What am I?

Am I a farmer?

I used to say I was without a doubt. Now, I'm not so sure. My lifestyle has changed a bit. I moved 300 miles away from my dairy farm and work full time. What classifies you as a farmer?

I went to fill out a form the other day and it stated, “You must be a farmer/rancher to win.” Well, do I qualify? Does my first source of income have to be from the farm to be a farmer? Is it enough to be involved remotely on my family farm and help a neighbor on theirs?

Is it a money commitment? Time commitment? Or is the status of being a farmer driven by passion or personal belief?

I still do the record keeping back home in Minnesota. (Not my family records, cow records; Lord knows I don’t want to know my family tree!) I also milk cows at a local farm. When I take time off from my full time job, it isn’t to go hiking through the mountains or lay on a beach, it’s to go home and help on the farm, show my cows or help at the county fair. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t have a “cow conversation.” Now, that might include an actual full conversation with a cow, but don't judge, they are good listeners.

My PTO: Showing Raisa :)

I work full time at an agricultural marketing agency because my passion is in connecting people to their food. To do that effectively, I think you have to be both a producer and consumer. My main income isn’t from the farm, heck it hasn’t been in the 22 years I’ve been alive. Actually, for the first 20 I counted it as volunteer work on my resume! (Insert dad quote about instilling values through hard work and not cash payment...) In a world where people are so many things at once, can a girl not have a city job and be a farmer?

Team motto: #listentothestadick. By the way..these are my awesome co-workers.

I’m an employee on a dairy farm because I miss the cow connection. I’m a teacher because I inform people about dairy farms. I’m a listener because I want to improve our farm. I am the person who will connect consumer's with their food, and farmer’s with their buyers. Does that make me a farmer?

Shout out to Cows on the Concourse for allowing me to listen to consumers! Oh and spend a whole day with baby calves :)

Third Times the Charm?

Third time is the charm right? I hope so, because this is the third time I've tried to start and keep this blog going...

Now that I've moved away from the farm and am working for an ag marketing agency, I thought it would only be appropriate for my first blog post to be about the similarities and differences between my life now and what it was on the farm.

Similarities:

1. I still get up before dawn...but now instead of easing into the morning milking, I go to the gym and pretend I'm throwing hay bales (or that's what it feels like....)
2. I still milk cows. Let's be real, we all knew I couldn't give that up!
3. I still talk a lot. Most of my conversations are just with myself now that I live on my own. Mom always said it's fine to talk to yourself. You don't have to worry until you start a conversation with yourself.
4. My neighbor is still 5 feet from my door...it just isn't my grandma or a cow fence anymore.
5. Finally, I'm still doing something I'm incredibly passionate about.

Differences:

1. I can make it to the 8am Sunday service instead of rushing to the 10:30am.
2. I have A LOT of me time. I still prefer the cow time.
3. I milk Brown Swiss not my Holsteins. That's enough said for now...
4. I can bike to the grocery store, work and gas station. No more of the 60 min drive to Coldstone. It is less than 10 miles people!!! :)
5. My self discipline has increased greatly (refer to Coldstone comment.)

Well folks, hopefully this is the first post of many more to come. Although, I'm not sure what I will be writing about yet since it used to revolve around farm activities. Any ideas, shoot them my way!

Test day=cookie dough

Well folks, it has been two months since I've written a post. For all of my followers, (let me pretend I have some) I am very sorry! Life got away from me, as it does with all of us at some point.

While I was away dealing with life, I had the opportunity to work at the Minnesota Farm Bureau building at the State Fair. One of the best experiences of my life. I talked with hundreds of fair goers which also happen to be consumers. Strange huh?

So, thank those folks for this wonderful blog post because all of them were fascinated by the detail and care that goes into producing their milk, even old farmers that don't want to learn anything new because they did it for 60 years and there is nothing they don't know....

The milk truck comes to our house every other day to pick up our milk. Before he puts it in the tank, he takes a sample. This sample tells us and the milk plant: 

Fat % in the milk

Protein % in the milk

White blood cell count in the milk

Freezing temperature of the milk (so they know we are producing milk and not water:)

Other solid levels (the other essential nutrients in milk!)

To ensure no antibiotics are in the milk (If the test comes back positive for antibiotics, the whole truck load is dumped down the drain.)

This sample is taken every other day on our farm, before it even gets on the truck. 

Tests are also taken when it gets to the milk plant before it is unloaded off of the truck, because our milk is combined with many other farm's.

