L is for Love

Here's my love story...

I grew up on a chicken and dairy farm with my parents and brother and sister. As a teen I remember saying, “I’ll never marry a farmer. Farmers work long hours, and rarely get a day off.” Well, as the saying goes, “never say never.” Farmer John and I were married 35 years ago. Soon after, John and I were blessed with Sara and Michael, undoubtedly the best kids ever.

I think it was John’s dedication and commitment to farming that brought us together. Yes, we do work long hours and rarely get a day off, but that’s o.k. with us. We love the life we have chosen.  I love that we spend much of our day together, as a family, caring for our cows and growing their food. I love watching John’s excitement grow as we near spring planting season, and I love seeing the satisfaction that harvest brings. I love that we frequently get to experience the miraculous birth of a calf.

Like every career choice, farming also has it’s hard times too. We have gone through many summer months when we wonder if the weather will cooperate so we can grow enough crops to feed our livestock. We get concerned when more and more of the land we rent cannot be farmed because it is sold to a housing developer. We shed tears when the cow we just helped through birthing a calf passes away. That’s when we have family to lean on- to pray with, talk with, and plan our next step with. 

There is another familiar saying, “If you love your job, you will never work a day of your life.” I believe this is Farmer John’s motto. He loves what he does each day, and although he is one of the hardest working men I know, I can bet he will never call his job work. It’s this attitude and optimism that makes Farmer John and our family so content to do what we do, each and every day.

I’m so thankful my foolish teenage thought of never marrying a farmer was just that…a foolish thought.

A Speech, A Senate Resolution, and A Visit From A Senator

I was recently asked to be the keynote speaker at our county Farm Bureau banquet. Why me, I wondered. I thought sure it was because my in-laws were on the planning committee, but when I was being introduced, I was assured that was not the case.

I shared about my six generation farm family. I also shared what I do to promote agriculture via presentations, writings, and farm tours. Next I spoke about my love for spreading the dairy farming message through this blog, sharing my favorite posts. However, my goal was not to call attention to what I do, but to hopefully give examples and therefore encourage others to advocate for agriculture. 

I also got an unexpected surprise as I was awarded a Senate Resolution presented by Minnesota State Senator Karla Bigham recognizing my award as America's Farmers Mom of the Year. I appreciate that our government officials acknowledge the importance of agriculture and also its recognition programs in support of farmers.

Minnesota ranks 5th in agriculture production. The Minnesota agriculture industry provides 340,000 jobs, and contributes $75 billion to our states economy annually, and that's no "small potatoes".

State Senator Bigham wanted to see our farm in action, so a recent tour was scheduled.

Daughter Sara, Janet, John, and Karla Bigham

Farmer John discusses concerns affecting farmers, and also township business since he is our Township Planning Commission chairman.

Daughter Sara explains the milking system.

Senator Bigham made another friend.

Thank you Senator Bigham for taking the time to learn more about dairy farming, and also listen to our concerns, and answer our questions.

I encourage all of you to reach out to your elected officials to have a conversation. The conversation needs to begin if we want to see changes and improvements.

Happy New Year 2018

Happy New Year from the Bremer's.

(Our son Michael is the author of this year's holiday letter.)

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a…. WAIT A MINUTE. Did you seriously think I was going to start the Bremer Family Christmas Letter with this lame starting line?!  And before I go any further, Christmas is over, so technically this is our “Bremer Family New Year’s Letter.” With that being said, let us now go through the Bremer dynasty and see what kind of incredible accomplishments we have achieved in 2017.

Janet at the MN State Fair chaperoning the dairy princesses.

Janet has all the free time in the world these days now that she is retired from her Title 1 position at Pinecrest… Oh wait! She’s now somehow MORE busy after retirement! Janet has kept herself more than busy in 2017.  Starting with her successful blog, My Barnyard View. If you’ve been living in a cave and are not familiar with it, it features her thoughts and stories about life on, and off the farm. Check it out at mybarnyardview.blogspot.com. She has also occupied much of her time with her position as the Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator through Midwest Dairy. Janet is like the mother hen (Oops, wrong animal industry!) for all of the Dairy Princess finalists at the State Fair. She also works hand in hand with the Dairy Princess all year long. That’s not the only feat Janet has accomplished... Speaking of feet, on day 1 of the State Fair Janet broke her foot! Luckily, Sara came to the rescue to help oversee the Dairy Princesses the first few days at the fair. In other news, it has felt like Janet has been on the TV show “This Old House” this past year as she has been fully engrossed in preparing Grandma and Grandpa Brown’s houses for sale. We popped the champagne in 2017 as the childhood house she grew up in was successfully sold!

TLC from Farmer John.

