Raising a Farmer

At my mom’s family Christmas, we have an auction. There is a set amount we want to reach and those dollars are used to purchase gifts/auction items for the auction the following year. We play cards for the remainder of the gifts. Everett was eyeing up a letterman/multi-tool thinger do that you wear on your belt. If there is something you really would like you request for the auctioneer to begin the bidding on it. My brother was the auctioneer. Everett ran up to the table and handed him the tool.  Nate was bidding on it. Everett was bidding and at times Everett was bidding against himself.

Its organized chaos. Or is it the excitement of an auction?

During evening chores one night, Everett was ready to fix stuff.

When Nate was fixing a handle I had earlier broke.  (The straw room door was froze shut and when I went to open it, the handle came off)  He asked Everett if he could use his new tool. Everett told Nate, “Don’t break it!”

Did you know that ALL dairy farms are inspected by the Department of Agriculture?
Dairy Inspectors are a very important step to ensure food safety.
There is a reason the US has the safest food in the world.

From farmer to your kitchen table there are many steps to ensure your cold glass of milk is delicious.
Our farm is Grade A, we are inspected 2 times a year. We know what month the inspector is coming but not the day or the time. Here is a quick interview with our dairy inspector.

Just when we thought 2017 could not break our hearts anymore, it proved us wrong.

We had to say good-bye to Everett’s special cow 304.  Our hearts are broken because we did everything we possibly could do and it wasn’t enough. It didn’t make her better.  Our hearts are broken because there is a hard part of dairy farming~life. Our hearts are broken.  Everyone knew she was never going to leave our farm, we’ve been repeatedly asked by dairy farmers,  “What are you going to do?”  She was going to turn into a pet. Everyone knew how much she meant to Everett.

304 taught us so much.

Everett has two of 304’s daughters, Arendelle and Lady Wilt.

Here are all the blog posts of 304 and Everett.

Everett & 304

304 is in labor!

304 is a Celebrity

Morrison County Fair 2015

Milk Does the Body Good

Baby Arendell

A walk of faith

The best team: 304 & Everett

304 “the show cow”

Proud mom, Proud aunt & Proud Dairy Farmer

The night before Fair

304 goes to School

A Determined Fair Goer

Celebrating 4H Week with Highlights from the Morrison County Fair

We tried out Everett’s new Christmas present, a Snoopy Sno-Cone maker.  The day was -25F in Central Minnesota. You would think we should have been making hot chocolate but when you are winter kids you celebrate the cold. (Well sorta) Everett had a little experiment of which ice cubes froze faster the ones outside or the ones in the kitchen freezer.  Which ones do you think won?

I’m not sure if this goes under a #momwin or a #momfail.  I am thinking the original sno-cone maker from the 80’s had sharper blades because this was a process.  Man did I even struggle putting three pieces together too!

Dishes can be a dreaded chore. Usually it seems to take me about three days to get all the dishes and pots and pans put away. Some people may see the dishes after a big meal as a dreaded chore but for me, after an event or holiday, I find peace. I find peace as I do the dishes by myself because I am able to think about the day.

I am able to smile about the faces that gathered in our home.

I am able to laugh about how the two youngest members of our family felt clothes were optional this year on Thanksgiving. Apparently clothes make you sweaty. I think about holidays when I was a child and how those special times are so cherished now. I smile at how, as soon as we are done eating, Everett and Noah are ready to go outside with their BB guns. The special times I have with my nieces and sister-in-law looking through the Black Friday ads. How the girls tried on my old dance costumes, flower girl dress and First Communion dress.

Before anyone came, as I walked into the house from finishing morning milking, “Mom we have a lot of work to do yet! We have to make the table bigger and get the turkey out of the oven!” The excitement in Everett’s voice I can still hear in my mind as I do the dishes. Doing the dishes bring me peace. “Mom when are they going to get here? Mom, call auntie Cyndie and see where they are!” Everett was not patiently waiting.

Knowing I am able to prepare a meal for my family brings me peace. I think of how many times family and friends have gathered around the exact same dining table through the years. From my grandparents’ home to my parents’ home to now our home. How many times it has been made bigger and how many times it has been made smaller. How many times dishes have been carefully set at the table. How many times warm food has been placed on the table. How many times grace has been said giving thanks.

The kids and I were back in the kitchen with one of my favorite Thanksgiving desserts.

A pumpkin Roll.

One fall, back in 1999 my aunt was trying to perfect it, I had Pumpkin Roll every week. It was a good week.

Morrison County 4H celebrated the end of year 4H with an Awards Banquet.

Everett is co-reporter for the Snappy Elmdalers.

Everett had exclusive interviews with some of Morrison County 4Her’s.

I think Everett is enjoying his new role in Snappy Elmdalers.

Thanksgiving is around the corner and we tried a new recipe.

This I can tell you is going to be a new, year round family favorite.
Dressed up Mac and Cheese.

So much deliciousness.
Eddie Jackson shared this on the The Kitchen on Food Network. Everett and I had to try it out with all that delicious dairy! Here is the recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eddie-jackson/dressed-up-mac-and-cheese-4536809

It is mom, kid and dairy farmer approved.

We put that stamp of approval on it.
Side note: we almost had a new recipe when Vivian was going to add grape flavor to the noodles. 

Originally posted on Raising a Farmer Facebook Page  on 10/26/2017  

A veterinarian is an important part of a dairy farm.

There are times when one of our cows just isn’t feeling very good. Just like when you would go to the doctor when you yourself just don’t feel right, we call our vet to come to the farm to treat one of our cows. Just like we care for our families we try things at home first. You have tried different things at home but it is time to go to the doctor. Our cows can’t tell us when they just don’t feel right. We look for signs for our cows to tell us they just aren’t feeling right. Most times we can problem solve and get her feeling better with out calling the vet but there are times when it is time to call the vet.

Some of the signs we look at is their poop. Has it changed? Is it runny? Is she constipated? Is she digesting her feed? Yes, we look at her poop very carefully.

Has she gone off feed? This means, is she eating the same amount as she has the day before? Is she picking through her feed? Is this different for her? Some cows pick through their feed. Is she drinking enough water? Cows drink a lot of water. Going off feed is a sign of a big problem. Cows are hearty eaters. As soon as they hear the mixer wagon or skid loader they are waiting for lunch by the feed lane.

Each cow has her own personality. When we see them up close twice a day. Nathan and I can tell when one of our cows just “doesn’t look right.” It could be the way she holds her head. The way she walks. Just like when one of your kids isn’t feeling very good how many times have you said, “He just doesn’t look right.”

We had to call the vet and Dr. Neil came to the farm. Vivian had a front row seat. Watching carefully Dr. Neil’s every move. 

On a dairy farm the circle of life is constant.

Calves are born year round.

Someone is always growing. 
It is always changing.

At one time Vivian was a baby and 434 was a baby.

Yesterday 434 became a momma for the first time.

Seeing momma cows with their new bundles never gets old.

Vivian helping feed calves and 434 was her best friend.