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.

Thanksgiving Trivia And Thankfulness

The turkey is now a pile of bones, the mashed potato bowl is licked clean, there's nothing left of the green bean casserole except that one stubborn bean stuck to the bottom of the dish, the cranberry sauce is still untouched, and the pumpkin pie with whipped cream is nothing but a memory. Before heading to the television to watch your favorite football team, take some time to dazzle your family with this Thanksgiving trivia. Hey, today is all about family, remember?

We at Bremer farms wish you a Happy Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. And today, like every other day, we are grateful for you and your love of dairy, and your appreciation for what we do here on the farm to share that dairy goodness with you.

Thanks to Google Image Search

What if we woke up tomorrow with only the things 

we thanked God for today?

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart...

Psalm 111:1

T Is For Trivia

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!

  T Is For Trivia

Our family loves board games. Farmer John's favorite is Risk. I'm guessing it is because he knows a lot about history and military tactics, which makes him a force-to-be-reckn'd-with. My top choice for game night would be Scrabble. It rolls together writing and spelling, two things I like to believe I'm good at. Michael's new favorite is Pandemic. I think he likes the power of saving the world from a deadly disaster. And Sara, well what ever game you name, she probably owns it. She is addicted to board games and so are her friends, so she is always on the prowl for new ones to stump her family and friends. 

This may not be a board game, but let's see if I can stump you with a few dairy odds 'n ends.

Did you know-

• It takes 25 gallons of milk to make 9 gallons of ice cream, or 11 pounds of butter.
• The average American drinks about 25 gallons of milk each year.
• The dairy industry supports over 38,000 jobs in the state of Minnesota.
• Milk remains fresh for 7-10 days after the expiration date if it is refrigerated at 35-40 degrees.
• Cows can detect odors up to six miles away. 

Did I stump you with any of these dairy odds 'n ends? I wonder if there's a market for a dairy version of "Trivial Pursuit." I could call it "Moonopoly" or "Pictiondairy" or...

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...U Is For Unexpected

Prepare To Be Dazzled

When I give school presentations or I'm asked to speak at meetings about dairy farming, I like to "dazzle" my audience with a bit of somewhat useless dairy trivia. Prepare to be "dazzled"...

• Dairy cows can produce 125 pounds of saliva a day
• People first domesticated cows about 5000 years ago.
• A cow stands up and sits down about 14 times a day.
• Cows can detect odors up to six miles away.
• Cows can see color.
• There are approximately 350 "squirts" in a gallon of milk.
• Cows can pick and lick their noses with their tongues.
• When the Pilgrims went to America, they took cows with them.
  
  
  Just like people, cows have an interesting story. As a Dairy Farmer, I believe one of my responsibilities is to share that story; the story of how we are committed to caring for our animals, respectfully preserving our land, and taking pride in what we do each and every day. 
  
  
  So who says we can't have a little "dazzle" along the way?
  
  
  To learn more about the story of Dairy Farming visit Dairy Farming Today.