We (dairy farmers) hire someone to come and test our milk every month for each individual cow. Each cow has a lifelong record of, well, anything that happens to them. Kind of like your medical record when you go to the doc. When we look at these tests we can see how productive the cow is, how healthy she is in general and if she has any metabolic issues going on. 

Each cow gets a little sample bottle all to their self :)

These are the meters that tell us how much each cow is producing. 

So much is deposited into the meter for every pound the cow produces..it's math stuff.

They are pretty nifty and accurate! 

And...I hate testing days because it takes longer to switch out each meter for each cow. It also means a triple check on our on the farm record keeping.

On the plus side, the lady that brings the meters and returns the samples for testing brings cookie dough for me :)

Build a Foundation, Plant the Seed, Nurture and Love

Things needed for a relationship with God. 

Life lessons.

and lastly, how to grow vegetables!!

Sorry folks, I know it has been a very long time since my last post. I have 0 excuses except that I just haven't felt like writing. But I'm back in action!

Back in June I took on the responsibility of building the Vacation Bible School (VBS) Community Garden. So, after four weeks of doing no planning and three days before it started I decided how I was going to make it all work!

1.) I wanted to try out my friend's & co-worker's pallet garden. I thought what a great opportunity, small, not a lot of weeding, and if it fails and nothing grows oh well!

2.) My goal-this kids that planted everything will harvest in the fall (Sunday School time) and then give the veggies to our wonderful community elders. 

3.) Now, here is where it got tricky...I had to do something....

The night before Mom and I assembled these soon to be gardens (sorry no pictures, I was too busy working and hurrying to go to bed). We stapled the cloth liner, ya know that stuff that doesn't let weeds through, on 3 sides of the pallet. Mostly though, we just fought with the stapler for 2 hours. 

Anyhow, this was our finished product the next day. Mom (ever so kindly) loaded up dirt and the other supplies and met me @ church. 

Besides only a few kids showing up and starting 15 minutes later than normal and not having any help or knowing what I was doing, it all went good!

Here is what we learned:

Day 1: Fill the pallet with soil: Start with a solid foundation

In order to love and have a relationship with God, we need to be ready and willing. At first the kids were a little hesitant to get dirty, but after a few started in they realized how much fun it really was. Relating it back...sometimes we have to go out of our comfort zone, take a risk, and just watch what beautiful things can grow from that

 

 Day 2: Plant the plants/seeds: Take the first step

Some things start as small as seeds, others are ready to be put in the garden as plants, already nurtured by someone else. We each have our own relationship with God, whether we know it has started or not...someone had to get the seed in the packet didn't they? Take the first step and plant your own piece of God in your heart. Maybe it is attending church, maybe it's talking with a friend about a problem you haven't admitted to. 

Day 3: Water plants: Continue to build and nurture your relationship

It isn't a one time deal. Plants don't grow without care. Yeah, it's okay to miss a day of watering (sshhh..I may have missed a couple :/), but as long as you keep coming back, they will continue to grow. Just like God will always be there no matter how many times you continue to mess up and you keep coming back for your drink of water. 

The kids had a blast, I learned something new and the plants are still growing a month later! :) PS this is the first garden I have ever grown!!!! And yes, I know, it needs to be weeded :(

Lifelong Lessons From...Cows!!

Grandma: "This article made me think of you"

I couldn't have said it better myself, Grandma. I was going to share an article from PR Daily about things to know when you start your career, until Grandma found this in The Land titled "Everything I need to know, I learned from watching cattle." The paragraphs below are ideas and excerpts from the article. I take no credit for them but wanted to share. 

"Come into the world with a bang"

If you've ever helped a calf be born, you know what it is to do that job while the mother is standing up!  Her calf comes plopping to the ground, shakes his/her head, looks around and starts the adventure of life. Step into your world, make yourself known to those around you and leave your mark on the world.

"Stand on your feet as soon as you can, and look around."

It's amazing to see animals born. They come into the world much like we do, and are standing on their own four feet within minutes of their birth, wondering at the new world around them. Stand up in this world as soon as you can, carry your share of the load, and always be aware of what's around you. You never know where that cow path is going to lead you.

"Beller until someone gives you what you need."

You always know when something's up with the cows. Remember that the squeaky wheel gets the grease--while tempering that with the notion that sometimes the squeaky wheel gets removed, also.

"Chew on things awhile first."

