2014 Gone But Not Forgotten

 

 Top Ten Most Viewed Posts For 2014

Haven't read them? Click on the titles!

10. Think Outside The (Pizza) Box Some facts and a few suggestions for National Pizza Pie Day.

9. Waiting To Get Our Hands Dirty How much does it cost, and what do we do to prepare for Spring planting season?

8. Why Do We Do What We Do? Why are we dairy farmers so passionate about what we do? Learn about how and where I met other folks that are just as passionate about dairy as I am. 

7. L Is For Lactose Intolerance This was part of my A to Z journey for June Dairy Month. An explanation of lactose intolerance, and some tips to help cope with it.

6. A Step Closer To Princess Kay Of The Milky Way Mid-May marks the beginning of the process to choose the new Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Minnesota's dairy ambassador. What do the 12 lucky finalists have in store for them?

5. This And That Thursday - 20 A video of Farmer John's birthday gift, Daughter Sara gets nominated for Teacher Of The Year, and it's almost time for bunnies and decorated eggs! 

4. In The Blink Of An Eye Why did we decide to hire farm help after more than 31 years of only family working on our farm? How did we find our new "future farmers" and what do we expect of them?

3. Don't Get Mad...Get Even? Chipotle was attempting to share their concern about questionable farming practices by releasing their online-only television series "Farmed and Dangerous." I felt I wanted and needed to tell my side of the story. 

2. Dooby, Dooby Moo And A Giveaway Too! I was invited to be a guest reader on Playful Pages, a local television show. Surprise! I chose to read a book about farm animals heading off to the County Fair. Watch the video here.
1. I Is For Ice Cream Another edition of my A to Z Journey during June Dairy Month, and it's all about ice cream. There's trivia and a delicious little ice cream recipe that doesn't even require an ice cream freezer.

  

Thanks for visiting My Barnyard this year. I hope I've helped you understand the crazy life of our dairy farm family, both on and off the farm. 

If you like what you've seen, please tell your friends about my blog 
and my other social media sites.  

"Hey, how come you don't have to wear one of these silly hats?"

TV Comes To Our Farm

 

I'm on television! I'm a star...a dairy star! 

Well, perhaps I am exaggerating a bit.

But I am On TV!

 

This week I was visited by Mary O'Brien, our local Community Education Director. I was the featured guest on her monthly television show "Unity Through Community." Mary is an avid follower of my blog, and her goal was to share a glimpse of dairy farming with her viewers. 

 

We talked about the cows, and milking, and caring for our calves. All this , and a farm tour too! We also spoke about my blog and how it all got started. Why do I spend my free time writing this blog? Take a look and you'll find out. 

Thank you Mary, for visiting Bremer Farms. And thanks for the kind words about my blog being an informative, honest, and open resource for consumers. I consider that a huge compliment! 

Stop by Dairy Makes Sense  for more dairy news and recipes too.

Gone, But Not Forgotten 2013

 2013 is gone, but it's not forgotten. Here are the

Top Ten Most Viewed Posts Of 2013

on My Barnyard View.

10. When It's Chilly, Think Chili- Guest blog by Alex Economy, friend and Registered Dietician. Alex shares the benefits of the ingredients in chili, and a 30 Minute Chili Recipe. Don't forget to top it off with dairy!

9. A Farm Style Vacation- Thanks to my cousins, Terri Dallas, Kristi Ruen, Staci Brown, and Heidi Anderson this guest blog post lets you in on a behind-the-scenes look at what we farmers do when we show cattle at the County and State Fairs. This is the first of a three-part series. Part 2 and Part 3 follow this post.

8. Hitched Without A Hitch - Since my niece Nikki grew up on a farm, it seemed only fitting to marry Robbie in a rural setting. What really touched my heart about this wedding was the family involvement. 

7.  Our New Princess Kay Of The Milky Way- Meet MarJenna McWilliam,
the official goodwill ambassador for the nearly 4,000 Minnesota dairy farmers, and the 60^th woman to hold the honor.

6. State Fair Milk, Verizon, And Tickets- Verizon Wireless Midwest let me share my State Fair love by inviting me to write a post sharing my affection for the Minnesota State Fair. And now about the milk... The Minnesota State Fair is home to the All-You-Can-Drink Milk Stand and I have included some fun fair facts.

5. It's Toby Day!- Bremer Farms received our prize for winning the Show Your Pride photo contest hosted by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League. Minnesota Viking Toby Gerhart visited our farm. read all about his visit.

4. Lactose Intolerance- Don't Give Up On Dairy-What is lactose intolerance? Why do I need dairy?  5 tips to help you cope with lactose intolerance that can keep dairy in your daily diet.

