Clarabelle

 There are so many fascinating things to learn about cows and the milk they produce. Did you know-

• A cow has to give birth to a calf before she can give milk
• Cows produce nearly 30 gallons of saliva each day
• Milk is never touched by human hands
• All milk is tested repeatedly to make sure it is clean and pure.

There is lots more I could tell you, but let's see what Clarabelle can tell us. 

No matter what farm you visit, or read about, or learn about, you can bet that no matter what size the farm is, dairy farmers are doing their best to keep their cows safe and healthy.

P.S. The book bundle giveaway is over, but there will be another giveaway soon. Keep checking in here or My Barnyard View on Facebook.

A Farmers Dozen

Today's book holds special memories because it was given to my son, Farmer Mike when he was born. Cousins Judy and Brian knew the perfect book to gift to Michael. I wish I would have kept track of the number of times Michael requested this book as his bedtime story.

Listen as I read A Farmer's Dozen, then we're off on a field trip with Farmer Sara.

Just like the farm in our story that grew and grew, Bremer Farms animals grow bigger too. Our baby calves go from here...

to here...

to here..

and finally join the milking herd! This whole process takes about two years.

See you tomorrow.

How To Speak Moo!

Yipee! It's June Dairy Month! It's a time to celebrate dairy foods, and dairy farmers, and cows, of course! 

One of my favorite foods made from milk is Greek yogurt. I have it every morning as part of my breakfast. But it's not just for breakfast. Here's a yummy salad made with Greek yogurt.

Fruity Salad

11 ounces mandarin oranges, drained

20 ounces pineapple chunks, drained

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Mix, cover, refrigerate. Serves 4-5.

Thanks to 5 Ingredient Family Favorites for the recipe.

See you tomorrow!

#30DaysOfDairy

Two Cool Cows

Do you think cows are cool? I sure do! Millie and Maude, two cool cows in today's story borrow the barn boots of the children from Huckabuck Farm. Why do they need boots, and where are they going?

Don't forget to head over to MyBarnyard View on Facebook, make a comment and you will be entered to win a free book.

Good luck!

See you tomorrow!

Out And About On The Dairy Farm

Have you ever visited a dairy farm? Well then, come along as we take a class trip. What questions would you ask the farmer?

After the story time, we will head to my farm!

Today's book is Out and About on the Dairy Farm by Andy Murphy.

Today is the last day to enter to win a book!

All you need to do to enter is answer the question at the end of today's story. Place your answer in the comments below or in the comments at My Barnyard View on Facebook. There will be a new question each day this week, so you can enter every day. A random winner will be selected Friday evening. Good luck!

What Baby Wants

Today the animals come together to help figure out What Baby Wants.

You can learn more about today's book by going to https://phyllisiroot.com/

Exciting news!

You could win a book!

All you need to do to enter is answer the question at the end of today's story. Place your answer in the comments below or in the comments at My Barnyard View on Facebook. There will be a new question each day this week, so you can enter every day. A random winner will be selected Friday evening. Good luck!

Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type

Cows that can type? Sure why not? How else is Farmer Brown going to know what his cows want? 

Today's book is Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin.

Here's the link to write your own book- https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRWiTyBJGEGFIOQw1YTU7mqzh2fGPX8LfEKBExQ774SchrDy5qFtO1SEVPKE5ZhSTuIXIALJnya1a_D/pub?fbclid=IwAR0dhmm_pNTjhJcTR5ABLA4LPx0FlsCbQJPzdKkbVOEwFtwf860TKzBAgSY

You can learn more about today's book by going to https://doreencronin.com/books/click-... To learn more about Bremer Farms check out the links below: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mybarnyardview/ Blog https://mybarnyardview.blogspot.com/ Instagram @mybarnyardview

Cows Can't Fly

Maybe cows can't fly, but they can do other amazing things. After I read the book, Sara will take you on a tour of our calf barn!

Today's book is Cows Can't Fly by David Milgrim. 

You can learn more about today's book by going to https://davidmilgrim.com/books-1 To learn more about Bremer Farms check out the links below: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mybarnyardview/ Blog https://mybarnyardview.blogspot.com/ Instagram @mybarnyardview

I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo

Today's book is I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo by Jill Esbaum. Have you ever been on an adventure? Perhaps taken a walk in the woods? Nadine says she is not afraid of anything. Let's see if that is true.

You can learn more about today's book by going to https://www.jillesbaum.com/ To learn more about Bremer Farms check out the links below: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mybarnyardview/ Blog https://mybarnyardview.blogspot.com/ Instagram @mybarnyardview

I is for Identification

I know that I told you that no two cows have exactly the same spot pattern, but they are still hard to tell apart sometimes. Also record keeping is very important on a dairy farm. So here's what we do to keep track of everyone on Bremer Farms.

 All of our calves get earrings! Our bull (boy) calves wear yellow ear tags.  Each tag bears a number, date of birth and mom's name. 

