Yes, I'm Still Thankful

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I am observing a lot of conversation on Facebook, Twitter, television, and radio about "What are you thankful for?" 

This has been a very difficult year for my family with my uncle passing away, Farmer John's grandma passing away, my mom suffering a stroke in August, and my dad passing away in September, and yet, I still have much to be thankful for. My mom is currently on her 5th week in the hospital after coping with an infection, mild heart attack, bypass surgery, and last week the loss of  her right leg above the knee, but I am still thankful.

I am thankful for my faith. I am thankful for the comfort of knowing my Lord, and feeling confident that my uncle, John's grandma and my dad are safely with our Lord in heaven. I am thankful God continues to guide mom's doctors through her surgeries and daily care, and that God watches over and protects mom, and restores her health if it is His will. I am thankful for my church family and their support and kindness and prayers.

I am thankful for my family; for their hugs, prayers, and words of comfort and  encouragement. I am thankful for them sitting quietly and holding my hand when words just aren't necessary. I am thankful for my sister, brother, nieces, and nephew who know what to do to help, even before being asked. I am thankful for my uncles, aunts and cousins who reassure me when I need to be reminded that all things are in God's hands.

God has blessed me with a strong faith and a strong family, and for that I am thankful. Wishing you a "thankful" Thanksgiving.

Spuds, Spuds, And More Spuds

Yesterday I made 40 pounds of mashed potatoes. I am preparing to host my family's Thanksgiving dinner. No, I do not have a huge family, and yes, we love our mashed potatoes, but 40 pounds is even too many for my potato-lovin' bunch! Why so many potatoes then? I discovered a make-ahead mashed potato recipe that we love. In my never-ending pursuit of being organized I chose to make my holiday spuds and also put lots in the freezer for busy days ahead.

Some of you may recognize this recipe as I posted it last holiday season too. It became my most viewed post for 2012.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
5 pounds potatoes
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream

4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Put potatoes in pot and fill with cold water. Cook 25 minutes until fork tender. Drain potatoes and keep them in hot pot. Add all other ingredients. Mash all together. Place in freezer containers to freeze. Thaw in refrigerator for 2 days. Spray interior of slow cooker and add potatoes. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle with paprika. Cook on low 2-4 hours. If preferred, bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

For other Dairy Mom favorite recipes, check out Dairy Makes Sense

 And don't forget to look for the REAL SEAL when shopping.

This And That Thursday - 9

A little bit of this and a little bit of that- here's what we've been up to. 

A bit of electrical work was needed this week, as a 90' electrical wire that stretches from a cattle barn to our feed shed was not where it was supposed to be. It seems the wire that was designed to withstand 100 mph winds could not withstand a measly 50 mph breeze. The wire became disconnected from the connector that attaches it to the electric pole. So four men, 2 1/2 hours and $684 later, eureka! We discovered electricity.

Tonight our son Michael reminded us that even farmers need a little time off. At 5:45 tonight, Michael and his friend Tony began waiting in line at our local Walmart to be one of the few eligible to purchase the new XBox One video game system that becomes available at midnight tonight. I have a feeling I'll be on morning milking duty tomorrow. Have fun Michael!

McDonald’s created an amazing video showcasing dairy farmers hard work and dedication and thanking us for all we do. McDonald's has introduced 27 new dairy-friendly products this year alone. You're welcome McDonald's; happy to help!

A Tale Of Three Bridges

 Today is a long awaited day for me and my fellow 

Hastings, Minnesota residents!

Since our town sits on the banks of the  Mississippi River, we are home to a bridge that takes us across the  "Mighty Mississip." So why is this a long awaited day? Hold on, I'll get there, but first a little history.

Hastings' first bridge was the Spiral Bridge, built in 1895. Since the Spiral Bridge was built for horse traffic, it was very narrow. This bridge served the community well for many years, but towards the end of its lifespan it was rusted and could only support a 4-ton load. School buses filled with children were too heavy to make the trip, so the children had to walk across the bridge while the driver drove the empty bus across.

In 1951 the Spiral Bridge was replaced by a two-lane  steel bridge. Showing wear and tear, it had been scheduled to be torn down and replaced with a new bridge in the year 2019, but after the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it was re-prioritized and construction started in 2010.

Last year I blogged about a milestone in the construction of Hastings' newest bridge. If you click here you can watch the video of our new bridge being moved into place. 

Which brings us to today, a long awaited day for me and my fellow Hastings, Minnesota residents. After 3 years of driving through bridge construction, waiting in long lines, and contending with some drivers who were not always "Minnesota nice," our new, 4-lane bridge is open for business!

