Santa On Bremer Farms

Kate, our littlest visitor to see Santa at Bremer Farms.

The weather was not very cooperative so we had to reschedule, but Santa on the Farm was a huge success!

This year, for the first time, we played host to Santa and Mrs. Claus at our farm. We invited folks to visit with this popular couple, 

view our Christmas decorations, 

and bring along a donation for our local food shelf, or a cash donation for The Great American Milk Drive. We got LOTS of donations including nearly $300 for the milk drive. 

So what is The Great American Milk Drive?

Milk is one of the most-requested, yet least-donated items.

On average, clients receive the equivalent of less than 1 gallon per person per year. That’s because while Americans are generous with canned and dry goods, many don’t think to donate milk because it’s perishable. Your small donation will deliver a gallon of milk to a family in need in your local community.

 Even though Santa and Mrs. Claus have returned home to the North Pole, you can easily donate online. Click here- The Great American Milk Drive.

We were thrilled by the response to our first "Santa on the Farm" and Santa and his lovely bride, Mrs. Claus have agreed to visit again next December, so it's official, "Santa on the Farm" will be an annual event at Bremer Farms!

Here's a peek of what you missed-

Visiting Square Deal Dairy

One of a farmers favorite vacation destinations is other farms. I know, it sounds rather silly to see how others work while taking a break from your own, but that's what we farmers do. Yesterday I met up with Haley Hinrichs, Princess Kay of the Milky Way, to take a "mini" vacation. We traveled 20 minutes from  Bremer Farms to tour Square Deal Dairy, this years recipient of the Minnesota Producer of the Year Award.

Chicky was our gracious tour guide, showing Haley and I where the calves were born. We next saw where they lived in individual hutches until they grew bigger and were moved to larger pens. 

We then visited the free stall barn where the milk cows live. These barns provide fresh air, room to move freely about, and a fresh supply of water and feed at all times. These free stall barns provide soft, clean bedding made from recycled manure. Yes, you read that right! Sustainability is important on a dairy farm, so the moisture is removed from the cow manure in order to make bedding which will later be used as fertilizer on their crops. Pretty smart! 

The Otte's have a well orchestrated plan of moving their animals to appropriate facilities as the cattle's size and needs change. But every step of the way they are clean, comfortable and well cared for. 

Princess Kay 2016 Haley Hinrichs with Chicky and Blake Otte and sons.

Our last stop was the milking parlor (barn). The Otte family milks 450 cows, three times a day with the help of 12 employees. I loved how quiet and content the cows were while being milked.

Something else I loved about our "vacation" was the obvious care and concern the Otte's showed for their sons desires to farm. Many years before the boys were old enough to make career choices, Blake and Chicky made it clear to their sons that they would all be expected to get an education as well as work two years away from their family farm. "It's a big commitment to become a farmer, and we wanted to make sure they didn't regret their decision by not exploring other options," said Chicky. Obviously this was a great recommendation, as all three of their sons have returned to farm, each taking on a specific role. 

Thanks for the tour Chicky and family, and congratulations to Square Deal Dairy for being named Minnesota Producer of the Year!

I have included a video, complements of Midwest Dairy, featuring the Otte family and Square Deal Dairy. (It's almost as good as being there...on a "mini" vacation!

Santa On The Farm

Bremer Farms is trying something new this Christmas. 

Daughter Sara loves decorating our farm for holidays. Colorful, blinking lights on our house, synced to music,  inflatables bouncing in the breeze, cut-outs of familiar characters...you name it, we have it!

Sara decorates our farm for most holidays, but none surpass the extravaganza she creates for Christmas. We have 50-plus inflatables inhabiting our farm. Santa, snowman, forest creatures, even dinosaurs, but she hasn't found a cow (yet) to add to her collection. I know she's still looking though!

Each summer Sara spends hours, and hours creating new cut-outs. This year she created Rudolph and all his friends from her all-time favorite Christmas story. And if you look closely you will see another new addition this year- gingerbread houses. Yes, five new gingerbread houses adorn the yard near our barn. They look good enough to nibble!