I took this picture before we even recorded all the information, but are you wondering why this tag is blue? Each heifer (girl) calf gets a blue tag...this year. Each year we use a different color ear tag for the girls so we can quickly identify their age by a quick glance at their tag.

At about two years old, our ladies begin to milk. They then add ankle bracelets to their jewelry collection. The leg bands are fastened on each of their back legs so they are easy to see when they are standing to be milked.

So why is assigning numbers to each animal so important?

All kinds of important information is recorded about each animal on our farm. Besides birthday, we also record mom and dad's names, the date each animal is bred, if they get sick, and  if they are treated with antibiotics. We also note if they have any difficulty when having a calf. We keep lots of notes because just like the charts your doctor keeps about you; history is important information.

Have you entered for a chance to win my Dairy Prize Package?

Go to E is for Enter to find out how easy it is to perhaps be the winner. Good luck!

D is for Different

Just like no two cows having the same pattern of spots, no two cows have the same personality. Sara spends most evenings being the one to walk through our herd and check on things before heading in for the night.  I turned the keyboard over to her to say a few words about some of our ladies.

Lottie

If Lottie were a person, she would be the middle aged woman that goes to yoga 4-5 times a week.  She has been on our farm for eleven years but is in tip top shape.  Like most women who do a lot of yoga, she is also super zen.  Then again I'm generalizing because I don't know anyone that consistently goes to yoga, but I digress.  She is always chewing her cud and slowly sauntering from barn to barn just enjoying each and every moment of her day.  She always gets a special greeting from my dad when she comes in for milking, "Here's Lottie, calmest cow in the herd.  Always chewin' her cud, always happy."

Nellie

Nellie...oh boy...I think in a former life she was a house pet.  She follows me around like a puppy wherever I go.  Most nights she won't do anything if she doesn't get some one-on-one time where I can rub under her chin and behind her ears.  I might think she's had enough, but Nellie decides when she has truly had enough.  If you haven't looked at the My Barnyard View Facebook page, then you are missing out on some great videos and photos of Nellie being Nellie.

Georgia

She is one of the most reliable cows you'll ever meet.  She stands in the same places at the same times everyday.  Mike is responsible for her name after a random remark he made while brushing her when she was younger. His comment, "Girl, your fur is as dark as that Midnight Train to Georgia."  All you Gladys Knight fans out there will get that reference.  She's also discovered that she is my height.  She loves to stand by me during milking because she has realized she can scratch that hard-to-reach spot on her back, on my shoulder.  She also likes hugs where she rests her head on my shoulder and I wrap my arms around her neck in a hug.  It's like I get to tuck her in for bed each night after milking.

Hildegard or Hildie

Yep, Hildegard, you read that right.  Grandma Karen confessed one night that Hildegard was a name she always liked for a little baby girl.  It was finally used for one of Grandma's favorite calves five years ago.  Hildie is a super shy cow.  She is really friendly, but she does like her alone time and likes things quiet.  She isn't one to rush to the food line or shove to get to the water first.  She just hangs back and waits because she knows there will always be enough.  We also know when almost all the cows have been milked because each night she comes in when there are 18-22 cows left to be milked.  We don't know how she does it, but we appreciate the progress update.  We realized she did this about a year ago and tracked it for a few weeks and man is she reliable.

There are over 100 ladies I could sit and tell you stories about, and each of those stories would be totally different from the last.  That's what makes working with cows so special.  Each cow has their own story to tell and you just have to be willing to listen.      ~Sara

I've Been Doing Some Updating

I began "My Barnyard View" on May 12, 2012. Thanks to you my readers, I have continued, thanks to your support and encouragement, and your continued desire to know what happens on Bremer Farms. Take a look around and you'll see some new additions to the HOME page. I added information tabs about our family-

our cows-

our land-

and our products.

Happy reading!

June Dairy Month Trifecta at the Library

Lucky me. Today I hit the trifecta.

This morning I read to 93 kids and parents at Pleasant Hill Library in Hastings, Minnesota.

What's the trifecta? Reading, teaching, and cows; it's a win-win-win!

Happy June Dairy Month!

Today I began by reading The Cows Are in the Corn by James Young. This story tells how a family works together to take care of making sure all the farm animals are where they should be. I then shared about my family- what we do on our farm, and also about our jobs off the farm.

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?  written by Dr. Seuss gives me the opportunity to share what kind of animals we have on our dairy farm (it's cows and cats). I showed what cows and calves eat. We also talked about where our cows live. The kids enjoyed counting by 10's so they could discover we have 130 cows that we milk twice each day.

The Flea's Sneeze by Karla Firehammer is a perfect introduction to how we work to keep our animals healthy and comfortable. Healthy and happy cows give lots of milk. I showed the steps we go through to keep them healthy so our cows milk can get to their grocery store in just 48 hours!

