Tag Archives: life on the farm

And so it begins

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Calving season 2012 is underway, as a healthy bull calf was delivered this morning by Heifer No. 109.

New calf, just a few hours old.

 

 

With the weather the way it’s been, we have some pretty great conditions for calving. But I won’t lie to you, it’s better for the temps to stay below freezing. I must have hit my head, right? Actually, mud can be a real risk during calving, so it’s better for our little ones if we have hard, frozen ground to work with, rather than soft and soupy mud.

Plus, we’re used to dealing with cold temps for calving…it’s one of the reasons my husband breeds the cows when he does, so that they calve when the time is right for our operation. The mild winter just has us off our game a bit, but nothing like the first calf to bring you back to your senses!

Now we sort off the heifers (cows that will have their first calf this year) and keep them closer to home. And then the checks start, where we go out and check the cows for signs of calving every few hours…more often when it’s cold. Our goal is to get the calves in the barn before they are born, or shortly after.

Want to come along on a calf check? Check out this post from last year…and stay tuned for more!

It only takes a spark…

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Today has been a banner day, but not always in a good way. I’ve been happy, I’ve been sad, I’ve been frustrated and I’ve been downright ticked…and that was all before noon! Actually, today’s emotions had a lot to do with social media and perceptions.

To begin with, McD’s has launched a campaign called #MeetTheFarmers. It’s all about improving their image, after some pretty damaging stuff has been spread like wildfire throughout the internet world. Now, I don’t blame them one bit…I do have to agree that it’s about time we take responsibility for our own actions, including what we put in our mouths.

But what I don’t like is the impression that McD’s is doing something cutting edge by introducing farmers to their consumers. It’s something that’s been going on for years, and it doesn’t take a marketing genius or billion dollar budget to accomplish.

I’m all for the interaction, and welcome the conversations that are starting because of it…and I’m hoping and praying that the trend continues. But remember, these conversations have been going for quite some time now, and many have started without the big-name push.

For example:

  • A dairy farmer in Alabama…a true salt-of-the-earth type of guy, with a great family and an uncanny ability to make a song about cow poop sound catchy.
  • A Prairie Mama in North Dakota, who I had the pleasure of meeting through social media, and shudder to think of what my life would now be without her. Who tells the story of ag from a first-hand view, yet has spent enough time in the corporate world that she makes it seem so polished and effortless. She has connected Rockin’ Rural Women from across the country. Not only is she an inspiration, but her mother is as well, blogging from the farm and bringing the outside world a little closer to the field…truly connecting the farm to the plate.
  • A busy mom, with 3 Kids and Lots of Pigs, who took an idea and ran with it, and turned it into a GREAT way to connect women and introduce others to life on the farm.
  • A dairy mom, who recently had baby #3, writes a great blog and is willing to step out of the box and do unheard of things…like sell a pig on Twitter.

I could go on…the list would probably be in the hundreds. People, farmers, that I’ve met and make it a priority to share their story, and the story of agriculture, with others through social media.

And they do it without an endorsement deal, they do it without promised reimbursement and they do it out of passion and love for an industry that provides them a great way of life and a lifestyle that many could only dream about.

No, it may not be the golden arches, but I’m confident that although #MeetTheFarmer may be a trending topic on Twitter, the connections that are made will continue to grow and be built through the hard work of dedicated producers.

I’d bet a Big Mac on it.

Wordless Wednesday – Christmas Break

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Great Christmas celebrations!

 

EJ lost a fingernail during a Christmas-gift-opening incident. Let's just say that it involved a concrete floor, knee-high boots and a hand. Needless to say, the fingernail was ripped completely out and EJ's days of being a hand model are over. Just when you thought you had your child's future planned. 😉

 

Scooter turned 8 on New Year's Eve. A tough time to have a party, that's for sure.

 

Grandpa tried to convince Scooter that he should share his birthday gifts...at least the cash ones!

Preparing for calving

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I had been tossing around the idea of doing a post like this for a while now, but never actually wrote it out. But after a dear friend sent someone my direction today for this type of information, I decided that I better get to typing while the juices were flowing.

(Sorry if there are many typos…my desktop is in the shop, and my new keyboard for my new iPad is a tad tough to get used to!)

