The Commercial I Still Love

Super Bowl Sunday is Tomorrow!

 Even if my Minnesota Vikings are not playing in the Big Game, I will be watching. I will be watching because I like football. I will be watching because I like Justin Timberlake. I will be watching because Minnesota is this year's host. I will be watching because I like the commercials.

I have posted this commercial each year since 2013 when this commercial was first broadcast during the Super Bowl. It brings tears to my eyes each time I view it. It makes me cry knowing I am a sixth generation farmer, and I think back to the hardships my ancestors have endured as farmers. 

But this year it makes me especially sad knowing so many of my fellow farmers have had to leave farming because the struggles of farming are too great. Low prices for our goods have caused many farmers to leave the career they love. Many farm families have taken jobs off the farm to supplement their income, hoping to hang on to their farms. Some farmers are discouraging their sons and daughters from farming, knowing that it is a tough way to support a family.

I am not writing this to complain. I don't want sympathy. I am writing this to make you aware of the situation farmers are facing. It is real. It is serious. It affects all of us. Yes, you too, the consumer.

Thank you are purchasing milk. Thanks for stocking your refrigerator with yogurt and cheese. Thanks for buying that ice cream you love. Thanks for your support of the farming community.

So God made a farmer. Thank God he made us resilient.

We Need Your Help

We, and farmers like us, need your help. 

 

A new coalition called A Greater Minnesota (AGM) has been created to inform Minnesotans about the issues surrounding farming and food production and the economic impacts to the state.

What's AGM's purpose?

  Policies and regulations that support agriculture are paramount to protecting and growing Minnesota’s status as a major player in the farm and food production industry. To help ensure its sustainability, a new coalition called A Greater Minnesota (AGM) has been created to inform Minnesotans about the issues surrounding farming and food production and the economic impacts to the state.  This new coalition is launching a campaign to raise awareness – specifically among legislative candidates who can adopt and maintain policies that support a thriving food and agricultural sector. A key component of the campaign is to inform the public about key issues and ask Minnesota voters to encourage legislative candidates to take the 5-Point MN Farm and Food Pledge. The pledge encourages support for all good MN farms (big or small, traditional or organic), environmental stewardship, caring for farm animals, sensible food labeling and food safety. The Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, the Chicken And Egg Association of Minnesota, the Minnesota Milk Producers Association and various other Minnesota farm and food entities support the AGM coalition. 

 But I'm not a farmer. Why should I care? 

  Minnesota farmers and food producers play an essential role in the state’s economy and are largely responsible for the quality food consumed on a daily basis. The market value of food and farm products sold in Minnesota each year is about $21.3 billion, according to the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture. Additionally, jobs provided by the food and farm industry employ hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans.

 

“If you live in Minnesota, the agriculture industry benefits you. It puts good food on your table, supports hundreds of thousands of good jobs in both greater Minnesota and the metro, and is a huge contributor to our state economy,” said Perry Aasness, executive director of Minnesota Agri-Growth Council.  “We need legislators to put good farms, food and jobs first, and we need Minnesota residents to help us hold them accountable to keep our extensive and diverse food and agriculture sector strong.”

So it does affect me. What can I do about it?

AGM encourages Minnesota residents to visit Farm and Food MN to learn more about agriculture and how they have a vested interest in its vitality. The website is also home to a platform that helps people easily discover candidates for office in their district and offers them a simple on-line tool to urge candidates to support the critical farms and food agenda.

Despite its importance, farming advocates are on the decline. The disconnect between farmers/food producers and everyday folks continues to grow. A recent poll found that only 42 percent of people in Minnesota personally know someone who operates or works on a farm. Those numbers are even lower in urban areas and among the young.

Concerns regarding the safety and methods of how our food is produced have increased dramatically in recent years, but the care, safety and protected environment of our farm animals has never been better. Crops, today, are producing higher yields, nourishing more people, all while using less water, fuel and other chemicals. 

