C is for Crops

This is the craziest spring for planting crops. I bet you have seen pictures and heard stories from friends, or in the media, about how difficult it is for farmers to get their crops planted this year. Too much rain equals muddy fields which means waiting until they are dry enough to plant. If planted too early the seeds don't sprout properly and planting in wet ground can cause the seeds to rot. We finished planting our final crops on June 1st, about 2 weeks later than usual. We now have to hope that Fall doesn't come early so the corn has enough time to mature.

Our farm consists of nearly 300 acres.  Each year, before Spring planting begins, we determine how much of each crop to plant. The decision is based on what we need for our herd, the weather conditions, and how much, if any feed we have left from the previous season. Because we have so few acres, we feed everything we grow to our animals. 

Fall corn harvest

The bulk of our acreage, about 200 acres, is planted into corn. Some is planted and later picked to feed as corn mixed with other grains. The stalks are then baled to use as bedding. The remaining corn is chopped in the fall for silage to feed to the cows.

Silage

Nearly 30 acres of our cropland is planted into grains, primarily oats. 

Oats

The oat kernel is fed, while the plant stalk is baled for bedding, called straw.

Straw bales ready for bedding 

 Finally, about 50 acres of our cropland is alfalfa hay. We feed a lot of hay, since every animal on our farm is treated to hay each day. Hay must be cut and dried before it can be made into bales. If we baled wet hay, it would mold, and we only serve our animals top quality feed. Just like your lawn, alfalfa can be cut several times each season. Typically we can cut and bale hay from each field four times each summer. Hay can also be blown into a feed wagon, to be fed immediately to the cows.

Alfalfa hay cut, ready to bale

Two thirds of our cropland is irrigated land, allowing us to be assured of a good crop even if we do not receive adequate rainfall. Since we have to pay for the electricity to power our irrigation, we pray that Mother Nature will provide the rain we need!

One of 3 irrigators on Bremer Farms

U Is For Us

Bremer Farms is a family affair. Farming takes all of us working as a team to get the jobs done. While Farmer John and I are baling hay, Sara and Michael were feeding and milking the cows.

This is the tractor that I drive. I am pulling the baler which makes square bales.

This is my view while driving the tractor. The light colored stripes on the field is the hay (alfalfa) which has already been cut down into rows. The hay typically lays for a couple days to dry before being baled.

While I am driving the baler, John is picking up the bales using a New Holland Automatic Bale Wagon. Watch the video below to see how it works. I think it is amazing and it sure beats handling all those hay bales by hand like we used to do when John and I were kids!

After the bales are picked up from the hay field, John drives the bale wagon into the hay shed where the bales, with the flip of a lever, are automatically unloaded into a neat pile.

These square bales are fed to our calves and younger cattle. Square bales, which are 16" x 16" x 32" are more convenient and easier for us to bring to the barns where these animals live. We feed about 75 square bales per week. 
We also make large round bales.

Round bales are 4 feet by 4 feet, and are used to feed our cows. Because of their size, they are brought in from the field in a different way. Take a look.

We use about 20 round bales per week. They are stored in another hay barn until they are used.

We can typically  harvest our hay crop 3-4 times during its growing season. It takes about 30 days for alfalfa to grow to be ready for another cutting. It is a really satisfying feeling knowing that when we are finished we will have quality feed for our animals.

PS- Did you know 97% of farms are family owned?

Don't forget to pledge to have your 3 servings of dairy each day.

 

V Is For Versatile

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

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

  V Is For Versatile

"Versatile-able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities"
Today's post was supposed to be all about tractors; how we use them, and how they adapt to help with most of the chores and fieldwork we do here on Bremer Farms. That's where versatile comes in.

 Instead, I'm taking a twist and sharing with you how versatile farmers need to be. Here's what happened today...

Thanks to the cooperative weather, Grandpa Roy cut down a lot of alfalfa so that we could begin baling. Normally we would be well into the baling process, but since we have had rain nearly every other day, (not ideal conditions to dry the hay before baling) we have been chopping the hay. While Roy continued cutting, Farmer John began baling. Today he made round bales.