Of course our Christmas display would not be complete without the nativity, complete with the star shining above. "We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." Matthew 2:2

So this year we are trying something new. We are inviting everyone to come visit our farm and enjoy our Christmas decorations. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be here and we are collecting food shelf donations, and cash donations for The Great American Milk Drive.

Please stop by if you are in our neighborhood.

Merry Christmas!

IOU An Explanation

"Why did you stop writing your blog?" And, "I used to get notified when you write a new blog post and I don't anymore. Why not?" These are some of the comments I have been receiving lately. I feel I owe you an explanation. If you are reading this, you now know that I haven't given up my blog writing. If you are a repeat reader to My Barnyard View, you know that I haven't written since Saying Goodbye to Mom. A lot has happened since then.

 Dad's passing away three years ago left a huge hole in our family. I miss him every day. I think of him often when I'm working on the farm. Many of the chores I do, I first learned from him teaching me on the farm I grew up on.  The farm where Mom lived- until she also passed away.

Now that Mom is gone, there are two huge holes in our family, and every thing is changing. My brother, sister, and I have met at the family farm many, many days since Mom's passing- sorting, discussing future plans, and reminiscing. The place where all my childhood memories were made is quiet, lonely, different.

Attorney meetings, insurance meetings, trips to the bank...lots of things to take care of. I'm thankful for Farmer John, Sara, and Michael who work non-stop to keep everything running smoothly at home while I tend to Mom's affairs. I'm thankful for Gary and Dolores (my siblings) who support me, and each other, through all the transitions. Thank you God, for my amazing family!

As I continue to move forward toward my "new normal" it is important for me to remember to work-in the things that I enjoy, and one of those things is to get back to blogging. Yes, there's still a lot of Mom and Dad business to tend to, but with family support, it will get done.

So readers, look out! It's catch-up time. I'll be blogging about chaperoning some terrific young woman who spent every day telling their dairy stories at the Minnesota State Fair. I'll be sharing about the recent day spent with the advisors from the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. How's harvest coming along? I'll tell you about that too!

Thanks to all of you for sticking with me while I was "taking care of life." If you have a suggestion for a blog topic or question, please leave a comment below.

See you soon!

Princess Kay Hopefuls Meet to Learn

I'm going on a road trip! 

May 13-15 is the Dairy Princess Promotion and Leadership Event in St. Cloud, MN. It is a weekend devoted to skill-building to share the message of dairy farmers commitment to providing safe, high-quality milk and dairy foods, including taking good care of our cows and the land. 

Kyla Mauk, 62nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way

But how are these young women chosen to attend this workshop?

Each of them are from a dairy farm family, or they, or their parents or guardian are employed by a dairy farm. They are selected as their county's dairy ambassadors, and then move on to the May Event in St. Cloud. This is also where the 12 finalists are selected for the Minnesota dairy community's goodwill ambassador, Princess Kay of the Milky Way.  

2015 Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists

  Candidates are judged on a written application, a short speech, a professional interview, and a mock media interview. Live updates of the finalist announcements will be posted to Princess Kay’s Facebook page during the luncheon held on Sunday, May 15th. On Twitter, updates can be obtained by following the hashtag #MNPrincessKay.

2015 Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists

After a busy summer of June Dairy Month promotions, appearances, and County Fairs, the 12 finalists come together again in August for more judging. Princess Kay is then crowned the night before the Minnesota State Fair opens and serves as the dairy community's goodwill ambassador for a year, helping people understand the dedication of dairy farmers to wholesome and nutritious food, and the way milk is produced. Dairy farmers sponsor the dairy princess program through Midwest Dairy Association.

Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Kyla Mauk

 I am so proud to be a part of this program. As a dairy farmer, the mom of a past finalist, and now the Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator, I have seen, first hand, the amazing young woman who represent the hard-working, proud dairy farmers of Minnesota!

 

Merry Christmas Blessings

At this beautiful time of the year, 

I am reminded of the wonderful family and friends that surround us. 

Whether I have met you in person, or just through the words on these pages,  

I am blessed to be able to call you friend.

Thanks for following my barnyard journey.

Thank you to God for making all this possible.