Cows have 4 stomaches. They chew and swallow and regurgitate it. We call this chewing their cud. They do this 8 hours a day for about 30,000 chews/day!!

"Use your tail to swat the annoying things away."

We need to learn to rid ourselves of those people and things that bring us down. Swat them away and move on!

"Stay with the herd."

Cows know it--we should too. There is strength in numbers. If you've ever tried to move cows you know that you need to keep them together. When one strays, you lose them all. They stick together no matter what. Not like the move "Mean Girls."

"Adapt to your environment."

As long as your essentials are taken care of, the cows are relaxed and grateful. Even though it takes a lot of work on our part to make sure that happens daily, the cows are happy with water, food and a place to lay down. Take a lesson from their humble attitude. Home is whatever and wherever you make it.

"Keep your backside to the wind."

When the world turns colder, cows know to stand together and against the wind. When your world turns cold, turn your back to it so it doesn't blow out the flame from your spirit; keep on walking, and stick with those whom you know will be there with you always!

Visit The Land to read this and other great articles. This particle article is written by Karen Schwaller, Table Talk. 

Just Another Day in Paradise

Finally! We have all of our crops in...well we still need to cut hay, but corn is in and soybeans are in!

Talk about a huge relief. 

However, it was no easy feat...

You know how you dislike the rain driving into work? Ya, farmers hate this much of it too. 

Saturday was spent cleaning up our field that is at the end of the Cannon River. If you know where the Welch Ski Village is, our field is at the bottom. Needless to say it has flooded 4 times in the last 2 years. So, Saturday I was down helping Dad pick up the last of the junk that floated into our field. Luckily they had already cleared out the full size trees last week..with a log chain! 

On the bright side, the flood brought so much sand in I could go barefoot. On the downside, sand is really bad to grow crops in and I ended up getting something in my foot (I think I might soon have to visit the doc, duck tape didn't fix this one, and I did try!)

While we were picking up tree branches (these are not stick size hunks of wood!)..my cousin was tilling and smoothing out the clean areas. As you can see...it didn't go very well to begin with. He learned pretty quick to stay away from the edges...Luckily after ONLY about 4 attempts of backing up and pulling, shortening the chain and repeating, we got him out! 

We finished picking up branches and sandals and picnic tables...ya floods do a lot of damage..he finished digging, then our other neighbor came and planted soybeans. And ya know what? It rained that night and hasn't quit since! We got it all done just in time. 

My favorite part of the whole day (besides walking around barefoot like I was 5) neighbors kept stopping by to ask for favors and see how it was coming. They would help us pick up a few things and then be on their way after a short visit. That's what I love about growing up in this lifestyle. We were on a mission that day to get all of it done. Working as fast and hard as we could. Efficiency was our middle name. But, that didn't stop us from enjoying the time spent together and catching up on our neighbor's lives, asking how their elderly parents are or whatever else it may be. Just another reminder to enjoy every moment in life, and you will never work a day in your life. 

Boy Oh Boy!

Yesterday was my only day off all week from work, and by that I mean the work that requires showering and putting on clean clothes to go into town.

Lucky me, we had a nice little surprise during morning chores, but not without a little scare!

When my uncle came up in the morning around 6a.m. he said Lace-it (a cow) was calving. Now, when I find out a cow is calving I get both really excited, but I also realize how much more work that means, and it wasn't exactly nice weather outside. After I finished milking, around 7a.m, I went out to the pasture to check on Lace-it. She was standing by herself in the far corner, looking a little uncomfortable. Then again, I guess if I had a 100lb calf coming out of my body I wouldn't be in the best mood either. 

Anyhow....

Usually we can tell a cow is starting to give birth because she is off laying by herself. Remember how I said this cow was standing? Not a great sign. We want them to lay down when they calve. Even though I wasn't within 20 yards of her I left to see if she would get comfortable and lay down because I could see the feet of the calf. I came back after about 10 min and she still wasn't laying down and the feet were still hanging out. 

Yes, I got nervous. Who knows how long the feet were already out right? What if the calf was backwards I kept thinking? Lace-it looked like she might be having trouble calving (something you pick up on after you've done this once or twice.) So, I walked her up towards the barn thinking we were maybe going to have to help her give birth. I got her up there and my uncle decided to wait it out a bit longer....Needless to say I was chomping at the bit to get this calf out of her! 

I waited....

and waited...

She laid down. Got up. Laid down. Got up. Laid down. Got up. 

Finally I came back at about 8:30 and I found this little guy