it is also not clean. By using clean and sanitized equipment to collect colostrum and a clean and sanitized bottle to feed the calf we prevent pathogens from transferring, but still get the advantages of passive transfer immunity.
Other possible issues with leaving the calf with the cow are abandonment and injury. Sometimes there are mothers that are not good mothers. It doesn't come naturally. First calf heifers are some of the best examples of this. Once they deliver a calf, they may walk away, never lick off the calf and move to the feed bunk. The calf would be left to die, cold and wet. Sometimes cows, especially other cows, can hit or push around the newborn calf. They can even step on the calf. I have seen this happen, just after birth a fresh cow got up and swung around and stepped on her calf's leg. Luckily the calf wasn't injured badly.
Farmers care for their calves and fresh cows. Calves are the future of our herds-we want them to have an excellent start in life and cows are our present, and we want them to also have an excellent start. Removing calves from cows is not cruel, its actually in the best interest of both animals, both receive the best care possible. Because our cows always come first!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Recovering from the Blizzard
Yesterday we experienced, what I would call a "surprise blizzard" in MN. The previous week we had been enjoying some wonderful temperatures-30's. We even had rain at the farm, but yesterday we were rudely greeted with snow (2 inches) and 45+ mph winds from the northwest. These conditions combined to make driving practically impossible. Visibilities were down to zero and the Department of Transportation in MN decided to shut down the roads. Yep, everyone was stranded, except us. We had to make it to the farm to milk cows and feed everyone, so on the road we went. Jonathan and I found only a few drifts, and took our time driving through the "white outs". We made it to and from the farm safely twice yesterday. All of the girls needed to be bedded in (to stay dry and warm) and fed. Just because the weather doesn't cooperate with farming, doesn't mean that the farming stops on a dairy farm. We find a way to continue to take excellent care of our cows.
Today, we mainly focused on cleaning up the tall drifts (some over 6 ft tall) in the yards, on the roads, and around my calf huts. I even had one calf hut, mostly full of snow-except for the area where the little one was sleeping over night. Needless to say that little girl was happy so see me this morning with the shovel =) She's much happier with no snow in her room. Cold temps have moved back in (and wind chills too) so back to wearing insulated everything to work outside. We are definitely looking forward to spring at Orange Patch Dairy!
Today, we mainly focused on cleaning up the tall drifts (some over 6 ft tall) in the yards, on the roads, and around my calf huts. I even had one calf hut, mostly full of snow-except for the area where the little one was sleeping over night. Needless to say that little girl was happy so see me this morning with the shovel =) She's much happier with no snow in her room. Cold temps have moved back in (and wind chills too) so back to wearing insulated everything to work outside. We are definitely looking forward to spring at Orange Patch Dairy!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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!)Saturday, January 2, 2010
Frozen
FROZEN: that pretty much describes our day today. Everything is FROZEN. Last night we had temperatures at -31. Today's high temperature was -11. Yep, we didn't even get close to going above zero! The milking cow barn was pretty frozen this morning. The cold air almost instantly froze the humid breath coming from our cows. Frost covered the entire inside of our barn and even dusted the cows. The parlor floor, which is heated, couldn't keep up with the cold air and started to form ice in the back of the parlor. Warm piles of cow manure even froze to the ground.
We had to work extra hard to remove frozen cow pies from the barn. The silage that we feed the cows with is even frozen now! The silage was 70 degrees going into the silage bag but now it's frozen. Each "ball" of frozen silage needs to be broken with the skid loader before being mixed with in the TMR and fed to the cows. We also dried off the teat dip (iodine and skin conditioners) from the cows this morning before the cows could leave the milking parlor. This makes sure that the dip doesn't freeze and cause the skin on the teats to crack. We use a dip with a higher level of skin conditioners to make sure the skin stays soft and smooth. We also moved a couple heifers that are close to calving (any minute now) into the old dairy barn-keeping them warm and dry so they also are free of frost bite. In temperatures like this it is critical that we make sure that we prevent any frost bite: good homes, dry bedding, heating where needed, dry teats and ears.....yet another day on a Minnesota Dairy Farm!
The calves are doing well though! Those calf huts do a great job of keeping the calves cozy and warm. Even though it's cold outside, the wind isn't blowing-thank goodness! As a result, the heifers came out this afternoon for an exciting romp in the snow. It was so fun to watch-I wish I would have had my camera close by to record their silliness.
Above zero is looking like a heat wave right now!
We had to work extra hard to remove frozen cow pies from the barn. The silage that we feed the cows with is even frozen now! The silage was 70 degrees going into the silage bag but now it's frozen. Each "ball" of frozen silage needs to be broken with the skid loader before being mixed with in the TMR and fed to the cows. We also dried off the teat dip (iodine and skin conditioners) from the cows this morning before the cows could leave the milking parlor. This makes sure that the dip doesn't freeze and cause the skin on the teats to crack. We use a dip with a higher level of skin conditioners to make sure the skin stays soft and smooth. We also moved a couple heifers that are close to calving (any minute now) into the old dairy barn-keeping them warm and dry so they also are free of frost bite. In temperatures like this it is critical that we make sure that we prevent any frost bite: good homes, dry bedding, heating where needed, dry teats and ears.....yet another day on a Minnesota Dairy Farm!