Thanks to God for the gift of His Son.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

Another Facelift

It's time for a bit of Throwback Thursday.

These pictures, taken about 1979, show three of the four original buildings on Bremer Farms when my in-laws were married in 1958.

On the left is the machine shed which was the only storage shed on the farm. The cute little hip-roofed building is the milk room. This is where the cans of milk were kept cold until the milk truck came for pick-up.  Lastly, on the right is the barn which was originally used to milk the cows. 

I recently told you about the facelift our barn received.

Now it's time for another facelift.

 After years and years of scraping and painting, scraping and painting...   

 The machine shed doesn't look like this anymore. 

 Presenting the "new" shed!

 Our "new" shed hasn't served as the machine shed for a long time. Machinery has gotten much too big to fit in this little shed. It's now used for maintenance supplies, feed storage, and we even let Sara and Michael claim some space! 

P.S.- Here is what this shed looked like the last time we scraped before painting... Why am I showing you this?

The peeling paint of this shed is what you see as my blog background. I like looking at it surrounding my blog posts, but on the shed...not so much. 

                            

Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Haylage Time!

It's that time again! Time for us to begin chopping hay that we will feed to our dairy cows. I shared this post with you last summer, and after a few minor updates, I thought the haylage process was worth sharing again. 

 

Haylage is green, freshly cut alfalfa that is cut a few days earlier, then chopped to be served to our cows later.  This is a good alternative to baling hay which requires that the alfalfa be drier. This video shows the chopping process.

Once the haylage leaves the field it is stored in a concrete bunker until it is fed to our cows. The haylage is  tightly packed, using a tractor, or, in this video, a payloader. This reduces the air from causing the haylage to rot. The end of this video shows unloading the wagon that just came from the field. After it is unloaded, the payloader adds the haylage to the pile which is being packed.

  Usually we use a blower to unload the wagons, and our tractor to pack the haylage tightly in the bunker. This video was shot when we had our neighbors help, and equipment, so unloading was done slightly different.

 

The final step is to cover the fresh haylage with a plastic sheet, weighed down with discarded tires. This is again to keep the haylage from rotting. We only serve healthy food for our cows!

  

Coming Soon...Princess Kay Of The Milky Way!

This is a fun, exciting and nail-biting weekend for dozens of young ladies from Minnesota. May 15-17 is the Dairy Princess Promotion Workshop in St. Cloud, MN. It is a weekend devoted to skill-building to share the message of dairy farmers commitment to providing safe, high-quality milk and dairy foods, including taking good care of our cows and the land. 

But how are these young women chosen to attend this workshop? 

Jeni Haler, 2014-2015 Princess Kay of the Milky Way 

Each of them are from a dairy farm family, or they, or their parents or guardian are employed by a dairy farm. They are selected as their county's dairy ambassadors, and then move on to the May Event in St. Cloud. This is also where the 12 finalists are selected  for the Minnesota dairy industry's goodwill ambassador, Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Candidates are judged on a written application, a short speech, a professional interview, and a mock media interview. Live updates of the finalist announcements will be posted to Princess Kay’s Facebook page during the luncheon held on Sunday, May 17th. On Twitter, updates can be obtained by following the hashtag #MNPrincessKay.

After a busy summer of June Dairy Month promotions, parades, and County Fairs, the 12 finalists come together again in August for more judging. Princess Kay is then crowned the night before the Minnesota State Fair opens and serves as the dairy industry’s goodwill ambassador for a year, helping people understand the dedication of dairy farmers to wholesome and nutritious food, and the way milk is produced. Dairy farmers sponsor the dairy princess program through Midwest Dairy Association.

Jeni Haler, 2014-2015 Princess Kay of the Milky Way 

All 12 of the Princess Kay finalists have their likeness carved in butter during the Minnesota State Fair and make public appearances during the Fair’s 12-day run.

Princess Kay, Jeni Haler and her butterhead

Exhausting? You bet! Worth it? Absolutely!

We at Bremer Farms are proud to support this program and anxiously look forward to the announcement of the finalists, and the crowning of our 62nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way. 