I feel blessed to live in a beautiful part of the country, 

complete with a beautiful bridge!

Thanks to Dave Youngren for the current photos. 
To see more, visit Hastings Bridge Watch

This And That Thursday - 8

We're having a baby boom!

The past two weeks we welcomed "Angus" and 15 other calves born on Bremer Farms. It is exciting to watch these healthy new-comers join the herd.

Now that the corn is combined and safely tucked into the storage bins, Farmer John is baling corn stalk bales. So we go from this ...

...to this. He is about half finished baling our 80 acres of stalks. 

You can learn more on a previous barnyard post

 Time To Change The Sheets.

Whether you’re cooking a meal, hosting a party or giving a tangible gift, dairy is a sweet and savory way to celebrate the season. Join Midwest Dairy in celebrating the many ways dairy serves as a gift during the holidays. Enter “The Gift of Dairy” Pinterest contest to win a $250 grocery store gift card to help provide family and friends the gift of dairy. Learn more: http://bit.ly/19k6FKL

Grow A Mo?

Have you noticed an increase of men growing mustaches lately?  During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of millions of mustaches on men's faces around the world. Through the power of the Mo, (slang for mustache) vital funds and awareness are raised to combat prostate and testicular cancer and mental health challenges. Movember encourages men to join the movement by growing a mustache for the 30-days of November, and asking friends and family to donate to their efforts. With their new mustaches, these "Mo Bros" bring much needed awareness to men’s health issues by prompting conversations wherever they go. 

With the high potential of all men being challenged with prostate cancer, farmers are no exception. I often think dairy farmers take better care of their cows, than themselves. There are no "paid sick-days" for farmers. Healthy or not, the chores still need to be done. So why not be proactive and get that routine health exam?

Did you know...

• More than 90% of all prostate cancers are discovered while they are either localized (confined to the prostate) or regional (nearby).
• The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with prostate tumors discovered at these stages is nearly 100%.
• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, excluding skin cancer.

Whether you, or your fella, is a farmer (or not), please consider routine health exams.  Your cows will thank you :) 

 

Corn's In! What Now?

 Grandpa Roy drives the combine to finish the corn harvest.

Where does the corn go now?

The corn is transfered to a wagon, called a gravity box, and then transported from the field. Each gravity box carries about 500 bushel of corn.

Unloading time- A door near the bottom of the gravity box is opened to release the corn which now travels up an auger into the screener.

While rotating, the screener removes broken kernels and "bees wings" (the reddish paper-like chaff from the cob).

From the screener, up the auger, to the bin. The pile on the ground is the unwanted bees wings and broken kernels.

Why is it important to remove the bees wings? Each bin is equipped with a fan and heater to dry the corn. Stored corn must be dried to insure it will not mold during storage, therefore making it unusable. Bees wings, if not removed, will form a sort-of blanket in the bin which inhibits the air flow to dry the corn.

One of our two corn bins. Each stores 10,000 bushel of corn and measures 30x19 feet.

Combining is finished for this year, and our corn is safely stored to feed our animals. Here's to another safe and successful harvest season! I think it's time for a milk break. Won't you join me?

Learn more about dairy and farm life at Dairy Makes Sense.

This and That Thursday - 7

A little bit of this and a little bit of that- here's what we've been up to. 

Yes, I get it. It is not Thursday. I know that. And yes, I know that I have not posted twice this week, as I usually do. But please forgive me as I update you on my faith, family, friends and farming.

Love and hugs to my mom

You may remember that my dad passed away in September. What I haven't shared with you is that exactly one month prior to my dad's passing, my mom suffered a stroke. She is a tiger and has been fighting fiercely to recover, but this past month an infection slowed her recovery and she is recovering in the hospital (damn diabetes). Please add her to your prayers as she continues her battle.

We are officially half-way finished with our corn harvest. We have 10,000 bushels of corn harvested, and drying in our storage bin. Two things are holding up our completion of the project- We have had three days of rain this week which does now allow combining to continue, and our supplier ran out of propane. Propane is used to fuel our corn drying facility. Without drying the stored corn, it will rot and not be usable to feed our animals. We are not-so-patiently waiting for a delivery.

This photo did not make the cut.

Speaking of patience...we are waiting to see when and who will be visiting our farm from the Show Your Pride contest. Which Minnesota Viking do you think it will be?

Meet Trudy. She is one of six new calves to join Bremer Farms this week, including a set of adorable, healthy twins from one of our favorite cows, Weezy. What a perfect treat for Halloween!

Learn more about farming and our dairy way of life at Dairy Makes Sense