Anyway, I was asked what kind of things are needed to get ready for calving season, from a new farmwife, getting ready to embark on her first calving season. And since we are just about a month away from calving on our own farm, I thought this was a timely topic. So here’s my calving top 10 list (and please remember, this is a great list for my farm…each operation has their own way of doing things, but this is what works for us):

1) Figure out your schedule ahead of time. Write down appointments, meetings, etc. Make sure that you are both on the same page. That way, if you’re taking night checks (like I do), you can start getting ready for it by going to bed a little earlier. No need to go into calving season already tired and worn out. That’ll come soon enough!

2) Have a working (and effective) alarm clock! The first few nights of getting up every two hours isn’t a problem for me…but the last few weeks seem to be pretty rough. If my alarm clock isn’t obnoxious, I’ll sleep right through it, which can be bad news for a new calf born in subzero temps!

3) Get a good set of walkie-talkies. Charge them. Use them. In our area, cell phones don’t always have the best of signals, especially in the barn. Walkie-talkies can be a God-send. But only if they’re working! 😉 (It also helps if the other party has theirs on them…and on. Right dear?)

4) Have the vet’s number in your phone. And posted near the door. And have the phone readily available…and charged. Hmm…I seem to be speaking from experience, eh? Anyway, there’s nothing worse than searching for the vet’s number at a ridiculous hour…and then realizing you don’t have a phone nearby anyway!

5) Be prepared. Have your supplies on-hand ahead of time, and readily accessible. That includes: calving sleeves, lube, pulling chain, rope, warming box, milk replacer, colostrum, ear tags, ear tag marker, calving record book, baseball bat and whatever else your vet may suggest or request.

 

We have one of these for every calving season, since 1988.

 

 

6) Be prepared for the weather. In our area, we generally have very cold temps and snow. Although this year, we’re going into 2012 with no snow on the ground and above average temperatures! Yay! My calving wardrobe includes a set of Carhartt coveralls (purple, in fact), a pair of Muck boots and a good set of gloves, various hats and a scarf. A good pair of coveralls makes bundling up at 2 a.m. a little less painful, and a good pair of boots make sure my feet stay dry and toasty. Both are very important to me!

7) Have some meals ready ahead of time. Freeze lasagna, have some pizzas on stand-by, whatever is appealing to you. Soups, chili, snacks…and hide some, so when you think you’re out, you have an emergency stash. Unless your husband takes that as some kind of personal challenge to find your hidden treasures, then you’ll go into your stash and come up with empty wrappers. Kids are good for that, too.

8) Don’t forget to pay bills. Set them up on auto-pay, set your cell phone to send you a reminder, whatever may be. Sometimes calving season can seem a little crazy and hectic, and sometimes the days kind of meld into one another. You’ll look at the calendar and realize that a week has gone by…and perhaps you should shower. (Just kidding!)

9) Don’t forget to take time for yourself. Yes, it’s a crazy time, but it’s amazing to watch the new calves playing, watch a heifer loving up on her first-born calf, and experience all the craziness that comes with calving. But you can’t forget to spend a moment or two snuggled on the couch, watching the news before you both fall asleep; enjoy a warm meal together, even if it’s something as simple as warmed-up pizza; and take a moment whenever you can, to thank God for all you’ve been given. I’m going to double up on that last one this year…I couldn’t thank Him enough for the gifts of 2011.

Our cows are normally red...not snow covered!

 

10) Don’t forget to pack your patience. It’ll be tested. When everyone is tired, no one is getting a good nights sleep and tempers are running hot, even the silliest of missteps can set off some fireworks. But just remember, this too shall pass. And before you know it, life will be back to “normal.” Whatever “normal” is.

Introducing cheese buttons – a German tradition

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Connie – pay attention, this one’s for you. Got it?

Earlier this summer, I finally wrote down my grandmother’s recipe for German Dumplings. I entered the recipe into an Iron Chef Challenge sponsored by King Arthur’s Flour…and somehow pulled away with a win! (I’ll be posting a recipe tomorrow, in a battle of the iron chef all-stars kinda thing. Stay tuned.)