 

 

 

 

Best And Wisest Mom

 My Mom is the strongest, most giving woman I know. She is a farmers daughter, a farmers wife and a farm mom too. 

 The past year and a half have not been easy for her, but with God's guidance she has continued to be strong. She has come face-to-face with a stroke, infections, a mild heart attack, bypass surgery, the loss of  her right leg, colon cancer, and the loss of my dad, her farmer husband. 

Through all this, our mother-daughter roles have become somewhat reversed. It is now time for her to do the receiving, and not all the giving. But no matter what our family does for mom, we can never repay her for what she gave all of us. Thank you God, for my strong, giving Mom.

Best and Wisest Mom

By Joanna Fuchs

  Mom, I wish I had words to tell
How much you mean to me.
I am the person I am today,
Because you let me be.

 Your unconditional love
Made me happy, strong, secure.
Your teaching and example
Made me confident, mature.

  In all the world, there is no mother
Better than my own.
You're the best and wisest person, Mom
I have ever known.

Happy Mother's Day!

May Country Fair Blog Party

It's time for the May addition of the

Each month I am invited to share some of my favorite past posts. The theme for May is "Celebrations."

I shared

 Mother's Day Thoughts

Not Your Typical Mother's Day 

and

Waiting But Not Resting 

Now I know you're thinking, "OK, I understand why Jan posted the Mother's Day stories since the theme is Celebrations, but why the post about waiting to plant"? Believe me if you are a farmer, Spring and beginning to plant our crops is definitely a celebration!

Farmer John, one of the many hard working farmers 

during the busy planting season.

Thanks also to the hosts of this months Blog Party.

Please pay them a visit to see what other bloggers have shared.

 Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom

Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
This Unchartered Rhoade
TIP Garden
Belong with Wildflowers
Country Linked 
Dirt Road Charm

Google image search

The Zit On Our Farm

Do you remember as a teen when you got a blemish on your face? You know what I mean... a pimple... a zit. And didn't it feel like it encompassed your entire face, and everyone was staring at it? 

Meet the "zit" on our farm - our barn.

Don't misunderstand - I love our "zit". I mean, aren't these old hip roofed barns part of scenic rural living? Plus we are all about preserving the history of our farm, and this is one of the few original buildings we have left.

But how can we repair this blemish on the face of our farm?

After years of repeatedly scraping and painting, it was time for a real facelift. After much research we finally found the right guys to do the job.

The building supplies were delivered and the heavy equipment rolled into Bremer Farms in October. The project was taking shape, but then winter began and cold, snow, and ice halted the progress. Oh, pooh!

Our blemish started to fade again in March when the crew returned and within a few weeks our project was complete!

We are thrilled with how our "new" old barn looks!

The cows like it too. Our "zit" is gone!

Waiting But Not Resting

A half inch of rain was just enough to keep Farmer John from Spring planting yesterday and again today. We are not complaining about this delay however, since the moisture is necessary as our area of Minnesota is still in a moderate drought.

When the weather is right it will be business as usual and John, and nearly every farmer, will be back in the tractor seat. Chances are John will be back at planting tomorrow right after church.

Our barley, peas, and oats have already been planted and now we move on to the corn. Last Spring I shared with you about how Farmer John was Waiting To Get His Hands Dirty. You can read about Johns anticipation and the dollars and cents that go into planting our corn crop each year. 

So what happens when we can't plant today?

There are still calves to feed,

 

 and cows to feed,

 

and pens to clean...

 

 and cows to milk,

so that we can continue to provide you with milk for tomorrow mornings cereal.

Fun Farm Fact:

It takes less than 48 hours for milk to get from the farm to your grocery store.

Isn't that amazing?

Earth Day Is Every Day On The Farm

Happy Earth Day!

  

My family and I live by the motto, “Leave this world a little better than you found it”. We became farmers because of our love for our land and animals. What better way to show this love than to respect our natural resources? 

We pride ourselves on making the best decisions we can to preserve our land to keep it beautiful, productive and sustainable. 

I invite you to read an article I wrote for The Food Journal and Food, Nutrition & Science to learn more about what we do on Bremer Farms to make everyday Earth Day.  

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?