B Is For Bremer Farms

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

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

  B Is For Bremer Farms

Yesterday I shared a bit about the area we live in. Today it's all about our farm. 

Bremer Farms began in 1952 and looked like this.

This is our farm today. It is the same view as the photo from1952, but a few things have changed. There are actually 13 barns and sheds hiding behind all those trees, and one house has been replaced by two!

Bremer Farms is home to Farmer John and I, our two children, Sara and Michael, and living right next door are John's parents, Roy and Karen. About 97% of all U.S. dairy farms are family owned and operated so our farm is the norm rather than the exception!

I hope you will come along as I give you a short tour of our farm. 

You may also want to read my previous years posts for June Dairy Month...
B Is For Blog 
and
B Is For Butter 

See You tomorrow!

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?"

In The Blink Of An Eye

We are a family owned farm, with three generations of family members working side-by-side each day. Because of the size of our farm, and the desire and abilities of each of us, we have not hired any farm help in the 31 years that Farmer John and I have been married...until now. In the blink of an eye, our "employee status" has changed.

My mother-in-law is our morning calf feeder and also keeps our barn sparkling. After a car accident in early February, she is recuperating from her broken bones, and for this we are grateful! My father-in-law usually helps with feed preparation and tractor driving, until early March when he suffered a serious heart attack followed by emergency heart surgery. Thanks to the grace of God, he is returning to good health at a transitional care unit.

With one third of our work force recuperating, and three of the remaining four family members having additional jobs away from the farm, we were all feeling the emotions and exhaustion of the situation. After much discussion, we decided to start the employee search. Our first decision was to determine what hours needed to be covered and what the responsibilities would be. Since we have not hired help for over three decades, it was not easy to give up a bit of control. It was decided to look for morning and evening help with calf feeding and milking assistance. 

I have an amazing network of fellow farmers, and it was time for second opinions. I sent out a request asking for suggestions on rate of pay, probation periods, code of conduct, and any other information that would make this transition go smoothly. My fellow farmers didn't let me down as I was flooded with help and suggestions. 

Our next step was to advertise. With the help of Facebook, a newspaper ad, and posting the position in our local high school career center as well as the farm implement dealership and grain elevator, we started receiving phone calls and emails inquiring about the positions. We are now in the process of having each "future farmer" work a three shift trial period to see if they enjoy the job and also that we feel it is a good fit for us. 

One of the forms that each employee must sign is a code of conduct; an outline of Bremer Farms general principles including accountability, leadership, openness, honesty and respect. Each principle includes details of what we expect of our employees. Another agreement that each is to sign is a commitment to uphold the highest standards of animal care through the See it? Stop it! initiative. This agreement pledges proper animal care and also reporting any signs of deliberate animal abuse or neglect, by other employees, to us, since our animals remain our top priority!

 

We have currently hired one high school age girl, who is working out wonderfully! Additional eager "future farmers" will be completing their first shift this weekend. Wish us luck...

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