N is for Nothing

Hi. Today I am sharing a post that I first wrote in 2015. I'm re-posting for two reasons. 

1. I'm feeling a bit under the weather, and I am having a hard time collecting my thoughts into intelligent sentences, and

2. This topic is still relevant and very true here on Bremer Farms. 

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?

O Is For Out

Perhaps you have heard the phrase, "What goes up, must come down," made famous by the English physicist, Issac Newton when describing gravity.

Here on Bremer Farms we have a phrase, "What goes in, must come out." Now granted, it may not be a famous saying...yet, but I think it is catching on. Just look what I found on my Google search-

Of course we don't have cute little "onesies" for our cattle, but we are in charge of what goes in, and what comes out. 

A cow that is milking eats about 100 pounds each day of feed, which is a combination of hay, grain, silage and proteins, plus vitamins and minerals. Cows also need fresh, clean water, about a bath tub full each day. Our cows have access to food and water all day.

Freshly chopped haylage. Just one of the foods our cows munch on every day.

 Now we get to the "comes-out" part of the story. A cow poops about 10 times a day. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on average, a full grown cow produces approximately 120-148 lbs. of manure per day. We remove this manure every day to keep our animals as clean as possible, to keep them healthy.

We recycle the cow manure and use it as a fertilizer for our crops. Federal, state, and local clean water laws regulate how manure is applied on cropland, so nutrients are absorbed by crops, not groundwater. The manure helps the fields get back the important nutrients. We never refer to manure as waste since it is recycled as a valuable resource to help our crops grow. Nothing goes to waste!

Haylage goes in, manure goes out.

See you tomorrow for P Is For...?

H Is For Haylage

Bremer Farms has been busy stocking the cow's pantry this week. We began chopping hay that we will feed to our dairy cows. Haylage is green, freshly cut alfalfa that is cut a few days earlier, then chopped to be served to our cows later.  This is a good alternative to baling hay which requires that the alfalfa be drier.

 

This was my first time running the chopper. I had a beautiful view of a beautiful day, but it took me awhile to get the hang of the chopper biz. After broken parts, and a broken chain, which I thought was something I did, Farmer John came to my rescue, and assured me that "it was their time to go, and I had nothing to do with it." Was he being honest, or just kind? Either way he let me keep my job, so off I went again.

I spent much of  my time looking over my shoulder to make sure everything was running smoothly. All was well until I hit a rather large gopher mound which was hidden beneath the freshly cut row of hay. Everything jammed up. For you experienced chopper drivers, I know now what I should have done to avoid this problem, but give me a break, I'm a rookie. Anyway... it was now 8:30 PM, so in I went from the field, where Farmer John, Sara and I unplugged the chopper, so we are ready to go again...after supper, showers, and a good night's sleep.

This video, from my You Tube page, shows the chopping process in a previous year. 

 Once the haylage leaves the field it is stored in a concrete bunker until it is fed to our cows. The haylage is  tightly packed, using a tractor, or, in this video, a payloader. This reduces the air from causing the haylage to rot. The end of this video shows unloading the wagon that just came from the field. After it is unloaded, the payloader adds the haylage to the pile which is being packed.

The final step is to cover the fresh haylage with a plastic sheet, weighed down with discarded tires. This is again to keep the haylage from rotting. We only serve healthy food for our cows!

Framer John has "invited" me to run the chopper again today. Wish me luck!

Speaking of luck...do you feel lucky?

Enter to win The Dairy Good Cookbook from My Barnyard View. Time is almost up so do it today. Thanks, and Happy June Dairy Month!

 

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U Is For United

It's June dairy Month! The barn doors are open, 

so join me on my daily A to Z journey 

to learn more about dairy. 

U Is For United

We have had a lot of rain here in Minnesota...and I mean a lot! Rain can be a farmers best friend, or worst enemy. Yes, crops need rain to grow, but farmers also need dry weather to get those crops out of the field. Besides the weather being a bit uncooperative, perhaps you remember that we are going through quite a few transitions lately due to some serious health issues of my in-laws, who are also our farming partners. You can learn about our changes "in the blink of an eye".

Farmers are like a community. We are united. We look out for each other. We come to each others rescue when someone is in need. You may know the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." The same is true of farming. It takes a community to raise a farm. With the help of our neighbors, the Sorg family, while Sara, Michael, and I miked the cows and did chores- Farmer John, 4 men, 4 tractors, 2 choppers, 4 wagons, and a payloader put up 40 acres of haylage.

Haylage is green, freshly cut alfalfa that is cut a few days earlier, then chopped to be served to our cows later. Since we have had so much rain lately, this is a good alternative to baling hay which requires that the alfalfa be drier. This video shows the chopping process. You will also see a second tractor, chopper, and wagon pass in front of the camera, as we were able to have two choppers going at the same time (thanks neighbors)!

Once the haylage leaves the field it is stored in a concrete bunker until it is fed to our cows. The haylage is  tightly packed, using a tractor, or, in this video, a payloader. This reduces the air from causing the haylage to rot. The end of this video shows unloading the wagon that just came from the field. After it is unloaded, the payloader adds the haylage to the pile which is being packed.

*Typically when we do not have our neighbors help, and equipment, unloading is done slightly different. Usually we use a blower to unload the wagons, and our tractor to pack the haylage tightly in the bunker.

 

The final step is to cover the fresh haylage with a plastic sheet, weighed down with discarded tires. This is again to keep the haylage from rotting. We only serve healthy food for our cows!

 

John is starting to unroll the plastic. Yep, I'm supposed to be helping.

 

Thanks to our neighborhood of "united" farmers, we were able to finish our 40 acres of haylage in about six hours. Without additional help, this project would have taken days...weather permitting.