Did I mention daughter Sara has been gone attending a Google Camp in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?  It's a week long camp for teachers, and it's devoted to using new technology in the classroom. We are thrilled she had the opportunity to attend, but since she is one of our evening milkers, adjustments needed to be made. No biggie...we're versatile! Son Michael has been coming home early from his job at the TV station to fill in for Sara. 

After evening milking, our family usually sits down to dinner about 7:30, but not tonight. After milking John and Michael picked up the round bales from the field to bring to the hay shed. Take a peek-

Since they were busy in the hay field, after I returned home from attending a dairy meeting,  I hopped on the lawn mower and cut the grass. All the rain we have been blessed with makes our yard look green and lush, but it's growing like crazy!

So at 9:30 we finally sat down to a gourmet meal of hot dogs and salad.
When folks ask me what a typical day on the farm is like, I have a difficult time finding an answer. Every day is different. We're versatile... like our tractors!

 You may also want to read my previous years posts for June Dairy Month...

V Is For Veterinarian 

and

V Is For Video 

Q Is For Quiz

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

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

  Q Is For Quiz

Remember when you were in school and your teacher announced today we're having a pop quiz? Well good news, today's quiz is not going to be graded. Shown below are close-ups of photos from some of my previous blog posts. Let's see if you can identify what they are. 

1. From  Farming 101-1

2. From Corn's In Now What?
 

3. From Corn's In Now What?
 

4. From This And That Thursday - 3

5. From Earth Day Every Day

6. From Hey Hay Looky Here!

7. From Road Trip And A Date

8. From A Is For Antibiotic

You may also want to read my previous years posts for June Dairy Month...

Q Is or Question 

and

Q Is For Quarter 

 Answers

1. Milking machine

2. Grain Bin

3. Corn 

4. Bunker cover

5. Plate Cooler

6. Round Hay Bale

7. Hoses from Anhydrous applicator

8. Milk Truck

N Is For Nothing

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

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

  N Is For Nothing

 

Some days nothing goes as planned. Do you ever have those days? Be honest! Now I don't want you to get the wrong idea. Days like this are not all bad. They are just not always the way we had them planned out in our heads when we crawl out of bed in the morning. For instance...

 

We take the health of our animals very seriously so when our cow Weezy wasn't doing well, Farmer John called our veterinarian. He discovered that she had an obstruction, similar to when people have a bowel obstruction. Sadly Weezy passed away. Cows, like people have a personality. Some you like, others, not as much. Weezy was one of the good ones... always had to hog the cool air from the barn fans and needed her ears scratched at the end of each milking. We'll miss her.

 

Fieldwork took a lot longer than planned today. Farmer John and Grandpa Roy were chopping hay with hopes of finishing the field before the forecast rain begins to fall. After two trips to the implement dealer for needed parts, and some down time for repairs, the majority of the cut hay was chopped and safely tucked in the bunker. 

I'm writing this post at 9:00 PM, and Farmer John is still outside finishing the chores that are normally done before evening milking. His noon lunch, left uneaten, is still waiting for him, even though it is well past dinner time.

In farming, as in nearly all professions, not everyday is perfect, but we face these roadblocks head on. Some days nothing goes as planned, while other days everything falls into place. But don't we need these "nothing goes as planned" days to identify and appreciate the good days?

Have you entered to win The Dairy Good Cookbook I am giving away?

Click on the Facebook icon on the upper right corner of this page. Click on the giveaway tab when you get to my Facebook page. Bingo! It's that easy!

You may also want to read my previous years posts for June Dairy Month...

N Is For Newborn Calves 

and

N Is For Nine

 

Hay Two Ways

When the hay is ready and the weather is cooperating, it's all hands on deck to get the crop in. 

This is the tractor that I drive. I am pulling the baler which makes square bales.

This is my view while driving the tractor. The light colored stripes on the field is the hay (alfalfa) which has already been cut down into rows. The hay typically lays for a couple days to dry before being baled.

While I am driving the baler, John is picking up the bales using a New Holland Automatic Bale Wagon. Watch the video below to see how it works. I think it is amazing and it sure beats handling all those hay bales by hand like we used to do when John and I were kids!