 Please visit Farm and Food MN to learn more about agriculture in Minnesota. I also ask that you consider contacting your local candidates to express your concern for agriculture in Minnesota. It's as easy as a click of a button at Farm and Food MN.

But I'm not from Minnesota...

I still encourage you to check out Farm and Food MN. You will learn a lot about agriculture, view videos, and witness the passion we farmers have for our important industry that affects us all.

This And That Thursday - 19

A little bit of this and a little bit of that- here's what we've been up to.

Each Spring we are visited by Canadian geese heading north on their way back home. Every year I am amazed at their size, and the volume level of their squawks as they spend a few days on our farm.

I think they enjoy the snacks that Farmer John spreads in the field. These "goose snacks" are actually a mixture of manure and straw bedding from cleaning the cow and calf barns each day. Our high-flying visitors also find tidbits of corn and corn stalks too. As quickly as they arrive, they leave for the next leg of their journey. See you next year!

Also this past week we began our "auditions" for farm workers. My post In The Blink Of an Eye  will give you an understanding of our search. Our "3 shift trials" are going very well, as we have hired three outstanding, young people who are all eager to learn about dairy farming.  

No, this picture of Bessie the cow promoting June Dairy Month is not a mistake. I know it is still April, but June will be here before I know it. I am looking for some help from you in preparation for June Dairy Month. Each June I write an A to Z Dairy blog-a-day celebrating dairy farming and dairy foods. Here's where you come in...I'm looking for suggestions for each letter of the alphabet. What would you like to know? So leave me a comment, click on the contact me tab, tweet me or use Google+. Just a warning...I've already done D Is For Doo-Doo and Z Is For Zebra. Thanks for your help!

The Farmer Takes A Wife

As a child, I often played "The Farmer In the Dell." We all stood in a circle, sang the song, and anxiously waited to see who would be chosen as the wife, child, dog, cat, and on and on. This past weekend I witnessed the real-life "Farmer In The Dell" as Aaren (the farmer) chose Dena (my niece) as his wife. But although fun and games were included, this was serious business, as the farm boy from southern Minnesota married the city (o.k.- the town) girl.

Photo by Sheree

I'm thrilled that this farmer took this wife! At the reception Aaren shared a humorous story about when he knew Dena would make his perfect mate. It seems Aaren was fixing a barn door, dropped a screw in the manure, and without hesitation, Dena, the town girl, swooped down to pick it up. Ah, yes, true love will make you do almost anything, even things we may not have even considered before. But isn't that what marriage is all about- diving in, without hesitation, to make someone else happy, while making yourself just as happy? 

 

A farmer and his pick-up are rarely parted.

My advice to Dena, from one farm wife to another- 

• Be patient. Remember when you want "date night", he has no control over when animals give birth.
• Be understanding, even when he is late to meals. I'm guessing a piece of machinery broke down.
• Be forgiving. Weather that is not conducive to farming can lead to a husband that says things he may not otherwise say, to you or aforementioned machinery.
• Be gentle, when you nudge him awake after he dozes off on the sofa from a long, hard day of doing what he loves...farming, which provides both of you with the best life you can live. Welcome to farm life!

Special thanks to Larry, Dena's new father-in-law, who was seen promoting my blog by handing out my business cards at the wedding reception. 

 He's another proud farmer!

J Is For Jump

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! 

 J Is For Jump

Jump out of bed before dawn to begin chores. 

Jump off the tractor when you see the cows escaping from the pen that magically came open.

Jump up from noon lunch to help the vet that came to treat the sick cow.

Jump off the tractor late at night after planting or harvesting.

Jump out of bed during the night to check on the cow that is calving.

Source- MN Farmers (Pinterest)

 Long days, and late nights;

farming is a 24 hour, 7 day a week adventure!

We are happy to do it, 

to be able to bring you the best, freshest, dairy products.

 

Learn more about dairy at Dairy Makes Sense

 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...K is for Kids.

Farmer John Says Yipee!

