This And That Thursday - 4

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

Recently I attended the Minneapolis Public Schools Farm To School BBQ. You can read about it at my post  Farm 2 School. That night I met Kyle Larkin, who races at Elko Speedway. During our visit he told me his race car and racing attire is decked out in cow spots! "Send me a photo," I said. I'm all about sharing my love of dairy, and it appears that Kyle is too!

Sara has been busy preparing the front yard for our trick-or-treaters. When shopping, it seems she can't pass by the Halloween decorations without bringing a few home with her. My favorite is the big jack-o-lantern that sings. Trust me, it looks a lot spookier at night.

Good news! Our silage project is finished. Learn about silage here. Our bunker is completely full, and ready to feed our "girls" so they can continue to produce good-for-you milk. We are now back to baling hay, and combining corn will begin soon. Never a dull moment here!

Have you voted yet? Our Show Your Pride photo needs you. We are hoping to win the grand prize, a visit to our farm by a National Football League player. Please click on Show Your Pride and vote for our Minnesota Vikings photo. Just look for the purple pride. You can't miss it.

Learn more at Dairy Makes Sense

Farm 2 School And A Vote Too

 

October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate the connections that are happening all over the country between schools and local food!

Carolyn Hudson, RD, Midwest Dairy supervises the cow milking.

Minneapolis (Minnesota) Public Schools recently hosted a Farm to School Community BBQ to raise awareness about recent efforts to improve the amount of healthy, locally grown foods in school meals. Nearly 1,000 students, parents, teachers, and community members gathered together to enjoy farm fresh food, learn about farm animals and crops, and hear about the exciting Farm to School activities coming up this school year. I was invited by Midwest Dairy to attend the BBQ to speak to folks about life on a dairy farm, and the importance of dairy foods. I was joined by Bessie the cow, who was happy to let everyone try their hand at milking her.

Numerous studies have found healthy eating behaviors contribute to better academic performance. As a dairy farmer, I know the importance of enjoying 3 servings of dairy each day to receive 9 essential nutrients. And milk is not just for school students either. Moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas too-you never outgrow the need for dairy in your diet!

Thanks to Minneapolis Public Schools for letting me (and Bessie) 

share our Farm To School story. 

 

Also, my family would appreciate your vote in the Show Your Pride contest where we show our enthusiasm for the Minnesota Vikings and

 Fuel Up To Play 60. The winner receives a farm visit from an NFL player! 

Please vote. (Hint-hint...you can vote everyday).

This And That Thursday- 2

Photo from Google image search.

This week we are making corn silage. Corn silage is made by chopping the entire corn plant into small pieces using a machine called a forage harvester, which is pulled by a tractor. A wagon with tall sides is pulled behind the forage harvester to catch the chopped corn. The wagons are then taken to the bunker (see The Life Cycle Of a Silo) where they are unloaded and the silage is packed tightly using a tractor. Silage must be firmly packed to minimize the oxygen content, or it will spoil. After packing, the pile is covered with plastic sheeting to help it ferment and also for protection from the weather. We will chop about 40 acres of corn to make the silage needed to feed our dairy cows.

We had visitors this week. Cooper brought his daddy Paul to see the farm. It was Cooper's first visit to a farm. I don't know if he was more excited about seeing a farm, or wearing his big-boy boots for the first time.

Tonight I attended the Minneapolis Public Schools Farm to School Community BBQ. I was invited by Midwest Dairy to share my story about life on a dairy farm. I'll share more about the BBQ next week. Here's a little teaser...