John, the don, considers 2017 a success. When I asked him what he wanted in the letter about him, he shrugged and smiled. John is a man of few words, so I consider that a success! John was delighted by some dandy purchases on the farm this year: a new drag, a sprayer, a silage bagger, AND a round baler! These pieces of machinery make life on the farm smoother, and a heck of a lot more fun! There has also been some primping to our parlor recently, as we updated the milking parlor’s ceiling, and lights. Now we can see better while we milk cows, and more effectively put on tours (like the tour we did last summer to a group of over 100 German students!). Serving as Trustee on the St. John’s Church Council, and being the Chairman of the Nininger Planning Commission keeps dad more than busy!

Sara hosts "Aprons Optional."

As most people were counting down the 12 days of Christmas, Sara has been counting her 12 YEARS of teaching at the Hastings Middle School! Nouns, verbs, adjectives… Sara teaches it all (and is a pro at Mad Libs because of it!). Always pushing the envelope, Sara is now in charge of the Fuel Up To Play 60 club after school. This program educates students on the importance of fueling up with dairy, and getting 60 minutes of physical activity each and every day. It’s never a problem for Sara getting 60 minutes of go-time a day, as she milks cows every evening. She also has been walking countless miles this winter setting up her enormous Christmas light display! Sara’s light display was so good this year, she was able to convince Santa and Mrs. Claus to come out for a fundraiser that collected food for Hastings Family Service and monetary donations for The Great American Milk Drive. We were thrilled to have over 400 people attend our Santa on the Farm event this year! If Sara’s plate wasn’t full enough, she has also literally had her plate full with her cooking TV show, “Aprons Optional.” Check out all her delicious episodes by searching for it on YouTube and Facebook!

Michael is a national winner!

And then there’s me, “Take a Hike, Mike!” also known as Michael. My TV show has had a gangbuster year! My show was nominated again this year for a NATOA award in the humor category. This pitted me against other TV stations across the country. I was able to impress the judges enough to bring home the bacon as I came in FIRST place in the country! I got to spend a week in Seattle for a video conference and the awards ceremony. You can search for my show on Facebook and YouTube! Along with my TV show, I have been engrossed with many other things at Hastings Community TV. I have been directing weekly live sporting events, and filming countless other shows. I also get to play teacher as I am the Technical Advisor for the Broadcast Journalism Class (The Ekko) at  the Hastings High School. Though I love my full time job at HCTV, I refuse to miss out on the fun at home on the farm. Milking cows, cleaning the cowyard with the Bobcat, and working in the field are all part of my repertoire. The sky was the limit for me this year as I jumped out of a plane 13,000 feet in the air and underwent a 60 second freefall! That’s right, I was nutty enough to go skydiving!

Cheering the Minnesota Vikings on to victory. 

Other Bremer bulletin board worthy mentions include going to cheer on the Vikings at US Bank stadium as a family, and living out our rockstar dreams at the Guns N’ Roses concert! We also have been playing Extreme Makeover Home Edition as we have remodeled our kitchen, and downstairs bathroom. We’re excited for you to try them out! While you’re here, stay for a bonfire at our new fire pit while you observe the fact that we recently removed several of our massive trees!

Like every year, 2017 has had its ups and downs. But to quote the 90’s one hit wonder band, Chumbawumba in their song Tubthumping: “I get knocked down, I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down!” From our family to yours, Merry Christmas! ...Oops! I already forgot Christmas is over! Happy New Year!

-Michael & the Bremer Family

2016, Gone But Not Forgotten

2016 Top Ten Most Viewed Blog Posts

My Barnyard View

If you haven't read them, click on the post title and you'll be there.

10. P Is For Planting I planted corn for the first time in our nearly 33 years of marriage. Here is how planting is done, from a rookies point of view.

9. G Is For Greek Yogurt What's the difference between Greek yogurt and traditional yogurt? Also find out why I almost named this blog, "G is for Good Gosh, Why Do We Farm?"

8. T Is For Teeth and Trivia Do cows bite? I get this question a lot. I also share other cow trivia in this blog post.

7. F Is For Farmer John There is a familiar saying, "If you love your job, you will never work a day in your life." I believe this is Farmer John's motto.

6. X, Y, Z, All Done After blogging every day during June Dairy Month, and as June Dairy Month draws to a close, I hope you have come to realize how passionate my family and I are about the farming lifestyle we live. I also included the top ten reasons I love dairy.

5. L Is For Local Did you know that milk travels from my farm to a grocery store within 48 hours? Also, I share how you can find out where the milk you buy comes from.

4. D Is For Dairy3ForMe A letter to Fair Oaks Elementary where I shared my story of life on a dairy farm to 437 students and their teachers. What is Dairy3ForMe and what did the students pledge to do?

3. I Is For Ice Cream (With Topping and History) I share a bit of family history about Farmer John's grandparents who farmed, and also Grandma Schaar's Butter Pecan Sauce recipe. Yummy!