As of April 21st, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that only four percent of the corn crop was planted. This compares to 26% planted at this time last year and a five-year average of 16%. On April 21st, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin all had virtually no corn planted. Based on this statistic, it is no wonder that Farmer John is saying Yipee. Thanks to the temperature increase and the snow no longer falling, today is the beginning of spring field work! 

Farmer John and Grandpa Roy are working up the soil using a chisel plow.
Chisel plowing in the spring breaks up the soil, incorporates crop residue from last years crop, aerates the land and kills early sprouting weeds.The field they are working on today is 40 acres and will be planted with oats and alfalfa (hay) to feed to our cattle. It will take about 4 hours to plant this 40 acres after the chisel plowing is done.

So even though our fieldwork has gotten off to a late start, we are all excited for the beginning of a new growing season. Yipee!

When Life Throws You Curveballs

This is Target Field, home of our 

Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball team.

 

This is the inside of the stadium. 

 Now imagine everything covered in white, fluffy snow, with baseball fans donning winter coats, boots, hats and mittens anxiously waiting to watch the Minnesota Twins challenge the New York Mets tonight at 7:10 PM.

I'm guessing cold and snow was not what fans were envisioning two years ago when our Twins went from the indoor Metrodome to the outdoor stadium. 

Yep, sometimes life throws you curve balls.

Weather is one of the biggest curve balls in a farmers life. Our latest snow the last two days made everything beautiful, yet frustrating. Last year we were spoiled with an early Spring, and many farmers were in the fields preparing the soil by early March. Typically, we begin Spring field work in mid-April. This year it will be several weeks before we can even think about heading to the fields to begin planting. The snow needs to melt, the ground needs to thaw and dry, and the temperatures need to rise. It's all in God's hands. So as we continue to wait, we dream of God's perfect pitch so we can begin the excitement of Spring planting.

So while we wait...Go Twins!

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.

A Day In the Life

" Hi, it's Flat Aggie again. Today I want to share with you a few more things that are done every day on the farm I am visiting."

"Every morning and every evening, every day, the cows are milked. Cow milking 101 will tell you all about how it is done. Dad John and son Michael milk in the morning and John and Jan milk at night. If you remember the other day I told you that Jan, Sara, and Michael work off the farm too. With this milking schedule, everyone is able to do the farm chores, as well as their job off the farm!"

Ready for the milking to begin

I got to help put on the milking machines!

"After morning milking, it is time to do the feeding. Grandpa Roy uses a big machine called a feed mill that mixes corn and oats and other nutrients together. Besides this feed, the animals eat hay and drink lots of water. Did you know a cow drinks about a bathtub full of water each day?"

Grandpa lifted me up to see the feed through the little window.

Dad John is feeding some of the heifers (that's what cows are called when they aren't old enough to milk.) 

"After the feeding is finished, it's time to clean up. Grandma Karen cleans the milking barn and John or Michael clean the animal pens. The manure (cow poop, in kid language) is removed everyday to keep every animal as clean and healthy as possible. The manure is loaded into a wagon (pulled by a tractor) called a manure spreader that spreads the manure on the fields. This helps the fields get back the important things called nutrients that help the crops grow. John said the crops will be planted again in the Spring and I can come back and learn about that too!"

Mike and I used a skid steer loader to put the manure into the manure spreader.

"Today I say good bye to Minnesota, but I am not heading back to California just yet. Jan has made arrangements for me to visit Susan and her family farm in Arkansas. Although I am sad to leave Minnesota and my new friends here, I am excited for my Arkansas adventure. And to Miss Sarah and her students- Jan sent you a package full of surprises for each of you, and there is something tiny and purple in the package too!"

A Lot Of Babies

"Hi again. It's me, Flat Aggie from California. Remember me? You first met me when Jan and John took me to the Midwest Dairy Expo. It's time for me to share another adventure with Miss Sarah's first grade class, and you too. It's colder in Minnesota, than California, so Jan made me a coat and hat to keep me warm while I helped FEED CALVES!"