It was requested that I work on a recipe for Grandma’s cheese buttons, and here it is. Well, kind of. If you want to go through the work of making your own dough, go ahead and use my recipe on the dumplings post. But I’m all for ease, and speed, and still tasting authentic. And oddly enough, my “new” way of doing this works just fine. Even my dad didn’t notice the difference!

So here it is, German Cheese Buttons, updated for 2011:

Ingredients:

  • Wonton or egg roll wrappers (egg roll wrappers can be cut into 4, wonton wrappers are just the right size)
  • Cottage cheese
  • Butter
  • Salt/pepper to taste
  • Meat of choice, I prefer fry sausage…but ham, pork or seasoned burger would work just fine…or go without

Place a kettle of water on the stove and heat it over medium to a boil. While water is heating, take your cottage cheese and place it in a bowl; season with salt and pepper to your liking. Take wonton wrapper and place a small spoonful in the middle of the wrapper. wet around the edges and fold the wonton in half, making a triangle with all the edges sealed. (It’s important that the edges seal, so that your cottage cheese doesn’t leak out.)

Yummy cottage cheese in middle, preparing to fold it in half! Notice the outside edges are wet...use water to seal!

Cheese button folded in half, press around edges to make sure it seals!

Make as many cheese buttons as you think you need…add 10 more. Trust me. They’re that good.

In a frying pan, melt half a stick of butter or medium heat. Place cheese buttons in the pot of boiling water, four or so at a time. Let them boil for 3-4 minutes. They should float when they’re done. Using a slotted spoon, take the cheese buttons out of the water, letting most of the water drain off. Place them directly into the frying pan. Continue until all cheese buttons are in the frying pan. Be sure to flip occasionally, to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Warning: some of the cheese buttons may rupture in the water, some may stick and rupture in the pan. It will not affect the tastiness of the dish, just might tarnish the presentation a bit. One taste and all thoughts of what the plate looks like will fly out the window. Again, trust me.

Water boiling, cheese buttons floating. They are ready!

Use a slotted spoon to drain off excess water...then...

Fry them in butter!

Once all cheese buttons are in the pan, add your sliced sausage, meat, etc. Serve when meat is heated through.

I try to find ways to incorporate as many food groups into one pan as possible. I make these meat chunks large, so that I can pick them out for George's diet.

One thing you may want to add in if you’re really wanting to be authentically German, is bread crumbs. Fry them up in the butter, along with the cheese buttons. You won’t be disappointed. But do me a favor, don’t tell your doctor I told you to do that, ‘k?

Things you need to know:

  1. German cooking is not low-fat, low-carb or anything else a health professional would claim as “good for you.”
  2. German cooking tastes wonderful. And my grandma was 89 when she passed away. I can live with that.
  3. You may need to add more butter as you’re cooking, to “keep it from sticking.” At least, that’s what I tell myself. I’m sure it’s true.
  4. Do NOT boil your cheese buttons for too long. They will rupture. And then the dough will get gooey. It still tastes fine, just not appealing to the eye. And the textures a little oozy. Consider yourself warned.

Good luck, have fun…and enjoy your meal. And stay tuned tomorrow. I get crazy with a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread.

I’m linking to the Gooseberry Patch Christmas Favorites Round Up today…this was truly one of my holiday favorites that Grandma would make!
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It all began with a list…

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I have a funny story to tell you (and I have permission to share). And it started off with me sending my husband to the store with a list.

Actually, he was going to town for another reason, and I thought it would save me a trip. I was wrong.

The list looked something like this:

  • Chickpeas
  • strawberries
  • blueberries
  • cilantro
  • orange juice, zest
  • all-spice
  • sea salt
  • flax seed, ground
  • sweet onion

Now, to be fair, I sent Boss Man to a store I’ve never been in. I left the orange listed as juice, zest, because I didn’t know if they would have oranges on the shelf. (Remember, we’re in North Dakota and it’s December…fresh fruits aren’t always available this time of year. And definitely aren’t local.)

I called him when he was done with his appointment and just on the way to the store. I asked if he would bring some bottled water. He said he would, and would cover the list. I said to call with any questions…and heard nothing.

I was so hopeful when he arrived awhile later, complete with several bags full of groceries. And then I started looking at what was in the bags.

Tortilla chips.

Ranch dressing.

Carrots.

Grapes.

Two LARGE containers of orange juice. Check!