3. Who's Number 60?- Who is eligible to become Princess Kay of the Milky Way? How is she chosen? What does she do? When is she crowned?

2. My Very First Giveaway!-I am hosting my first giveaway, in partnership with Midwest Dairy.What did I give away, and who won?

1. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?-Do you remember the Show Your Pride contest we entered? In this post I announce which NFL Football player will be visiting our farm. What should we show him? What chore should he help with?

Thanks again for your support and comments on my second year of My Barnyard View. What else would you like to learn about? Share your farm or dairy questions by going to the "Contact Me" tab at the top of this page or the comments below.

Visit Dairy Makes Sense

B Is For Blog

I'm taking you on a journey from A to Z through the land of dairy! 

There's no need to pack your bags, just come along!

B is for Blog 

"My Barnyard View" is my biggest tool to communicate about what we do and why we do it here on our farm. Why do I blog? Twenty years ago, while hosting a school group tour of our farm, after explaining to the students what we do every day to care for our animals and our land, and describing a typical day on the farm that begins at 6:00AM and ends about 14 hours later, a 3rd grader asked me,"What is your husbands REAL job"? That really got me thinking about how important it is for us, as farmers to share our story. Not only do we need to share the farm to food story to school age children, but to adults as well. I began by speaking to organizations, classrooms, and serving on County and State Dairy boards to promote the product and lifestyle we love. When Midwest Dairy invited me to their social media workshop it seemed like a perfect next step. It was the gentle nudge I needed to enter the world of blogging.

My new T-shirt. I'll share our dairy story any way I can.

What is the goal of my blog? Perhaps it's because I am an elementary school educator, but my first priority of my blog is to teach. I want consumers to know the importance of eating 3 dairy foods each and every day. I also want my followers to learn how we care for our land and animals to produce the safest, most nutritious products available. I gladly share many photos of our farm in action.

My second goal is to inform. I bring attention to issues that affect farmers and can also affect you. The worlds population will triple between 1970 and 2050, yet the amount of farmland will stay about the same. Can farmers meet the needs of consumers? I feel one of our responsibilities as farmers is to encourage consumers to find out where their food comes from. I like to give my readers something to think about.

I also want to entertain. I want you to get to know me and my family. Family owned dairy farms represent 98% of the dairy industry. We are a lot like you, although a little quirkier perhaps, but who says life is all work and no play? 

I am proud to be a dairy farmer, and I'll weave in my dairy story wherever
and however I can. This blog gives me the opportunity to reach a greater audience to educate, inform and entertain about how I see the world, on and off the farm.

I am making a commitment to share as much as I can with you each day this month, about the life of our dairy farm family including what we do, how we share our passion for dairy, and dairy foods we enjoy.

 See you here tomorrow...C is for Cookies.

Move Over Oscar, Leibster's Here!

Ready for the Red Carpet

While others were waiting to see who would be nominated for an Oscar from the Academy of Motion Pictures, I was already celebrating my own victory. Thanks to Ryan Bright I have been nominated to receive the Leibster Award. The Leibster Award is a way to help bloggers interact and increase their networks, readership and just have fun. The point of the Leibster Award is to encourage fellow bloggers and to build a larger social community. It is awarded to bloggers, by bloggers, with a following of fewer than 200 people. With that said, I have to tell you 11 random facts you may not know about me, answer Ryan's 11 questions and create 11 questions for the 11 bloggers I intend to nominate. 

So here are the 11 Random Facts about me that hopefully will not come back to haunt me some day...
1. Most of my blog posts are created after  11:00PM when my family is fast asleep.
2. I finally tasted my first PB&J sandwich last year. They aren't too bad.
3. My biggest pet peeves are poor grammar and bad speelling spelling.
4. I have a fierce fear of heights. Skydiving? No thank you!
5. My guilty pleasure is the TV show "Glee."
6. I don't know how to swim, even though we have a pool in our backyard.
7. I love dill pickles, the more sour, the better!
8. I'm happiest when I am with family (most of the time).
9. I graduated from Iowa State University, with a degree in Interior Design.
10. I frequently get told that my sister and I look alike, but I then correct them by saying I am the younger, prettier one.

