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!

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

Last year at this time, I was preparing for a trip to Kansas City, Missouri. I was invited to attend a dairy moms workshop, exploring the possibilities of social media. I was anxious, nervous and excited to attend. I knew nothing about social media, other than my Facebook account, (which my kids helped me set-up). Would I be able to keep up with the discussion and the terminology? Well, I am proof that you can teach an "old dog" new tricks! Even though I left Kansas City with my head spinning with all of the new information I had gained, I knew a blog was a project I wanted to tackle!

Some of the 2012 Workshop Attendees

This blog was born in May of 2012. My plan was to give my readers an inside look at my family's love of dairy foods and dairy farming. Most people are two or more generations removed from farming, and because of this, many folks don't know what we do "down on the farm."  Soon after beginning My Barnyard View, I began a Pinterest account, and quickly followed with a Twitter account. Last February I never thought I would be this involved in social media, but over the past year I have seen the benefits of sharing my dairy story. I have been approached by folks of all ages that are eager to get answers to their farm related questions. I have discovered that people truly want to know the story of how that delicious dairy food got to their table. I am happy to share my story, even if it means this "old dog" had to learn some new tricks!

This week I will be heading back to Kansas City. Another dairy moms workshop will be held, and I have been invited back as a mentor. I am hoping I can instill confidence in other dairy moms to take the journey and share their stories of life "down on the farm."

Visit me at my other social media locations:

Pinterest - mybarnyardview  (dairy recipes and other things I enjoy)
Twitter - @mybarnyardview  (my thoughts while I'm on the run)


Workshop sponsored by Midwest Dairy, which represents more than 9,500 dairy farm families to nearly 38 million consumers across 10 Midwestern states. Midwest Dairy works on behalf of dairy farmers to increase dairy sales, foster innovation and inspire consumer confidence in dairy products and practices.

Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis...

One week from today I will be attending the Show Me The Blog Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Show Me the Blog is the brainchild of Danyelle Little. The conference was created for social media
enthusiasts in St. Louis to network, share information, and exchange resources. Show Me the Blog
promises to be a unique experience for those interested in new media, social media, blogging, and
technology. Last years event brought bloggers from several states and due to last years success, the conference has been increased to two days.


I will be attending, on behalf of Midwest Dairy, to share my blogging story during a presentation called "From Farm to Table."  Becky Bode, from Bode Dairy, and I will be sharing about our blogs and our passion for promoting dairy and farming. Stephanie Cundith, Midwest Dairy registered dietitian, will also be participating in the presentation by preparing Mozzarella Pepper Salsa and speaking about the nutritional benefits of dairy foods. Of course there will be Salsa samples and time for questions and answers.

As you follow my blog, I'm sure you have found out that I love to teach and I love to spread the word about the dairy industry that we are so proud to be a part of. Midwest Dairy is giving me a great opportunity to continue doing this by attending this conference. I look forward to sharing my news, moos and reviews with the conference goers. You can follow me on Twitter @MyBarnyardView #SMBSTL to see what goes on.

Hannah Holstein, pack your bags. We're heading to St. Louis!