Two loaves of bread.

6 pack of water. Check! (I’ll get back to this in a minute.)

Enormous container of sea salt. Check! (Overkill, but probably only size available. No big deal, almost out of regular salt anyway.)

Sea Salt for years to come...and season-all

 

Nature’s Seasonings. Hmmm…what? Oh dear. Season-all is NOT the same as all-spice. (For those that don’t know the difference, all-spice would be used in something like pumpkin pie. Imagine the taste of pumpkin pie if you used Mrs. Dash or something similar? See the problem?)

*sigh*

Oh well, I’ll be going in this afternoon to get the rest of what I need. It really wasn’t that big of a deal, but if he had questions, I just wished he would have called. Or asked a clerk.

I told him that he wouldn’t have been as understanding if he had sent me to the parts counter for an oil filter for his combine, and I returned with an air filter. Sometimes close isn’t close enough. 😉

And the water? Well, later on, after doing my exercise routine, I went to get a great big drink of nice spring water in a bottle. As I opened the bottle, the water exploded all over me. Can you guess what it was? That’s right. Sparkling water. Which in my opinion kind of tastes like salt. But I love him, because he thought it was a better kind of water. (But I did make him taste it.)

Sparkling water...not a refreshing after-exercise drink.

 

Lesson learned: Even after 10 years, I still have hope.

Wordless Wednesday – The Lotion Bandit

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I bought an economy-sized bottle of winter lotion. Never. Again.

Hmmm...

 

 

I'm thinking that there may be a trail...

 

 

Any idea...

 

 

How to get lotion out of carpet?

 

 

Well, at least it's not ALL in the carpet. I mean, there's some on the TV and remote too!

 

Any guesses on who was responsible? I’ll give you a clue. He’s cute, he’s two and he’s AMAZINGLY fast!

Tasty Tuesday – Two Treats!

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I have two snack recipes ready to go…first is Homemade Root Beer, the second are Homemade Mozzarella Sticks. They are both super easy and sooooo delicious! Made a great after-school snack today! (And don’t forget about my Gooseberry Patch cookbook giveaway!)

Here we go!

Homemade Root Beer

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp. dry yeast
  • 1/2 bottle root beer extract

Doesn't take much, but tastes so good!

Dissolve yeast in a little tepid water. Mix extract with sugar, add a quart of water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a gallon jug. Add dissolved yeast, add enough tepid water to fill jug. Let stand 6 hours with cap off, then screw on cap and put in refrigerator. It is ready to drink as soon as it’s cold. (Root Beer recipe came from the Fullerton 125th Cookbook.)

Letting the yeast dissolve in tepid water.

Not dark in color, but full in flavor!

And treat number two:

Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

Ingredients:

  • String cheese
  • Egg roll wrappers (or wonton wrappers)
  • Water
  • Oil

Only two main ingredients! So simple!

Place string cheese on egg roll wrapper, fold ends in and roll up the wrapper. Wet the corner of the wrapper with water to seal. Heat oil on stove top, place 3-4 sticks in hot oil. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until brown. Turn and cook other side. Drain on paper towel. Enjoy! (This recipe came off Pinterest. That’s right. I actually made something off Pinterest. Amazing. I know.)

Roll up stick (make sure ends are tucked in) and seal with a dab of water!

Send those sticks for a little swim in hot oil...this is extra virgin olive oil.

Really...to die for...really.

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Thankful Thursday – Children on the Farm

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Normally I don’t discuss a lot of political stuff and government-type news. We get enough of that every day, I feel. But this latest proposal hits close to home…in fact, it hits our family directly, and possibly yours, too.

The US Department of Labor has submitted proposed new “rules” regarding children under the age of 18 working agricultural and non-agricultural jobs. Some of them make sense, and seem almost silly that we need to have a law for it. (Who truly believes that a 16-year-old should be allowed to work with dynamite?) Yet others would severely affect our farm…and many farms across the country.

The proposed laws would eliminate children from the farm-labor work force, or at least not without proper training and certification. Sounds great, right? I’m all for more safety on the farm. But upon closer inspection, these rules do very little to ensure safety and do a lot to infringe upon farm families.