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson is the perfect book to read so I can talk about delicious milk and all the other great dairy foods! These smart kids could tell me lots of yummy foods they like that are made from milk.

Of course everyone (moms and dads too) left the library with a goodie bag and a cow hat. Thanks to the Dakota County Library for inviting me to talk about my cows during June Dairy Month. See you all next June for another trifecta!

T Is For Teeth and Trivia

Do cows bite?

I get this question often.
Have you ever seen a cow smile?

If so, it did not look like this.

Google image

Cows have 32 teeth, just like us, but cows do not have upper front teeth. Instead cows have a tough dental pad. They could "gum" you, but they can't bite you.

Why no front teeth?

Since cows are plant eaters, rather than meat eaters, they have no need for front incisors. Cows use their bottom teeth and their tongue to rip the grass or hay. They toss it in their mouths and swallow it whole, almost without chewing. When she has her fill, the cow then regurgitates it and chews it again using the top and bottom molars in the back of its mouth before swallowing it again. Once it is thoroughly chewed it is swallowed again and digested. Cows can spend about 8 hours a day eating, and another 8 hours per day chewing their cud. 

So what other interesting facts can I share today?

• Cows can smell odors up to 6 miles away.
• Cows can lick and pick their nose with their tongues.
• Cows drink about a bathtub full of water each day.
• Cow's spots are like snowflakes. No two cows are alike.

And did you know-

Google image

See you tomorrow as our June Dairy Month A to Z journey continues.

R Is For Reading

I love to read and I also have many, many great memories of spending time at our local library with Sara and Michael when they were younger, so when the library invites me to do a cow story time each June for Dairy Month, my reply is always, "What day and time? I'll be there!"

Whenever I give a presentation, the kids always ask what kind of animals we have on our farm. So I began by reading, The Flea's Sneeze.

The farm in this book has many kinds of animals. I shared that our farm has only cows and cats. And since the Flea in this book shares his cold with the other animals, I then talked about what we do to keep our animals healthy, including visits from the veterinarian, and using medicine when, and only when, necessary.

Have you read the book Click, Clack, Moo, Cows That Type? My next book, Giggle, Giggle, Quack is written by the same author.

Farmer Brown goes on vacation, and the animals have a little fun with their caretaker. The cows even order pizza for dinner! This segues into sharing what our cows eat...and it's not pizza. I also explain how we grow all the food our cows eat. 

Lastly, I read, Cow's Can't Fly. Our cow's can't fly, but they can do something else pretty amazing...

Our cows give lots of delicious milk! I then talked about the milking process that my family does two times a day, every day, including holidays. The kiddos then got to share all the foods they could think of that begin with milk! 

Before handing out the dairy goodie bags, and cow backpacks (thanks to the Dakota County Library for the backpacks), I asked the kids and their parents and grandparents that brought them, to pledge to have three servings of dairy each day. Have you pledged yet? If yes- we dairy farmers say thanks! If not, here's your chance. Go to Midwest Dairy #Dairy3forMe.

K Is For Kisses

I'm taking you on a journey from A to Z throughout June Dairy Month.

So come on in...the barn doors are open!

  K Is For Kisses

 

 There is no sweeter sign of affection than a kiss.

 

Hugs are nice too, but a bit difficult for our cows and calves to share. 

We love our animals, and besides "hugs and kisses", we show our love by how we care for them. The best animal care possible is at the top of our list!

Even celebrities get kisses. When Toby Gerhart, NFL football player and former Minnesota Viking player, visited our farm, he left with a few slobbery kisses!

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win The Dairy Good Cookbook. Time is running out, so don't delay, click here.

 

Also, you may want to read my previous years posts for June Dairy Month...

K Is For Kitten 

and

K Is For Kids 

 

 

E Is For Explanation

I'm taking you on a journey from A to Z throughout June Dairy Month.

So come on in...the barn doors are open!

  E Is For Explanation

"Hey Farmer John! You can stay a little longer. Just skip milking tonight." 

This is one of the biggest misconceptions of dairy farming. We cannot, and will not, skip a milking session.

"We need you Farmer John."

Cows are creatures of habit. Cows love being on a schedule. Actually, cows need a schedule. If we deviate from their milking routine, it can harm their health and milk production. A cows milk supply is dependent on demand. If a farmer doesn't milk the cows, less milk is produced. 

 At each milking we try to remove all the milk from the udder. Without being milked, she will get extremely uncomfortable, full, and even down right crabby. She is also at risk to develop infections, which could possibly end milk production in one or more teats. If cows aren't milked, cows quit producing milk all together, or in farmer terms, "dry up."

 "Come on. It's milking time."

We milk our cows twice daily at 6 AM and 6 PM. Even a few minutes late, and we are greeted with lots of moos, and the girls waiting eagerly at the gate to enter the milking parlor. 

  You may also want to read my previous years posts for June Dairy Month...
E Is For Environment 
and
E Is For Every 

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!