2. Miss America, The Farm Girl I was invited to attend a gathering to meet Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell as she visited a local dairy farm. She's a farm girl too who shared her passion of "Healthy Children, Strong America."

1. Saying Goodbye To Mom I still cry each time I read this post. This was a tough year, as my Mom passed away just one week before I spent the next 14 days at the Minnesota State Fair fulfilling my duties as the State Dairy Princess Coordinator. Through the love and care from all of you, I  moved forward just as Mom would have wanted, as she also shared my dairy passion as a fellow farmer. It makes my heart smile to know that so many of you read my tribute to her, therefore putting this post as the most read of 2016. I am thankful to each of you!

Thank you for continuing to follow me and my family on our journey as we go through life as passionate and proud dairy farmers. 

PS- Have you checked out my other social media sites?

X, Y, Z, all done

  After an eXtra busy June Dairy Month, Yes, I'm Zapped!

Janet

But if there's at least one thing you have learned from my June Dairy Month posts; I feel I have accomplished my goal. As you have followed my A to Z journey, I hope you have come to realize how passionate my family and I are about the farming lifestyle that we live. 

Farmer John

We take much pride in everything we do at Bremer Farms, and we thank God for the opportunities He has given us.

 

Sara

I LOVE DAIRY FARMING BECAUSE...

• it allows me to continue my family tradition as a proud sixth generation dairy farmer.
• my husband, Farmer John never complains about going to work.
• we have raised our children on our dairy farm, and never heard, "I'm bored!"
• we spend many hours working side-by-side with family, and there's nothing better than spending time with family.
• it reinforces that hard work truly does pay off.
• living and working on our dairy farm teaches us to care for and appreciate God's creation.
• it gives me the opportunity to answer questions and meet new people as I share our dairy farming story.
• we help feed the world safe, nutritious dairy foods.
• my family and I are "leaving this world a little better than when we found it" through our sustainability efforts on our dairy farm.
• we are the first step to making milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream! Yum...dairy deliciousness!

Michael

 Thank you for visiting during June Dairy Month. I hope you'll come back often, and perhaps invite a friend or two to join us. I am truly grateful for each of you!

 Shoot me a comment or email if you have a topic idea or a question to answer. 

F Is For Farmer John

If you have read the "About Janet" tab on the top of this page you already know- 

I grew up on a chicken and dairy farm with my parents and brother and sister. As a teen I remember saying, "I'll never marry a farmer. Farmers work long hours, and rarely get a day off." Well, as the saying goes, never say never. Farmer John and I were married 32 years ago. I think it was his dedication and commitment to farming that brought us together. He reminds me of my dad. My mom and I often tease that I "married someone just like my father." That makes me smile.

 Farmer John is one of those people who always knew he wanted to be a farmer. He never wanted to be anything but a farmer. Growing up, he spent more time in the barn with the animals than anywhere else. It's where he wanted to be.

 When High School graduation came, he was excited to become a full time farmer. His dream was finally coming true.

 There is a familiar saying, “If you love your job, you will never work a day of your life.” I believe this is Farmer John’s motto. He loves what he does each day, and although he is one of the hardest working men I know, I can bet he will never call his job work. It’s this attitude and optimism that makes Farmer John so content to do what we do, each and every day.

I recently asked him what he wanted to do if he couldn't farm. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do." Yep. That's why I love him!

Don't forget to enter to win The Dairy Good Cookbook.

ENTER HERE

Happy June Dairy Month.

See you tomorrow!

You Can't Keep A Good Man Down

Dairy farms are all about routine. Each day we follow a strict schedule for feeding, milking and caring for our cows. Keeping our girls on schedule helps to insure that we are keeping them healthy and content to provide quality milk.

Everyone in our family has specific chores that we do each day. That way we know everything is getting done and we can stay on that important schedule. So what happens when someone in the family isn't able to do their chores? Like Farmer John, for instance. Last time I shared with you that John was having a hospital staycation, you know, a vacation where they make you stay. 

Fortunately Sara, Michael, and I have supportive and understanding bosses at our jobs off the farm. They understand that even with our "head farmer" laid up, the farm work still needs to get done, so each of us took a few days off work to complete the farm duties. Farmer John and I are so blessed to have kids that always step up when needed. Thanks Sara and Michael!

John is home from his five day hospital stay, feeling great and happy to be back to what he loves doing. Routine may be boring to some folks, but to us it's assurance that we are getting the job done, and doing it well.

Farmer John heads off to start the daily routine.

According to Sara, there is only one downside to having John back home...the first night back to milking John had to personally greet each cow, "How you doing Penny? Hey Weezy. How's it going?" Another one hundred twenty-eight cows later... those greetings tend to slow down milking a bit. But that's o.k. It's a small price to pay for having John back home.

"Welcome back, John!"

Visit Dairy Makes Sense for recipes and more about dairy farming.