For instance, a child would no longer be able to pick up sticks and branches around the yard while Mom or Dad is using a chainsaw, or some other mechanical method to bring down trees and shrubs. (Actually, the child couldn’t be using ANY power tool…that would include battery-operated drills, screwdrivers, etc.) The only exemption would be if Mom and Dad own the farm wholly on their own (not in cooperation with someone else, including family). I know that not everyone is aware of this, but many farms incorporate and set up business structures, so that success can be shared throughout the family equally, same as expenses.

Is this the closest he'll get?

Another portion of the proposed rules states that a child under the age of 16 could not work “on a farm in a yard, pen or stall occupied by a bull, boar, stud horse maintained for breeding purposes, sow with suckling pigs, or cow with newborn calf (with umbilical cord present).”

Trust me, as a mother of four young children, our house already has laws and rules in place regarding what our kids can and cannot do, including not being anywhere near the bulls, staying out of the yard when the cows are calving, etc. But now would we be open to fines if our children were to go into the barn to feed the cats while cows were in the barn with their calves? (And just to clarify, there are pens that keep each cow/calf separate and out of the main part of the barn.)

EJ, keeping me company while waiting for the silage cutter to be fixed.

And yet one more silly section would make it against the rules for anyone under the age of 18 to even ride IN a tractor with someone who is working, or in the process of working.

How in the world are we supposed to educate and involve the next generation? What about those that don’t have farm backgrounds, but are interested in becoming involved in agriculture? How do we tell the next generation that we don’t want their help, until they’re adults? One thing I have learned quickly, raising four boys, is that the more involved I get them earlier on, the more they enjoy and want to learn about the farm. If you leave them out, where will farming be in 40-50 years?

Waiting his turn...his dad is in the tractor, his grandpa is in the combine. Is his future in jeopardy?

And what about 4-H?

The answer is not clear. Would children be able to show their animals if their parents weren’t direct owners of their operations? Would they be able to sell their livestock and receive the money for college funds, as so many kids in 4-H do?

My oldest two have found excitement and education in 4-H. Is that in jeopardy as well?

I understand the need to update regulations…the present set hasn’t been updated since 1970. Yet, can common sense come into play, please? They rattle off statistics of children that are injured or killed in farm accidents, but if you look closely, some of those statistics are misleading.

One such example they give is a 17-year-old who was illegally employed and was a fatality in an accident. The way I look at it, if the child was already illegally employed, then changing the laws would do nothing to ensure that child’s safety. Laws only protect those that follow them.

Yes, I’m all for protecting our children, especially those that live on or near farms, but we cannot protect our children while making their home off-limits and telling them that they’re not wanted, or needed, on the farm. That’s a disservice to all.

Comments on the proposed changes are being accepted through TODAY, please make your voice heard. Visit www.regulations.gov, it’s RIN 1245-AA06.

Today is Thankful Thursday. Today I am thankful that my children can be raised on our farm, in a safe and loving home. I’m thankful that I, as a parent, can teach and instill in my children the love and respect for the farm that it deserves. But it’s MY job to be a parent…not my government’s.

Wordless Wednesday – Winds of Change

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This summer we were hit hard by a storm. Although it was not ruled a tornado, just straight-line winds in excess of 125 mph. Yeah, the wind blew a little. There was not a building on the farm that wasn’t damaged…and Boss Man is lucky to be alive. You can read about it here.

Harvest finished early this year, giving us time to get things taken care of before snow flies. And here it is, almost Dec. 1, and still no snow. Amazing!

So Boss Man, his dad and a friend worked on repairing the damage.

This is the west end of the shop Mark was in when the storm hit. The whole side is caved in.

 

And now it looks like this:

Good as new!

 

The old wooden bins that used to set on the east side of the farmstead were blown away:

This bin should be sitting on the cement slab...the other bin is strewn across our corn field.

 

That area now looks like this:

EJ has instructed me that these bins are for his corns. Dad gets to use the big ones further east of the farm.

 

Sometimes, when we’re not ready to adjust to change, the decision is taken out of our hands. The best we can hope for is to hang on for the ride and sort things out when all is said and done.

We still have a few roofs to fix, garage doors to put on, fence to mend and a barn to put back together, but God has blessed us so far…and I know we’ll get it done. One step at a time, that’s the way it all goes.