This is the calf "hotel." Each calf gets it's own room!

"Daughter Sara and Grandma Karen take care of the calves on the family farm. Each calf lives in it's own pen, in a solar building. The word "solar" means the sun provides the heat and the light for the building. The calves are fed every morning and every evening. Each calf has 2 buckets on the front of their pen, one for milk and one for feed. The calves like to drink warm milk. When they are finished, they get lots of fresh water to drink too. The youngest calves get special feed made from corn, oats and molasses. It smells really good! The older calves get feed without molasses, but they must really like it, because they moo a lot until they get fed!"

 I helped Sara feed calves, after she got home from teaching school.

"Sara and Grandma also keep the building clean. They sweep the floor everyday, and give the calves clean straw to lay on. This keeps them clean and comfortable so they stay healthy. And just like people, if a calf does get sick, they get medicine. That's one of Grandma's jobs. The farm also has visits from the veterinarian (animal doctor) to make sure the animals stay healthy. In the last 14 days, 15 calves have been born! That's a lot of babies!"

Grandma Karen and I with a 1-day-old calf.

A Tiny Purple Jersey

"Hi, Flat Aggie here in Minnesota. If you read the previous post you know that I am visiting from California. I'm staying with Jan and her family, learning all about their family dairy farm so that when I return to California, I can share what I learned with Miss Sarah and her class of first graders. Please read on to see what I've learned so far."

"The family has a 120 cow dairy farm, just 20 minutes from St. Paul, Minnesota's capital city. The farm is right across the road from a golf course too! Jan farms with her husband John, daughter Sara, son Michael, and John's parents Roy and Karen. Jan, Sara, and Michael also have jobs away from the farm, so everyone has specific farm chores at different times of the day, but I'll talk more about that next time."

"Since today is Sunday their schedule is a little different. After morning milking and feeding, and attending church, it was family time. As you can see in this picture the family loves their Vikings football. Jan even made me a tiny Vikings football jersey! The family invited some of their family to watch the game too. We had lots to eat while cheering on the Vikings. I really liked the hot ham and cheese sandwiches, and the cheese curds, and the ice cream cake! Jan reminded me that we have the cows to thank for the milk they give us so we can have these yummy dairy foods."

"After the game, we all went to do our chores. I got to help feed calves and milk the cows. I'll send pictures soon. The family said they have to take care of the cows and calves everyday, even Sundays and holidays! The family works everyday, and they still love what they do!"

You're Never Too Old To Learn

 
Earlier this week John and I attended the Midwest Dairy Expo in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The expo is a great atmosphere for farmers to learn of the latest in their industry. Each of the three days there were exhibits to explore; to drool over the newest dairy equipment, to sit in a shiny, new combine, or to discuss finance and marketing strategies with the experts. 

There were also many seminar topics to choose from; managing employees, feeding strategies, cow management, and telling the dairy story through social media. Social media? Like blogging and Facebook and Twitter? That's right!  I was a panelist for the social media session on how we as farmers can share our farming story. I was joined by Seena, another Minnesota dairy mom, and Sami from Midwest Dairy who served as the moderator. We shared what we have done to tell our story; to educate and inform with a little entertainment along the way. Hopefully we inspired our audience to someday share their experiences of "life on the farm."

Seena, Sami and I after our Social Media presentation

And we can't go to a farm event without visiting with other farm folks who took some time away from the farm to make farming even better!

Ashley and Nikki are on Facebook (2farmgirlz)

Frostbite Fever

Who would think you could get frostbite in October in St. Louis, Missouri? I am living proof it can happen, and what a good thing it did! While attending the Show Me the Blog conference in St Louis, I was introduced to Frostbite Gourmet Ice Cream.  This delicious dairy delight is the creation of John Clopton, who prepares each batch of frozen goodness in an old-fashioned wooden ice cream churn, complete with rock salt and ice, just like he did as a child on his back porch.