After the bales are picked up from the hay field, John drives the bale wagon into the hay shed where the bales, with the flip of a lever, are automatically unloaded into a neat pile.

These square bales are fed to our calves and younger cattle. Square bales, which are 16" x 16" x 32" are more convenient and easier for us to bring to the barns where these animals live. We feed about 75 square bales per week. 
We also make large round bales.

Round bales are 4 feet by 4 feet, and are used to feed our cows. Because of their size, they are brought in from the field in a different way. Take a look.

We use about 20 round bales per week. They are stored in another hay barn until they are used.

We are in the process of completing our third crop of hay. We can typically  harvest our hay crop 3-4 times during its growing season. It takes about 30 days for alfalfa to grow to be ready for another cutting. It is a really satisfying feeling knowing that when we are finished we will have quality feed for our animals.

When we are not making hay, milking cows, or doing other farm chores, we are counting down to the Minnesota State Fair. 
Only 3 more days! See you there!

This And That Thursday- 1

A new baby is born! Yes, my blog is hatching a new feature. "This And That Thursday" will become a weekly feature where I will update you on what's happening on the farm, in our lives, with our dairy promotion, you know, life in general. This gives me an opportunity to share what we have been doing, but sometimes our tidbits don't require an entire blog post to fill you in. Thus, "This And That Thursday" is born!

Remember back in August when I launched My Very First Giveaway? I later announced Randy K. W. as the winner. Randy was nice enough to snap this photo at the Dairy Goodness Bar, at the Minnesota State Fair, where he presented his coupons for the 4 free malts he won. I bet he didn't mind receiving the 4 admission tickets to the Fair either. 

It is obvious how far the irrigation water reached at the corner of this field.

This week I was again contacted by WCCO Radio, our local CBS affiliate, about the effect the drought is having on farm crops, as we near harvest. I explained that we are in the moderate drought (some crop damage) area, but farmers just 50 miles north of us are seeing severe drought (crop loss likely) conditions. We at Bremer Farms are blessed to have mostly irrigated land, but Mother Nature's FREE water is even more of a blessing. I also shared how soybean farmers are affected by the drought since dry weather restricts the soybean pod from filling to the fullest. Our dry fall may also affect how much fall tillage (preparing the soil for spring planting) we are able to do.

We are baling our third crop hay. Farmer John has been baling round bales to feed our dairy cows and steers. You can read more about baling at Hey Hay, Looky Here!

And two baby girls joined the herd! Meet Annabelle. She stole my heart. Shhh...don't tell the others.

Learn more about dairy at Dairy Makes Sense

Dear Diary, Here and There

August, 2013

Dear Diary,

Most of my days at the Minnesota State Fair begin here at the 4-H building where I judge some great demonstrations.

One of my favorite resting spots is the many band shells with free entertainment. Normally it's standing room only, but not when we are enjoying a 107 degree heat index!

 

Thank goodness there is plenty of ice cold milk to keep us fair-goers refreshed on such hot days.

Fair-goers enjoyed the misting stations...

just as much as our hay fields appreciate the "misting" to produce a third crop of hay.

 

The fair will soon be over, but I always have the memories to remind me of what to look forward to next year. My tickets and malts MN State Fair giveaway winner, Randy K. W. is going to the fair today. I wonder what flavor of malt he will enjoy?

Learn about dairy at Dairy Makes Sense

Hey Hay, Looky Here! and A Giveaway Too!

Farmer John is a happy guy this week as he added a new "work-horse" to the farm. 

This is how we brought newly baled alfalfa bales in from the fields, last week. Large bales were carefully placed on a wagon, holding eight bales. Driving through bumpy field roads, and traffic on the highway, we prayed each bale would stay in its assigned seat.

The "before" photo.

And this is how we bring newly baled alfalfa bales in from the fields, this week. This wagon holds twelve bales. Each bale is neatly nestled in its "seat" enjoying its ride to the hay barn, where it will wait for its turn to be fed to our cattle. Farmer John says our $7,000 wagon was worth every cent! 

 

The "after" photo.

             

Room for 4 more.

 

Don't forget to enter my giveaway- 4 MN State Fair Admissions and 4 malt coupons. 

Click this link- My Very First Giveaway!