The calves are doing well though! Those calf huts do a great job of keeping the calves cozy and warm. Even though it's cold outside, the wind isn't blowing-thank goodness! As a result, the heifers came out this afternoon for an exciting romp in the snow. It was so fun to watch-I wish I would have had my camera close by to record their silliness.
Above zero is looking like a heat wave right now!
Friday, December 18, 2009
It's a "Help Out" not a "Hand Out"
I have been reading a lot of comments floating around on the web regarding the announcement yesterday about the $290 million set to be distributed to dairy farmers from the government/FSA/USDA. I have some thoughts I would like to share.
First and foremost, this aid is just that...aid. To an industry that needs to fix it's pricing system so a year as dramatic as 2009 doesn't happen again. This is a "Help Out" not a "Hand Out". As dairy farmers, we provide a product that is necessary for life. You can live without a car, but you can't live without food. This money will be returned to our local and state economies through purchases for feed, fuel, and so many other materials we need.
I believe that as dairy farmers, if we work hard to produce a safe, wholesome product for consumers and ourselves, then we should be paid for it. I wish we didn't have to accept a payment from the government to pay our bills or just survive, but it's the reality of our situation. Today we received our milk check for our milk produced in November-we FINALLY received enough money to pay our monthly bills and put a little in the bank. I couldn't believe it-it's been almost 12 months since we actually produced milk "in the black". Did you have to go to work this year and pay admission? I did, every day for the last 12 months. I didn't really complain about it, I was more focused on giving the best possible care that I could to my cows-so we didn't lose as much money as we could have.
2009 was the "perfect storm". We had higher feed costs, higher fuel cost, and we had a recession taking away our customers...you, me, and citizens of the world. We hope with the help our government officials we can change how milk is priced and reduce the volatility in the markets. I believe that challenges like this bring out the best in dairy farmers, but in 2009, even the BEST farmer produced milk for a LOSS. Those of us that are left after this year, have repairs that NEED to be done since we put them off, we have broken equipment that NEEDS to be replaced, we have savings accounts that NEED to be refilled, we have bills that NEED to be paid, we have banks and lenders that NEED to be paid back, and we have families that could use a much needed vacation.
Jonathan and I plan to use our portion of this money to pay our bills. We hope that if we pull enough money out of our last remaining savings account and use this money that we can start 2010 with no bills due from 2009. I can't believe how hard 2009 was, but 2010, we hope can be better. We only ask for a fair price and for no more government dollars, but for now...we will take the help. Thank you US Tax payers....your dollars did go to a good place, and we will pay it back when we start to earn a salary once again!
First and foremost, this aid is just that...aid. To an industry that needs to fix it's pricing system so a year as dramatic as 2009 doesn't happen again. This is a "Help Out" not a "Hand Out". As dairy farmers, we provide a product that is necessary for life. You can live without a car, but you can't live without food. This money will be returned to our local and state economies through purchases for feed, fuel, and so many other materials we need.
I believe that as dairy farmers, if we work hard to produce a safe, wholesome product for consumers and ourselves, then we should be paid for it. I wish we didn't have to accept a payment from the government to pay our bills or just survive, but it's the reality of our situation. Today we received our milk check for our milk produced in November-we FINALLY received enough money to pay our monthly bills and put a little in the bank. I couldn't believe it-it's been almost 12 months since we actually produced milk "in the black". Did you have to go to work this year and pay admission? I did, every day for the last 12 months. I didn't really complain about it, I was more focused on giving the best possible care that I could to my cows-so we didn't lose as much money as we could have.
2009 was the "perfect storm". We had higher feed costs, higher fuel cost, and we had a recession taking away our customers...you, me, and citizens of the world. We hope with the help our government officials we can change how milk is priced and reduce the volatility in the markets. I believe that challenges like this bring out the best in dairy farmers, but in 2009, even the BEST farmer produced milk for a LOSS. Those of us that are left after this year, have repairs that NEED to be done since we put them off, we have broken equipment that NEEDS to be replaced, we have savings accounts that NEED to be refilled, we have bills that NEED to be paid, we have banks and lenders that NEED to be paid back, and we have families that could use a much needed vacation.
Jonathan and I plan to use our portion of this money to pay our bills. We hope that if we pull enough money out of our last remaining savings account and use this money that we can start 2010 with no bills due from 2009. I can't believe how hard 2009 was, but 2010, we hope can be better. We only ask for a fair price and for no more government dollars, but for now...we will take the help. Thank you US Tax payers....your dollars did go to a good place, and we will pay it back when we start to earn a salary once again!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Got my computer back!
After having my computer down for a couple days, needless to say I missed it. It's not that I missed having internet access to facebook as much as I missed having our computer for all of our farm needs. Agriculture is continuing to be a more technological industry. Technology makes life easier. On our dairy we use the Internet to research the daily activity on the milk market, weather reports, forage results, and new ideas. Jon often searches for new equipment for the farm online. I communicate with other farmers and industry people through e-mail, helping to share ideas and information. It's amazing how such a basic occupation depends so much on technology to make our jobs easier and more efficient.
I didn't even think about all of the excel spreadsheets I use to calculate farm stats and the financial programs that Jon runs to help our banker better understand our business.
It's amazing how a tool so small can do so many important tasks!
I didn't even think about all of the excel spreadsheets I use to calculate farm stats and the financial programs that Jon runs to help our banker better understand our business.
It's amazing how a tool so small can do so many important tasks!
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