Frostbite is made from mostly local ingredients, many of which come from the local farmers market. Rather than sugar, the sweetness comes from honey. Each batch is made from lactose-free milk and contains no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. As a dairy farmer, it makes me almost "giddy" to know that Mr. Clopton values the freshness of the ingredients he uses and supports his local farmers. I also appreciate the freshness of Frostbite as it is made within 24 hours of when it is served. Our conference was treated to some of Frostbites signature flavors- naked chocolate, whole bean coffee, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon (Frostbites most popular flavor.) "Were there any flop flavors when you were creating?" I asked. "Tomato!" was the reply. Hmm, I wasn't really surprised. 

I say thank you Frostbite, for supporting local farmers and for the delicious dairy delight you're scooping up!

HyVee Grocery RD, Alex Economy enjoys a sample from John Clopton

Feeding the Future

The Conservation Conversation

One of our jobs as farmers is to encourage consumers to find out where their food comes from. "I get food from the grocery store. It's always there." Do you feel this way? The worlds population will triple between 1970 and 2050, yet the amount of farmland will remain about the same during this time. Can farmers sustain the needs of the consumer? I encourage you to watch this short video to see what farmers think.

In 1940, 1 farmer fed 19 people.

In 1970, 1 farmer fed 73 people.

In 2010, 1 farmer fed 155 people.

We as farmers need to think smart, work smart, and plan ahead. I am proud to say that we care for our land, and are concerned for the future. Feeding the future is in good hands.

Take a Hike, Mike!

Do you remember the weather during the month of June? Here at Bremer Farms we had eight days of over 90 degree heat and we had 20 days with rainfall. June was a somewhat crazy  month where the weather was concerned, but that is not where crazy ends. Bremer Farms spent the month of June preparing for celebrity status as we filmed "Take a Hike, Mike!" for our local cable TV station. Filming with the heat and the raindrops proved challenging, but fun.

Our son, Michael is in the third season of his show, "Take a Hike, Mike!" where he visits a local business, learns about it, and lends a helping hand. His goal is to educate the community on little-known businesses. So what better way to promote agriculture and dairy farming than to have Michael lend a helping hand at Bremer Farms. But don't let his lack of knowledge fool you. Actually, Michael farms every day besides working full time at Hastings Community TV, so he did a little "pretending" when John was teaching him about farming for this episode. And don't let the jokes fool you either. We take farming and caring for our land and animals very seriously, but who says we can't have a good laugh along the way?

Click here to view the video  Take a Hike, Mike! Bremer Farms Video 

I hope you enjoyed your visit to Bremer Farms! Autograph? Sure, I'd be happy to sign one for you!

Find Michael on facebook by searching "take a hike mike" to see some of his other adventures. 

Minnesota's Newest Farm Hand

Hannah Holstein at the Minnesota State Fair

Day 3

Today Hannah Holstein became a "Little Farm Hand", probably the littlest Farm Hand! Our first destination at the Minnesota State Fair was the "Little Farm Hands" exhibit sponsored by Kemps. This interactive display walks "Little Farm Hands" and their families through the farming process beginning with purchasing the seed. Come along as Hannah experiences education and entertainment rolled into one exciting journey through the eyes of a farmer.

After buying seeds, Hannah drove her pedal tractor to plant them.

Hannah waited her turn to milk the cow.

After milking the cow, collecting eggs, picking apples and harvesting the garden, it was time for a rest with Farmer Charlie Brown. The last stop was the grocery store where we could spend some of our farm income. 

This entire experience is so much fun for the Little Farm Hands and all along the route there are kid friendly farm facts that even the moms and dads can learn from.

The best part of this exhibit is how much the families are learning about farming. The amount of knowledge farmers need and their dedication to their land and animals is very clear throughout the display. Thank you Kemps for giving the city folks a little taste of the country life!

Hannah wanted her picture taken with the Kemps State Fair cow.