Now on to the 11 Questions from Ryan Bright... 
1. If you were stranded on a desert island with only a solar powered refrigerator and you could choose an endless supply of only one dairy product, which one would it be? Milk, without a doubt!
2. If you were a farm animal you would want the farmer to...? Rub me behind my ears, since animals can't reach that spot.
3. What's your favorite app on your smartphone/tablet? Twitter
4. After blowing your first two wishes on a bowl of hot wings and something cold to wash it down with, what would you ask the genie for your third and final wish? A napkin. I never eat without one, seriously, never.
5. Because you're such an informed and influential blogger your Senator just called and asked if there were any laws you thought should be either repealed or amended. What do you tell them? In Minnesota it is illegal to tease skunks. Do we really need a law for that?
6. After being hired as a consultant on a new online reality blogger show your first task is to come up with a name for it and you tell them what? "The Big Blog Theory"
7. Where do you come up with your best blog ideas? Around the kitchen table during family meals.
8. Your favorite fictional or historical character is going to guest post on your blog. Who are they and what are they going to write about? Noah, from the Bible and I'd like him to write about keeping animals happy and healthy in confined quarters.
9. What's your favorite hobby? Reading, suspense and mystery.
10. If you didn't have (fill in the blank) you'd be lost. God in my life
11. What is your most useless talent? I like to think all me talents are useful.

Here are my 11 Questions for my nominees... 
1. What three words describe your personality?
2. Besides your family and your blog, what are you most proud of?
3. What is your favorite outdoor activity?
4. Someday I want to visit_____________
5. What is the one thing you bought that you wish you hadn't?
6. What drives you to write your blog?
7. If you had to change your occupation, what would you choose?
8. Swiss or cheddar?
9. What television show would you like to be on, and why?
10. What was the best gift you ever received?
11. Do you have a favorite quote? What is it? 

And now, the moment you have been waiting for. Check them out.
I nominate...
Spotted Cow Review 
The House Ag Built 
Tales of a Kansas Farmer
Heim Dairy 
Life on a Real California Dairy Farm 
Darin's Ramblings 
Days of the Weeks 
My Cows and Pigs 
Dairy Moos 
Gardens, Combines and Memories 
City Chic on a Farm 

Congratulations!  

Also thanks to Ryan Bright for nominating me and my barnyard!

Gone, But Not Forgotten

2012 may be gone, but it's not forgotten. Here are the

Top Ten Most Viewed Posts 

on My Barnyard View.

10. Santa Lives in Our Neighborhood (8/9/12)- The story of a wonderful neighbor that makes regular deliveries in the summer, and a recipe for the gift he delivers.

9. Moma Mia, It's Pizza (10/2/12)- "94% of Americans eat pizza at least once each month." Who knew?

8. I Want My Mummy! (10/31/12)- Mummy and the kids in the kitchen.

7. Food For Thought (11/17/12)- Will you be the big cheese at this Dairy Trivia?

6. Real Deal (11/4/12)- "I demand good tastings, good quality dairy foods. Don't you?"

5. Frostbite Fever (10/23/12)- I made this discovery in St. Louis while at a blogging conference.

4. Farming 101-1 Cow Milking (5/28/12)- Every morning and every evening, that's how we do it!

3. What's In A Name? (5/12/12)- I am proud to announce the birth of my blog!

2. Our Pat on the Back (6/7/12)- "Farming can be a rewarding, as well as challenging occupation."

1. Competition For Norman Rockwell (11/15/12)- We shared a meal, stories, and laughs. See what I shared in this post that got the MOST views.

Thanks for your support and comments on my inaugural year of My Barnyard View. What else would you like to learn about? Share your farm or dairy questions in the comments. I would be happy to address them.

I am blessed to work with my family, doing what we love. I'm loving life, on and off the farm! Happy New Year. Cheers!

To learn more about dairy farming go to Midwest Dairy. Check out the delicious dairy recipes too!

One Thousand Thank You's

Blog writers, also known as bloggers, have access to statistics about their blog.  I began sharing My Barnyard View with you on May 12th, and on August 12th I had reached 1,000 views! That means my blog has been read one thousand times! 

Why do I write a blog? I enjoy writing and sharing my story. I was told many years ago by my high school English teacher, write what you know. That must have been one of the days I was paying attention in class because that tidbit of knowledge stayed with me. I know farming. I know we take good care of our animals. I know we take good care of our land. I know we are committed to providing you with safe, high quality milk and dairy products. I know I love life, both on and off the farm. 

If you have learned something about dairy or farming, tried one of my recipes, savored one of my adventures, or gotten a chuckle from My Barnyard View, I ask that you invite others to come along on the journey. Please share my blog address with them.

I thank all of you for joining me as I travel through News, Moos and Reviews. In celebration of one thousand page views, join me and my family in a milk toast, "Here's to another thousand views on My Barnyard View." I think I see a milk mustache!